Cynthiana, IN

Cynthiana is a Posey County town in Smith Township, covering about four-tenths of a square mile in southwestern Indiana. The 2020 census counted 552 residents. State Roads 65 and 68 connect the town with Interstate 64 and the northern half of Posey County, while local streets gather around a compact center. Cynthiana was laid out in 1817 and incorporated on April 22, 1896.

The town’s name follows a migration story. Forty-four settlers came from Cynthiana, Kentucky, in September 1815, and William Davis laid out the town two years later. Cynthiana became a service point for surrounding farms, and the MSD of North Posey County now runs the schools attended by local children, including North Posey High and Junior High and North and South Terrace elementary campuses. Its map is small, but the settlement links Kentucky origins, early Indiana platting, and a school district spread across northern Posey County. The town’s compact footprint keeps those connections close to home each day.