Why you will love it here

About the area

The area served by Reid Health offers multiple options to provide a high quality of life. It's a great area to settle down, with the convenience and lower cost of living offered by middle America but with easy access to bustling metro areas of Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Dayton. We have lakes and parks for recreation, festivals and theater for those looking for fun, and a vibrant arts community.

A part of the Brookville Lake (shown above) — Whitewater Memorial State Park Complex, Brookville Reservoir lies in the historic east fork of the Whitewater River Valley. Traces of prehistoric Native American mounds are still found throughout this valley. The area is known by some worldwide for its significant deposit of Ordovician fossils. These 450-million-year-old fossils, reminders of a primeval inland sea, can still be seen.

Brookville Lake is home to two State Recreation Areas: Mounds SRA (not to be confused with Mounds State Park in Anderson) and Quakertown SRA. The lake property has more than 25 miles of hiking trails, boating opportunities, and nationally known recreational and sport fishing. Two beaches and more than 400 campsites make this an ideal family vacation spot.

Richmond's deep history

The area's history offers some explanation to why it's a warm and inviting community. Richmond was first settled 200 years ago by Quakers from North Carolina. People here weren't afraid to stand up for what is right, as evidenced in the 1840s by some of the earliest and largest public outcries against slavery.

Nearby Fountain City was an important endpoint for the Underground Railroad. The Quaker influence helped lead to the start of Earlham College, which touches around the world with its graduates and its mission of global responsibility. In fact, 17 percent of its students are from foreign countries.

Endless career and educational opportunities

Campuses of Indiana University, Purdue and Ivy Tech are here, delivering diverse learning options. The colleges are teaching the workers of today… and tomorrow.

Some businesses have thrived for more than a century, producing everything from cookies to caskets to car parts. Cutting-edge businesses are sprouting in technology, in transportation, in recycling, in fitness and in a lot more modern fields.

We grow more diverse every day in a variety of ways: doctors, professors and executives from around the world bring special talents as they move here; a growing Amish community offers specialty products; and a growing variety of ethnic restaurants feed diverse tastes.

Explore our area and we believe you will see why we call it home!

• A great location: Live here and get elsewhere with ease. We always have been an artery of American mobility. Early settlers made their way here, first traveling along dirt paths and then along the paved Old National Road. Some of the same sights — like old forest growth at Earlham College and old hotels in many small towns — are similar to what travelers would have seen as they traveled in covered wagons and old Model Ts.

You can easily reach three major airports and six interstates. Catch professional sports teams such as the Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts or Cincinnati Bengals, and the Cincinnati Reds. Even the Indy 500 and Kentucky Derby are within easy driving distance!

• Interesting places to go: Check the attractions map to learn more about such places as Jungle Jim's, one of the most fascinating "groceries" in the nation; or get back to nature with an outing at Hayes Arboretum, Cope Environmental Center or numerous parks.
• Great places to exercise: Access the Cardinal Greenway at several points at Richmond and in the area for biking, hiking or nature walks.