Overview

Introduction to Chesterton, Indiana

Chesterton, Indiana, in Porter county, is 14 miles E of Gary, Indiana and 34 miles SE of Chicago, Illinois. The town is conveniently located inside the Gary metropolitan area.

Chesterton History

Joseph Bailly, a French fur trader, settled in the area in 1822. This region was previously occupied by the Potawatomi Tribe. In fact, some of the Potawatomi's structures are on view today at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. At one point, Chesterton was a major railroad center, as it had the sole train station in Porter County. The town was incorporated on October 5, 1869.

Chesterton and nearby Attractions

  • Westchester Public Library
  • Brauer Museum of Art
  • Billington Lake
  • Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
  • Indiana Dunes State Park

Things To Do In Chesterton

The Great Lakes Museum of Military History and the Brauer Museum of Art can be visited from the town of Chesterton. The shores of Billington Lake, Morgan Lake, Chubb Lake and the Chestnut Lake are popular tourist spots. The town also hosts the annual Wizard of Oz Festival, which draws crowds from all over the region.

Chesterton Transportation

Porter County Airport is close by.

Chesterton Higher Education

Valparaiso University, Purdue University-North Central Campus and Ivy Tech State College-Northwest are the nearby institutes of higher education.

Demographics

People

Total Population13,899
Male Share of the Population49.7%
Female Share of the Population50.3%
Senior Citizens16.1%
Employed Population 16+6,379
Age of the Population39

Families

% of people married52.5%
Average household size3

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher29.8%
Median Earnings25+$45,740
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$0
Median Earnings With High School Degree$37,034

Wealth

Median Family Income$89,878
% Above Poverty Level92.2%
% Below Poverty Level7.8%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time29 minutes
% Working from Home5.5%
% Walking and Biking to Work1.6%
% Using Public Transportation2.2%

Housing

People Living Alone25.9%
Median Gross Rent$929
Median House Value$184,400

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)21.7%
Irish16.5%
Polish10.6%
English10%
Italian9.4%
Swedish3.3%
French Except Basque2.4%
Dutch1.6%
Norwegian1.3%
Croatian1.2%
Hungarian1.2%
Scottish1.1%
Greek1.1%
Welsh1%
Slovak0.8%
Swiss0.6%
Serbian0.6%
Czech0.5%
Belgian0.4%
Canadian0.3%
Ukrainian0.3%
Romanian0.3%
Arab0.2%
Jordanian0.2%
Portuguese0.2%
Finnish0.2%
Danishn0.2%
Lithuanian0.2%
Russian0.2%
German0.1%
Austrian0.1%
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Chesterton Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyPorter County
Standard Zip Codes46304
Phone Area Codes219
Time ZoneAmerica/Indiana/Indianapolis
Approximate Latitude41.6
Approximate Longitude-87.05

Chesterton Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationINDIANA DUNES NAT LKSHR
Distance1.9 miles
Jan Temp15 to 30 F
Apr Temp39 to 57 F
Jul Temp64 to 82 F
Oct Temp44 to 62 F
Annual Precip37.8 inches
StationHOBART 2 WNW
Distance12.1 miles
Jan Temp14 to 30 F
Apr Temp38 to 58 F
Jul Temp63 to 84 F
Oct Temp42 to 64 F
Annual Precip38 inches
StationWANATAH 2 WNW
Distance13 miles
Jan Temp13 to 30 F
Apr Temp37 to 59 F
Jul Temp61 to 84 F
Oct Temp40 to 63 F
Annual Precip38 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Beverly Shores563$112,143
Burns Harbor1,605$76,397
Lake Station12,059$46,288
Ogden Dunes1,123$128,438
Portage36,859$67,882
Porter4,833$101,532

Chesterton Public Libraries

Westchester Public Library
200 WEST INDIANA AVENUE
Chesterton, Indiana
(219) 926-7696

library logo

More Information for Librarians

Chesterton Public Schools

Bailly Elementary School
800 S 5th St
ZIP: 46304
(219) 983-3670
Primary
Total Enrollment 427
Brummitt Elementary School
2500 Indian Boundary
ZIP: 46304
(219) 983-3660
Primary
Total Enrollment 349
Chesterton Middle School
651 W Morgan Ave
ZIP: 46304
(219) 983-3776
Middle
Total Enrollment 990
Chesterton Senior High School
2125 S 11th St
ZIP: 46304
(219) 983-3730
High
Total Enrollment 2029
Liberty Elementary School
50-1 W 900 N
ZIP: 46304
(219) 983-3650
Primary
Total Enrollment 514
Liberty Intermediate School
50 W 900 N
ZIP: 46304
(219) 983-3690
Middle
Total Enrollment 370
Westchester Intermediate School
1050 S 5th St
ZIP: 46304
(219) 983-3710
Middle
Total Enrollment 526

Chesterton Private Schools

Chesterton Montessori School
270 E Burdick Rd
ZIP: 46304
Elementary
Total Enrollment 63
Duneland Montessori Academy
109 W Porter Ave Ste B
ZIP: 46304
Elementary
Total Enrollment 5
St Patrick Elementary School
640 N Calumet Rd
ZIP: 46304
Elementary
Total Enrollment 272
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