Northwest Indiana facts for kids
Northwest Indiana, often called The Region, is a special area in the northwestern part of Indiana, United States. It's not an official state region, but people know it for its unique location near Lake Michigan and its close ties to the Chicago metropolitan area.
This area includes several counties: Jasper, Lake, Porter, Newton, and LaPorte. Sometimes, Starke and Pulaski counties are also included. In 2020, about 866,965 people lived here, making it the second-largest urban area in Indiana after Indianapolis.
Northwest Indiana is also home to the amazing Indiana Dunes. This park protects beautiful sand dunes, beaches, and forests. You can even visit the Hour Glass museum in Ogden Dunes to learn about efforts to protect this natural area.
The biggest city in Northwest Indiana is Hammond, followed closely by Gary. Other towns and cities you'll find here include Aix, Burns Harbor, Chesterton, Crown Point, DeMotte, Dyer, East Chicago, Griffith, Highland, Hebron, Hobart, Kentland, Lake Station, La Porte, Lowell, Merrillville, Michigan City, Munster, Portage, Schererville, St. John, Cedar Lake, Valparaiso, Whiting, and Winfield.
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About Northwest Indiana
Most of Indiana uses the Eastern Time Zone. But many counties in Northwest Indiana, like Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, and Starke, are in the Central Time Zone. This is because they are very connected to the city of Chicago for business and daily life. Only Pulaski county in this region is in the Eastern Time Zone.
The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission helps plan for the future of Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties. This region is also home to Marktown, a special community designed for workers by Clayton Mark.
Land and Nature
The shore of Lake Michigan is a huge draw for visitors. Indiana Dunes National Park stretches from Gary to Michigan City. It's a beautiful area with sand dunes, beaches, grassy areas, and forests. You can also find historic homes there.
The land in Northwest Indiana changes a lot. It can be very steep and hilly near the dunes. Other parts have rolling hills, and some areas are very flat near rivers. This landscape was shaped by ancient glaciers and Lake Michigan long ago. Key features include different types of hills called moraines and flat areas called plains.
Chicago Lake Plain
The Chicago Lake Plain is a flat area in the northern part of Northwest Indiana. It was formed under the waters of an ancient, much larger Lake Michigan. As the lake shrank, it left behind sand ridges that were once its beaches. Near the current Lake Michigan shoreline, winds have built up sand dunes, making the flat plain more interesting.
Wheaton Morainal Plain
South of the Chicago Lake Plain, you'll find the hilly Wheaton Morainal Plain. This area has rolling hills made from clay and sand left behind by glaciers. These deposits can be very thick, sometimes over 200 feet deep!
Kankakee Outwash Plain
The Kankakee Outwash Plain is a flat area in the southern parts of Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties. It was formed by water flowing from melting glaciers that stopped at the Valparaiso Moraine. This area is mostly made of sand and gravel. It also has many scattered sand dunes.
Bloomington Ridged Plain
The very southern tip of Northwest Indiana, in Newton and Jasper counties, is part of the Bloomington Ridged Plain. This area has low, rolling hills, also formed by glaciers. The soil here is mostly clay and silt.
How the Region Makes Money
In 2015, Northwest Indiana's economy produced about $28.64 billion. This means it's the second-largest economic area in Indiana, after Indianapolis.
The northern part of Northwest Indiana is known for its heavy industry. Cities like Gary, Portage, Burns Harbor, and East Chicago have huge steel mills. Some of these are the biggest in North America! Whiting and Hammond are home to the largest oil refinery in the Midwest, run by BP. Other important products made here include metal parts and food.
Since the 1990s, casino gambling has become a big part of the economy. There's a large land-based casino in Gary, and other gaming areas are located along Lake Michigan and in Michigan City.
The Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA) was created in 2006. It uses tax money to invest in transportation and help the region's economy grow. Many towns in Northwest Indiana are also "bedroom communities" for Chicago. This means people live here but travel to Chicago for work.
Learning and Schools
Northwest Indiana has several colleges and universities:
- Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting
- Indiana University Northwest (IU Northwest) in Gary
- Purdue University Northwest, with campuses in Hammond and Westville
- Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer (closed in 2017, but plans to reopen)
- Valparaiso University in Valparaiso
- Hyles-Anderson College in Crown Point
These schools offer many different study programs, like business, engineering, law, and education. There are also many public and private schools for younger students throughout the region.
Counties of Northwest Indiana
Getting Around
Major Airports
- Gary/Chicago International Airport (GYY) - No regular passenger flights right now
- Midway International Airport (MDW)
- O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
- South Bend International Airport (SBN)
Commuter Train
- The South Shore Line connects Chicago to South Bend, Indiana. It stops in cities like Gary and Michigan City.
Highways
Interstate 65
Interstate 80
Interstate 90 (Indiana Toll Road)
Interstate 94
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 12
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 24
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 35
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 231
U.S. Route 421
Indiana State Road 2
Indiana State Road 4
Indiana State Road 8
Indiana State Road 10
Indiana State Road 14
Indiana State Road 16
Indiana State Road 39
Indiana State Road 49
Indiana State Road 51
Indiana State Road 53
Indiana State Road 55
Indiana State Road 71
Indiana State Road 104
Indiana State Road 114
Indiana State Road 130
Indiana State Road 149
Indiana State Road 152
Indiana State Road 212
Indiana State Road 249
Indiana State Road 312
Indiana State Road 520
Indiana State Road 912
Phone Area Codes
- 219
- 574
Local News and Media
Online
- NWIndianaLife.com
- The Times of Northwest Indiana
- Post-Tribune
- Region Sports Network
- Chesterton Tribune
- La Porte Herald-Argus
- The News-Dispatch
Broadcast
- WJOB (AM) 1230 - Radio
- WLTH (AM) 1370 - Radio
- WWCA (AM) - Radio
- WAKE 1500 - Radio
- WIMS (AM) 1420 - Radio
- WGVE-FM 88.7 - Radio
- WLPR-FM 89.1 - Radio
- WEFM (FM) 95.9 - Radio
- WXRD (FM) 103.9 - Radio
- WLJE (FM) 105.5 - Radio
- WZVN 107.1 - Radio
- Regional Radio Sports Network - Radio
- WYIN-TV - 56/17 Television
- WJYS-TV - 62/36 Television
Famous People from the Region
- Omar Apollo
- Anne Baxter
- Larry Bigbie
- Stephan Bonnar
- Max Booth III
- Frank Borman
- Junior Bridgeman
- Bob Chapek
- Dick Cathcart
- Jack Chevigny
- Dan Dakich
- Bryce Drew
- Homer Drew
- James Edwards
- Jim Gaffigan
- Freddie Gibbs
- LaTroy Hawkins
- Sue Hendrickson
- Jack Hyles
- Jackson family
- Michael Joiner
- Alex Karras
- Ron Kittle
- Bob Kuechenberg
- Rudy Kuechenberg
- Art LaFleur
- Barney Liddell
- Kenny Lofton
- Lloyd McClendon
- Karen McDougal
- Karl Malden
- Dale Messick
- E'Twaun Moore
- Hal Morris
- Betsy Palmer
- Mary Lou Piatek
- Dan Plesac
- Gregg Popovich
- Gary Primich
- Orville Redenbacher
- Frank Reynolds
- John Roberts
- Glenn Robinson
- Glenn Robinson III
- Jerry L. Ross
- Scott Sheldon
- Kawann Short
- Bobby Skafish
- Tim Stoddard
- Hank Stram
- Dean White
- Eugene Wilson
- Jeff Samardzija
- Jean Shepherd
- Jo Anne Worley
- Tony Zale
Parks and Nature Areas
- Biesecker Nature Preserve, St. John, Lake County
- Calumet Prairie Nature Preserve, Gary, Lake County
- Conrad Savanna Nature Preserve, Conrad, Newton County (a special type of forest)
- Fish Lake Wildlife Conservation Area, Fish Lake, LaPorte County
- Gibson Woods Nature Preserve, Hammond, Lake County
- Indiana Dunes National Park, Porter County
- Cowles Bog
- Pinhook Bog, LaPorte County
- Hoosier Prairie Nature Preserve, Griffith, Lake County
- Indiana Dunes State Park, Porter County
- Dunes Nature Preserve
- Ivanhoe Nature Preserve, Gary, Indiana
- Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area, Radioville, Pulaski County
- Kingsbury Fish and Wildlife Area, Kingbury, LaPorte County
- LaSalle Fish and Wildlife Area
- Stoutsburg Savanna Nature Preserve, Wheatfield, Jasper County (rolling sand hills)
- Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area, Morocco, Newton County
