LaPorte County, Indiana

LaPorte County, Indiana
County
LaPorte County Courthouse in La Porte, Indiana
Location in the state of Indiana
Indiana's location in the U.S.
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Regions	Northwest Indiana and Michiana
Metro area	Chicago Metropolitan
Established	April 1, 1832
Named for	"The Door" or "The Port" (fr.)
County seat	La Porte
Largest city	Michigan City (population and total area)
Incorporated Municipalities	11 Cities and Towns Kingsbury (town) Kingsford Heights (town) La Porte (city) LaCrosse (town) Long Beach (town) Michiana Shores (town) Michigan City (city) Pottawattamie Park (town) Trail Creek (town) Wanatah (town) Westville (town)
Government
• Type	County
• Body	Board of Commissioners
• Commissioner	Michael Bohacek (D, 1st)
• Commissioner	David L. Decker (D, 2nd)
• Commissioner	Vidya Kora (D, 3rd)
• County Council	Members Matthew E. Bernacchi (D) Earl Cunningham (D) Terry L. Garner (R) Rich Mrozinski, Jr. (D) Jeffery L. Santana (D) Lois Sisinski (D) Mark Yagelski (D)
Area
• County	613.26 sq mi (1,588.3 km2)
• Land	598.30 sq mi (1,549.6 km2)
• Water	14.96 sq mi (38.7 km2)
• Metro	10,874 sq mi (28,160 km2)
Area rank	2nd largest county in Indiana
• Region	2,726 sq mi (7,060 km2)
Elevation	778 ft (237 m)
Population (2010)
• County	111,467
• Estimate (2013)	111,281
• Rank	15th largest county in Indiana 542nd largest county in U.S.
• Density	186/sq mi (72/km2)
• Metro	9,522,434
• Region	819,537
Time zone	Central (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	Central (UTC-5)
ZIP Codes	46340, 46345-46, 46348, 46350, 46352, 46360-61, 46365, 46371, 46382, 46390-91, 46532, 46552, 46554, 46574
Area code	219
Congressional districts	1st and 2nd
Indiana Senate districts	5th and 8th
Indiana House of Representatives districts	9th, 17th and 20th
FIPS code	18-091
GNIS feature ID	0450507
Interstates
U.S. Routes
State Routes
Airports	La Porte Municipal Michigan City Municipal
Waterways	East Arm Little Calumet River Kankakee River Lake Michigan Little Calumet River Trail Creek
Amtrak station	Michigan City
South Shore Line stations	11th Street – Carroll Avenue Hudson Lake
Public transit	Michigan City Transit
Website	www.laportecounty.org
Indiana county number 46

LaPorte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 111,467. The county seat is the city of La Porte, and the largest city is Michigan City.

This county is part of the Northwest Indiana and Michiana regions of the Chicago metropolitan area.

The LaPorte County Courthouse is located in the county seat of La Porte and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

LaPorte County was formed in 1832. La porte means "the door" or "the port" in French. French travelers or explorers so named the area after discovering a natural opening in the dense forests that used to exist in this region, providing a gateway to lands further west.

Before white settlement, all of the land that forms modern-day LaPorte County, and adjacent Starke County to the south belonged to the Potawatomi Indian nation. These Indians were forcibly removed to Kansas by the United States government in 1838, and many died on what survivors called the Trail of Death.

LaPorte County's initial White American settlers were Yankee immigrants, that is to say they were from New England or were from upstate New York and had parents who were from New England, and were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. They were part of a wave of New England settlers moving west into what was then the Northwest Territory after the completion of the Erie Canal. The original White settlers in LaPorte County specifically hailed from the Massachusetts towns of Granville, Boston, Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Andover, Nantucket Island and Hampshire County; the Connecticut towns of Colchester, Wethersfield, Granby and New Haven; the New Hampshire towns of Bradford, Amherst and Goffstown; the Vermont villages of Dorset, Albany and Fairfax; many also came from Orange County, Vermont, Caledonia County, Vermont and Penobscot County, Maine. They were mainly members of the Congregational Church, but as a result of the Second Great Awakening many became Baptists and many also converted to Pentecostalism and Methodism before moving to what is now La Porte County. When they arrived in what is now LaPorte County, there was nothing but virgin forest and wild prairie, the New England settlers cleared roads, built farms, constructed churches, erected government buildings, and established post routes. As a result of this migration, LaPorte County was culturally continuous with early New England culture for many years.

When the county was initially proposed and organized, its boundaries did not extend as far south or east as they do today. A section of land north of the Kankakee River originally belonged to Starke County. However, residents living in that area had difficulty crossing the river in order to reach the rest of the county. It was necessary to travel some distance east to Lemon's bridge, before making the journey south. Effectively isolated from the rest of Starke County, these residents asked that their land be annexed to LaPorte County, which was completed on January 28, 1842. Thereafter, the Kankakee River formed the southern boundary of the county. Finally, on January 10, 1850, some twenty sections of land were annexed from St. Joseph County to the east, giving LaPorte County the boundaries that essentially exist to this day.

Whether the correct spelling of the city and county is "La Porte" or "LaPorte" is disputed, although state law refers to "LaPorte County."

LaPorte County is also famous for being the scene of the Belle Gunness serial murders. She lived on a farm on the outskirts of LaPorte County.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 613.26 square miles (1,588.3 km²), of which 598.30 square miles (1,549.6 km²) (or 97.56%) is land and 14.96 square miles (38.7 km²) (or 2.44%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Berrien County, Michigan (north/EST Border)
• St. Joseph County (east/EST Border)
• Starke County (south)
• Jasper County (southwest)
• Porter County (west)

National protected area

• Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore – also in Lake and Porter counties

Major highways

3

Railroads

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

Municipalities

The municipalities in La Porte County and their populations as of the 2010 Census:

Cities

3

Towns

3

Census-designated places

3

Unincorporated communities

3

Townships

LaPorte County contains 21 townships, more than any other county in the state. The townships, with their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:

3

Public libraries

The county is served by five different public library systems:

• LaCrosse Public Library
• LaPorte County Public Library has its main location in La Porte as well as the Coolspring, Fish Lake, Hanna, Kingsford Heights, Rolling Prairie and Union Mills branches.
• Michigan City Public Library
• Wanatah Public Library
• Westville-New Durham Township Public Library has its main location in Westville.

Hospitals

• Indiana University Health La Porte Hospital, La Porte – 227 beds
• Franciscan St. Anthony Health, Michigan City – 310 beds

Climate and weather

La Porte, Indiana
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     1.8     30 12     1.7     36 16     3     47 27     4.1     60 37     4.3     71 47     4.8     80 58     3.9     84 62     3.9     81 60     3.3     75 51     3     63 39     3.6     48 30     2.7     35 19 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     47     −1 −11     43     2 −9     75     8 −3     104     16 3     110     22 8     122     27 14     98     29 17     98     27 16     85     24 11     76     17 4     91     9 −1     69     2 −7 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in La Porte have ranged from a low of 12 °F (−11 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −28 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.68 inches (43 mm) in February to 4.79 inches (122 mm) in June.

Education

Public schools in LaPorte County are administered by seven different districts:

• LaPorte Community School Corporation
• Metropolitan School District of New Durham Township
• Michigan City Area Schools
• New Prairie United School Corporation
• South Central Community School Corporation
• Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation

Colleges and Universities

• Brown Mackie College
• Ivy Tech Community College
• Purdue University North Central

Government

See also: Government of Indiana

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.

Court: The county has five elected trial court judges. They include the LaPorte Circuit Court and Superior Courts one through four. The judges are elected to six-year terms on partisan ballots. Superior Courts three and four maintain small claims dockets. Decisions from any trial court may be appealed to the Indiana Court of Appeals. The Circuit Court and Superior court three are located in the city of La Porte; Superior courts one, two and four are located in Michigan City.

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

LaPorte County is part of Indiana's 2nd congressional district and is represented by Jackie Walorski in the United States Congress. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 5 and 8 and Indiana House of Representatives districts 9, 17 and 20.

County elected officials

Board of Commissioners:

• Mike Bohacek (R) (R, 1st)
• David L. Decker (D, 2nd)
• Vidya Kora (D, 3rd)

County Council:

• Mark Yagelski (D)
• Jeffery L. Santana (D)
• Matthew E. Bernacchi (D)
• Randall Novak (D)
• Cary Kirkham (?)
• Terry L. Garner (R)
• Lois Sosinski (D)

Elected Officials:

• Assessor: Michael R. Schultz (D)
• Auditor: Joie Winski (D)
• Clerk: Lynne F. Spevak (D)
• Coroner: John P. Sullivan (D)
• Prosecutor: John Espar (D)
• Recorder: Barbara A. Dean (D)
• Sheriff: John T. Boyd (R)
• Surveyor: Anthony C. Hendricks (D)
• Treasurer: Nancy Hawkins (D)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	8,184		—
1850	12,145		48.4%
1860	22,919		88.7%
1870	27,062		18.1%
1880	30,985		14.5%
1890	34,445		11.2%
1900	38,386		11.4%
1910	45,797		19.3%
1920	50,443		10.1%
1930	60,490		19.9%
1940	63,660		5.2%
1950	76,808		20.7%
1960	95,111		23.8%
1970	105,342		10.8%
1980	108,632		3.1%
1990	107,066		−1.4%
2000	110,106		2.8%
2010	111,467		1.2%
Est. 2014	111,444		0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 111,467 people, 42,331 households, and 28,228 families residing in the county. The population density was 186.3 inhabitants per square mile (71.9/km²). There were 48,448 housing units at an average density of 81.0 per square mile (31.3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.1% white, 10.8% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.0% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 30.7% were German, 15.3% were Irish, 11.5% were Polish, 8.3% were English, and 5.9% were American.

Of the 42,331 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.3% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 39.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $56,679. Males had a median income of $45,537 versus $30,774 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,599. About 9.9% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Places by population and race
Place	Population (2010)	White	Black or African American	Asian	Other	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
LaPorte County	111,467	84.1%	10.8%	0.5%	4.6%	5.5%
Fish Lake, CDP	1,016	97.6%	0.5%	0.1%	1.8%	2.4%
Hanna, CDP	463	98.1%	0.0%	0.2%	1.7%	0.9%
Hudson Lake, CDP	1,297	97.1%	0.1%	0.1%	2.7%	3.0%
Kingsbury, town	242	97.1%	0.4%	0.0%	2.5%	5.4%
Kingsford Heights, town	1,435	86.3%	8.1%	0.3%	5.3%	5.0%
La Porte, city	22,053	88.6%	3.0%	0.5%	7.9%	11.2%
LaCrosse, town	551	99.5%	0.2%	0.0%	0.3%	1.8%
Long Beach, town	1,179	96.8%	1.4%	1.1%	0.7%	0.6%
Michiana Shores, town	313	97.4%	0.0%	0.0%	2.6%	2.9%
Michigan City, city	31,479	64.9%	28.1%	0.7%	6.3%	5.9%
Pottawattamie Park, town	235	92.3%	7.2%	0.0%	0.5%	0.4%
Rolling Prairie, CDP	582	98.3%	0.3%	0.2%	1.2%	1.2%
Trail Creek, town	2,052	91.2%	5.5%	0.6%	2.7%	3.3%
Wanatah, town	1,048	96.9%	0.1%	0.2%	2.8%	3.0%
Westville, town	5,853	72.1%	25.1%	0.3%	2.5%	6.3%

Places by population and standard of living
Place	Population (2010)	Per capita income	Median household income	Median home value
LaPorte County	111,467	$23,278	$47,754	$120,600
Fish Lake, CDP	1,016	$26,468	$41,500	$113,200
Hanna, CDP	463	$27,241	$71,250	$82,600
Hudson Lake, CDP	1,297	$19,836	$47,216	$130,400
Kingsbury, town	242	$18,861	$47,292	$95,000
Kingsford Heights, town	1,435	$16,235	$42,368	$71,100
La Porte, city	22,053	$20,334	$36,903	$93,000
LaCrosse, town	551	$19,953	$46,818	$90,900
Long Beach, town	1,179	$54,416	$81,250	$443,000
Michiana Shores, town	313	$41,713	$50,750	$307,100
Michigan City, city	31,479	$19,284	$36,115	$93,200
Pottawattamie Park, town	235	$36,368	$75,625	$177,300
Rolling Prairie, CDP	582	$23,772	$79,708	$147,800
Trail Creek, town	2,052	$28,872	$55,726	$128,200
Wanatah, town	1,048	$23,485	$55,000	$130,900
Westville, town	5,853	$8,494	$52,127	$99,100

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in LaPorte County, Indiana

External links

• Official website
• Access LaPorte County official community site
• Greater LaPorte Chamber of Commerce
• Healthy Communities of LaPorte County