Why visit Lake Station
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 33 parks and trails, 37 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Miller Town Hall, Emerson School for Visual and Performing Arts, Marquette Park and Riverview Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 18°F, and about 40 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Lake Station
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lake Station
Lake Station is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 13,235 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Lake Station, Indiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Miller Beach Performance Theater
Cinema and theater · 1.9 mi
500 South Lake Street, Gary
Nelson Algren 616 Sound Stage
Cinema and theater · 1.8 mi
616 South Lake Street, Gary
Museums and landmarks11
Miller Town Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic civic building in Indiana, United States
Emerson School for Visual and Performing Arts
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
High school in Indiana, United States
Gary Bathing Beach Aquatorium
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Public bath in Gary, Indiana
Gary Public Schools Memorial Auditorium
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.6 mi
Historic building in Gary, Indiana, USA
Hobart Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Carnegie library in Hobart, Indiana
Hobart Commercial District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic district in Indiana, United States
Hobart station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Disused train station in Hobart, Indiana
Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts
Museum · 1.8 mi
540 South Lake Street, Gary
Parks, trails and playgrounds33
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21 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes37
Tokyo 8
Restaurant · Bubble Tea, Curry, Japanese, Ramen, Sushi · 1.8 mi
7800 East 37th Avenue, Hobart
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 12:00-21:00
George's Gyros Spot #2
Restaurant · Fast Food · 2.2 mi
1201 West 37th Avenue, Hobart
Mo-Sa 10:30-21:00
25 more on the map.
History
Initially, the site of modern Lake Station was the starting point of two indigenous trails leading to Fort Dearborn. Later it became an early stagecoach depot stop, as the Fort Dearborn-Detroit Stagecoach Route passed through the site during the wet season. The location became known as Lake Station as far back as 1851 when it began to serve as a depot, the western terminus of the Michigan Central Railroad (on what would later become its Detroit to Chicago line). This was the first train station in Lake County. The Michigan Central Railroad built a park and railroad shops around its two-story depot. A year later, in April 1852, George Earle mapped out and platted a town of about 6,500 acres (26 km2) on the site, continuing its name of Lake Station.
Being a bedroom community, Lake Station welcomed Abraham Lincoln to its Audubon Hotel, perhaps on more than one occasion, according to oral history. But George Pullman, who tried to negotiate for land in Lake Station for his proposed railcar company, never struck a deal and set up shop on the south side of Chicago instead. Prior to its current location in Crown Point, Indiana, the county seat was located on what is now the west end of Lake Station in a section called Liverpool, although it was a separate settlement at the time.
From the History section of Lake Station, Indiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship33
First Unitarian Church of Hobart
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Saint Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 0.6 mi
2453 Putnam Street
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging12
Schools, colleges and libraries48
Thomas A Edison Junior - Senior High School
School · 0.4 mi
3304 Parkside Avenue, Lake Station
Healthcare1
Map of Lake Station
182 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 18°F | 2.2 in | 16.0 in |
| Feb | 36°F | 21°F | 2.0 in | 9.7 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 30°F | 2.3 in | 6.0 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 40°F | 3.5 in | 0.6 in |
| May | 68°F | 50°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 60°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 64°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 63°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 56°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 45°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 34°F | 2.8 in | 0.7 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 24°F | 2.3 in | 7.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Indiana Dunes Nl (9 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Lake County has had 19 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-08-25: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2026-08-15: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2023-04-15: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Gary/Chicago International Airport (GYY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Hobart 5 mi south, about 7 min by car
- Gary 5 mi west, about 8 min by car
- Griffith 10 mi west, about 15 min by car
- Chesterton 10 mi east, about 17 min by car
- Highland 11 mi west, about 17 min by car
- East Chicago 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Hammond 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Crown Point 13 mi southwest, about 20 min by car
- Dyer 14 mi west, about 23 min by car
- Calumet City 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- LakeStationIN, JoeyBLS ( talk ), Public domain
- Miller Town Hall close, Visviva, Public domain
- First Unitarian Church, Hobart Indiana P7220039, Chris Light ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gary Public Schools Memorial Auditorium, Nyttend, Public domain
- Aquatorium, Visviva, CC0
- Emerson School for Visual & Performing Arts (39769428813), Paul Sableman from St. Louis, MO, CC BY 2.0
- Main Street in downtown Hobart, Indiana, Dennisyerger84, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hobart Public Library (Indiana), Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pennsylvania RR Station P7220012 Hobart Indiana, Chris Light ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Marquette Park Pavilion (Gary, Indiana), chicagogeek, CC BY-SA 2.0
- I-80 EB & I-94 EB at Indiana Toll Rd exit (October 2021), AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- I-80 EB & I-94 EB at Indiana Toll Rd exit (June 2025), AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- EB onramp to I-94 or I-80 & I-90 - June 2025, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- I-80 WB & I-94 WB approaching I-65 (1) (October 2021), AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- I-80 EB approaching a cloverleaf ramp (June 2025), AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- I-80 WB & I-94 WB at Indiana Toll Road connector (October 2021), AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- I-80 WB & I-94 WB approaching I-65 (2) (June 2025), AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- Stagnant water McDonalds cup, Visviva, CC0
- South Shore Train 505 (3350166689), Russell Sekeet, CC BY 2.0
- Miller School P9200145 Dist 8, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Miller School P9190219 (Dist 8), Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Miller School main entrance, Nyttend, Public domain
- Miller School from west-northwest, Nyttend, Public domain
- Miller School from west-southwest, Nyttend, Public domain
- Miller School from north-northwest, Nyttend, Public domain
- Miller School front from base, Nyttend, Public domain
- Miller School from west, Nyttend, Public domain
- 20030525 06 South Shore Line Miller (5834103719), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20030525 28 South Shore Line, Miller, IN (5834658618), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20030525 27 South Shore Line station Miller (5834104963), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 19961020 01 South Shore Line, Miller, IN (5603193523), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Outbound platform at Miller, looking east (53652513495), Jacob G. from Chicago, Illinois, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Gary Crusader distribution rack, Visviva, CC0
- Gary Lake Street - Miller, Driven0711, CC BY-SA 4.0
- I-80 WB & I-94 WB at I-65 exit (June 2025), AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- Beaver slide Miller Woods, Visviva, CC0
- Luke Oil beverage cups leaf litter, Visviva, CC0
- Molehill in snow, Visviva, CC0
- Rainy Truck Stop — Portage, Indiana (7695522180), Tony Webster from Portland, Oregon, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Portage, Indiana truck stop 7695524832 o, Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 3.0
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