Which U.S. state is home to the Indianapolis 500?

Which U.S. state is home to the Indianapolis 500? Indiana. The race is held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, an enclave of Indiana surrounded by the city of Indianapolis.

The speedway opened in 1909, and the first Indianapolis 500 took place there in 1911. Despite the race’s name and its close association with Indianapolis, the circuit is technically in the separately incorporated town of Speedway, Indiana.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a 2.5-mile oval known as the Brickyard. Its original racing surface was paved with bricks, and one yard of the historic brick strip remains visible at the start-finish line. The 500 itself covers 500 miles over 200 laps.

A common mix-up is choosing Illinois, Ohio, or Michigan because all are nearby Midwestern states. None hosts the race: the Indianapolis 500 has remained tied to Indiana and the same speedway since its inaugural running, apart from wartime cancellations and the 2020 pandemic postponement.