Welcome to Avon, Indiana: a caring suburb community.

Some say you can’t have it all, but I would argue Avon proves that statement wrong. Nestled just five miles west of downtown Indianapolis, this quiet yet bustling suburb truly embodies a small-town community atmosphere while providing access to everything the city has to offer. I grew up in Hendricks County and, like any young adult, swore I’d never move back home. Now that I’ve grown, I truly feel there’s no better place to raise my children than this westside community.  

Our neighbors are the kind of people who text us when our garage door is open at night. They get my kids off the bus when I can’t, and they bring food to the doorstep when we are sick. In the summer, people grill and sip drinks in their driveway, waving to passersby while their kids scoot and bike back and forth between houses. And in the winter, neighbors shovel each other’s driveways and check on the elderly when the weather gets nasty.

As a local writer, I hear again and again that this kind of Hoosier hospitality is truly unique to the westside. Yet, we’re only 20 quick minutes from downtown Indianapolis—a straight shot east on U.S. 36—and even closer to the Indianapolis International Airport, which makes our travel plans easy.

Avon transformed historic farmland into a multifaceted suburb.

Avon hasn’t always been the bustling suburb that my family enjoys today. Just one generation ago, it was a town of farmland. The first settlers came around 1830, having to clear the dense woods with basic tools like axes. Those pioneers faced many hardships, like disease and hard winters, but they pushed on to settle the area.

When the first post office was set up, they called it Hampton and took the name for the town as well. In 1852, the name switched to White Lick, and then in 1868, a man named John Smoots petitioned to open a new post office. So, they named the post office and the town Smootsdale. The name later changed again to New Philadelphia, before the town was finally renamed one last time to Avon in 1870.

While Avon was a mostly agricultural community, businesses started to spring up in the 1870s. The town slowly began to boom as a sawmill, a railroad depot, a blacksmith’s shop, and a doctor’s office opened. Since then, Avon has been a magnet for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Avon has a culture of hospitality, generosity, and fun.

It’s hard to encapsulate such a diverse and generous community, but I will definitely try! As someone who grew up in Hendricks County and a writer who regularly speaks with people involved in the community, the most important piece of the Avon tapestry is its people. 

Our town is a community-minded place.

When I talk to small business owners, they tell me they wouldn’t have made it without the support of the community. When I talk to non-profits, their main inspiration is wanting to give back to such a giving community. And when I talk to parents, they’re overflowing with appreciation for Avon and its many opportunities for their family.

Our local small businesses are especially propelled by our community, driven to bring value to our home. They offer quality food and services, give people a safe place to hang out, and create handmade products right here in town. Many of them also regularly host Dine & Donate events to benefit local schools or other fundraisers. 

Enjoy community events that bring people together.

No matter who you are, Avon makes it easy for new people to get acclimated with community events and gatherings. Each year, locals highly anticipate and faithfully attend the town’s local festivities. Residents gather for the lighting of the Town Hall Christmas Tree every December, and they meet up each summer for the Avon Heritage Festival and Parade. 

While we all love the Indiana State Fair, one thing I love about the Hendricks County Fair is its size. From Avon, the fair is just a ten-minute drive down the road to Danville. And it has everything the big fairs do but on a smaller scale—including free shows, motorsports, carnival rides, farm animals, and (of course) the beloved fair food. So, we can easily walk the whole thing with our kids, run into friends and neighbors, not wait forever in line for our elephant ears, and chat with the local farmers. 

Experience seasonal events and local festivals.

Every summer, Hendricks County hosts the Rib Fest and Balloon Glow, one of the best events in Central Indiana! First, the day kicks off with the annual 5k Rib Run. Then, the full Rib Fest begins, featuring live music, entertainment, and some of the county’s most mouthwatering ribs. The evening is capped off with fireworks and a hot air balloon glow, offering some of the best photo ops of the entire year. Summer just isn’t summer unless you’re sweating, dancing to live music, and licking local BBQ sauce off your fingers! 

And autumn in Indiana is exceptionally beautiful! The Heartland Apple Festival, which takes place just west of Avon at Beasley’s Orchard, is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the fall weather with your family and friends. There’s nothing better than sipping apple cider slushies while the kids enjoy a tractor-pulled hayride. My kids love heading out to their golden pumpkin field to pick the perfect gourds for our jack o’ lanterns. The festival features a corn maze, wine tastings from local Indiana wineries, arts and crafts, and delicious local food.

Avon’s local schools are highly rated and accomplished.

Many families move to the Avon area just for the schools, and it’s no mystery why. The Avon Community School Corporation boasts test scores well above the national average and a graduation rate of 97%. And our high school ranks as one of the best in the United States according to the U.S. News & World Report.

Avon schools also have a rich history of sports and music. The Avon High School band has won two national championships, and they were ranked the top band in the state by the ISSMA seven years in a row. Our high school athletic teams have also been crowned the state champions in boys’ golf, girls’ soccer, girls’ volleyball, and boys’ track and field.

The Avon school district is also remarkably diverse.

Avon schools are surprisingly and incredibly diverse, featuring a beautiful display of cultures, languages, and ethnicities. Across the district, there are 87 languages represented by our local students, and as a mother of two in the school system, I can attest to the value the schools place on diversity.

At Maple Elementary School, where our kids attend, we first walked into the main hallway and saw a huge map of the world with photos of Avon students from other countries. Each photo also had a small sheet of facts about the cultures and languages that child could share. Both my kids have had students in their class who speak other languages, and they’ve come home talking about the conversations they’ve had and what they learned. Each spring, our schools celebrate our community with the Diversity Fair, where families are encouraged to set up a booth and talk about their culture.

Avon has amazing amenities from hiking trails to improv clubs.  

Avon is an increasingly active community with plenty of places for involved individuals to pursue their passions! 

Our town has acres of beautiful parkland, miles of trails, and amenities suitable for families, retirees, young singles, and anyone in between. My own neighborhood has nature trails that wind over to the pool and back to the playground, creating a well-connected oasis just minutes from shopping, movies, and restaurants.

Stay fit on hiking trails and sports facilities.

For active athletes, the B&O Trail is a paved path that slices through Avon, running 7.6 miles from Brownsburg to North Raceway Road with plans for expansion. Any given day, you can see families, bikers, runners, and walkers enjoying the trail, which even connects directly to some local neighborhoods. The B&O Trail also bisects the Bicentennial Trail, a short, one-mile path that will eventually connect the Brownsburg and Avon trail systems.

And at the heart of our town is the Hendricks Regional Health YMCA, a gathering place where residents go for fitness, sports, and community events. It features an indoor pool, a huge outdoor running and walking loop, fitness classes, and sports and swim lessons for kids.

Explore the outdoors with our parks and nature preserves.

Right behind town hall, the 83-acre Town Hall Park has everything you could need to grow with your family. The park features a two-mile paved trail that loops around the public nine-acre lake (which you can fish in!) and through acres of prairie plants.

When my kids were tiny, I took them to the park to walk the trails and play on the playgrounds. Now that they’re ten and seven, we still go to play ping pong, use the bocce ball court, check out the 18-hole disc golf course, and play on the outdoor RC vehicle racetrack. 

If the Town Hall Park doesn’t have it, then the Washington Township Park will cover everything else. The park features basketball courts, a splash pad, a sand volleyball court, covered picnic shelters, five miles of hiking trails, and a pavilion for community classes and events that you can rent.

Another recent addition to the community is the Pecar Park Nature Center, which offers eight campsites, an outdoor classroom, a bird aviary, and a low ropes challenge facility. And I can’t forget the Burnett Woods, a hidden gem in Avon. This local nature preserve features 68 acres of mature woodlands and trails to explore! 

Enjoy the perfect night out with local art and good food.

If the weather isn’t conducive to playing at the parks, Avon also offers creative art experiences at the ever-popular Tie Dye Lab, Board & Brush just down the road in Brownsburg, and the uPaint Pottery Studio in Plainfield.

Another great option is the Red Curb Comedy Improv Club opened by Will Pfaffenberger, a Smiley Morning Show personality and producer on 99.5 WZPL. This intimate setting offers a hilarious and fun place for a family outing, date night, or just an evening with friends.

After a night at the comedy club, there are a plethora of places where you can grab some food and drinks. Here in Avon, we have beloved chains like Olive Garden and BJ’s Brewhouse as well as unique local favorites like Opa! and Pho 36, which feature Greek cuisine and Vietnamese food respectively. Our favorite restaurant is locally-owned Charbonos, a wonderful place to take the family while also offering the quiet vibe and fine dining that’s perfect for a date night.

Why should you move to Avon? 

When I was younger, I wanted to explore the world and live someplace exciting and different. But as an adult, my values have shifted. I crave time with friends and family, new experiences, and a place to grow deep roots for my kids. Avon has been that and more, surprising me at every turn with what it has to offer. 

And if I do get the itch to leave town, I don’t have to go far to see Indianapolis and feel like I’m “out of town.” I can hightail it up to Eagle Creek Park for hiking, kayaking, or swimming in the reservoir. I can head to downtown Indianapolis for a fancy date night or treat the kids to a day at the Indianapolis Zoo or the Children’s Museum. I can even easily catch a flight nearly anywhere in the world from Indianapolis International Airport.

While Avon figuratively makes a great home, the housing market here is literally booming. New neighborhoods are being developed each year, creating perfect places to buy a brand-new home and build your life. Since over 80% of homes in Avon are owned, the people who live here are truly invested in our community and our town—and those people are the best of the best: hardworking, generous, hospitable, and kind. 

They say that it “takes a village,” but that phrase really applies to the Avon community. If you’re looking for a place to put down roots, a place to raise a family, or even a place that gives you opportunities to experience new things, then you won’t find a better home than Avon.