City and county directories are similar to telephone books and are useful for locating people. They were often published annually, listing heads of households, employed household members, and their occupations and addresses. They can be used with census records or as substitutes for them.

Directories are particularly helpful for research in large cities where a high percentage of the people were renters, new arrivals, or temporary residents. In fact, they may be the only source to list an ancestor who was not registered to vote, did not attend church, did not pay taxes, or did not own property. Most households were included because the directories were created for salesmen, merchants, and others interested in contacting residents of an area. They are also useful tools for studying occupations and migration patterns.

Directories of heads of households have been published for major cities in Indiana. For example, the Family History Library has directories for:

• Indianapolis

1855–1861	FHL fiche 6043992–96; computer number 654018
1861–1935	FHL films beginning with 1376923; computer number 654018
1940, 1957, 1964, 1970, 1974	FHL book 977.252 E4p; computer number 235173