The Indianapolis 500 is run every year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 560-acre facility on the west side of the city. The race is scheduled for the day before Memorial Day each year, weather permitting.
Who owns Indianapolis Motor Speedway?
How big is Indianapolis Motor Speedway?
IMS covers 560 acres, bordered by 16th Street on the south, 30th Street on the north, Georgetown Road on the west and the Brickyard Crossing golf course on the east — though four holes are inside the racing oval.
That can be hard to grasp, so here are some fun ways to get at it. IndyStar went all sci-fi on the comparisons:
Facility officials like to tell fans all the landmarks that could fit inside IMS — at the same time: Yankee Stadium, Churchill Downs, Vatican City, the White House, the Taj Mahal, the Rose Bowl and the Roman Colosseum.
Here’s how IMS compares to some other sports facilities and noted outdoor attractions:
Also, depending on a lot of environmental factors, you could grow 12.32 million ears of corn on 560 acres.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway seating
There are approximately 250,000 permanent seats at IMS. Once general admission tickets are added, roughly 350,000 fit. When the place is at capacity, the population dwarves those of Fort Wayne and South Bend.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway track map
Here’s what you can expect as you get in and around IMS.
When is the 2026 Indianapolis 500? When does the Indy 500 start?
Green flag is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET Sunday, May 24, 2026.
Where to watch the Indy 500? How to watch 2026 Indianapolis 500?
TV: Pre-race coverage starts at 10 a.m., and race coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, Sunday, May 24, 2026, on Fox. Green flag is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Will Buxton is the play-by-play voice, with analysts James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jamie Little are the pit reporters.
Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How big is Indianapolis Motor Speedway? You won’t believe what can fit inside it — at the same time
Reporting by Scott Horner, Zion Brown and Joe Mutascio, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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