Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area

The Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area within their states. Dark shaded counties were included only by WTVW prior to the rollout of digital television.

The Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area is a tri-state area where the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky intersect, and a region of the Upland South. The area is defined mainly by the television viewing area and consists of ten Illinois counties, eleven Indiana counties, and nine Kentucky counties, centered upon the Ohio and Wabash Rivers.

The 2010 population estimate of the 30-county core region is 911,613 people. With approximately 118,000 people, Evansville, Indiana, is the largest city and the principal hub for both the Evansville Metropolitan Area and Southwestern Indiana. Owensboro, Kentucky, with approximately 60,000 people, is the second-largest city and the secondary hub and the hub for the Owensboro Metropolitan Area. The other six cities with 10,000 or more people include Harrisburg, Illinois; Henderson, Kentucky; Madisonville, Kentucky; Vincennes, Indiana; Washington, Indiana; and Jasper, Indiana. The dissecting point of the three states is the confluence of the Wabash and Ohio Rivers, near the tripoint of Gallatin County, Illinois, Posey County, Indiana, and Union County, Kentucky.

Some counties along the edges may or may not consider themselves part of the area. One of the Evansville TV stations (CW 7 WTVW) also includes Hardin and Saline Counties of Illinois; Crawford and Orange Counties of Indiana; Breckinridge, Crittenden and Grayson Counties of Kentucky as part of its viewing area as well as the below-mentioned counties because, prior to the advent of digital television, the station broadcast on the VHF band (it now broadcasts on RF channel 28, in the UHF band). This was also due to its transmitter being located near Chandler, Indiana, in Warrick County, as opposed to Henderson County, like the other stations. (See map on right.)

In addition, the counties on the eastern edge of the area are included in Kentuckiana, the northern edge counties are included in the Terre Haute viewing area and the western edge counties are either included in the PaducahCarbondaleCape Girardeau or the St. Louis viewing areas and the southern edge are included in the NashvilleClarksville viewing area.

The counties

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Note: Italicized counties were included by only WTVW prior to DTV. See above map.

Illinois:

Indiana:

Kentucky:

Media

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Major local broadcast television stations are:

Other area broadcast television stations are:

The major local broadcast FM radio stations are:

Fifteen largest cities

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The Metropolitan and Micropolitan Areas of the Tri-State Area
Population
Rank
City State Population
2020
County Region
1 Evansville Indiana 117,298 Vanderburgh Southwestern
Indiana
2 Owensboro Kentucky 60,183 Daviess Western Coal Fields
3 Henderson Kentucky 27,981 Henderson Western Coal Fields
4 Madisonville Kentucky 19,542 Hopkins Western Coal Fields
5 Vincennes Indiana 16,759 Knox Southwestern
Indiana
6 Jasper Indiana 16,703 Dubois Southwestern
Indiana
7 Washington Indiana 12,017 Daviess Southwestern
Indiana
8 Olney Illinois 8,701 Richland Eastern Little Egypt
9 Princeton Indiana 8,301 Gibson Southwestern
Indiana
10 Harrisburg Illinois 8,219 Saline Eastern Little Egypt
11 Tell City Indiana 7,506 Perry Southwestern
Indiana
12 Mount Carmel Illinois 7,015 Wabash Eastern Little Egypt
13 Boonville Indiana 6,712 Warrick Southwestern
Indiana
14 Mount Vernon Indiana 6,493 Posey Southwestern
Indiana
15 Huntingburg Indiana 6,362 Dubois Southwestern
Indiana
  • All of the cities on the list are county seats of their respective counties except Huntingburg, Indiana.
  • Newburgh is currently debating annexation plans that would incorporate many of the surrounding developments, which would increase the population to as many as 12,000 people. If successful this would place the town behind Jasper on the above list. Newburgh would become the only town on the list.

Metropolitan and micropolitan areas

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Metropolitan areas

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Name Primary City
or Cities
State
or States
County
or Counties
Non-Area County or
Counties Influenced
Area 2020
Population
Evansville, IN-KY
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Evansville
Henderson
Princeton
Indiana
Kentucky
Gibson, Posey
Vanderburgh, Warrick
Henderson, Webster
Illinois: Wabash, White
Indiana: Pike, Spencer
Kentucky: Union
2,367 sq mi
6,130 km2
314,049
Owensboro, KY
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Owensboro Kentucky Daviess, Hancock
McLean
Indiana: Perry, Spencer
Kentucky: Breckinridge, Ohio
931 sq mi
2,410 km2
121,559

Micropolitan areas

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Name Primary City State
or States
County
or Counties
Area 2020
Population
Central City, KY
Micropolitan Area
Central City
Greenville
Kentucky Muhlenberg 479 sq mi
1,241 km2
30,928
Harrisburg, IL
Micropolitan Area
Harrisburg Illinois Saline 387 sq mi
1,002 km2
23,768
Jasper, IN
Micropolitan Area
Jasper Indiana Dubois
Pike
776 sq mi
2010 km2
55,887
Madisonville, KY
Micropolitan Area
Madisonville Kentucky Hopkins 554 sq mi
1,430 km2
45,423
Vincennes, IN
Micropolitan Area
Vincennes Indiana Knox 524 sq mi
1,357 km2
36,282
Washington, IN
Micropolitan Area
Washington Indiana Daviess 437 sq mi
1,130 km2
33,381

Core counties

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Eastern Little Egypt (Illinois)

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Population Total: 128,750

County
Name
County
Seat
Population
(2020)
Area
Clay Louisville 13,288 437 sq mi (1,130 km2)
Edwards Albion 6,245 223 sq mi (580 km2)
Gallatin Shawneetown 4,946 328 sq mi (850 km2)
Hamilton McLeansboro 7,993 436 sq mi (1,130 km2)
Lawrence Lawrenceville 15,280 374 sq mi (970 km2)
Richland Olney 15,813 362 sq mi (940 km2)
Saline Harrisburg 23,768 387 sq mi (1,000 km2)
Wabash Mt. Carmel 11,361 232 sq mi (600 km2)
Wayne Fairfield 16,179 716 sq mi (1,850 km2)
White Carmi 13,877 502 sq mi (1,300 km2)

Southwestern Indiana

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Population Total: 477,056

County
Name
County
Seat
Population
(2020)
Area
Daviess Washington 33,381 437 sq mi (1,130 km2)
Dubois Jasper 43,637 435 sq mi (1,130 km2)
Gibson Princeton 33,011 526 sq mi (1,360 km2)
Knox Vincennes 36,282 524 sq mi (1,360 km2)
Martin Shoals 10,327 341 sq mi (880 km2)
Perry Tell City 19,102 386 sq mi (1,000 km2)
Pike Petersburg 12,250 342 sq mi (890 km2)
Posey Mt. Vernon 25,222 429 sq mi (1,110 km2)
Spencer Rockport 19,810 401 sq mi (1,040 km2)
Vanderburgh Evansville 180,136 236 sq mi (610 km2)
Warrick Boonville 63,898 424 sq mi (1,100 km2)

Western Coal Fields (Kentucky)

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Population Total: 293,160

County
Name
County
Seat
Population
(2020)
Area
Daviess Owensboro 103,312 476 sq mi (1,230 km2)
Hancock Hawesville 9,095 199 sq mi (520 km2)
Henderson Henderson 44,793 467 sq mi (1,210 km2)
Hopkins Madisonville 45,423 554 sq mi (1,430 km2)
McLean Calhoun 9,152 256 sq mi (660 km2)
Muhlenberg Greenville 30,928 479 sq mi (1,240 km2)
Ohio Hartford 23,772 597 sq mi (1,550 km2)
Union Morganfield 13,668 363 sq mi (940 km2)
Webster Dixon 13,017 336 sq mi (870 km2)

Daviess County

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The Two Daviess Counties within the Tri-State Area.

There are two counties named Daviess in the Tri-State Area, Daviess County, Indiana (/ˈdvz/), and Daviess County, Kentucky (/ˈdvɪs/). Both counties are named for Maj. Joseph Hamilton Daveiss, U.S. District Attorney for Kentucky who prosecuted Aaron Burr.

See also

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38°00′N 87°24′W / 38.0°N 87.4°W / 38.0; -87.4