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Northwest Indiana facts for kids

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Northwest Indiana Seven County Map
Map of Northwest Indiana

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.

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

West Beach Succession Trail Dune
The Long Stairs up the dune at West Beach on the Succession Trail

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:

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

Commuter Train

South Shore Train at Dunes Park
South Shore Train at Dune Park Station

Highways

  • I-65.svg Interstate 65
  • I-80.svg Interstate 80
  • I-90.svgIndiana Toll Road logo 1968.svg Interstate 90 (Indiana Toll Road)
  • I-94.svg Interstate 94
  • US 6.svg U.S. Route 6
  • US 12.svg U.S. Route 12
  • US 20.svg U.S. Route 20
  • US 24.svg U.S. Route 24
  • US 30.svg U.S. Route 30
  • US 35.svg U.S. Route 35
  • US 41.svg U.S. Route 41
  • US 231.svg U.S. Route 231
  • US 421.svg U.S. Route 421
  • Indiana 2.svg Indiana State Road 2
  • Indiana 4.svg Indiana State Road 4
  • Indiana 8.svg Indiana State Road 8
  • Indiana 10.svg Indiana State Road 10
  • Indiana 14.svg Indiana State Road 14
  • Indiana 16.svg Indiana State Road 16
  • Indiana 39.svg Indiana State Road 39
  • Indiana 49.svg Indiana State Road 49
  • Indiana 51.svg Indiana State Road 51
  • Indiana 53.svg Indiana State Road 53
  • Indiana 55.svg Indiana State Road 55
  • Indiana 71.svg Indiana State Road 71
  • Indiana 104.svg Indiana State Road 104
  • Indiana 114.svg Indiana State Road 114
  • Indiana 130.svg Indiana State Road 130
  • Indiana 149.svg Indiana State Road 149
  • Indiana 152.svg Indiana State Road 152
  • Indiana 212.svg Indiana State Road 212
  • Indiana 249.svg Indiana State Road 249
  • Indiana 312.svg Indiana State Road 312
  • Indiana 520.svg Indiana State Road 520
  • Indiana 912.svg Indiana State Road 912

Phone Area Codes

  • 219
  • 574

Local News and Media

Online

  • NWIndianaLife.com

Print

  • 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

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
  • 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
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