Delphi () is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Carroll County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

. Located twenty minutes northeast of Lafayette, it is part of the Lafayette, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,961 at the 2020 census.

History

Delphi was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

ted in 1828. It took its name from the ancient city of

Delphi Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), was an ancient sacred precinct and the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient Classical antiquity, classical world. The A ...

, in Greece. Several months after Delphi was founded, it was designated as the county seat. The Barnett-Seawright-Wilson House, Carroll County Courthouse, Delphi City Hall, Delphi Courthouse Square Historic District, Delphi Methodist Episcopal Church, Foreman-Case House, and Niewerth Building are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Local heritage centers on the

Wabash and Erie Canal The Wabash and Erie Canal was a shipping canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River via an artificial waterway. The canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Over 460 miles long, it was th ...

, a canal and

towpath A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, Working animal, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge. This mod ...

that once bound together northern, central, and southern Indiana. The segment of the canal that passes through Delphi has been rewatered and serves as the focus of canal activities. A visitor center and museum, the Wabash & Erie Canal Interpretive Center, welcomes guests.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Delphi has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 2,893 people, 1,135 households, and 694 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,270 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.7% White, 0.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 5.5% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.3%. Of the 1,135 households 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.9% were non-families. 33.1% of households were one person and 16.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age was 37.5 years. 25.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.5% were from 25 to 44; 22.3% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 3,015 people, 1,161 households, and 748 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,241 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.57% White, 0.13% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 5.87% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.17%. Of the 1,161 households 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 31.3% of households were one person and 17.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.13. The age distribution was 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males. The median household income was $34,388 and the median family income was $45,878. Males had a median income of $31,360 versus $18,575 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,703. About 7.4% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Delphi Community School Corporation operates public schools, including

Delphi Community High School Delphi Community High School is a public secondary school located in Delphi, Indiana. The school serves more than 500 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Delphi Community School Corporation district. The students of Delphi Community School Corpor ...

. The city has a free lending library, the Delphi Public Library.

Notable people

* William "Dick the Bruiser" Afflis - professional wrestler * Moses Clapp - Minnesota politician * William V. Lucas - member of the 53rd

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

* Doxie Moore - professional basketball coach * John Gould Moyer - 31st

Governor of American Samoa This is a list of Governor (United States), governors, etc. of the part of the Samoan Islands (now comprising American Samoa) under United States administration since 1900. From 1900 to 1978 governors were appointed by the Federal government o ...

Bob Olinger Robert Ameredith B. "Pecos Bob" Olinger (1850 in Delphi, Indiana – April 28, 1881 in Lincoln, New Mexico) was a frontier lawman best known as the last victim of Billy the Kid and as a participant in the Lincoln County War. Early life and care ...

- last victim of

Billy The Kid Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders: four for which he was solely res ...

* Walter B. Rogers - musician and bandleader *

Robert H. Shaffer Robert H. Shaffer (September 13, 1915 – April 21, 2017) was an American pioneer in the field of college student personnel and student affairs. His work spanned the course of four decades ( 1940–1981), which can be characterized as a period of "i ...

- pioneer in the field of college student personnel and student affairs * Betty Wason - author/broadcast journalist * Gregory Wasson (born 1958) - president and CEO of

Walgreens Walgreens is an American pharmacy store chain. It is the second largest in the United States, behind CVS Pharmacy. As of March 2025, the company operated more than 8,700 stores in the U.S. Walgreens has been the subject of a number of lawsuit ...

Clarence Whistler Clarence Whistler (February 24, 1856 - November 6, 1885) was a professional athlete and champion Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestler of the 1880s. As the main rival to William Muldoon in wrestling of the early 1880s, he was best remember ...

- professional wrestler of the 1880s

Gallery

File:Delphi Indiana courthouse marker.png, Historical marker at the county courthouse File:Delphii Indiana Milroy site.JPG, Site of Samuel Milroy's cabin File:Delphi Indiana Downtown.JPG, The downtown area near the courthouse File:Delphi,Indiana Wabash n Erie Canal.JPG, Wabash and Erie Canal (Canal Park) File:Carroll - Deer Creek.jpg, Looking south at Washington and Main

References

External links

City of Delphi, Indiana website
{{authority control Cities in Indiana Cities in Carroll County, Indiana County seats in Indiana Lafayette metropolitan area, Indiana Populated places established in 1828 1828 establishments in Indiana