Michigan City, Indiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. Please help improve this article by introducing appropriate citations. (help, get involved!) This article has been tagged since August 2006. |
| Michigan City, Indiana | |
 |
|
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| County | LaPorte |
| Area | |
| - City | 59.9 km² |
| - Land | 50.8 km² |
| - Water | 9.1 km² |
| Population | |
| - City (2000) | 32,900 |
| - Density | 648.1/km² |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Website: http://www.emichigancity.com | |
Michigan City (IPA: [ˈmɪʃ.ɪ.gɪn ˈsɪ.ti]) is a city in LaPorte County, Indiana, USA, approximately 50 miles east of Chicago, Illinois and 40 miles west of South Bend, Indiana. The population was 32,900 at the 2000 census. It is one of two principal cities of and is included in the Michigan City-La Porte, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City Combined Statistical Area.
Michigan City is noted for both its proximity to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore national park and for its bordering Lake Michigan; because of this, Michigan City receives a fair amount of tourism during the summer months, especially by residents of Chicago and parts of Indiana.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
Michigan City is located at (41.709389, -86.886928)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 59.9 km² (23.1 mi²). 50.8 km² (19.6 mi²) of it is land and 9.1 km² (3.5 mi²) of it (15.22%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 32,900 people, 12,550 households, and 7,906 families residing in the city. The population density was 648.1/km² (1,678.6/mi²). There were 14,221 housing units at an average density of 280.1/km² (725.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.45% White, 26.31% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races, and 2.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.15% of the population.
There were 12,550 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,732, and the median income for a family was $39,520. Males had a median income of $32,194 versus $23,125 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,995. About 10.4% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
Michigan City's origins began in 1830, when the land for the city was first purchased by Issac C. Elston.
The city became incorporated in 1836, by which point Michigan City had 1500 residents, along with a post office, a newspaper, a church, and a commercial district.
[edit] Points of interest
On clear days it's possible to see the Chicago skyline across Lake Michigan. In 1991, Democrat Mayor Sheila Brillson introduced a new logo for Michigan City, which featured the Chicago Skyline. Many residents rebelled at this proposal, so the official logo was changed.
Michigan City Area Schools, the city's public school system, includes one high school (Michigan City High School), three middle schools, and nine elementary schools. Michigan City also contains two parochial high schools - Marquette and Duneland Lutheran - but Marquette is also the oldest school in the city. There are several parochial elementary schools.
Michigan City contains two major shopping centers - Lighthouse Place Outlet Mall, which was built in the mid 1980s, and Marquette Mall, which was constructed in 1965. St. Anthony Memorial Health Center is Michigan City's sole hospital.
In terms of media, Michigan City has one daily newspaper, The News-Dispatch. It also has one FM radio station, WEFM, one AM radio station, WIMS. Michigan City is in Chicago's Area of Dominant Influence. Radio and Television broadcasts from both Chicago and South Bend reach most of the population.
Michigan City also houses a zoo, and features on its outskirts the Indiana State Prison.
The eastern edge of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is also located in Michigan City. Features include Mount Baldy, a large wandering dune. A larger dune, Hoosier Slide, sat at the site of the current electrical generating station. This dune was mined for its sand in the late 19th century. The sand found on the beaches in and near Michigan City is nicknamed "singing sand" because of the sound it produces.[1]
In recent years, Michigan City has added a riverboat, The Blue Chip Casino. This casino is the largest riverboat in Indiana. Michigan City has also added a new skatepark at Pullman Field to its tourism offerings. Some question where the skatepark was built in reference to the high crime west side of the city.
[edit] Transportation
| Preceding station | Amtrak Lines | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hammond, Indiana | The Wolverine (#352) |
Niles, Michigan | ||
| Niles, Michigan | The Wolverine (#353) |
Hammond, Indiana | ||
Michigan City is a major stop along the South Shore Line, one of the last interurban streetcar lines in the U.S. The train runs directly through, and makes two stops in, Michigan City's downtown area.
Amtrak also serves the city with trains running from Chicago to Detroit, Port Huron & Grand Rapids, Michigan daily.
Michigan City Municipal Airport has a 4100 ft runway and averages 118 operations per week.
Options for commercial air service include the Gary/Chicago International Airport in Gary, and the South Bend Regional Airport in South Bend.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Best Beach: Washington Park Beach. Lake Magazine (electronic version) (July 2005). Retrieved on 2006-04-29. See also [1]
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- WeAreMC - The Online Community for Michigan Cityzens Past And Present
- Michigan City Area Schools
- eMichiganCity.com
- The News-Dispatch
- The South Shore Line
- Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets' website
- Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
- Washington Park Zoo
- The Blue Chip Casino
