Westville is a town in New Durham Township, LaPorte County, Indiana, United States. The population, as of the 2020 census is 5,257. It is included in the Michigan City, Indiana-La Porte, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. Westville is located in Northwest Indiana, also known as The Region.
History
Westville was platted in 1851, and incorporated as a town in 1864. It was a station and shipping point at the junction of two railroads.
Rev. John Milton Whitehead lived in Westville at the time of his enlistment as a chaplain in the 15th Indiana Infantry Regiment. Whitehead received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Stones River when he "went to the front during a desperate contest and unaided carried to the rear several wounded and helpless soldiers."
The Everel S. Smith House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Geography
thumb|Aerial view of Westville
According to the 2010 census, Westville has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
Note that the census data for 2010 and later include the Westville Correctional Facility.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Westville had a population of 5,257. The median age was 36.8 years. 10.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 7.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 338.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 404.9 males age 18 and over.
98.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,011 households in Westville, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.8% were married-couple households, 20.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 5,853 people, 1,093 households, and 705 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 1,186 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 72.1% White, 25.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.3% of the population.
There were 1,093 households, of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.5% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.97.
The median age in the town was 33.1 years. 12% of residents were under the age of 18; 13.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 47.3% were from 25 to 44; 21.4% were from 45 to 64; and 5.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 76.9% male and 23.1% female.
2000 census
As of the census
The town has a lending library, the Westville-New Durham Township Public Library. Westville residents may also request a free library card from any La Porte County Public Library branch. Purdue University Northwest's other campus, formerly Purdue North Central, is in Westville.
Notable people
- William A. Shunk, US Army colonel whose commands included Commandant of the United States Army Command and General Staff College.