Richland, IN

Richland is a town in southern Spencer County's Luce Township, a short drive west of Evansville and east of Owensboro across the Ohio River. The town was laid out in 1861 as Lake City; its post office opened under the name Lake in 1862, and the name changed to Richland in 1921 to reflect the area's fertile soil. The town incorporated in 2008. The 2020 census counted 403 residents. State Road 66 and State Road 161 connect Richland to the two larger cities and to the Glover Cary Bridge, known locally as the Blue Bridge.

Local government and utilities have expanded since incorporation. Richland has a town council, a clerk-treasurer's office, building inspection, wastewater management, and access to regional water, sewer, trash, and fiber providers. A town history that began with a post office and bank now includes a formal municipal system serving homes spread around the old crossroads. Richland's map is shaped by its position between the Ohio River communities and the Evansville area: the town handles its own civic business, and the highways carry residents to larger workplaces, stores, and services. It is a small place with a distinctly local name history and a newer layer of town government.