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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 Midwest and 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.[1] 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 Paducah–Carbondale–Cape Girardeau or the St. Louis viewing areas and the southern edge are included in the Nashville–Clarksville viewing area.
The counties
Note: Italicized counties were included by only WTVW prior to DTV. See above map.
Illinois:
Indiana:
Kentucky:
Media
Major local broadcast television stations are:
- WTVW Channel 7.1 CW / 7.2 (Bounce) / 7.3 (Mystery) / 7.4 (Ion) Evansville, IN
- WNIN Channel 9.1 PBS / 9.2 (Create) Evansville, IN
- WFIE Channel 14.1 NBC / 14.2 (MeTV) / 14.3 (Circle) / 14.4 (Grit) / 14.5 (Dabl) / 14.6 (True Crime Network) / 14.7 (Defy TV) Evansville, IN
- WEHT Channel 25.1 ABC / 25.2 (Laff) / 25.3 (Cozi) / 25.4 (Rewind TV) Henderson, KY
- WKOH Channel 31.1 PBS/KET / 31.2 (PBS Encore/KET2) / 31.3 (KY Channel) / 31.4 (PBS Kids) Owensboro, KY
- WEVV Channel 44.1 CBS / 44.2 (FOX/MNTV) Evansville, IN
Other area broadcast television stations are:
- WSIL-TV Channel 3.1 ABC / 3.2 (H&I) / 3.3 (Crime) / 3.4 (Court TV) / 3.5 (Ion) Harrisburg, IL – not part of the "Tri-State" viewing area; one of the principal stations of the Paducah–Carbondale–Cape Girardeau TV market
- WZDS-LD Channel 5.1 H&I / 5.2 (Start TV) / 5.3 (Movies!) / 5.4 (Decades) / 5.5 (Story) Evansville, IN
- WYYW-CD Channel 15.1 TMD / 15.2 (FAM) / 15.3 (RTV) Evansville, IN
- WJTS-CD Channel 18.1 YTA Jasper, IN
- WTSN-CD Channel 20.1 ANT / 20.2 (TFC) Evansville, IN
- WVUT Channel 22.1 PBS / 22.2 (Create) / 22.3 (PBS Kids) Vincennes, IN
- W23BV-D Channel 23.1 3ABN / 23.2 (3ABN Proclaim) / 23.3 (3ABN Dare to Dream) / 23.4 (3ABN Latino) Evansville, IN
- WDLH-LD Channel 24.1 Azteca America Evansville, IN
- WELW-LD Channel 30.1 Court TV / 30.2 (Defy TV) / 30.3 (TrueReal) / 30.4 (Scripps News) Evansville, IN
- WEIN-LD Channel 40.1 beIN Sports Xtra / 40.2 (beIN Sports Xtra en Español) / 40.3/4/5 (Ads) Evansville, IN
The major local broadcast FM radio stations are:
- 88.3 WNIN Evansville, IN
- 89.1 WVJC Mount Carmel, IL
- 89.5 WKPB Henderson, KY
- 91.1 WVUB Vincennes, IN
- 91.5 WUEV Evansville, IN
- 92.5 WBKR Owensboro, KY
- 93.5 WLYD Evansville, IN
- 93.9 WKTG Madisonville, KY
- 94.9 WYNG Mount Carmel, IL
- 96.1 WSTO Owensboro, KY / Evansville, IN
- 96.5 WSON Henderson, KY
- 98.1 WRAY Princeton, IN
- 99.5 WKDQ Henderson, KY
- 100.5 WSJD Mount Carmel, IL
- 101.9 WEKV Central City, KY / Owensboro, KY
- 103.1 WGBF Evansville, IN / Henderson, KY
- 104.1 WIKY Evansville, IN
- 105.3 WJLT Evansville, IN
- 106.1 WDKS Newburgh, IN
- 107.1 WJPS Boonville, IN / Evansville, IN
- 107.5 WABX Evansville, IN
Fifteen largest cities

| Population Rank |
City | State | Population 2020 |
County | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evansville | Indiana | 117,298 | Vanderburgh | Southwestern Indiana |
| 2 | Owensboro | Kentucky | 60,183 | Daviess | Pennyrile |
| 3 | Henderson | Kentucky | 27,981 | Henderson | Pennyrile |
| 4 | Madisonville | Kentucky | 19,542 | Hopkins | Pennyrile |
| 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
Metropolitan areas
| 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
| 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
Eastern Little Egypt (Illinois)
Population Total: 128,750
| County Name |
County Seat |
Population (2020) |
Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay | Louisville | 13,288 | 437 mi2 (1,130 km2) |
| Edwards | Albion | 6,245 | 223 mi2 (580 km2) |
| Gallatin | Shawneetown | 4,946 | 328 mi2 (850 km2) |
| Hamilton | McLeansboro | 7,993 | 436 mi2 (1,130 km2) |
| Lawrence | Lawrenceville | 15,280 | 374 mi2 (970 km2) |
| Richland | Olney | 15,813 | 362 mi2 (940 km2) |
| Saline | Harrisburg | 23,768 | 387 mi2 (1,000 km2) |
| Wabash | Mt. Carmel | 11,361 | 232 mi2 (600 km2) |
| Wayne | Fairfield | 16,179 | 716 mi2 (1,850 km2) |
| White | Carmi | 13,877 | 502 mi2 (1,300 km2) |
Southwestern Indiana
Population Total: 477,056
| County Name |
County Seat |
Population (2020) |
Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daviess | Washington | 33,381 | 437 mi2 (1,130 km2) |
| Dubois | Jasper | 43,637 | 435 mi2 (1,130 km2) |
| Gibson | Princeton | 33,011 | 526 mi2 (1,360 km2) |
| Knox | Vincennes | 36,282 | 524 mi2 (1,360 km2) |
| Martin | Shoals | 10,327 | 341 mi2 (880 km2) |
| Perry | Tell City | 19,102 | 386 mi2 (1,000 km2) |
| Pike | Petersburg | 12,250 | 342 mi2 (890 km2) |
| Posey | Mt. Vernon | 25,222 | 429 mi2 (1,110 km2) |
| Spencer | Rockport | 19,810 | 401 mi2 (1,040 km2) |
| Vanderburgh | Evansville | 180,136 | 236 mi2 (610 km2) |
| Warrick | Boonville | 63,898 | 424 mi2 (1,100 km2) |
Western Coal Fields (Kentucky)
Population Total: 293,160
| County Name |
County Seat |
Population (2020) |
Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daviess | Owensboro | 103,312 | 476 mi2 (1,230 km2) |
| Hancock | Hawesville | 9,095 | 199 mi2 (520 km2) |
| Henderson | Henderson | 44,793 | 467 mi2 (1,210 km2) |
| Hopkins | Madisonville | 45,423 | 554 mi2 (1,430 km2) |
| McLean | Calhoun | 9,152 | 256 mi2 (660 km2) |
| Muhlenberg | Greenville | 30,928 | 479 mi2 (1,240 km2) |
| Ohio | Hartford | 23,772 | 597 mi2 (1,550 km2) |
| Union | Morganfield | 13,668 | 363 mi2 (940 km2) |
| Webster | Dixon | 13,017 | 336 mi2 (870 km2) |
Daviess County

There are two counties named Daviess in the Tri-State Area, Daviess County, Indiana (/ˈdeɪviːz/), and Daviess County, Kentucky (/ˈdeɪvɪs/). Both counties are named for Maj. Joseph Hamilton Daveiss, U.S. District Attorney for Kentucky who prosecuted Aaron Burr.
See also
References
- ↑ Robison, J.; Lesh, J.; Hoffner, J.; Reinsch, W. (December 2000). "The Land of In-Between: Revitalizing America's Small and Mid-sized Cities" (PDF). Center for Strategic and International Studies. pp. 21–30.