South Bend, Indiana

South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it takes its name, and is the fourth-most populous city in Indiana, with 103,453 residents at the 2020 census. It anchors the Michiana region, whose metropolitan area had 324,501 people in 2020. The area was first settled in the early 19th century by fur traders, and South Bend was incorporated as a city on 22 May 1865. River access supported heavy industry such as the Studebaker Corporation and the Oliver Chilled Plow Company, and the city has been affected by industrial decline since the 1960s. Its largest industries are now health care, education, small business and tourism, and it is home to AM General and 1st Source. The nearby University of Notre Dame, founded by Father Edward Sorin in 1842, plays an important part in its economy and culture.