Mount Vernon offers work opportunities and a small-town feel
The busy port city of Mount Vernon is a manufacturing hub, home to big regional employers like AstraZeneca, SABIC Innovative Plastics, Valero and BWX Technologies. The Ports of Indiana Mount Vernon terminals on the Ohio River handle more cargo than any other port in the state. “There are a lot of factories and job opportunities here, but it still has a small-town vibe. It’s a very close community, where you get the sense of neighbors looking after neighbors,” says Stephanie Robles, a Keller Williams Capital Realtor and Mount Vernon local.
A wide variety of single-family home styles
The city center has an eclectic mix of large Italianate, Colonial Revival and Victorian homes, as well as Cape Cods and cottages. Split-level, ranch-style homes and 1980s Colonial Revivals are common in subdivisions like Park Ridge and Country Club Estates, near the private Western Hills Country Club on the city’s outskirts. Sale prices start under $100,000 and rise to about $550,000.
While the Mount Vernon of the Ohio River is less flood-prone than the Kentucky side, McFadden Creek is susceptible to high water. Winters are typically cold, with minimal snowfall; summers are hot and humid. Posey County is vulnerable to tornadoes.
Mount Vernon High partners with BWXT for a career development program
Metropolitan School District of Mount Vernon, which earns a B-plus from Niche, serves just over 2,000 students with a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Controlled open enrollment is available. Many kids go to West Elementary, Mount Vernon Junior High and Mount Vernon High, all three of which get B grades. The high school’s John D. Haynes School of Welding Technology program allows students to gain real-world career experience in welding. The program is offered in partnership with BWXT, a nuclear reactor component manufacturer and top regional employer. The University of Southern Indiana, based in Evansville, offers degree programs from undergrad to doctoral in more than 130 different subject areas.
Outdoor recreation at Brittlebank Park, on the Ohio River and more
Brittlebank Park has playgrounds, ballfields, picnic shelters and lighted tennis courts. Sherburne Park features picnic areas and benches with views of the Ohio River, as well as a playground. “It’s a beautifully done riverfront park space. The city holds events there in the summer, like outdoor movies and food truck nights,” Robles says. Mount Vernon Market Nights, a vendor and food truck fair, are held there between May and August. The riverfront park also has a public boat ramp. “We do have big shipping barges on the river, but people do boat and go fishing here. You can take your boat and head to the Evansville or Newburgh area from here,” Robles says. During the annual, two-day Mount Vernon River Days celebration, there’s a boat parade and fireworks on the river. Festivities also include the “Smoke on the Ohio” barbecue competition, antique tractor shows, live music and other events all over town.
Harmonie State Park, on the Wabash River just over 10 miles away, features campsites, shaded picnic areas and miles of trails. “It’s beautiful, it’s meticulously maintained, with endless trails and access to the river. We go there to walk the dogs and run and do the bike paths,” Robles says. The Posey County Fair, annual since 1859, takes place at the fairgrounds nearby.
Shopping/dining in downtown and on the Ohio River Scenic Byway
Mount Vernon’s historic downtown has municipal offices, banks, small businesses and restaurants, like Si Senor Mexican Restaurant and 3 Chicks Fudgery. McKim’s is an independent grocery store at the north end of Main Street. “Mount Vernon is a little bit more boutique, small business oriented. Evansville would be the place where you’d do your chain shopping and dining,” Robles says. There are a couple of Dollar Generals on the Ohio River Scenic Byway, close to car dealerships and fast-food chains like Arby’s and Dairy Queen. Hawg ‘N’ Sauce is a popular locally owned barbecue spot on the byway. “It’s a great place, owned by a really wonderful family. And they do live entertainment throughout the summer,” Robles says.
Evansville and New Harmony are within 30 miles of Mount Vernon
Destinations in Evansville, including the city’s regional airport and hospitals like Deaconess Midtown and Ascension St. Vincent Evansville, are within about 30 miles of most homes. Driving into central Evansville takes about 30 minutes without east-bound traffic on State Road 62, also known as the Ohio River Scenic Byway. The main road also connects west across the Wabash River into Illinois. State Road 69 runs north toward Harmonie State Park and the town of New Harmony, just over 14 miles away.
