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La Crosse, Indiana facts for kids

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Town of La Crosse, Indiana
Downtown buildings
Downtown buildings
Location of La Crosse in LaPorte County, Indiana.
Location of La Crosse in LaPorte County, Indiana.
Country United States
State Indiana
County LaPorte
Area
 • Total 0.57 sq mi (1.47 km2)
 • Land 0.57 sq mi (1.47 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
676 ft (206 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 555
 • Density 975.40/sq mi (376.81/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
46348
Area code(s) 219
FIPS code 18-40662
GNIS feature ID 2396698

La Crosse is a small town located in LaPorte County, Indiana, in the United States. In 2020, about 555 people lived there. It is part of the larger Michigan City, Indiana-La Porte, Indiana area.

History of La Crosse

La Crosse got its name from a French phrase meaning "the crossing." This is because the town was built where five different railroads met. It was a very important spot for trains!

Railroad Connections

The five railroads that crossed paths in La Crosse were:

  • Monon Railroad
  • Chicago and Indiana Coal Railway (later known as the Chicago and Eastern Illinois and the Chicago, Attica and Southern)
  • Chicago and West Michigan Railway (which later became the Pere Marquette)
  • Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (later called the Pennsylvania Railroad)
  • Chicago, Cincinnati and Louisville Railroad (which became the C&O)

Since 2004, La Crosse has been the main office for the Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad. This company now owns parts of the old C&O and Pere Marquette train tracks. The La Crosse post office first opened its doors in 1921.

Geography of La Crosse

La Crosse covers a total area of about 1.47 square kilometers (0.57 square miles). All of this area is land, meaning there are no large lakes or rivers within the town's boundaries.

Population and People

Historical population
Census Pop.
1930 568
1940 574 1.1%
1950 618 7.7%
1960 632 2.3%
1970 696 10.1%
1980 713 2.4%
1990 677 −5.0%
2000 561 −17.1%
2010 551 −1.8%
2020 555 0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 551 people living in La Crosse. These people lived in 227 different homes. Out of these homes, 157 were families. The town had about 1039 people per square mile.

Most of the people in La Crosse (99.5%) were White. A small number (0.2%) were African American. About 1.8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Households and Families

About 29% of the homes in La Crosse had children under 18 years old. More than half (52.9%) of the homes were married couples living together. Some homes had a single parent, with 9.7% having a mother and no father, and 6.6% having a father and no mother. About 30.8% of the homes were not families.

The average home in La Crosse had 2.43 people. The average family had 2.91 people.

Age and Gender

The average age of people in La Crosse was 36.4 years old.

  • About 22.7% of residents were under 18 years old.
  • 8.7% were between 18 and 24 years old.
  • 27.8% were between 25 and 44 years old.
  • 30% were between 45 and 64 years old.
  • 10.7% were 65 years old or older.

The town had a nearly equal number of males and females. About 49.2% of the population was male, and 50.8% was female.

Education in La Crosse

The schools in La Crosse are part of the Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation. The town also has a public library called the La Crosse Public Library, where people can borrow books.

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