Editing East Chicago, Indiana

{{Redirect|East Chicago|the neighborhood in Chicago|East Side, Chicago}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = East Chicago, Indiana
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|motto                    = ''"Progredemur" (We Progress)''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eastchicago.com/311/History-of-Our-City#:~:text=The%20motto%20%22PROGREDEMUR%22%20means%20%22,future%20of%20this%20great%20city.|title=History of Our City - East Chicago, Indiana|website=Eastchicago.com|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref><br> and ''A City of Hope and Progress''
|nicknames                 = ''Indiana Harbor, The Harbor, E.C., The Twin City (East Chicago & Indiana Harbor neighborhoods – used in the early 1900s).''
|image_skyline            = {{multiple image
| border                   = infobox
| caption_align            = center
| total_width              = 290
| image_style              = border:1;
| perrow                   = 2/1
| image1                   = Indianapolis_Blvd_in_East_Chicago.jpg
| caption1                 = Downtown East Chicago
| image2                   = Ameristar Casino East Chicago 2022.jpg
| caption2                 = Ameristar Casino
| image3                   = Indiana Harbor.jpg
| caption3                 = [[Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal]]
}}
|image_flag               = Flag of East Chicago, Indiana.svg
|image_seal               = East_Chicago_Seal.jpg
|image_map = File:Lake County Indiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas East Chicago Highlighted 1819486.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location of East Chicago in Lake County, Indiana.
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = {{Flagicon|USA}} United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{Flagicon|Indiana}} [[Indiana]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Indiana|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Lake County, Indiana|Lake]]
|subdivision_type3        = [[List of townships in Indiana|Township]]
|subdivision_name3        = [[North Township, Lake County, Indiana|North]]
| government_footnotes    =  <ref name="officials">{{cite web
  |url=http://www.lakecountyin.org/portal/media-type/html/group/voters/page/default.psml/js_pane/P-13b9cba7c46-107f1
  |title=2014 Public Officials Directory
  |publisher=Lake County Board of Elections and Voter's Registration
  |access-date=2014-06-10}}</ref>
|government_type          = [[Mayor-council government|Mayor-Council]]
|governing_body           = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              =  Anthony Copeland ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]){{cn|date=January 2024}}
|leader_title1            = [[City Council]]
|leader_name1             = {{Collapsible list
| title = Members
| frame_style = border:none; padding:0;
| list_style  = text-align:left;
| 1  = Richard Medina ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], AL)
| 2  = Kenneth Monroe ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], AL)
| 3  = Emiliano Peres ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], AL)
| 4  = Myrna Maldonado ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], 1st)
| 5  = Lenny Franciski ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], 2nd)
| 6  = Brenda J. Walker ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], 3rd)
| 7  = Christine Vasquez ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], 4th)
| 8  = Robert Garcia ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], 5th)
| 9  = Gilda Orange ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], 6th)}}
|leader_title2            = City [[Clerk (municipal official)|Clerk]]
|leader_name2             = Adrian A. Santos ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]){{cn|date=January 2024}}
|leader_title3            = City [[Judge]]
|leader_name3             = Sonya Morris ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]){{cn|date=January 2024}}
|area_note                = 
|established_title        = {{nowrap|Incorporated (Town)}}
|established_date         = 1889<ref name=incdates>{{cite encyclopedia
  |url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/402.html
  |title=East Chicago, Indiana
  |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Chicago
  |access-date=2014-10-16
}}</ref>
|established_title1       = Incorporated (City)
|established_date1        = 1893<ref name="incdates"/>
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_18.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 16, 2022}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 38.50
|area_land_km2            = 36.71
|area_water_km2           = 1.78
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 26370
|population_density_km2   = 718.29
|population_density_sq_mi = 1860.32
|population_note          = 
|demographics_type1       = Standard of living ([[American Community Survey|2008-12]])
|demographics1_footnotes  = <ref name ="wwwcensusgov"/>
|demographics1_title1     = [[Per capita income]]
|demographics1_info1      = $13,457
|demographics1_title2     = [[Real estate appraisal|Median home value]]
|demographics1_info2      = $86,800
|timezone                 = [[Central Standard Time|Central]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = [[Central Daylight Time|Central]]
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|area_total_sq_mi         = 14.86
|area_land_sq_mi          = 14.18
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.69
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 587
|coordinates              = {{coord|41|38|20|N|87|27|34|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|website                  = [http://www.eastchicago.com www.eastchicago.com]
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 46312
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
|area_code                = [[Area code 219|219]]
|blank_name_sec1          = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info_sec1          = 18-19486<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name_sec1         = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info_sec1         = 2394597<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2394597}}</ref>
| blank_name_sec2         = [[Interstate Highway|Interstate]], [[U.S. Routes|U.S.]] and [[State highway|State Routes]]
| blank_info_sec2         = [[File:Indiana Toll Road logo 1968.svg|25px|link=Indiana Toll Road]] [[File:I-90.svg|25px|link=Interstate 90 in Indiana]] [[File:US 12.svg|25px|link=U.S. Route 12 in Indiana]] [[File:US 20.svg|25px|link=U.S. Route 20 in Indiana]] [[File:Indiana 312.svg|27px|link=Indiana State Road 312]] [[File:Indiana 912.svg|27px|link=Indiana State Road 912]]
----
|blank1_name_sec2         = Waterways
|blank1_info_sec2         = [[Calumet River#Grand Calumet River|Grand Calumet River]]<br>{{nowrap|[[Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal]]}}<br>[[Lake Michigan]]
----
|blank2_name_sec2         = [[South Shore Line]] station
|blank2_info_sec2         = [[East Chicago (NICTD station)|East Chicago]]
----
|blank3_name_sec2         = Public transit
|blank3_info_sec2         = [[East Chicago Transit]]
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''East Chicago''' is a city in [[Lake County, Indiana]], United States. The population was 26,370 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. Centered around heavy industry, the city is home to the [[Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal]], an artificial freshwater harbor characterized by industrial and manufacturing activity. 

Situated along [[Lake Michigan]], East Chicago is about {{convert|18|mi}} from [[Chicago|downtown Chicago]] and is just west of [[Gary, Indiana]].

==History==
{{see also|List of mayors of East Chicago, Indiana}}

=== Founding and early settlement ===
The land that became East Chicago was originally swampland unsuitable for farming. The state of Indiana began selling off plots of land to railroads and speculators after 1851 to fund the local school system. Settlement of the area was very slow at first, and as late as the 1890s, the city had no proper streets or public utilities.<ref>{{cite web |title=East Chicago: From Swampland to Industrial Hub |url=https://www.nwitimes.com/news/history/then-and-now/east-chicago-from-swampland-to-industrial-hub/article_1ee46381-4a72-5073-8235-dbc48af48688.html |website=The Times of Northwest Indiana |publisher=Tribune |access-date=30 July 2018}}</ref> East Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1893. The city was named from its location east of [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Baker|first=Ronald L.|title=From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History|url=https://archive.org/details/fromneedmoretopr00bake|url-access=registration|date=October 1995|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-32866-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/fromneedmoretopr00bake/page/n137 120]|quote=...as the city is located east of Chicago...}}</ref>
[[File:Indiana Harbor Peninsula 2.jpg|thumb|The Indiana Harbor Peninsula]]

=== Industrial growth ===
The 1900 census gives a total population of just 3,411, but the arrival of [[Inland Steel]] in 1903 transformed the city into an industrial powerhouse. The city's population skyrocketed to over 24,000 by 1910, powered by immigration from all over Europe and the United States, and quickly became the most industrialized city in the United States, with over 80% of the city's land zoned for heavy industry. Inland Steel dominated the city's economy through the 1990s, and expanded its massive integrated mill at Indiana Harbor multiple times through the 1980s. From 60,000 tons of steel capacity in 1903, it expanded to 600,000 tons by 1914 and reached 1 million in 1917, and eventually peaked at 8.6 million tons in 1978.<ref>{{cite web |title=Inland Steel History |url=http://www.nwisteelheritagemuseum.org/inland-history.htm |website=NWI Steel Heritage Museum |access-date=30 July 2018 |archive-date=May 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520101303/http://nwisteelheritagemuseum.org/inland-history.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> By 1907, East Chicago boasted a navigable waterway link to Lake Michigan and to the Grand Calumet River: the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal. Steel mills, petroleum refineries, construction firms, and chemical factories operated at Indiana Harbor and along its inner canal system.<ref name="East Chicago, IN">{{cite web |title=East Chicago, IN |url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/402.html |website=The Encyclopedia of Chicago |access-date=30 July 2018}}</ref>

Republic Steel, Youngstown Steel, LaSalle Steel, and U.S. Steel all eventually had steel-making operations in the city. During World War I, East Chicago was nicknamed the "Arsenal of America" (not to be confused with Detroit's label as the "Arsenal of Democracy" during WWII) and the "Workshop of America".<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Our City |url=http://www.eastchicago.com/page80/page101/index.html |website=Eastchicago.com |access-date=30 July 2018}}</ref>

A rivalry developed between Indiana Harbor, the “East Side” home of Inland Steel and most working-class families, and East Chicago's “West Side,” the residential enclave of the native-born business community. Locals spoke of the “Twin City” to describe spatial, residential, and class divisions at the heart of the town's identity. The "Twin City" moniker remains to this day.<ref name="East Chicago, IN"/>

=== World War I to the present ===
During the 1910s, several thousand Mexicans immigrated to East Chicago to work in the mills during the labor shortage of 1917–1918 due to U.S. participation in World War I,<ref name="East Chicago, IN"/> and also acted as strike breakers during labor unrest in 1919. Most were single men who eventually hoped to return to Mexico, but many stayed on and eventually were joined by their families. The small Mexican community was targeted for voluntary and forced repatriation during the 1930s and 1950s (1,800 were deported in 1932 alone), but those who remained eventually paved the way for later Latino immigration after 1965.

Black Americans also began to arrive in the 1910s and 1920s as part of the first wave of the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]], and this continued from the 1940s to 1960s. According to a city demographic survey in 1959, there were 1,000 Mexican families and 10,000 African American families, along with 3,000 Polish families. There were also a large number of families that identified as Puerto Rican, Romanian, Serbian, Italian, Lithuanian, and Croatian. Over 70 nationalities were represented, with over 59 congregations of the Protestants, Orthodox, Catholic Churches, as well as Jewish synagogues.

Like neighboring [[Gary, Indiana]], East Chicago quickly developed a reputation as a rough industrial city, plagued by extreme pollution, ethnic and racial tensions, organized crime, illegal gambling and clubs, political corruption, prostitution, and other vices. The city continued to rapidly grow in the 1910s and 1920s, and the population peaked in 1960 at 57,669. However, East Chicago's population began to decline in the 1960s as suburbanization, white flight, affordability of automobiles, and the construction of highways meant that workers no longer had to live in the city, but could commute from less-polluted suburbs.

It was the [[Steel crisis]] of the 1974-1986 period that completely devastated East Chicago, as it did other industrial cities like Gary, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and the south side of Chicago. East Chicago's population plunged to 47,000 in 1970, 34,000 by 1990, and 29,000 by 2010. Employment at Inland Steel peaked at 25,000 in 1969, and successive layoffs over the next 30 years were devastating to the community; by 1998, only 9,000 were employed at Inland Steel.<ref>{{cite web |title=East Chicago residents can be forgiven for cheering the... |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-09-28/news/9901070123_1_ltv-steel-inland-steel-prairie-park |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224231555/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-09-28/news/9901070123_1_ltv-steel-inland-steel-prairie-park |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 24, 2015 |website=Chicago Tribune |publisher=Chicago Tribune |access-date=30 July 2018}}</ref> Inland Steel was acquired by Ispat International in 1998.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ispat completes Inland Steel deal |url=https://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/ispat-completes-inland-steel-deal/article_3e54c391-44ec-5cb7-b3ca-880b3e8ae1fc.html |newspaper=Northwest Indiana Times |date=Jul 18, 1998 |access-date=6 October 2018}}</ref> Both the Indiana Harbor mill and Youngstown Steel mill were absorbed and merged by [[ArcelorMittal]] in 2004<ref>{{cite web |title=Indiana Harbor Works Steel Plant, Indiana |work=Land Use Database |publisher=Center for Land Use Interpretation |url=http://clui.org/ludb/site/indiana-harbor-works-steel-plant |access-date=6 October 2018}}</ref> and subsequently sold to [[Cleveland-Cliffs]] in 2020.<ref>{{Cite press release | url=http://www.clevelandcliffs.com/English/news-center/news-releases/news-releases-details/2020/Cleveland-Cliffs-Inc.-Completes-Acquisition-of-ArcelorMittal-USA/default.aspx | title=Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Completes Acquisition of ArcelorMittal USA | publisher=Cleveland-Cliffs | date=December 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.cleveland.com/news/2020/12/cleveland-cliffs-completes-14-billion-arcelormittal-usa-acquisition.html | title=Cleveland-Cliffs completes $1.4 billion ArcelorMittal USA acquisition | first=Ben | last=Miller | work=[[The Plain Dealer]] | date=December 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/story/news/2020/12/09/cleveland-cliffs-completes-acquisition-arcelormittal-usa-operations/3865929001/ | title=Cleveland-Cliffs completes purchase of ArcelorMittal USA operations | first=Lou | last=Whitmire | work=[[Mansfield News Journal]] | date=December 9, 2020}}</ref>

The [[Indiana Harbor Public Library]] and [[Marktown|Marktown Historic District]] are listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

In 2009, parts of East Chicago were discovered to have toxic [[lead poisoning|lead]] and [[arsenic poisoning|arsenic contamination]], designated the USS Lead [[Superfund]] Site. The site is divided into three zones, with public housing and residential properties.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.epa.gov/uss-lead-superfund-site|title=USS Lead Superfund Site|author=|website=Epa.gov|language=en|access-date=2017-02-23}}</ref> Residents' decades-long concerns about lead contamination were confirmed in 2016 via EPA testing, especially affecting over 270 families in the West Calumet Housing Complex.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.epa.gov/uss-lead-superfund-site/west-calumet-housing-complex-east-chicago-ind|title=West Calumet Housing Complex – East Chicago, Ind.|website=Epa.gov|language=en|access-date=2017-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| url= http://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/east-chicago-residents-scramble-for-info-after-lead-found-in-soil|title=East Chicago Residents Scramble For Info After Lead Found In Soil|last=Janzen|first=Nick|date=2016-09-02|newspaper=WFYI Public Media|access-date=2017-02-23|language=en-us}}</ref> As governor of Indiana, [[Mike Pence]] declined to declare the Superfund site a state emergency;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/east-chicago-lead-mike-pence_us_58a4b76fe4b07602ad5128c9|title=Mike Pence Ignored A Lead Contamination Crisis In His Backyard|last=Erbentraut|first=Joseph|date=2017-02-16| work= The Huffington Post|access-date=2017-02-23}}</ref> his successor Governor [[Eric Holcomb]] has issued Executive Order 17-13, declaring a disaster emergency in East Chicago.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.in.gov/gov/2384.htm|title=Governor Holcomb: Executive Orders|website=www.in.gov|language=en-US| access-date= 2017-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://patch.com/illinois/chicago/east-chicago-lead-crisis-declared-emergency-indiana-governor| title= East Chicago Lead Crisis Declared Emergency by Indiana Governor|date=2017-02-10|newspaper= Patch| location= Chicago| access-date= 2017-02-23|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the 2010 census, East Chicago has a total area of {{convert|16.155|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|14.09|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 87.22%) is land and {{convert|2.065|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 12.78%) is water.<ref name="census-g001">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1819486
  |title=G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1
  |access-date=2015-07-28
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213084452/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1819486
  |archive-date=2020-02-13
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

==Demographics==

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2014-06-09}}</ref> of 2010, there were 29,698 people, 10,724 households, and 7,197 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|2107.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 12,958 housing units at an average density of {{convert|919.7|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 42.9% [[African American (U.S. census)|African American]], 35.5% [[White (U.S. census)|White]], 0.6% [[Native American (U.S. census)|Native American]], 0.1% [[Asian (U.S. census)|Asian]], 18.1% from [[Race (U.S. census)|other races]], and 2.8% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. census)|Latino]] of any race were 50.9% of the population.

There were 10,724 households, of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 31.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.9% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.42.

The median age in the city was 30.9 years. 31.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 22.2% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align: center"
|+ Demographics (2010)<ref name="USCB-DP1">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics 2010, Table DP-1, 2010 Demographic Profile Data. [https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website]  . Retrieved 2014-06-30.</ref>
|-
! Demographic
! Proportion
|-
| '''[[White American|White]]'''
|35.5%
|-
| '''[[African American|Black]]'''
|42.9%
|-
| '''[[Asian American|Asian]]'''
|0.1%
|-
| '''[[Pacific Islander American|Islander]]'''
|0.0%
|-
| '''[[Native Americans in the United States|Native]]'''
|0.6%
|-
| '''Other'''
|20.9%
|-
| '''[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic<br>(any race)]]'''
|50.9%
|}

{{US Census population
|1890= 1255
|1900= 3411
|1910= 19098
|1920= 35967
|1930= 54784
|1940= 54637
|1950= 54263
|1960= 57669
|1970= 46982
|1980= 39786
|1990= 33892
|2000= 32414
|2010= 29698
|2020= 26370
|footnote=Source: US Census Bureau
}}

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 32,414 people, 11,707 households, and 7,937 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|2,706.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 13,261 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,107.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 36.54% [[White (U.S. census)|White]], 36.08% [[African American (U.S. census)|African American]], 0.51% [[Native American (U.S. census)|Native American]], 0.20% [[Asian (U.S. census)|Asian]], 0.08% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. census)|Pacific Islander]], 23.98% from [[Race (United States census)|other races]], and 2.60% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. census)|Latino]] of any race were 51.61% of the population. Whites who are not Hispanic or Latino were 12.10% of the city's population. 54.3% spoke only [[english language|English]] at home, while 42.9% spoke [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and 1.2% [[Polish language|Polish]] at home.

There were 11,707 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 26.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.41.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.5% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,538, and the median income for a family was $31,778. Males had a median income of $32,588 versus $21,678 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $13,517. About 22.5% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

==Transportation==
The nearest commercial airport to East Chicago is the [[Gary/Chicago International Airport]] in neighboring [[Gary, Indiana|Gary]], but it does not have any scheduled passenger service. The closest commercial airport with scheduled passenger service is [[Midway International Airport|Chicago Midway Airport]].

The [[South Shore Line]] has a [[East Chicago station|station]] in East Chicago. The ''[[Wolverine (train)|Wolverine]]'' at [[Hammond-Whiting station]], 5.5 miles to the northwest, is the nearest [[Amtrak]] service.

[[U.S. Route 12|US 12]] and [[U.S. Route 20|US 20]] go through the Indiana Harbor and East Chicago sections of the city, respectively, before joining up on both sides. [[Indiana State Road 912]], the Cline Avenue Expressway, connects East Chicago with the [[Indiana Toll Road]] and [[Borman Expressway]], and serves the [[casino]] and [[steel mill]]s on the lakefront.

===Bus transit===
The city operates a free bus service known as [[East Chicago Transit]]. It features three routes: Crosstown, West Calumet, and Griffith Plaza.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Route Maps {{!}} East Chicago, IN|url=https://www.eastchicago.com/163/Route-Maps|access-date=2021-02-02|website=East Chicago Bus Transit}}</ref>
[[Gary Public Transportation Corporation|GPRT]] Route R1 stops in East Chicago en route from Hammond to Gary. [[Pace (transit)|PACE]] operates Route 892, a special work shuttle between Gary, East Chicago and [[United Parcel Service|UPS]]' [[Hodgkins, Illinois|Hodgkins]] [[Chicago Area Consolidation Hub|facility]]. Its schedule coincides with UPS workers' shifts. The route is operated in cooperation with UPS, which partially funds its operations.

==Neighborhoods==
* [[Indiana Harbor (East Chicago)]]
** [[North Harbor (East Chicago)|North Harbor]]
** [[Sunnyside (East Chicago)|Sunnyside]]
** [[New Addition]]
** [[Washington Park (East Chicago)|Washington Park]]
** [[Prairie Park (East Chicago)|Prairie Park]]
** [[Marktown]]<ref name="ssjournal2011">{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Stephanie |last2=Mark |first2=Steve |year=2011 |title=Marktown: Clayton Mark's Planned Worker Community in Northwest Indiana. |url=http://www.southshorejournal.org/index.php/issues/volume-4-2011/82-marktown-clayton-marks-planned-worker-community-in-northwest-indiana |url-status=dead |journal=South Shore Journal |volume=4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913013603/http://www.southshorejournal.org/index.php/issues/volume-4-2011/82-marktown-clayton-marks-planned-worker-community-in-northwest-indiana |archive-date=2012-09-13}}</ref>
* East Chicago
** [[Northside (East Chicago)|Northside]]
** [[Southside (East Chicago)|Southside]]
** [[Roxana (East Chicago)|Roxana]]
** [[Calumet (East Chicago)|Calumet]]

==Education==
*[[School City of East Chicago]] serves all of the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st18_in/schooldistrict_maps/c18089_lake/DC20SD_C18089.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lake County, IN|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|page=1 (PDF p. 2/3)|access-date=2024-04-21}}</ref> All residents are zoned to [[East Chicago Central High School]].
*Ivy Tech community college
East Chicago Public Library System operates a main library at 2401 East Columbus Drive and the Robert A. Pastrick Branch Library at 1008 West Chicago Avenue at Baring Avenue.<ref>"[http://www.ecpl.org/About/about.html About ECPL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328175241/http://www.ecpl.org/About/about.html |date=2009-03-28 }}." ''East Chicago Public Library''. Retrieved on January 21, 2009.</ref>
East Chicago also has two charter school options, East Chicago Urban Enterprise (K-8), and East Chicago Lighthouse Charter School (K-7).

==Industry==
East Chicago is home to the following business and industry:
* [[Cleveland-Cliffs]]' Indiana Harbor Works, the largest steel mill in the USA. Indiana Harbor Works comprises East mill, originally [[Inland Steel]], and West mill, owned for most of its life by [[Youngstown Sheet and Tube]], both acquired and merged by [[ArcelorMittal]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Indiana Harbor|url=https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/operations/steelmaking/indiana-harbor |publisher=[[Cleveland-Cliffs]] |access-date=February 17, 2022}}</ref>
* [[U.S. Steel]]’s East Chicago Tin, a steel finishing faculty part of [[Gary Works]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ussteel.com/locations/east-chicago-tin| title= U. S. Steel |website= ussteel.com| language=en|access-date=2018-03-23}}</ref>
* The [[Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal]] complex.

For 105 years, East Chicago was home to the [[Inland Steel Company]] (1893–1998).

The Showboat Casino opened in 1997 with about 900 employees. Other large employers include Amoco Oil Co., Union Tank Car, American Steel Foundries, USG Corp. and St. Catherine Hospital.

==Notable people==
{{div col}}
;Government
*[[Gonzalo P. Curiel]] - US District Court judge
*[[Earl Harris (politician)|Earl Harris]] - Indiana state legislator
*[[William C. Kavanaugh]] - Wisconsin State Assemblyman
*[[Vincent Mroz]] - Secret Service agent
*[[Lonnie Randolph]] - Member of [[Indiana Senate]]
*[[Jerome Reppa]] - Indiana lawyer and politician
*[[Theodore L. Sendak]] - 36th [[Indiana Attorney General]]
*[[Richard Llewellyn Williams|Richard Williams]] - diplomat, author, first US ambassador to Mongolia 
; Military
*[[Emilio A. De La Garza, Jr.]] - U.S. Marine Corps, [[Medal of Honor]] recipient, [[Vietnam War]]
*[[Alexander Vraciu]] - U.S. Navy, Navy Cross, leading flying ace during [[World War II]]
; Movies - TV
*[[Leslie Edgley]] - novelist, playwright, radio dramatist and screenwriter<ref>Ault, George T. (June 25, 1950). [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102961528/the-times/ "Sideshow; Hollywood Note"]. ''The Times'' (Munster, Indiana). p.&nbsp;39. Retrieved June 1, 2022.</ref>
*[[John Hubbard (actor)|John Hubbard]] - actor
*[[Betsy Palmer]] - actress and television personality
*[[Mary Jane Popp]] - radio and television host
*[[Frank Reynolds]] - ABC television news anchorman
*[[Steve Tesich]] - Academy Award-winning screenwriter
; Music
*[[Yungeen Ace]] - rapper<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-08 |title=Yungeen Ace Interview: Step Harder |url=https://audiomack.com/world/post/yungeen-ace-step-harder-interview |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=[[Audiomack|Audiomack World]] |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Catfish Keith]] - blues singer, songwriter and slide guitarist<ref name="Virgin">{{cite book| first = Colin | last= Larkin| year= 1998| title= The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues| edition= 1st| publisher= [[Virgin Books]] | location= London, England| isbn= 0753502267| page= 71| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E6U7AQAAIAAJ&q=%22Catfish+Keith%22}}</ref>
*[[Mighty Mo Rodgers]] - blues musician, songwriter and record producer<ref>{{cite web|author=Campbell, Al |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mighty-mo-rodgers-mn0000407489/biography |title=Mighty Mo Rodgers: Biography |website=[[AllMusic]] |date= |access-date=March 13, 2014}}</ref>
;Sports
*[[Bob Anderson (baseball)|Bob Anderson]] - Major League Baseball player
*[[Jim Bradley (basketball)|Jim Bradley]] - professional basketball player
*[[Junior Bridgeman]] - NBA player for [[Milwaukee Bucks]] and businessman; jersey number retired by Bucks
*[[Larry Fritz]] - Major League Baseball player
*[[Jim Hicks]] - Major League Baseball player
*[[Danny Lazar]] - Major League Baseball pitcher
*[[Kenny Lofton]] - Major League Baseball player, 6-time All-Star, 4-time Gold Glove winner
*[[Angel Manfredy]] - professional boxer/title holder
*[[Monica Maxwell]] - professional basketball player
*[[E'Twaun Moore]] - professional basketball player
*[[Ilie Oană]] -  football player and manager who represented and coached Romania national football team
*[[Frank Patrick (running back)|Frank Patrick]] - professional football player
*[[Stan Perzanowski]] - MLB pitcher
*[[Bridget Pettis]] - professional basketball player and coach
*[[Gregg Popovich]] - coach of [[San Antonio Spurs]], 5-time NBA champion, 3-time NBA Coach of the Year
*[[Jason Repko]] - [[Major League Baseball]] outfielder for [[Boston Red Sox]] and [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]
*[[Kawann Short]] - [[Carolina Panthers]] professional football player
*[[Matt "Money" Smith|Matt Smith]] - sports radio personality
*[[Ron Smith (defensive back)|Ron Smith]] - NFL player
*[[Tim Stoddard]] - Major League Baseball pitcher and college basketball player, forward for [[North Carolina State University|NC State]]'s 1974 NCAA basketball champions, and relief pitcher for the 1983 World Series Champion Baltimore Orioles
*[[Pete Trgovich]]—played on 1971 Washington HS Indiana state championship team with Junior Bridgeman and Tim Stoddard, went on to play for legendary coach [[John Wooden]] at UCLA, winning 3 NCAA Championship rings
*[[Ray Wietecha]] - assistant coach to [[Vince Lombardi]] and NFL champion [[Green Bay Packers]]
; Other
*[[Eric Flint]] - Speculative Fiction Author
*[[Andrew Majda]] - Mathematician
*[[Cliff Raven]] - tattoo artist
*[[David Albin Zywiec Sidor]] - American-Nicaraguan Roman Catholic bishop
*[[Miguel Torres (fighter)|Miguel Torres]] - mixed martial artist
*[[Warren W. Wiersbe]] - theologian

{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{Portal|Chicago|Indiana}}
* [http://www.eastchicago.com/ Official website]
* {{Cite EB1911|short=x|wstitle=East Chicago}}

{{Lake County, Indiana}}
{{Chicagoland}}
{{Indiana}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:East Chicago, Indiana| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Indiana]]
[[Category:Cities in Lake County, Indiana]]
[[Category:Inland port cities and towns in Indiana]]
[[Category:Northwest Indiana]]
[[Category:Chicago metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Indiana populated places on Lake Michigan]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1889]]
[[Category:1889 establishments in Indiana]]