What’s it like in Auburn, Indiana?

The History of DeKalb County and Auburn, Indiana

DeKalb County was created in 1835 from portions of Allen and LaGrange counties and became established in 1837. It was named after officer Baron Johann de Kalb, originally from Bavaria, Germany, who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

Auburn was founded in 1836 and became the county seat shortly after. It’s best known as the “Home of the Classics” thanks to its deep automotive roots. In the early 1900s, it was the headquarters of the Auburn Automobile Company, which later merged with Cord and Duesenberg to form one of the most iconic luxury automobile companies in American history. The Double Fabric Tire Company was established in 1910 to make tires for the Auburn Automobile Company, and it evolved to become the Auburn Rubber Company in the 1920s that focused primarily on children’s toys. 

As of the 2024 census, Auburn’s population is 13,989, making it the largest of eight incorporated towns/cities in DeKalb County and the 67th-largest city in Indiana.

Things to Do In or Near Auburn, Indiana

The centerpiece of any Auburn visit is the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum. It opened in 1974 and features dozens of classic cars from 1894 to 1999 spread across multiple galleries on three levels. If you like history and/or classic cars, it’s a must-see. The museum has over 2,000 Google reviews, 4.9 stars, and is open seven days a week.

Just down the road is the National Auto & Truck Museum, where over 150 classic vehicles are on display, ranging from the early 1900s to 1960s muscle cars, oil trucks and more. It also has enough space to host weddings and receptions!

The last vintage car museum to check out is the Early Ford V-8 Foundation and Museum, a nonprofit that shares the historical impact of Henry Ford and The Ford Motor Company, focusing on the Flathead years of 1932-1953.

The shopping scene in Auburn is a plus, with downtown featuring shops like Forget Me Not Boutique, All About You Boutique and Lyn-Maree’s Boutique. Two more great options are Nature’s Mercantile LLC to purchase soaps, lotions and beauty products, and Heavenly Creations, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this month.

Byler Lane Winery and Events Center opened in 2016 south of town and is open Thursday through Sunday. It’s a fun spot to sip on anything from drys to sweets while enjoying live music on the weekends.

If you're a fan of outdoor recreation, there are five community parks in Auburn. Eckhart Park was established as the town’s first park in 1915 and offers walking trails, picnic shelters, a skatepark, disc golf course and sand volleyball courts.

Not to be forgotten, the annual festival in town is the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival, held every weekend leading into Labor Day. This year’s festival was the 69th edition and celebrates the town’s automobile legacy with parades, drive-ins, cars on display, live music and more.

Places to Eat or Drink in Auburn, Indiana

Start your day at 9th Street Brew Coffee House, a cozy spot downtown serving coffee, lattes and an impressive lineup of homemade pastries. The caramel apple scones are calling our name.

For lunch, you can’t go wrong with Mad Anthony’s Auburn Tap Room, one of three Mad Anthony locations (the others are in Fort Wayne and Warsaw). Enjoy pub food, live music and a rotating tap list of Indiana-brewed beers from year-round options to seasonal varieties.

For the best Italian food (and catering!) in town, stop by the family-owned The Italian Grille for hearty pasta dishes, made-from-scratch pizzas, steaks, sandwiches and more. It was opened in 2006 by George and Nan Armstrong and their sons Ben and Josh. George and Nan previously owned an Auburn Pizza King for 17 years.

DeKalb High School and IHSAA State Championship History

Nestled between Auburn and Waterloo, DeKalb High School serves as the primary public school in the area. The Barons have claimed three IHSAA state titles in school history across three different sports.

The first occurred in the single-class format in 1980 at Bush Stadium, where the baseball program defeated Muncie Northside in a pitcher’s duel, 1-0, in eight innings. DeKalb also reached the state semifinals in 1977 but came up short against Logansport, 3-1.

The second state championship in school history took place in the fall of 1986, when the football team knocked off Franklin Central in the 4A title game, 28-7. The Barons possessed the ball for most of the game, running the ball a 4A championship game record 68 times out of 74 plays while converting a record 24 first downs. On the other sideline, Franklin Central rushed 15 times and had just 32 total plays on offense, both the lowest marks in 4A title game history.

The football program also reached the 4A final in 1994 but lost 35-0 to East Central.

Lastly, the most recent state title in school history came in unified flag football. The Barons won the 2021 title 45-42 over Franklin Central and were state runner-ups in each of the following two seasons, falling to Brownsburg and Carmel. DeKalb’s three state championship game appearances in unified flag football are more than any school in the state.

That’s it for small town breakdown No. 34 of 2025. Where should we head next?