Monument Circle as the city's zero-mile reference

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Monument Circle occupies the central public space of Ralston's 1821 plat and has long served as Indianapolis's symbolic center. The monument, completed in 1902, has been used historically as the city's zero-mile reference point for measuring distances to and from Indianapolis. Travel guides, local references, and historical documents commonly identify Monument Circle as the downtown zero point. The monument stands in the circular plaza at the center of the original Mile Square.