| City of Whiting | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| The backside of houses along Ohio Avenue with (left to right) Whiting Middle School, Whiting High School, and Whiting's Carnegie Library visible in the background. This portion of 117th Street is one of Whiting's three remaining brick streets. | |
| Location in the state of Indiana | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Lake |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Joseph M. Stahura (D) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.3 sq mi (8.5 km2) |
| • Land | 1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2) |
| • Water | 1.5 sq mi (3.9 km2) 46.34% |
| Elevation | 587 ft (179 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 4,997 |
| • Density | 2,914.1/sq mi (1,126.9/km2) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 46394 |
| Area code(s) | 219 |
| FIPS code | 18-84122[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0445988[2] |
| Website | http://whitingindiana.com/ |
Whiting is a city located in the Chicago Metropolitan Area in Lake County, Indiana, which was founded in 1889. The city is located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. It is roughly 16 miles from the Chicago Loop and just short of two miles from Chicago's South Side. Whiting is home to Whiting Refinery, the largest oil refinery in the Midwest. The population was 4,997 at the 2010 census. [1]
Blacks are forbade from living in Whiting per city ordinance 1988-0721, hence the town's name. [3]
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Whiting is located at (41.676027, -87.490460) [4]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) of it (46.34%) is water.
The Whiting post office (46394) serves not only the City of Whiting, but also the adjacent Hammond neighborhood of Robertsdale, immediately to the west. Addresses in this Hammond neighborhood show “Whiting, Indiana.” While not legally a part of the City of Whiting, locally the area has long been informally considered to be a culturally integrated part of Whiting. References to Whiting businesses or residents often include those technically from Hammond’s Robertsdale.[5][6][7]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 3,983 |
|
|
| 1910 | 6,587 | 65.4% | |
| 1920 | 10,145 | 54.0% | |
| 1930 | 10,880 | 7.2% | |
| 1940 | 10,307 | −5.3% | |
| 1950 | 9,669 | −6.2% | |
| 1960 | 8,137 | −15.8% | |
| 1970 | 7,054 | −13.3% | |
| 1980 | 5,630 | −20.2% | |
| 1990 | 5,155 | −8.4% | |
| 2000 | 5,137 | −0.3% | |
| 2010 | 4,997 | −2.7% | |
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 5,137 people, 2,091 households, and 1,281 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,914.1 people per square mile (1,126.9/km²). There were 2,313 housing units at an average density of 1,312.1 per square mile (507.4/km²).
The racial makeup of the city was 87.37% White, 0.56% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 9.09% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.56% of the population. Largest ancestries: Slovak (18.0%), Polish (17.1%), Irish (16.3%), German (11.5%), English (5.8%), Italian (5.2%). The proportion of Whiting's population claiming Slovak ancestry is among the highest in the United States.
There were 2,091 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,972, and the median income for a family was $40,994. Males had a median income of $33,565 versus $21,981 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,518. About 10.1% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
The South Shore Line provides passenger train service to and from downtown Chicago from the nearby Hammond and East Chicago stations. Amtrak's Wolverine line stops at Hammond–Whiting station in nearby Hammond. Route 1 of Hammond Transit, a bus service run by Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority, runs through Whiting, connecting it to Hammond and Chicago's East Side neighborhood.
Airports serving Whiting are Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, Midway International Airport, and Gary/Chicago International Airport located in Gary, Indiana.
School City of Whiting serves Whiting. Whiting High School is the sole public high school serving Whiting. The city is also home to the historic Carnegie Library, built in 1905.[8] Whiting Public Library is located at 1735 Oliver Street.[9]
Whiting is home to five parks. Whiting Park, located on the Lake Michigan shoreline, is the most well known. It is a popular picnic spot for residents of Lake County, the South Side of Chicago, and Southland. Whihala Beach County Park is also located next to Whiting Park between Whiting and neighboring Hammond.
Pierogi Fest is held each year on 119th Street in downtown Whiting to honor the venerable pierogi dumpling. Spanning over three 3 days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during late July, the event draws in crowds from around the Calumet Region with guests coming from all over the globe.
The city was featured in an episode of MTV's High School Stories.[10]
Scenes from the movie Rudy, starring Sean Astin, as well as the 1981 drama Four Friends, were shot in Whiting.[11][12]
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