Terre Haute is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943.Located along the Wabash River, Terre Haute is the self-proclaimed capital of the Wabash Valley. The city is home to several higher education institutions, including Indiana State University, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana.GeographyTerre Haute is located alongside the eastern bank of the Wabash River in western Indiana. The city lies about 75mi west of Indianapolis.According to the 2010 census, Terre Haute has a total area of 35.272sqmi, of which 34.54sqmi (or 97.92%) is land and 0.732sqmi (or 2.08%) is water.The Wabash River dominates the physical geography of the city, forming its western border. Small bluffs on the east side of city mark the edge of the historic flood plain. Lost Creek and Honey Creek drain the northern and southern sections of the city, respectively. In the late 19th century (particularly during the Terre Haute Oil Craze of 1889), several oil and mineral wells were productive in and near the center of the city. Pioneer Oil of Lawrenceville, IL, began drilling for oil at 10th and Chestnut streets on the Indiana State University campus in late December 2013, the first oil well drilled in downtown Terre Haute since 1903. That well produced oil into the 1920s.