Cates Indiana Map

About Cates, Indiana

Cates is a locality in Fountain County, Indiana, United States. It is a small community with a population of 80. The population density is 118.3 people per km². Cates is located at 39.9967°N, 87.3378°W. It observes the Eastern Time (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) timezone. ZIP code: 47952.

Cates occupies a stretch of quiet earth where the horizon is defined by the steady, measured geometry of Midwestern farmland and the muted greens of woodlots. It lies 5.9 miles north-northeast of Howard, IN (from Howard, IN: bearing 20°T), and is situated 17.8 miles east-southeast of Danville. The landscape surrounding Cates remains defined by the rhythmic pull of the seasons, where the soil holds a deep, dark richness and the air at dusk carries a cool, damp clarity that seems to sharpen the edges of every fence line and silo. A mile away, Mill Creek carves a low, serpentine path through the terrain, its waters moving with a deliberate, hushed purpose that anchors the geography of the surrounding fields. Further out, the distant, shadowed silhouette of Devils Backbone provides a rugged contrast to the flatter plains, while the proximity of Lake Holiday Hide-away offers a small, reflective basin that mirrors the vast, shifting colors of the Indiana sky.

Cates emerged as a product of the nineteenth-century rail expansion, a functional node where the pace of life was dictated by the movement of grain and the arrival of the local freight. While the economy has shifted from the frantic energy of the early industrial era, the character of Cates endures in the way neighbors maintain their properties and the quiet persistence of those who work the land. The legacy of the region is felt in the nearby expanse of Perrysville Park, where the untamed patches of forest and meadow serve as a reminder of the landscape before the plow arrived. Residents often find their way toward Pot Rock Hollow when the weather turns, seeking the shelter of the basin’s unique topography. Life in Cates moves with a gravity of its own, grounded in the seasonal cycle of planting and harvest, and a preference for the kind of stillness that allows the rustle of dry corn stalks to be heard over the distant hum of a passing tractor.

About This Cates Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Cates, Indiana. Coordinates: 39.996706, -87.33779. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.

Detailed location data for Cates includes the ZIP code (47952), telephone area code (765), county seat of Fountain County (Covington), and school district assignment (Covington Community School Corporation).

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.