Porter County, Indiana facts for kids

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Porter County

County

Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso

Flag

Motto(s):

"Front Porch of the Dunes"

Location in the state of Indiana

Indiana's location in the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Indiana

Region

Northwest Indiana

Metro area

Chicago Metropolitan

Established

1836

Named for

David Porter

County seat

Valparaiso

Largest city

Portage (population and area)

Incorporated
municipalities

11 cities and towns

Beverly Shores (town)
Burns Harbor (town)
Chesterton (town)
Dune Acres (town)
Hebron (town)
Kouts (town)
Ogden Dunes (town)
Portage (city)
Porter (town)
Town of Pines (town)
Valparaiso (city)

Government

• Type

County

Area

• County

521.8 sq mi (1,351 km²)

• Land

418.2 sq mi (1,083 km²)

• Water

103.6 sq mi (268 km²)

• Metro

10,874 sq mi (28,160 km²)

Area rank

29th largest county in Indiana

• Region

2,726 sq mi (7,060 km²)

Elevation

(mean)

843 ft (257 m)

Highest elevation

– NE Jackson Twp

870 ft (270 m)

Lowest elevation

– at Lake Michigan

585 ft (178 m)

Population

(2020)

• County

173,215

• Estimate

(2023)

173,335

• Rank

9th largest county in Indiana
374th largest county in U.S.

• Density

331.96/sq mi (128.169/km²)

• Metro

9,522,434

• Region

819,537

• Summer (DST)

46301-02, 46304, 46307-08, 46341-42, 46347, 46360, 46368, 46383-85, 46391, 46393

Area code

219

Congressional district

1st

Indiana Senate districts

4th, 5th and 6th

Indiana House of Representatives districts

3rd, 4th, 10th, 19th and 20th

FIPS code

18-127

GNIS feature ID

0450382

Interstates

U.S. Routes

State Routes

Airport

Porter County Regional

Waterways

East Arm Little Calumet River
Kankakee River
Lake Michigan
Little Calumet River
Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor
Salt Creek

South Shore Line stations

Beverly Shores – Dune Park Portage/Ogden Dunes

Public transit

V-Line

Website

www.porterco.org

Indiana county number 64

Porter County is a county located in the state of Indiana in the U.S.. In 2020, about 173,215 people lived here, making it the 10th most populated county in Indiana. The main city and county seat is Valparaiso.

Porter County is part of Northwest Indiana and also the larger Chicago metropolitan area. A big part of the Indiana Dunes, which is a special natural area, is found in Porter County. The Hour Glass Museum in Ogden Dunes helps tell the story of this important natural region.

History of Porter County

The area that is now Porter County was first home to a group of Native Americans called Huber-Berrien. They lived here after the glaciers melted thousands of years ago. Later, during the Iroquois Wars (1641–1701), the Potawatomi and Miami tribes lived in this region.

Early maps from the 1830s show two Native American towns: Chiqua's town and Tassinong. Chiqua's town was near Valparaiso, and Tassinong was south of Valparaiso. These were important stops along old trails.

After the American Revolutionary War, the U.S. government created the Northwest Territory in 1787, which included Indiana. In 1800, this area became the Indiana Territory. Indiana officially became a state in December 1816.

Porter County was created by the Indiana State Legislature on February 7, 1835. It was officially organized in 1837. The county was named after Captain David Porter, a naval officer who served in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812.

In 1962, a large steel mill was built on the shores of Lake Michigan. This project, along with the nearby Port of Indiana, caused a lot of debate. Many local people wanted to protect the natural shoreline and wildlife. Even though the steel mill and port were built, the U.S. Congress created the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in 1966. This was done to protect the unique natural areas that remained.

Geography and Nature

Porter County is located in the northern part of Indiana. Its northern border is Lake Michigan, and its southern border is the Kankakee River. Most of the county's land, which used to have many trees, is now used for farming.

The East Arm Little Calumet River flows through the northern part of the county. The highest point in Porter County is a small hill on its eastern border, about 870 feet (265 meters) high. The lowest point is along the Lake Michigan shoreline, at about 585 feet (178 meters).

Porter County covers about 521.78 square miles (1,351.4 square kilometers). Most of this is land, but about 103.63 square miles (268.4 square kilometers) is water, mainly from Lake Michigan.

Neighboring Counties

LaPorte County (east)
Starke County (southeast)
Jasper County (south)
Lake County (west)
Cook County, Illinois (northwest, across Lake Michigan)
Berrien County, Michigan (northeast, across Lake Michigan)

Protected Natural Areas

Porter County is home to several important natural areas:

Indiana Dunes National Park (part of it)
Indiana Dunes National Park Heron Rookery
Indiana Dunes State Park
Moraine Nature Preserve

Major Roads and Transportation

Porter County has many important roads that help people travel around. These include major Interstates and U.S. Routes.

Interstate 80
Indiana Toll Road
Interstate 94
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 12
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 231
State Road 2
State Road 8
State Road 49
State Road 130
State Road 149
State Road 249
State Road 520

Amtrak's Wolverine train passing through Porter, Indiana.

Railroads

Several railroad companies operate in Porter County, including:

Amtrak
Canadian National
Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad
Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad
Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad
CSX Transportation
Norfolk Southern Railway
South Shore Line

Cities and Towns

Porter County has several cities and towns, each with its own unique community. Here are the main ones and their populations from the 2010 Census:

Cities

Portage – 36,828 people
Valparaiso – 31,730 people

Towns

Beverly Shores – 613 people
Burns Harbor – 1,156 people
Chesterton – 13,068 people
Dune Acres – 182 people
Hebron – 3,724 people
Kouts – 1,879 people
Ogden Dunes – 1,110 people
Porter – 4,858 people
Town of Pines – 708 people

Franklin Street, near the Courthouse Square in Valparaiso.

Calumet Avenue in downtown Chesterton.

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially cities or towns, but still have residents:

Townships

Porter County is divided into 12 townships, which are local government areas:

Boone
Center
Jackson
Liberty
Morgan
Pine
Pleasant
Portage
Porter
Union
Washington
Westchester

Education in Porter County

Porter County offers many educational opportunities, from colleges to public schools.

The Chapel at Valparaiso University.

Colleges and Universities

Ivy Tech Community College
Valparaiso University

Public School Districts

Public schools in Porter County are managed by several different school districts:

Metropolitan School District of Boone Township (for Boone Township)
Duneland School Corporation (for Jackson, Liberty, and Westchester townships)
East Porter County School Corporation (for Morgan, Pleasant, and Washington townships)
Michigan City Area Schools (for Pine Township)
Portage Township Schools (for Portage Township)
Porter Township School Corporation (for Porter Township)
Union Township School Corporation (for Union Township)
Valparaiso Community Schools (for Center Township)

High Schools and Middle Schools

Benjamin Franklin Middle School
Boone Grove High School
Boone Grove Middle School
Chesterton High School
Chesterton Middle School
Hebron High School
Hebron Middle School
Kouts Middle-High School
Morgan Township Middle/High School
Portage High School
Thomas Jefferson Middle School
Union Township Middle School
Valparaiso High School
Washington Township Middle/High School
Wheeler High School
William Fegely Middle School
Willowcreek Middle School

Elementary Schools

Aylesworth Elementary School
Bailly Elementary School
Boone Grove Elementary School
Brummitt Elementary School
Central Elementary School (Portage)
Central Elementary School (Valparaiso)
Cooks Corners Elementary School
Crisman Elementary School
Flint Lake Elementary School
Hayes Leonard Elementary School
Hebron Elementary School
Jackson Elementary School
John Simatovich Elementary School
Jones Elementary School
Kouts Elementary School
Kyle Elementary School
Liberty Elementary School
Liberty Intermediate School
Memorial Elementary School
Morgan Elementary School
Myers Elementary School
Northview Elementary School
Parkview Elementary School
Paul Saylor Elementary School
Pine Elementary School
Porter Lakes Elementary School
South Haven Elementary School
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School
Union Center Elementary School
Washington Township Elementary School
Westchester Intermediate School
Yost Elementary School

Public Libraries

Porter County has two public library systems that serve its communities:

Porter County Public Library: Its main branch is in Valparaiso, with other branches in Hebron, Kouts, Portage, and South Haven.
Westchester Public Library: Its main branch, the Thomas Library, is in Chesterton. It also has a branch called the Hageman Library in Porter.

Hospitals

Porter Health Care System: This system includes two hospitals.
- Portage Hospital in Portage
- Porter Regional Hospital in Valparaiso

Climate and Weather

The weather in Valparaiso, Porter County, changes throughout the year.

In January, the average low temperature is about 15°F (-9°C).
In July, the average high temperature is about 83°F (28°C).
The lowest temperature ever recorded was -25°F (-32°C) in January 1985.
The highest temperature ever recorded was 105°F (41°C) in July 1934.
The amount of rain and snow changes too. February usually has the least precipitation, while June has the most.

Population and People

As of the 2020 Census, Porter County had a population of 173,215 people. The county has grown steadily over the years.

In 2010, there were 164,343 people living in the county. Most residents were white (91.3%), with other groups including black or African American (3.0%), Asian (1.2%), and American Indian (0.3%). About 8.5% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.

The average household size was about 2.6 people. The median age in the county was 38.4 years old. This means half the people were younger than 38.4, and half were older.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 in 2010. For families, the median income was $73,065. About 9.4% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Parks and Recreation

Porter County has several parks where people can enjoy nature and outdoor activities.

Brincka Cross Gardens is a 4-acre (1.6 ha) garden in Pine Township.
Calumet Trail is a 9.1-mile (14.6 km) long trail near U.S. 12. It's great for walking, running, biking, and cross-country skiing.
Dunn's Bridge County Park is on the southern edge of the county. It has an old bridge over the Kankakee River and offers access for small boats.
Sunset Hill Farm County Park is a large 238-acre (96 ha) park. It has open meadows used for festivals and events.

Cultural Activities

Porter County offers many fun and interesting cultural activities, including museums and live theater.

Museums

Alton Goin Museum in Portage tells the history of the city.
Bailly Homestead & Chellberg Farm are part of Indiana Dunes National Park, showing early life in the area.
Brauer Museum of Art at Valparaiso University has a large collection of art.
Depot of Beverly Shores Museum & Art Gallery shows the history of Beverly Shores and features local art.
Hour Glass House Museum displays art from local artists.
Porter County Museum of History preserves the history of Porter County.
Stagecoach Inn & Panhandle Depot in Hebron is run by the Hebron Historical Society.
Westchester Township History Museum is in the George Brown Mansion and shows local history of the Indiana Dunes.
Task Force Tips Fire Museum in Valparaiso displays the history of fire equipment.

Live Theater

4th Street Theater is a community theater in Chesterton.
Chicago Street Theatre is a community theater in Valparaiso.
Front Porch Music in Valparaiso hosts weekly "open mic" nights and concerts.
Memorial Opera House presents live theater and other monthly shows.
Valparaiso Theatrical Company performs plays at different places in Porter County to help charities.
Valparaiso University Center for the Arts is where Valparaiso University holds its performing arts events.