Porter County, Indiana

Porter County
Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso
Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso
Flag of Porter County
Motto: 
"Front Porch of the Dunes"
Location in the state of Indiana
Location in the state of Indiana
Indiana's location in the U.S.
Indiana's location in the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°51′N 87°07′W / 41.850°N 87.117°W / 41.850; -87.117
Country United States
State Indiana
RegionNorthwest Indiana
Metro areaChicago Metropolitan
Established1836
Named forDavid Porter
County seatValparaiso
Largest cityPortage (population and area)
Incorporated
municipalities
11 cities and towns
Government
 • TypeCounty
Area
 • County521.8 sq mi (1,351 km2)
 • Land418.2 sq mi (1,083 km2)
 • Water103.6 sq mi (268 km2)
 • Metro
10,874 sq mi (28,160 km2)
 • Rank29th largest county in Indiana
 • Region2,726 sq mi (7,060 km2)
Elevation
[1] (mean)
843 ft (257 m)
Highest elevation
[2] – NE Jackson Twp
870 ft (270 m)
Lowest elevation
[3] – at Lake Michigan
585 ft (178 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • County173,215
 • Estimate 
(2023)
173,335 Increase
 • Rank9th largest county in Indiana
374th largest county in U.S.[4]
 • Density330/sq mi (130/km2)
 • Metro
9,522,434
 • Region
819,537
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (Central)
ZIP Codes
46301-02, 46304, 46307-08, 46341-42, 46347, 46360, 46368, 46383-85, 46391, 46393
Area code219
Congressional district1st
Indiana Senate districts4th, 5th and 6th
Indiana House of Representatives districts3rd, 4th, 10th, 19th and 20th
FIPS code18-127
GNIS feature ID0450382
Interstates
U.S. Routes
State Routes
AirportPorter County Regional
WaterwaysEast Arm Little Calumet River
Kankakee River
Lake Michigan
Little Calumet River
Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor
Salt Creek
South Shore Line stationsBeverly ShoresDune Park Portage/Ogden Dunes
Public transitV-Line
Websitewww.porterco.org
  • Indiana county number 64

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.[5] The county seat is Valparaiso.[6] 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.[7][8][9] The Hour Glass Museum in Ogden Dunes documents the region's ecological significance.[10]

  1. ^ "Porter County". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ Westville Quadrangle – Indiana – Porter Co (Map). 1:24,000. 7.5-Minute Series (Topographic). United States Geological Survey. 2013.
  3. ^ Dune Acres Quadrangle – Indiana – Porter Co (Map). 1:24,000. 7.5-Minute Series (Topographic). United States Geological Survey. 2013.
  4. ^ "USA Counties in Profile". STATS Indiana. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  5. ^ "Porter County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  6. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  7. ^ Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2006). Alice Gray, Dorothy Buell, and Naomi Svihla: Preservationists of Ogden Dunes. The South Shore Journal, "South Shore Journal - Alice Gray, Dorothy Buell, and Naomi Svihla: Preservationists of Ogden Dunes". Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  8. ^ Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2009)
  9. ^ The Historical Roots of the Nature Conservancy in the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland Region: From Science to Preservation. The South Shore Journal, 3. "South Shore Journal - the Historical Roots of the Nature Conservancy in the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland Region: From Science to Preservation". Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  10. ^ Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2007). The cultural impact of a museum in a small community: The Hour Glass of Ogden Dunes. The South Shore Journal, 2. "South Shore Journal - the Cultural Impact of a Museum in a Small Community: The Hour Glass in Ogden Dunes". Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2012.