Hamilton County, located just north of Indianapolis, is home to four cities: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville and Westfield. In addition to these cities, the county also includes Northern Towns, Arcadia, Atlanta, Cicero and Sheridan. Belgian immigrants were drawn to the northwestern part of Indiana in the late 19th century, with many settling in Lake and Porter Counties. However, some Belgians also chose to make their home in Noblesville in Hamilton County.
Similarly, Serbian immigrants who had initially settled in Indianapolis and their Indiana-born children moved to Arcadia, Carmel, Sheridan, Noblesville and Cicero in the early 20th century. At the turn of the century, German-Americans were the second largest ethnic group in Hamilton County after so-called native whites whose ancestry extended to the original Thirteen Colonies. During World War I, anti-German sentiment was rampant in the area. As a result, Wilhelm Street in Noblesville was renamed Washington Street and German-Americans were subjected to harassment and abuse.
The county is divided into four districts. District 1 consists of Carmel which is coextensive with Clay Township. District 2 includes Fishers, Noblesville, Delaware Township and Noblesville Township. District 3 is comprised of Adams, Fall Creek, Jackson, Washington, Wayne, White River, Arcadia, Atlanta, Cicero and Sheridan.
District 4 consists of parts of Clay Township (17 districts), Adams and Washington Townships.Since the early 21st century Hamilton County has been the second most populous county in central Indiana.
