Crown Point
The county seat of Lake County and its oldest community, Crown Point was incorporated in 1834. It's home to the Lake County Fairgrounds and the historic Old Lake County Courthouse, and the old Lake County Jail, infamous as the site of an escape by bank robber John Dillinger. Today, about 24,000 residents make Crown Point home. Neighboring Winfield is the county's newest town, incorporated in 1993, and its growing population now tops 4,000.  Members: 51
Duneland
The Duneland community is recognized as the towns of Chesterton, Porter and Burns Harbor, all of which are served by the Duneland School Corp. Chesterton has more than 12,000 residents, Porter has more than 5,000 and Burns Harbor has seen its growing population surge past 1,000. The Duneland area also includes Indiana Dunes State Park and large portions of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Further east along Porter County's lakeshore, the towns of Beverly Shores and The Pines are home to more than 700 residents each. Members: 30
East Chicago
The city of 30,000. was incorporated in 1893 as a railroad and steel town. At one time, the Lake County city was the home of over seventy different nationalities complete with their own ethnic based neighborhoods, including a thriving Latino community. Members: 35
Gary
The largest city in Lake County is home to about 96,000 residents. Founded in 1906 by the U.S. Steel Corp., the city remains home to the steelmaker's Gary Works plant. Along with Cleveland, Gary was the first major American city to elect an African-American mayor, Richard Hatcher, in 1967. Members: 37
Griffith
With a population of more than 16,000, Griffith is known for the many railroads that intersect the town. Incorporated in 1904, the Lake County town is also noted for its large number of baseball diamonds. Members: 29
Hammond
With a population of about 77,000, the City of Hammond is the second largest in Lake County. Incorporated in 1884, the industrial lakefront has been transformed by the arrival of casino gaming. Neighboring Whiting is home to just under 5,000 residents, along with the BP oil refinery, the largest in the Midwest. Members: 86
Highland
The town of nearly 23,000 was first settled by pioneers Michael and Judith Johnson in 1847, then incorporated in 1910. Barack Obama chose Wicker Park as the location for one of the final rallies of his successful 2008 presidential campaign. Members: 27
Hobart
The home of the "Brickies," this Lake County city of 28,000 takes pride in the brickyards once located on its north side, along with its history of state championship football teams. The city is also home to Westfield Southlake mall. Neighboring communities include Lake Station, with a population of about 13,000, and New Chicago, with about 2,000 residents. Members: 28
LaPorte County
Named by French explorers, LaPorte County was formed in 1832. The county seat is LaPorte, with 21,000 residents, and its largest city is Michigan City, with a population of more than 31,000. Towns in LaPorte County include Hanna, Kingsbury, Kingsford Heights, LaCrosse, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Pottawattamie Park, Rolling Prairie, Trail Creek, Union Mills, Wanatah and Westville. Members: 17
Merrillville
When it was incorporated in 1971, Merrillville was known as the largest town in the United States. Today, the Lake County town of more than 32,000 is home to commercial and business development, including the corporate headquarters of NiSource and AmeriPlex at the Crossroads, a technology and industrial park. Members: 30
Munster
With more than 22,000 residents, Munster is home to the Community Hospital and The Centre for Visual and Performing Arts. The western Lake County town was incorporated in 1907. Members: 36
Portage
With a population of more than 36,000, the city of Portage is the largest in Porter County and third largest in Northwest Indiana. Home to Indiana's International Port, the city recently opened public access to the lakefront with construction of Lakefront Park, a joint project with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Neighboring Ogden Dunes has a population of more than 1,200. Members: 41
South Lake County
The south part of Lake County is home to rural farm communities, and recreational areas around Cedar Lake and along the Kankakee River. The town of Cedar Lake has enjoyed recent growth with a population topping the 10,000 mark. Lowell has a population of more than 8,000 and Schneider is Lake County's smallest town, with a population near 300. Members: 22
South Porter County
Primarily rural in nature, South Porter County includes the towns of Hebron and Kouts. Hebron, which today has more than 3,600 residents, became a town in 1890 and became a gateway to the hunting grounds known as the Grand Kankakee Marsh. Kouts, with a population of about 1,800, is known for its annual Pork Festival, held in downtown at the end of summer. Members: 16
South suburbs
Also known as Chicago Southland, the south suburban area is considered to be bordered by Bedford Park on the north, Peotone on the south, the state line on the east and extending west to New Lenox. Known for its blue collar roots, heavy industry once dominated the area, but many communities are transforming themselves into service-oriented economies. Members: 26
Tri-Town
The area of Tri-Town is recognized as the towns of Schererville, Dyer and St. John, on the western edge of Lake County and is served by the Lake Central School Corp. The growing area has estimated populations of nearly 29,000 in Schererville, more than 15,000 in Dyer and more than 12,000 in St. John. Members: 38
Valparaiso
The county seat is Porter County's second largest city with a population around 30,000. Valparaiso is home to Valparaiso University and Porter hospital. It is noted for its historic downtown, including the courthouse square, where the Popcorn Festival takes place each September. Members: 69 |
