La Porte, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
La Porte
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LaPorte County Courthouse, La Porte, Indiana
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| Etymology: from French, meaning 'the door' | |
| Nickname(s):
The Maple City
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| Motto(s):
"Live and Love"
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Location of La Porte in LaPorte County, Indiana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | LaPorte |
| Townships | Center, Kankakee, Pleasant, Scipio |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.68 sq mi (32.84 km2) |
| • Land | 11.92 sq mi (30.88 km2) |
| • Water | 0.76 sq mi (1.97 km2) |
| Elevation | 801 ft (244 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 22,471 |
| • Density | 1,884.83/sq mi (727.77/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
46350, 46352
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| Area code | 219 |
| FIPS code | 18-42246 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2395570 |
| Website | http://www.cityoflaporte.com |
La Porte is a city in LaPorte County, Indiana, United States. Its name comes from a French phrase meaning "the door." It is the main city of LaPorte County. In 2022, about 21,341 people lived there. La Porte is part of a larger metropolitan area that includes Michigan City and is connected to the bigger Chicago–Naperville–Michigan City area.
La Porte is located in northwest Indiana. It is east of Gary and west of South Bend. European Americans first settled here in 1832. The city is also connected with Grangemouth in Scotland, like a sister city.
Contents
History of La Porte
The settlement of La Porte began in July 1832. Abraham P. Andrew, who helped buy the land, built the first sawmill that year. The first permanent settler arrived in October, building a cabin near where the courthouse would be.
After land agreements with Native American tribes, a federal land office opened in La Porte in 1833. People from nearby areas came to buy land from the government. This office later moved to Winamac in 1839.
By 1835, La Porte had grown enough to become a town. A local newspaper started in 1836. The La Porte Medical School, the first of its kind in the Midwest, was founded in 1842.
By 1852, La Porte was a well-known settlement with about 5,000 residents. That same year, it officially became a city, and its first mayor was elected. La Porte continued to grow, attracting many different businesses. The biggest was the Advance-Rumely Company. This company made the Oil-Pull tractor engine, which was very important for farming in the Great Plains. By 1869, Advance-Rumely was the largest employer in La Porte.
In the 1850s, a local resident named Sebastian Lay planted many maple trees along Indiana and Michigan Avenues. Because of these trees, La Porte became known as the "Maple City." Today, Indiana and Michigan Avenues are a historic area with many interesting old homes and buildings.
Between 1892 and 1894, the current LaPorte county courthouse was built. It cost $300,000. The building is made of red sandstone from Lake Superior. This stone was shipped by boat to Michigan City and then by train to La Porte. The courthouse is one of La Porte's most famous buildings. In 2007, the outside of the building was repaired for $2.9 million.
Historic Places in La Porte
- Downtown LaPorte Historic District
- Francis H. Morrison House
- Indiana and Michigan Avenues Historic District
- Marion Ridgeway Polygonal Barn
Geography and Climate
According to the 2010 census, La Porte covers about 12.37 square miles (32.04 square kilometers). About 0.71 square miles (1.84 square kilometers) of this area is water. U.S. Route 35 goes through La Porte.
You can reach La Porte from Chicago by using the South Shore train line. This train starts in Chicago and ends in Michigan City, Indiana. There are stops along the way, like Chesterton and Hudson Lake, which are a short drive from La Porte.
La Porte's Weather
| Climate data for LaPorte, Indiana (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–1901, 1948–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 69 (21) |
71 (22) |
85 (29) |
94 (34) |
97 (36) |
102 (39) |
102 (39) |
103 (39) |
104 (40) |
92 (33) |
84 (29) |
72 (22) |
104 (40) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 52.9 (11.6) |
56.1 (13.4) |
70.3 (21.3) |
79.4 (26.3) |
87.1 (30.6) |
91.6 (33.1) |
92.4 (33.6) |
90.8 (32.7) |
88.4 (31.3) |
81.5 (27.5) |
66.8 (19.3) |
55.5 (13.1) |
94.1 (34.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.2 (−0.4) |
35.1 (1.7) |
46.0 (7.8) |
58.8 (14.9) |
70.0 (21.1) |
78.9 (26.1) |
82.1 (27.8) |
80.3 (26.8) |
74.4 (23.6) |
62.0 (16.7) |
47.7 (8.7) |
36.2 (2.3) |
58.6 (14.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 24.2 (−4.3) |
27.7 (−2.4) |
37.4 (3.0) |
49.0 (9.4) |
60.0 (15.6) |
69.3 (20.7) |
73.1 (22.8) |
71.5 (21.9) |
64.8 (18.2) |
53.0 (11.7) |
40.3 (4.6) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
50.0 (10.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 17.3 (−8.2) |
20.3 (−6.5) |
28.7 (−1.8) |
39.3 (4.1) |
50.0 (10.0) |
59.7 (15.4) |
64.0 (17.8) |
62.8 (17.1) |
55.2 (12.9) |
43.9 (6.6) |
32.9 (0.5) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
41.5 (5.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −3.8 (−19.9) |
2.2 (−16.6) |
12.6 (−10.8) |
26.4 (−3.1) |
37.4 (3.0) |
47.5 (8.6) |
54.8 (12.7) |
53.6 (12.0) |
42.7 (5.9) |
31.5 (−0.3) |
19.6 (−6.9) |
4.9 (−15.1) |
−7.5 (−21.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −23 (−31) |
−23 (−31) |
−6 (−21) |
13 (−11) |
23 (−5) |
36 (2) |
43 (6) |
38 (3) |
28 (−2) |
19 (−7) |
−7 (−22) |
−22 (−30) |
−23 (−31) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.01 (76) |
2.52 (64) |
2.70 (69) |
3.77 (96) |
4.33 (110) |
4.38 (111) |
4.04 (103) |
4.22 (107) |
3.38 (86) |
4.11 (104) |
3.24 (82) |
2.85 (72) |
42.55 (1,081) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 23.0 (58) |
16.0 (41) |
7.1 (18) |
1.1 (2.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
4.0 (10) |
13.8 (35) |
65.2 (166) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 16.7 | 12.6 | 12.5 | 12.7 | 13.2 | 11.0 | 10.1 | 9.8 | 9.6 | 12.3 | 13.0 | 14.8 | 148.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 12.0 | 8.8 | 4.5 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 8.5 | 38.2 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population of La Porte
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 1,824 | — | |
| 1860 | 5,028 | 175.7% | |
| 1870 | 6,581 | 30.9% | |
| 1880 | 6,195 | −5.9% | |
| 1890 | 7,126 | 15.0% | |
| 1900 | 7,113 | −0.2% | |
| 1910 | 10,525 | 48.0% | |
| 1920 | 15,158 | 44.0% | |
| 1930 | 15,755 | 3.9% | |
| 1940 | 16,180 | 2.7% | |
| 1950 | 17,882 | 10.5% | |
| 1960 | 21,157 | 18.3% | |
| 1970 | 22,140 | 4.6% | |
| 1980 | 21,796 | −1.6% | |
| 1990 | 21,507 | −1.3% | |
| 2000 | 21,621 | 0.5% | |
| 2010 | 22,053 | 2.0% | |
| 2020 | 22,471 | 1.9% | |
| Source: US Census Bureau | |||
How Many People Live Here?
The 2010 census counted 22,053 people living in La Porte. There were 8,962 households and 5,362 families. The city had about 1,891 people per square mile (727.7 per square kilometer).
Most residents (83.1%) were White. About 3.6% were African American, and 12.9% were from other or mixed backgrounds. About 12% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
In terms of households, 31.6% had children under 18. About 39.2% were married couples. The average household had 2.39 people, and the average family had 3.04 people. The average age in the city was 36.2 years. About 24.5% of residents were under 18, and 15.3% were 65 or older.
Education in La Porte
The La Porte Community School Corporation serves most of La Porte. It teaches about 6,500 students. A small part of the city is served by the New Prairie United School Corporation.
Schools in La Porte
- Public schools include:
- LaPorte High School
- La Porte Middle School
- Kesling Intermediate School
- Crichfield Elementary
- Hailmann Elementary
- Handley Elementary
- Indian Trail Elementary
- Kingsbury Elementary
- Kingsford Heights Elementary
- Lincoln Elementary
- Riley Elementary
- South LaPorte County Special Education Cooperative
- Private schools include:
- La Lumiere School (grades 9–12)
- Saint John Lutheran School (grades K–8)
- Door Prairie Adventist Christian School (grades PK–8)
- Renaissance Academy (grades PK–8)
La Porte High School is famous for its baseball teams. They have won eight state baseball titles, which is the most in Indiana!
College Education
La Porte County has a campus of Purdue Northwest in Westville, Indiana. This campus is about 11 miles west of La Porte.
Public Library
The city has a public library. It is a part of the La Porte County Public Library system.
Interesting Facts About La Porte
The Advance-Rumely tractor company, which started in La Porte, made steam engines and special green kerosene tractors.
La Porte has been a filming location for a few movies. These include Prancer (1989), A Piece of Eden (2000), and others.
The Parsons Horological Institute, a school for watchmaking, was once in La Porte. It was founded in the 1890s and is now part of Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.
La Porte was the end point for the Chicago – New York Electric Air Line Railroad. This was an early plan for a very fast train project.
Author J. K. Rowling has a special "Portkey" (Key to the city) for La Porte. It was given to her by Emerson Spartz.
Places to Visit
Some interesting places to visit in La Porte include the Indiana and Michigan Avenues Historic District, the Downtown LaPorte Historic District, the Francis H. Morrison House, and the Marion Ridgeway Polygonal Barn. All of these are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The La Porte Little Theatre Club is a community theater group that started in 1925. The LaPorte County Historical Society has many historical displays, including the Kesling Automobile Collection with over 30 old and rare cars.
Parks and Outdoor Fun
La Porte has many city parks for everyone to enjoy.
- Allesee Park is a 6-acre park with a baseball field, basketball court, playground, and walking track.
- Ben Rees Park is a 1.5-acre park near the Civic Auditorium. It has a playground, basketball court, and a gazebo.
- Bill Reed Tennis Complex has several tennis courts, parking, and a pavilion.
- Charles W. Lindewald Park is one of La Porte's oldest parks, purchased in 1890. It has picnic areas, a playground, a ball diamond, and horseshoe pits.
- Clarke Field is a 6-acre park with two baseball fields, a playground, and a concession stand.
- Fox Memorial Park is a large 170-acre park that started in 1911. It includes Clear Lake and has ball fields, basketball courts, playgrounds, picnic areas, fishing, boating, and a skate park. It also has the Dennis F. Smith Amphitheatre for events.
- Hastings Park is a small park with a playground and benches.
- Kesling Park is a 90-acre park on the south side of the city. It has four ball diamonds, six tennis courts, walking trails, soccer fields, basketball courts, a sledding hill, and picnic shelters. It also features Fort La Play Porte, a large community-built playground.
- Koomler Park covers 4 acres and has a ball diamond, basketball court, and playground.
- LaPark is a small park next to Bethany Lutheran Church.
- Rumley Park is a 4-acre park with a basketball court, playground, picnic areas, and fishing.
- Scott Field is a 5-acre park with a shelter, playground, ball diamond, and picnic facilities.
- Soldiers Memorial Park is the largest city park, with 556 acres. It was dedicated in 1928. It includes Stone Lake and offers swimming, playgrounds, sports fields, volleyball, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, fishing, and boating. It has nature trails and is home to the Park Department Office.
- Stone Lake Beach is a public beach with volleyball courts, a playground, picnic shelter, and concession stand.
- Warsaw Tot Lot is a small playground with a basketball half-court.
- Pine Lake Beach is a public beach with picnic tables and a new walkway.
- Ski-Beach is a public beach with picnic tables and grills, popular with boaters.
Lakes in La Porte
- Clear Lake
- Crane Lake
- Fish Trap Lake
- Horseshoe Lake
- Lily Lake
- Lower Lake
- Orr Lake
- Pine Lake
- Stone Lake
Golf Courses
- Legacy Hills Golf Club
- Beechwood Golf Course
- Briar Leaf Golf Club
Fun Public Activities
- Fitness Fridays
- Saturdays in the Sun
- Saturday Farmers Market
- TacoFest
- Cruise Night
- LakeFest
Media in La Porte
Newspapers
The LaPorte Herald-Argus is the local newspaper. It has joined with The News Dispatch to become The Herald Dispatch.
Radio and TV
La Porte receives TV and radio signals from Chicago and South Bend.
Radio Stations
- WCOE, 96.7 FM
- WLOI, 1540 AM
- Rock, 106.5 FM
In the 1990s, WCOE was a station that broadcast games for the Chicago Bulls NBA team.
Famous People from La Porte
- Dick Alban – former professional football player
- Abram Andrew – a United States Representative
- Chuck Baldwin – a Baptist minister and political candidate
- Chris Bootcheck – a professional baseball pitcher
- Anne E. Carpenter – a scientist who helped create CellProfiler software
- John C. Chapple – a Wisconsin politician and newspaper editor
- Dorothy Christ – a player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
- Art Cross – former race-car driver, first rookie of the year at the Indianapolis 500
- Brian Ebersole – a mixed martial arts fighter
- Daniel Edwards – a sculptor and artist
- Charlie O. Finley – owner of the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics baseball teams
- John D. Hancock – a film director, producer, and writer
- Harold Handley – 40th governor of Indiana
- Hazel Harrison – a famous pianist
- Royal R. Ingersoll – a U.S. Navy rear admiral
- Paul Rowland Julian – a meteorologist who discovered the Madden–Julian oscillation weather pattern
- Peter Kesling – an orthodontist who developed a special orthodontic tool
- Karl Paul Link – a biochemist who discovered the anticoagulant warfarin
- William Worrall Mayo – founder of the Mayo Clinic
- Henrietta Meeteer – a Latin and Greek professor and dean
- Alvera Mickelsen – a writer and advocate for Christian feminism
- Douglas J. Moo – a New Testament scholar
- Patrick Neary – a Roman Catholic priest and bishop
- Isamu Noguchi – a Japanese-American artist and landscape architect
- Tom Nowatzke – former professional football running back
- Tony Raines – a NASCAR driver
- Ron Reed – a professional baseball pitcher, All-Star, and World Series champion
- John G. Roberts – current Chief Justice of the United States
- William Scholl – founder of Dr. Scholl's foot care products
- Scott Skiles – a National Basketball Association head coach
- Emerson Spartz – founder of MuggleNet (a Harry Potter fan website) and GivesMeHope
- Wilbur F. Storey – a newspaper publisher
- Almon Brown Strowger – inventor of an early automatic telephone exchange
- Miles Taylor (security expert)
- Julius Travis – a Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court
- Dorothy Tristan – an actress and screenwriter
- David Willis – a web cartoonist
See also
In Spanish: La Porte (Indiana) para niños
