Clarksville (Indiana)

Clarksville is a city in Clark County in Southern Indiana, directly across the Ohio River from Louisville. It is the oldest town in the Indiana Territory with a population of 21,000. The city is served by an overlay complex of two area codes: 812 and 930.

Understand
Clarksville is located in a subtropical climate. Summers are hot and humid and warm at night. The wettest seasons are spring and summer and the occasional snow takes place in the winter.

Get in
From the north or south, the best access to Clarksville is I-65. There are five exits to Clarksville: Exit 0 (northbound only; Jeffersonville's Court Ave will lead westward towards Clarksville's riverfront), Exit 1 (in the northbound lanes, Browns Station Way offers access to Stansifer Ave, while the southbound exit offers access to Stansifer, Court, and US 31), Exit 2 (Eastern Blvd), Exit 4 (Lewis & Clark Pkwy) and Exit 5 (Veterans Pkwy). From New Albany, Spring St. leads to Browns Station Way, which runs through Clarksville. I-265 has no direct access to Clarksville so motorists from the west (I-64) or northeast (IN 62) will need to exit to I-65 SOUTH to reach Clarksville.

Note, however, that the I-65 bridges are now tolled, with all-electronic tolling (no toll booths). The lowest tolls are available only to drivers with transponders issued by the local tolling authority or the multi-state E-ZPass consortium. The Clark Memorial Bridge that carries US 31 across the river (often called the "Second Street Bridge" from the Louisville street it connects to) remains free, although it can get very congested at rush hours.

Commercial air service is offered at Louisville International Airport, ten miles away. Smaller aircraft use Clark County Airport in Sellersburg, five miles away.

There is no Amtrak service to Clarksville.

Get around
There are three main roadways that serve the town: Lewis & Clark Pkwy (formally IN 131), Eastern Blvd and Veterans Pkwy. Lewis & Clark is the main drag through the town, running southwest to northeast connecting Browns Station Way near New Albany with I-65. Eastern Blvd runs southeast to northwest connecting I-65 in Jeffersonville with Lewis & Clark. The newer Veterans Pkwy (built in 2004) runs along the northern end of town, connecting Greentree Blvd with the north side of Jeffersonville.

Other roadways serve Clarksville. Browns Station Way (formally IN 62) is a limited access highway that cuts through Clarksville, connecting I-65 with the east end of New Albany. Greentree Blvd runs along the east side of Greentree Mall and connects the mall with Veterans Pkwy. Riverside Dr. runs along the Ohio River between Clarksville and Jeffersonville. Stansifer Ave, in the southside of town runs between Jeffersonville's Spring St. and Clarksville's west end.

Louisville's TARC offers bus service along the main roadways and shopping centers.

Falls of the Ohio State Park
Riverside Dr. at floodwall Interpretive Center with walk to Devonian fossil bed along rapids on the Ohio River.

Around 387 million years ago this area was a shallow tropical sea. Living in the waters were countless corals, sponges, mollusks, and now extinct brachiopods and echinoderms. Over time, as these animals died, they became buried in layers and layers of sediment that helped to fossilize them. As the Ice Age glaciers retreated, the numerous fossil beds became visible, seen most heavily in the park location, but throughout the Ohio River Valley.

American history is vast in the park, and is discussed at the visitors center. George Rogers Clark established the first English-speaking settlement in the Northwest Territory in a part of the park, in 1778. Aaron Burr trained military troops in the area for a proposed Mexican invasion. William Clark and Meriweather Lewis set off on their landmark journey from the area.

The Falls consist of a series of rapids which were formed by the water flowing over an island of fossil beds. Now, only a small set of rapids are visible, due to the building of the McAlpine Dam in the 1920s. More than 600 species of fossils are found within the park, including hundreds of brand new species.

Over 270 species of birds (herons, egrets, waterfowl, osprey, falcons and the occasional bald eagle) and 125 species of fish (including the primitive paddlefish, striped bass, sauger, white bass, crappie and catfish) are found in the park.

Events

 * Late April Thunder Over Louisville Clarksville and Jeffersonville. The opening ceremonies to Louisville, Kentucky's Kentucky Derby Festival. Thunder Over Louisville is the largest annual fireworks show in the country, and the best viewing is along the Indiana shore of the Ohio River. If you plan to get a good seat, prepare to come the day before and camp. In the afternoon, private and military aircraft provide a magnificent airshow. After sunset, the fireworks begin and last nearly half an hour.
 * Early-mid October Harvest Homecoming Festival New Albany. The largest festival in southern Indiana brings participants from miles around. The festivities begin with a Saturday morning parade through the streets of New Albany. THe festival lasts for several weeks, and includes vendor booths downtown and carnival rides.

Buy
Clarksville has long been the leading retail destination for this region of Indiana. New retail stores along Veterans Pkwy have secured that reputation.
 * Clark Station Lewis & Clark Pkwy at Eastern Blvd. Includes Kroger, Party City and Feeder Supply.
 * Clarksville Commons Lewis & Clark Pkwy at I-65 Stores include Home Depot, GameStop, and Boot Barn.
 * Clarksville Towne Centre Lewis & Clark Pkwy at Triangle Dr. Includes Office Depot and Big Lots.
 * Greentree Mall Lewis & Clark Pkwy at Greentree Blvd. Over 80 stores including anchors JC Penneyand Dillard's. Smaller specialty stores include Books-A-Million, HOT TOPIC, Spencer's, Rave, Claire's, Bath & Body Works, The Gap and several jewelry stores. DQ and Subway offer food choices.
 * River Falls Between Lewis & Clark Pkwy and Bass Pro Dr. Includes Bass Pro Shop, the second largest store in the Bass Pro Shop chain. Islamadora Fish Company on the third level. Center includes Toys R Us, Dick's Sporting Goods, hhgregg and Regal River Falls Stadium 12.
 * Waterford Park Veterans Pkwy at Bass Pro Dr. Upscale retail center that includes Target, Old Navy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Davis Bridal and Lane Bryant.
 * Waterford Park South Veterans Pkwy at Bass Pro Dr. Across the street from Waterford Park. Includes Smith's Furniture, Edible Arrangements, PetSmart and GFS Marketplace.
 * Waterford Park South Veterans Pkwy at Bass Pro Dr. Across the street from Waterford Park. Includes Smith's Furniture, Edible Arrangements, PetSmart and GFS Marketplace.

Asian

 * China Buffet 706 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy
 * Kansai Japanese Steakhouse I-65 & Veterans Pkwy

Fitness Clubs

 * Louisville Athletic Club Rivar Falls Center 951 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy near the Bass Pro Shop. 45,000-square-foot fitness center with two racquetball courts.

Sleep

 * Best Western Green Tree Inn I-65 & Lewis & Clark Pkwy Located on Broadway. Budget motel.

By phone
Most telephone numbers in Clarksville, as well as the rest of the Indiana side of the Louisville area, consist of +1 812 plus a seven-digit number, but the region is now served by an overlay complex of two area codes, with 930 being the second. A local or in-state telephone call now requires all 10 digits of the local number be dialed (omitting just the leading +1 from a local landline call).

Signage on many established businesses may still display the original seven-digit numbers; dial 812 before these if no area code is indicated.

Go next

 * Jeffersonville
 * Louisville
 * New Albany