North Crows Nest, IN

North Crows Nest is a tiny town in Washington Township, Marion County, on bluffs about 70 feet above the White River and roughly seven miles north of downtown Indianapolis. The 2020 census counted 44 residents in just a few hundredths of a square mile. The river forms the eastern edge, with Crows Nest directly to the south. The name comes from the wooded heights above the river, where early settlers noticed large numbers of crows.

North Crows Nest incorporated in 1934 after six White River homeowners organized the town, and the 1970 Unigov merger made it an included town within Indianapolis. It still retains town governmental powers under Indiana law, which gives the small community a distinctive civic arrangement. The surrounding Crows Nest area has older homes, river bluffs, and a long connection to Indianapolis neighborhoods, while downtown remains close enough for everyday work and services. North Crows Nest is therefore both a very small town and part of a major city’s municipal fabric, with the White River keeping its edge visible.