Fort Branch offers a small-town feel close to big employers
Fort Branch was settled in the early 1800s as a small fort on the edge of Indiana’s western frontier. Today, it’s a little town in rural Gibson County, sought-after for its quiet vibe and proximity to major regional employers like the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana plant and Duke Energy’s Gibson plant. “It’s a charming, well-kept town. A lot of people who grew up there want to stay there. But it also attracts out-of-town buyers because it’s simple living. They’re very happy with that smaller community feel and slower living,” says Grant Waldroup, an F.C. Tucker Commercial Realtor who grew up in Fort Branch and has over 20 years of local real estate experience.
A steady market for single-family homes
Single-family homes dominate the housing stock here. Minimal Traditional, Cape Cod and ranch-style homes are common, as are manufactured homes and farmhouses. They typically sell for between $145,000 and about $630,000. Modest cottages and manufactured homes can go for under $100,000, while estates with more than 100 acres of land can sell for over $2 million. Homes tend to go under contract in under a month, faster than the national average. “Demand for Fort Branch homes has always been a little higher than the towns around it,” Waldroup says.
Winters here are chilly with some snowfall, while summers are hot and humid. West Fork Pigeon Creek is prone to flooding, and Gibson County is vulnerable to tornadoes.
Highly rated South Gibson School Corporation schools
Fort Branch is zoned to the South Gibson School Corporation district, which earns an A-minus from Niche. The small system serves just over 2,000 students with an 18-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Controlled open enrollment is available. Most kids go to Fort Branch Community School between kindergarten and eighth grade and continue to Gibson Southern High for ninth through 12th, both of which earn B-plusses from Niche. Gibson Southern High offers online dual enrollment classes in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College and the University of Southern Indiana. Ivy Tech also offers in-person dual enrollment classes in subjects like animal science and agriculture.
Fort Branch parks, Tri-County Speedway nearby
Fort Branch has two public parks. The bigger of the two is Fort Branch Community Park, with a playground, a covered picnic area and athletic amenities, including a pickleball court, a basketball court and a baseball diamond. Marlette Park also has a playground and a covered picnic area, along with a lighted soccer field. “The town parks are really nice and well-kept. There’s a lot of pride here. They also just did a major renovation and add-on to the public library,” Waldroup says. The multi-million-dollar project added a community room, study rooms and a Creation Station with a Cricut machine and a 3-D printer. Haubstadt’s Tri-State Speedway, a banked dirt oval racetrack, is a few miles away. “They race sprint cars and modifieds there, which is really cool,” Waldroup says.
Mom-and-pop restaurants, limited shopping options in Fort Branch
Locally owned eateries are scattered throughout Fort Branch. “There’s a little bitty downtown area, and there are some nice, privately owned restaurants all over town,” Waldroup says. He recommends R’z Café & Catering and Zack’s Diner, casual American restaurants. Kant Brewing Company is a popular dog-friendly brewpub, around the corner from Sugar on Main, a walk-up ice cream shop. Gas stations, convenience stores and fast-food chains, like Subway and Dairy Queen, line U.S. Route 41. For groceries, there’s a Holiday Foods in Haubstadt, and family-owned farm stands dotting the county roads nearby. Mae’s Market, a few miles away, is known for Amish baked goods and local produce.
U.S. Route 41 connects to Evansville; Interstates 65 and 69 also nearb
U.S. Route 41 runs through Fort Branch, heading north toward Princeton and south toward Evansville. Princeton’s Deaconess Gibson Hospital, a top local employer, is a little more than 9 miles away. The Evansville Regional Airport and hospitals like Deaconess Midtown and Ascension St. Vincent Evansville, top regional employers, are within about 25 miles of most homes. “It’s a nice spot, because you’re right in the middle of these major cities. There’s Evansville, and you’re also about two, two and a half hours from Indianapolis, Louisville and Nashville,” Waldroup says. Interstate 69 runs north to Indianapolis and south toward Nashville; Interstate 64 heads east to Louisville.
