# Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area

The Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area is a tri-state area where the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky intersect, and a region of the Upland South. The area is defined mainly by the television viewing area and consists of ten Illinois counties, eleven Indiana counties, and nine Kentucky counties, centered upon the Ohio and Wabash Rivers.
The 2010 population estimate of the 30-county core region is 911,613 people. With approximately 118,000 people, Evansville, Indiana, is the largest city and the principal hub for both the Evansville Metropolitan Area and Southwestern Indiana. Owensboro, Kentucky, with approximately 60,000 people, is the second-largest city and the secondary hub and the hub for the Owensboro Metropolitan Area. The other six cities with 10,000 or more people include Harrisburg, Illinois; Henderson, Kentucky; Madisonville, Kentucky; Vincennes, Indiana; Washington, Indiana; and Jasper, Indiana. The dissecting point of the three states is the confluence of the Wabash and Ohio Rivers, near the tripoint of Gallatin County, Illinois, Posey County, Indiana, and Union County, Kentucky.
Some counties along the edges may or may not consider themselves part of the area. One of the Evansville TV stations (CW 7 WTVW) also includes Hardin and Saline Counties of Illinois; Crawford and Orange Counties of Indiana; Breckinridge, Crittenden and Grayson Counties of Kentucky as part of its viewing area as well as the below-mentioned counties because, prior to the advent of digital television, the station broadcast on the VHF band (it now broadcasts on RF channel 28, in the UHF band). This was also due to its transmitter being located near Chandler, Indiana, in Warrick County, as opposed to Henderson County, like the other stations. (See map on right.)
In addition, the counties on the eastern edge of the area are included in Kentuckiana, the northern edge counties are included in the Terre Haute viewing area and the western edge counties are either included in the Paducah–Carbondale–Cape Girardeau or the St. Louis viewing areas and the southern edge are included in the Nashville–Clarksville viewing area.

## The counties

Note: Italicized counties were included by only WTVW prior to DTV. See above map.
Illinois:
* Clay
* Edwards
* Gallatin
* Hamilton
* Hardin
* Lawrence
* Richland
* Saline
* Wabash
* Wayne
* White
Indiana:
* Crawford
* Daviess
* Dubois
* Gibson
* Knox
* Martin
* Orange
* Perry
* Pike
* Posey
* Spencer
* Vanderburgh
* Warrick
Kentucky:
* Breckinridge
* Crittenden
* Daviess
* Grayson
* Hancock
* Henderson
* Hopkins
* McLean
* Muhlenberg
* Ohio
* Union
* Webster

## Media

Major local broadcast television stations are:
* WTVW Channel 7.1 CW / 7.2 (Bounce) / 7.3 (Mystery) / 7.4 (Ion) Evansville, IN
* WNIN Channel 9.1 PBS / 9.2 (Create) Evansville, IN
* WFIE Channel 14.1 NBC / 14.2 (MeTV) / 14.3 (Circle) / 14.4 (Grit) / 14.5 (Dabl) / 14.6 (True Crime Network) / 14.7 (Defy TV) Evansville, IN
* WEHT Channel 25.1 ABC / 25.2 (Laff) / 25.3 (Cozi) / 25.4 (Rewind TV) Henderson, KY
* WKOH Channel 31.1 PBS/KET / 31.2 (PBS Encore/KET2) / 31.3 (KY Channel) / 31.4 (PBS Kids) Owensboro, KY
* WEVV Channel 44.1 CBS / 44.2 (FOX/MNTV) Evansville, IN
Other area broadcast television stations are:
* WSIL-TV Channel 3.1 ABC / 3.2 (H&I) / 3.3 (Crime) / 3.4 (Court TV) / 3.5 (Ion) Harrisburg, IL – not part of the "Tri-State" viewing area; one of the principal stations of the Paducah–Carbondale–Cape Girardeau TV market
* WZDS-LD Channel 5.1 H&I / 5.2 (Start TV) / 5.3 (Movies!) / 5.4 (Decades) / 5.5 (Story) Evansville, IN
* WYYW-CD Channel 15.1 TMD / 15.2 (FAM) / 15.3 (RTV) Evansville, IN
* WJTS-CD Channel 18.1 YTA Jasper, IN
* WTSN-CD Channel 20.1 ANT / 20.2 (TFC) Evansville, IN
* WVUT Channel 22.1 PBS / 22.2 (Create) / 22.3 (PBS Kids) Vincennes, IN
* W23BV-D Channel 23.1 3ABN / 23.2 (3ABN Proclaim) / 23.3 (3ABN Dare to Dream) / 23.4 (3ABN Latino) Evansville, IN
* WDLH-LD Channel 24.1 Azteca America Evansville, IN
* WELW-LD Channel 30.1 Court TV / 30.2 (Defy TV) / 30.3 (TrueReal) / 30.4 (Scripps News) Evansville, IN
* WEIN-LD Channel 40.1 beIN Sports Xtra / 40.2 (beIN Sports Xtra en Español) / 40.3/4/5 (Ads) Evansville, IN
The major local broadcast FM radio stations are:
* 88.3 WNIN Evansville, IN
* 89.1 WVJC Mount Carmel, IL
* 89.5 WKPB Henderson, KY
* 91.1 WVUB Vincennes, IN
* 91.5 WUEV Evansville, IN
* 92.5 WBKR Owensboro, KY
* 93.5 WLYD Evansville, IN
* 93.9 WKTG Madisonville, KY
* 94.9 WYNG Mount Carmel, IL
* 96.1 WSTO Owensboro, KY / Evansville, IN
* 96.5 WSON Henderson, KY
* 98.1 WRAY Princeton, IN
* 99.5 WKDQ Henderson, KY
* 100.5 WSJD Mount Carmel, IL
* 101.9 WEKV Central City, KY / Owensboro, KY
* 103.1 WGBF Evansville, IN / Henderson, KY
* 104.1 WIKY Evansville, IN
* 105.3 WJLT Evansville, IN
* 106.1 WDKS Newburgh, IN
* 107.1 WJPS Boonville, IN / Evansville, IN
* 107.5 WABX Evansville, IN

## Fifteen largest cities

| Population Rank | City | State | Population 2020 | County | Region |
| 1 | Evansville | Indiana | 117,298 | Vanderburgh | Southwestern Indiana |
| 2 | Owensboro | Kentucky | 60,183 | Daviess | Western Coal Fields |
| 3 | Henderson | Kentucky | 27,981 | Henderson | Western Coal Fields |
| 4 | Madisonville | Kentucky | 19,542 | Hopkins | Western Coal Fields |
| 5 | Vincennes | Indiana | 16,759 | Knox | Southwestern Indiana |
| 6 | Jasper | Indiana | 16,703 | Dubois | Southwestern Indiana |
| 7 | Washington | Indiana | 12,017 | Daviess | Southwestern Indiana |
| 8 | Olney | Illinois | 8,701 | Richland | Eastern Little Egypt |
| 9 | Princeton | Indiana | 8,301 | Gibson | Southwestern Indiana |
| 10 | Harrisburg | Illinois | 8,219 | Saline | Eastern Little Egypt |
| 11 | Tell City | Indiana | 7,506 | Perry | Southwestern Indiana |
| 12 | Mount Carmel | Illinois | 7,015 | Wabash | Eastern Little Egypt |
| 13 | Boonville | Indiana | 6,712 | Warrick | Southwestern Indiana |
| 14 | Mount Vernon | Indiana | 6,493 | Posey | Southwestern Indiana |
| 15 | Huntingburg | Indiana | 6,362 | Dubois | Southwestern Indiana |
* All of the cities on the list are county seats of their respective counties except Huntingburg, Indiana.
* Newburgh is currently debating annexation plans that would incorporate many of the surrounding developments, which would increase the population to as many as 12,000 people. If successful this would place the town behind Jasper on the above list. Newburgh would become the only town on the list.

## Metropolitan and micropolitan areas
### Metropolitan areas

| Name | Primary City or Cities | State or States | County or Counties | Non-Area County or Counties Influenced | Area | 2020 Population |
| Evansville, IN-KY Metropolitan Statistical Area | Evansville Henderson Princeton | Indiana Kentucky | Gibson, Posey Vanderburgh, Warrick Henderson, Webster | Illinois: Wabash, White Indiana: Pike, Spencer Kentucky: Union | 2,367 sq mi 6,130 km$^2$ | 314,049 |
| Owensboro, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area | Owensboro | Kentucky | Daviess, Hancock McLean | Indiana: Perry, Spencer Kentucky: Breckinridge, Ohio | 931 sq mi 2,410 km$^2$ | 121,559 |

### Micropolitan areas

| Name | Primary City | State or States | County or Counties | Area | 2020 Population |
| Central City, KY Micropolitan Area | Central City Greenville | Kentucky | Muhlenberg | 479 sq mi 1,241 km$^2$ | 30,928 |
| Harrisburg, IL Micropolitan Area | Harrisburg | Illinois | Saline | 387 sq mi 1,002 km$^2$ | 23,768 |
| Jasper, IN Micropolitan Area | Jasper | Indiana | Dubois Pike | 776 sq mi 2010 km$^2$ | 55,887 |
| Madisonville, KY Micropolitan Area | Madisonville | Kentucky | Hopkins | 554 sq mi 1,430 km$^2$ | 45,423 |
| Vincennes, IN Micropolitan Area | Vincennes | Indiana | Knox | 524 sq mi 1,357 km$^2$ | 36,282 |
| Washington, IN Micropolitan Area | Washington | Indiana | Daviess | 437 sq mi 1,130 km$^2$ | 33,381 |

## Core counties
### Eastern Little Egypt (Illinois)

Population Total: 128,750
| County Name | County Seat | Population (2020) | Area |
| Clay | Louisville | 13,288 | 437 sq mi (1,130 km$^2$) |
| Edwards | Albion | 6,245 | 223 sq mi (580 km$^2$) |
| Gallatin | Shawneetown | 4,946 | 328 sq mi (850 km$^2$) |
| Hamilton | McLeansboro | 7,993 | 436 sq mi (1,130 km$^2$) |
| Lawrence | Lawrenceville | 15,280 | 374 sq mi (970 km$^2$) |
| Richland | Olney | 15,813 | 362 sq mi (940 km$^2$) |
| Saline | Harrisburg | 23,768 | 387 sq mi (1,000 km$^2$) |
| Wabash | Mt. Carmel | 11,361 | 232 sq mi (600 km$^2$) |
| Wayne | Fairfield | 16,179 | 716 sq mi (1,850 km$^2$) |
| White | Carmi | 13,877 | 502 sq mi (1,300 km$^2$) |

### Southwestern Indiana

Population Total: 477,056
| County Name | County Seat | Population (2020) | Area |
| Daviess | Washington | 33,381 | 437 sq mi (1,130 km$^2$) |
| Dubois | Jasper | 43,637 | 435 sq mi (1,130 km$^2$) |
| Gibson | Princeton | 33,011 | 526 sq mi (1,360 km$^2$) |
| Knox | Vincennes | 36,282 | 524 sq mi (1,360 km$^2$) |
| Martin | Shoals | 10,327 | 341 sq mi (880 km$^2$) |
| Perry | Tell City | 19,102 | 386 sq mi (1,000 km$^2$) |
| Pike | Petersburg | 12,250 | 342 sq mi (890 km$^2$) |
| Posey | Mt. Vernon | 25,222 | 429 sq mi (1,110 km$^2$) |
| Spencer | Rockport | 19,810 | 401 sq mi (1,040 km$^2$) |
| Vanderburgh | Evansville | 180,136 | 236 sq mi (610 km$^2$) |
| Warrick | Boonville | 63,898 | 424 sq mi (1,100 km$^2$) |

### Western Coal Fields (Kentucky)

Population Total: 293,160
| County Name | County Seat | Population (2020) | Area |
| Daviess | Owensboro | 103,312 | 476 sq mi (1,230 km$^2$) |
| Hancock | Hawesville | 9,095 | 199 sq mi (520 km$^2$) |
| Henderson | Henderson | 44,793 | 467 sq mi (1,210 km$^2$) |
| Hopkins | Madisonville | 45,423 | 554 sq mi (1,430 km$^2$) |
| McLean | Calhoun | 9,152 | 256 sq mi (660 km$^2$) |
| Muhlenberg | Greenville | 30,928 | 479 sq mi (1,240 km$^2$) |
| Ohio | Hartford | 23,772 | 597 sq mi (1,550 km$^2$) |
| Union | Morganfield | 13,668 | 363 sq mi (940 km$^2$) |
| Webster | Dixon | 13,017 | 336 sq mi (870 km$^2$) |

## Daviess County

There are two counties named Daviess in the Tri-State Area, Daviess County, Indiana (/ˈdeɪviːz/), and Daviess County, Kentucky (/ˈdeɪvɪs/). Both counties are named for Maj. Joseph Hamilton Daveiss, U.S. District Attorney for Kentucky who prosecuted Aaron Burr.