Decatur
Small Town Breakdown
The next time you’re passing through Adams County in northeast Indiana, drive to the county seat of Decatur for a slice at Famous Monster Pizza, brisket at Soul Pig BBQ, treat at The Old 27 Ice Cream Shop, sculpture tour in June, and stroll through its many parks.
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Fast Facts
📍LOCATION: Northeast Indiana
Decatur is located in north-central Adams County
U.S. Route 27 runs north-south through town, leading north to Fort Wayne and south to Portland, Winchester and Richmond.
U.S. Route 224 runs east-west through town, leading east to the Ohio state line and west to Huntington.
10–15 minutes from the Ohio state line
30 minutes south of Fort Wayne
Two hours northeast of Indianapolis
👥 POPULATION & RANKING
9,811 residents (as of February 2026)
Ranks as Indiana’s 89th-largest incorporated town/city
Largest incorporated town/city in Adams County
📏 LAND AREA
5.8 square miles
📅 FOUNDED
Adams County was officially established on March 1, 1836.
It was named for John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States from 1825–29.
Decatur was platted in 1836 by Samuel Rugg, a friend of president Thomas Jefferson, and chosen as the county seat that same year.
It was named for Stephen Decatur Jr., a U.S. Navy captain.
It became incorporated in 1853.
🏥 MAIN INDUSTRIES: TBD
Prestress Services Industries, LLC designs, produces, delivers, and erects precast products for parking garages, manufacturing facilities, stadiums, bridges, and more.
2026 marks the 70th year of the family-owned Thunderbird and its production of fiberglass powerboats.
Decatur's biggest claim to fame is for a movie it never appears in. David Anspaugh was born in Decatur in 1946 and went on to direct "Hoosiers" and "Rudy”. He earned his degree at Indiana University, was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, and eventually made his way back to Bloomington after decades in Hollywood.
Detroit Tigers Owner
John Fetzer was born in Decatur in 1901, moved with his mom to Lafayette at age 2 after his father passed away, and later built a broadcasting empire that afforded him the opportunity to become owner of the Detroit Tigers from 1956 to 1983. The Tigers won the 1968 World Series behind 31-game winner Denny McLain.
Because of his background in radio and television, Fetzer became one of the most influential MLB team owners of his time and helped baseball negotiate a national TV package that included revenue sharing for all 20 teams.
Sculpture Tour
The Decatur Sculpture Tour is held every June and celebrates Decatur’s rich heritage as the birthplace and boyhood home of David Smith, widely known as the greatest American sculptor of the 20th century. The addition of new pieces around the Courthouse Square and Founders Park is celebrated each year with an Unveiling Festival featuring a plein air paint-out, chalk art for kids, live music, and food and drink vendors downtown.
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Parks Plus
There is no shortage of parks to explore in Decatur. Homestead Park has a basketball court, tennis court, swings, and merry-go-round, Kekionga Park spans 50 acres and has paved trails and canoe launches, Hanna Nuttman Park has ball diamonds and two cabins, and Waterworks Park is home to the Decatur Swimming Pool.
For golfers, Cross Creek Golf Club has a 9-hole, par 33 Majorki course and an 18-hole, par 71 Biggs Kreigh course.
Decatur Delights
Corner Cafe is the go-to spot for breakfast and lunch, and you can’t skip out on their delicious pies.
The Get Indiana crew stopped by the Double Eagle Clubhouse Grille for lunch. Great food and great views of the Cross Creek golf course.
Soul Pig BBQ is a barbecue joint that specializes in brisket, pulled pork, ribs, cornbread and hush puppies with a 4.5-star rating among nearly 1,000 Google reviews and almost 12,000 followers on Facebook. It was established in 2018 and has become a local favorite.
Famous Monster Pizza is downtown Decatur's most unusual stop. It’s a horror-movie-themed pizzeria founded in 2018 by local historian Max Miller, decked out with monster memorabilia from the 20th century to today.
West End Restaurant is the spot for classic American comfort food, and it’s been serving Adams County for almost 140 years.
For dessert, The Old 27 Ice Cream Shop is a community staple. They’ve got 27 unique flavors, and the strawberry cheesecake ice cream in pie form is as good as it sounds.
Seven State Titles
Bellmont High School is home of the Braves, who compete in the Northeast 8 Athletic Conference. The school has captured IHSAA state championships in boys wrestling (1987, 1988, 1994), football (3A, 2008), girls volleyball (3A, 2007, 2010), and most recently, girls basketball (3A, 2026), which beat Roncalli 55-46 in their first-ever state finals appearance.
