Porter County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 173,215, making it the 10th most populous county in Indiana. The county seat is Valparaiso. The county is part of Northwest Indiana, as well as the Chicago metropolitan area. Porter County is the site of much of the Indiana Dunes, an area of ecological significance. The Hour Glass Museum in Ogden Dunes documents the region's ecological significance.

History

The Porter County area was occupied by an Algonquian people dubbed Huber-Berrien. This subsistence culture arrived after the glaciers retreated around 15,000 years ago and the rise of glacial Lake Algonquian, 4–8,000 years ago. The native people of this area were next recorded during the Iroquois Wars (1641–1701) as being Potawatomi and Miami. The trading post system used by the French and then the English encouraged native people to live in central villages along major waterways. Therefore, there are no recorded villages within Porter County's current boundaries. It was not until 1830 when Chiqua's town and Tassinong appear on maps and in records.

After the American Revolutionary War established US sovereignty over the territory of the upper midwest, the new federal government defined the Northwest Territory in 1787 which included the area of present-day Indiana. In 1800, Congress separated Ohio from the Northwest Territory, designating the rest of the land as the Indiana Territory. President Thomas Jefferson chose William Henry Harrison as the governor of the territory, and Vincennes was established as the capital. After the Michigan Territory was separated and the Illinois Territory was formed, Indiana was reduced to its current size and geography. By December 1816 the Indiana Territory was admitted to the Union as a state.

The Indiana State Legislature passed an omnibus county bill on February 7, 1835, that authorized the creation of thirteen counties in northeast Indiana, including Porter. In 1837 the county was organized. It was named for Capt. David Porter, naval officer during the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812.

In 1962, Bethlehem Steel built a large integrated steel mill on the shores of Lake Michigan, which is now owned and operated by Cleveland-Cliffs. The construction of the mill, as well as the neighboring Port of Indiana, generated enormous controversy between industrial interests and locals who wanted to conserve the natural shoreline and habitat. Although the activists lost and the steel mill and port were constructed, the US Congress created the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in 1966 to protect the area's unique natural habitat.

Geography

Porter County lies on the northern edge of Indiana; its north border is formed by Lake Michigan and its south border is formed by the westward-flowing Kankakee River Its once-tree-covered low rolling hills have been cleared and devoted to agriculture; the only exceptions in Porter County are the drainages carved into the terrain, which are brush-filled. The East Arm Little Calumet River flows westward through the upper portion of Porter County. The highest point, at , is a small hill on the county's east border, 2.75 miles (4.4 km) NW of Westville. The lowest point, at approximately , is along the Lake Michigan shoreline (exact elevation varies due to variation in lake level). According to the 2010 census, the county has an area of , of which (or 80.14%) is land and (or 19.9%) is water,

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

High Schools and Middle Schools

  • Benjamin Franklin Middle School
  • Boone Grove High School
  • Boone Grove Middle School
  • Chesterton High School
  • Hebron High School
  • Hebron Middle School
  • Kouts Middle-High School
  • Liberty Intermediate/Middle 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
  • Westchester Intermediate/Middle 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

The county is served by two public library systems:

  • Porter County Public Library has its main branch in Valparaiso with branches in Hebron, Kouts, Portage and South Haven.
  • Westchester Public Library has its main branch, the Thomas Library, in Chesterton with a branch, the Hageman Library, in Porter.

Hospitals

  • Porter Health Care System – 301 beds
  • Portage Hospital – Portage
  • Porter Regional Hospital – Valparaiso

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Valparaiso have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of was recorded in July 1934. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide, to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute acts legislated by the council, collect revenue and manage the county government.

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County elected officials

Board of Commissioners:

  • Jim Biggs (R, North District)
  • Barb Regnitz (R, Center District)
  • Ed Morales (R, South District)

County Council:

  • Ronald "Red" Stone, Vice President (R, 1st)
  • Jeremy Rivas (D, 2nd)
  • Greg Simms (D, 3rd)
  • Andy Vasquez, President (R, 4th)
  • Michelle Harris (R, At Large)
  • Andy Bozak (R, At Large)
  • Mike Brickner (R, At-large)

Elected Officials:

  • Assessor: Sue Neff (R)
  • Auditor: Karen Martin (R)
  • Clerk: Jessica A. Bailey (D)
  • Coroner: Cyndi Dykes (R)
  • Prosecutor: Gary S. Germann (R)
  • Recorder: Chuck Harris (R)
  • Sheriff: Jeffery A. Balon (R)
  • Surveyor: Kevin D. Breitzke (D)
  • Treasurer: Jimmy Albarran (R)

Demographics