Michigan City, Indiana
Michigan City is a city of 31,814 people in LaPorte County, Indiana, founded in 1830.
Why visit Michigan City
Townapedia lists 60 museums and landmarks, 44 parks and trails, 99 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 12 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Washington Park Zoo, AMC Showplace Michigan City 14, Barker Mansion and Old Lighthouse Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 17°F, and about 65 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Michigan City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Michigan City
Michigan City is a city in LaPorte County, Indiana, United States. It had a population of 32,075 at the 2020 census. Located along Lake Michigan in the Michiana region, the city is about 45 miles (72 km) east of Chicago and is 40 miles (64 km) west of South Bend.
From the Wikipedia article Michigan City, Indiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do12
Washington Park Zoo
Zoo and aquarium · 2.0 mi
Zoo in Indiana, United States
115 Lake Shore Drive, Michigan City
Apr-Oct: Mo-Su 10:00-16:00; Nov-Mar: closed
Michigan City East Light
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Lighthouse in Indiana, United States
Old Michigan City Light
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Lighthouse in Indiana, United States
Museums and landmarks60
Barker Mansion
Museum · 1.9 mi
631 Washington Street, Michigan City
Tu-Th,Sa,Su 11:00-16:00; Fr 11:00-18:00
Old Lighthouse Museum
Museum · 2.2 mi
Harriet Colfax served as keeper from 1861 to 1904.
100 Heisman Harbor Drive, Michigan City
Michigan City Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Post office in Michigan City, United States of America
303 Washington Street, Michigan City
Washington Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic district in Michigan City, Indiana
Barker House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Listed on the NRHP
Elston Grove Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic district in Michigan City, Indiana, United States
Franklin Street Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic district in Indiana, United States
Garrettson-Baine-Bartholomew House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic house in Indiana, United States
George and Adele Jaworowski House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Historic house in Indiana, United States
Haskell and Barker Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic district in Indiana, United States
Hoover-Timme House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Historic house in Indiana, United States
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John and Isabel Burnham House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic house in Indiana, United States
48 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds44
32 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes99
Chili's
Restaurant · Tex-Mex · 3.0 mi
5300 Franklin Street, Michigan City
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Cuané
Restaurant · American, Hot Dog, Burger · 0.6 mi
1601 East Michigan Boulevard, Michigan City
Mo, Fr-Sa 10:00-19:00; Su 10:00-17:00
Memo's House Of Pancakes LLC
Restaurant · Breakfast · 1.5 mi
1714 US-20, Michigan City
Mo-Su 06:00-15:00
Olive Garden
Restaurant · Italian · 3.0 mi
4441 Franklin Street, Michigan City
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Sophia's House of Pancakes
Restaurant · Breakfast, Pancake · 2.9 mi
5250 Franklin Street, Michigan City
07:00-15:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.5 mi
4103 Franklin Street, Michigan City
Sa-Su 04:00-21:00; Mo-Fr 03:30-21:00
Base Camp
Restaurant · 2.3 mi
200 Lake Shore Drive, Michigan City
We, Th 15:00-19:00; Fr, Sa 11:30-20:00; Su 12:00-18:00
87 more on the map.
History
Michigan City's origins date to 1830, when the land for the city was first purchased by Isaac C. Elston, a real estate speculator who had made his fortune in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He paid about $200 total for 160 acres (65 ha) of land. The now-closed Elston Middle School, formerly Elston High School, was named after the founder.
The city was incorporated in 1836, by which point it had 1,500 residents, along with a post office, a newspaper, a church, a commercial district and ten hotels. In these six years the town had grown to a size of 15 square miles (39 km2). That same year, the State Bank of Indiana opened a branch in town.
The adjacent incorporated town of Lakeland was annexed into Michigan City on January 4, 1960. This added about 7+1⁄2 square miles (19 km2) and 3,000 residents to Michigan City.
Michigan City hosted the sailing competitions of the 1987 Pan American Games on Lake Michigan. Indianapolis, roughly 150 miles (240 km) southeast, was the host city.
From the History section of Michigan City, Indiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
Baymont Michigan City
Motel and hotel · 2.6 mi
4128 Franklin Street, Michigan City
Microtel Inn & Suites
Motel and hotel · 3.2 mi
9834 West 400 North, Michigan City
Quality Inn Michigan City
Motel and hotel · 3.4 mi
3801 North Frontage Road, Michigan City
Churches and places of worship23
First Congregational Church of Michigan City
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Community Christian Center Church
Church
2820 East Michigan Boulevard, Michigan City
Shopping35
Gas and EV charging21
Schools, colleges and libraries28
Martin T Krueger Middle School
School · 0.9 mi
2001 Springland Ave, Michigan City
Healthcare12
Franciscan ExpressCare Michigan City
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.6 mi
4111 Frankin Street, Michigan City
Franciscan Michigan City North
Hospital · 1.8 mi
301 West Homer Street, Michigan City
Northwest Health Urgent Care Michigan City
Clinic and pharmacy · 3.4 mi
3777 Frontage Road, Michigan City
Franciscan Health Woodland Cancer Care Center Michigan City
Clinic and pharmacy · 3.0 mi
8955 West 400 North, Michigan City
Fagen Pharmacy #37
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.8 mi
710 Franklin Street, Michigan City
Franciscan Physician Network Woodland Health Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.9 mi
8865 West 400 North, Michigan City
Map of Michigan City
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 17°F | 3.0 in | 23.0 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 20°F | 2.5 in | 16.0 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 29°F | 2.7 in | 7.1 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 39°F | 3.8 in | 1.1 in |
| May | 70°F | 50°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 60°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 64°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 63°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 55°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 44°F | 4.1 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 33°F | 3.2 in | 4.0 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 24°F | 2.9 in | 13.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Laporte Hcn (10 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
LaPorte County has had 13 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)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-05-04: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Michigan City Municipal Airport (MGC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Trail Creek 1 mi southeast, about 2 min by car
- Long Beach 3 mi north, about 4 min by car
- New Buffalo 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- La Porte 10 mi southeast, about 17 min by car
- Chesterton 12 mi southwest, about 20 min by car
- Westville 12 mi south, about 19 min by car
- Porter 12 mi southwest, about 20 min by car
- Three Oaks 14 mi northeast, about 23 min by car
- Burns Harbor 15 mi southwest, about 24 min by car
- Portage 18 mi southwest, about 29 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
- NICTD on 11th St in Michigan City, Drew Jacksich from San Jose, CA, The Republic of California, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 20140809 12 South Shore Line, Michigan City, Indiana (21253626044), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 19671008 31 South Shore Line, Michigan City Shops (14130160363), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20120218 09 South Shore Line, Michigan City, Indiana (6999142996), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20130730 01 South Shore Line, Michigan City, Indiana (13707255333), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20150810 02 South Shore Line, Michigan City, Indiana (28003223303), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20130202 26 South Shore Line, Michigan City-2 (8654299692), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20060128 03 South Shore Line, Michigan City, IN (13342972124), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 19671008 29 South Shore Line, Michigan City (13923417787), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 19680810 12 South Shore Line 803 Michigan City (6051280410), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20130202 28 South Shore Line, Michigan City (8654295026), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 19671008 30 South Shore Line, Michigan City Shops (13923467188), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 19680810 01 South Shore Line, Michigan City, Indiana (6050728699), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20120218 10 South Shore Line, Michigan City, Indiana (6999143020), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 19671008 28 South Shore Line, Michigan City (14086950066), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- CSSRR 2001 in Michigan City 2005 (51278324930), Steve Knight from Halstead, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0
- SP 4449 outside Michigan City, Russell Sekeet, CC BY 2.0
- 19671008 27 South Shore Line, Michigan City (13923417877), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20041231 17 NICTD Michigan City, IN (8873027409), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20011207 02 South Shore Line Michigan City (8048650395), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Washington Park Zoo Tower - panoramio, hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Post Office P7190094 Mich City, Chris Light ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Monument at Washington Park in Michigan City, Nyttend, Public domain
- OldMichiganCityLight, Jjegers at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5
- Hoover-Timme House, Nyttend, Public domain
- First Congregational Church of Michigan City 1, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Michigan City Lighthouse, Matt Morse, CC BY-SA 3.0
- George and Adele Jaworowski House, Nyttend, Public domain
- John and Isabel Burnham House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Barker Mansion P7190107, Chris Light ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Franklin Street, downtown Michigan City, Nyttend, Public domain
- 2921 Franklin Garrettson-Baine-Bartholomew House P7190131, Chris Light ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Washington, west side at Green, Michigan City, Nyttend, Public domain
- Barker House P7190129, Chris Light ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lowell E. and Paula G. Jackson House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Solomin enclave P7150036, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- SS608 Carroll Ave. (50192610616), Russell Sekeet, CC BY 2.0
- NICTD street running in a residential area, Drew Jacksich from San Jose, CA, The Republic of California, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Coaling Tower 19-10-04 121, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tenth west of York in Elston Grove, Nyttend, Public domain
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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.