What’s it like in Boonville, Indiana?

Small Town Breakdown No. 64: Boonville, Indiana 

For this week’s small town breakdown we’re going from Montezuma in Parke County to Boonville, the county seat of Warrick County. Boonville is 1 hour and 30 minutes west of Louisville and 30 minutes east of Evansville.

The History of Warrick County and Boonville, Indiana

Warrick County was organized in 1813 from part of Knox County. It was named by William Henry Harrison for Captain Jacob Warrick, a leader who was killed in the Battle of Tippecanoe. The county’s original size encompassed what are now Posey, Vanderburgh, Spencer, Perry, and parts of Crawford counties. Its first county seat was Evansville, then Darlington, and eventually Boonville.

Boonville was founded in 1818 and is historically rooted in coal mining and agriculture. It was named after Jesse Boon, father of Ratliff Boon (Indiana’s second governor), who donated land for the site. The town is connected to Abraham Lincoln’s youth and is known to be “Where Lincoln learned the law.” Young Abe, who lived in the part of Indiana that was Warrick County when his family arrived and later became Spencer County in 1818, walked to Boonville for books and to watch a local attorney argue legal cases.

As of the 2024 census, Boonville’s population is 6,687, making it the largest incorporated town/city in Warrick County. It is the 106th-largest city in Indiana. 

Things to Do In or Near Boonville, Indiana

City Lake Park is home to playgrounds, a basketball court, two picnic shelters, two gazebos, and best of all – a spray park. The spray park opened in 2006 and is typically open during the summer months.

Just northeast of Boonville sits Scales Lake Park, a great place to enjoy the outdoors in southern Indiana. It has a 66-acre lake that is perfect for boating and fishing, has plenty of room for camping and picnicking, and park-goers can swim, hike, and pursue countless outdoor activities. If you aren’t into primitive camping, rent one of their many cabins.