Why visit Valparaiso
Townapedia lists 19 museums and landmarks, 33 parks and trails, 121 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cinemark at Valparaiso, Chicago Street Theater, Memorial Opera House and Charles S. and Mary McGill House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 18°F, and about 40 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Valparaiso
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Valparaiso
Valparaiso, colloquially Valpo, is a city in and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 34,151 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Valparaiso, Indiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Museums and landmarks19
Memorial Opera House
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Theatre building in Valparaiso, Indiana
104 Indiana Avenue, Valparaiso
Charles S. and Mary McGill House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Indiana, United States
Conrad and Catherine Bloch House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic house in Indiana, United States
David Garland Rose House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Valparaiso, Indiana
DeForest Skinner House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Building in Indiana, United States
Dr. David J. Loring Residence and Clinic
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in Indiana, United States
Haste-Crumpacker House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Building in Indiana, United States
Heritage Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Academic building at Valparaiso University, Indiana
Porter County Jail and Sheriff's House
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Sheriff's Home-The Italianate style of the Sheriff's Home is typical of Indiana grand houses of the 1860-1870 period. The stone jail...
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Valparaiso Downtown Commercial District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic district in Indiana, United States
William McCallum House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
House in Valparaiso in United States of America
7 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds33
21 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes121
Blockhead Beerworks
Restaurant · Gastropub · 1.0 mi
150 South Washington Street, Valparaiso
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr, Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 10:00-15:00
Buffalo Wild Wings
Restaurant · Wings · 0.9 mi
212 East Lincolnway, Valparaiso
Su-We 11:00-23:00; Th-Sa 11:00-00:00
Chili's
Restaurant · Tex-Mex · 1.6 mi
250 Silhavy Road, Valparaiso
Mo-Th 11:00-22:30; Fr, Sa 11:00-23:30; Su 11:00-22:00
China House
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.9 mi
120 East Lincolnway
Tu-Th 11:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:30-21:30; Su 12:00-21:00
Cold Stone Creamery
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 1.6 mi
71 Silhavy Road, Valparaiso
Mo-Th, Su 11:00-21:00; Fr, Sa 11:00-22:00
Don Quijote
Restaurant · Spanish · 0.9 mi
119 East Lincolnway
Mo-Th 17:00-21:00; Fr 17:00-22:00; Sa 14:00-22:00
Gelsosomo's Pizzeria
Restaurant · Italian · 1.4 mi
2605 LaPorte Avenue, Valparaiso
Mo-Th, Su 11:00-21:00; Fr, Sa 11:00-22:30
La Cabaña
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.8 mi
807 East Lincolnway, Valparaiso
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr, Sa 11:00-22:30; Su 11:00-21:00
Lincoln Flats
Restaurant · American, Burger, Grill · 1.0 mi
1 Napoleon Street
Tu-Th 16:00-23:00; Fr 16:00-00:00; Sa 11:30-00:00
McAlister's Deli
Restaurant · Sandwich · 2.0 mi
300 Porters Vale Boulevard, Valparaiso
Mo-Su 10:30-21:00
109 more on the map.
History
The site of present-day Valparaiso was included in the purchase of land from the Potawatomi people by the U.S. Government in October 1832. Chiqua's town or Chipuaw was located a mile east of the current Courthouse along the Sauk Trail. Chiqua's town existed from or before 1830 until after 1832. The location is just north of the railroad crossing on State Route 2 and County Road 400 North.
From the History section of Valparaiso, Indiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Churches and places of worship27
Immanuel Lutheran Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Shopping26
Gas and EV charging18
Schools, colleges and libraries28
Healthcare12
Northwest Medical Group, Primary Care and Urgent Care
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.8 mi
2505 Calumet Avenue, Valparaiso
Valparaiso Surgery Center of Porter Memorial Hospital
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.6 mi
1900 Roosevelt Road, Valparaiso
Map of Valparaiso
250 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 | 2.4 in | 14.6 in |
| Feb | 36°F | 21°F | 2.2 in | 5.5 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 29°F | 2.6 in | 6.7 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 39°F | 3.7 in | 1.2 in |
| May | 71°F | 49°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 58°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 63°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 62°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 54°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 44°F | 3.9 in | 0.3 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 34°F | 3.3 in | 2.3 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 24°F | 2.6 in | 9.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Valparaiso Wtr Wks (2 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
Porter County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 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
Porter County Regional Airport (VPZ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 miles away.
- Chesterton 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Portage 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Hobart 12 mi west, about 19 min by car
- Lake Station 12 mi northwest, about 20 min by car
- Merrillville 14 mi west, about 22 min by car
- Crown Point 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- Gary 17 mi northwest, about 27 min by car
- Michigan City 18 mi northeast, about 30 min by car
- La Porte 20 mi northeast, about 32 min by car
- Griffith 20 mi west, about 31 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
- Indiana Landscape Between Valparaiso and South Bend (14024007470), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 19680728 05 GTW 4552 Valparaiso, IN (5935026911), David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Reading Company No. 2102 in Valparaiso, IN, July 1968, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 19670917 01 GTW Valparaiso, IN (13810752224), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 19680728 04 RDG 2102 Valparaiso, IN, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 19670917 02 GTW Valparaiso, IL, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Memorial Opera HseP4100023, Chris Light ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Heritage Hall Valparaiso University Valparaiso, Chris Light ( talk )., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 156 Garfield P7110011, Chris Light ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Heritage Lutheran (1891) (Washington), Chris Light at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- DeForest Skinner house 1, Caroline Conner, Public domain
- 208 N Michigan Ave P7110018, Chris Light ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Sheriffs Hse w JailP4100028, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Conrad and Catherine Bloch House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Dr Loring House Valparaiso Indiana 1, Chris Light ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Charles S. and Mary McGill House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Franklin east of Courthouse(CLight), Chris Light ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fairground Park 2017-08-06 060, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fairground Park 2017-08-06 059, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fairground Park 2017-08-06 058, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Valplayso 2016-10-22 226, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Malasto Plaza 2016-10-22 123, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Valplayso 2016-10-22 246, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Valplayso 2016-10-22 127, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Grounds Specialists Fields 2016-10-22 145, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Malasto Plaza 2016-10-22 114, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Malasto Plaza 2016-10-22 120, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Grub Run 2016-10-22 130, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Malasto Plaza 2016-10-22 121, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Valpo Pk Foundation 2016-10-22 119, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Valplayso 2016-10-22 133, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Malasto Plaza 2016-10-22 117, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Valplayso 2016-10-22 126, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Valplayso 2016-10-22 245, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Malasto Plaza 2016-10-22 132, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Valplayso 2016-10-22 129, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Malasto Plaza 2016-10-22 116, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nesting 0830, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nesting 0829, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basin 0825, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
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