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<ref>One of the earliest Authentic histories of Porter County, Indiana, From 1832 to 1876; Deborah H. Shults-Gay; ca 1917</ref> was located a mile east of the current Courthouse along the Sauk Trail. Chiqua's town existed from or before 1830 until after 1832.<ref>Atlas of Great Lakes Indian History; Helen Hornbeck Tanner; University of Oklahoma Press; Norman, Oklahoma, 1987; map 25</ref> The location is just north of the railroad crossing on State Route 2 and County Road 400 North.
Located on the ancient Native American trail from Rock Island to Detroit, the town had its first log cabin in 1834.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Established in 1836 as Portersville, county seat of Porter County, it was renamed to Valparaiso (meaning "Vale of Paradise" in Old Spanish) in 1837 after Valparaíso, Chile, near which the county's namesake David Porter battled in the Battle of Valparaiso during the War of 1812.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The city was once called the "City of Churches" due to the large number of churches located there at the end of the 19th century. Valparaiso Male and Female College, one of the earliest higher education institutions admitting both men and women in the country, was founded in Valparaiso in 1859, but closed its doors in 1871 before reopening in 1873 as the Northern Indiana Normal School and Business Institute. In the early 20th century, it became Valparaiso College, then Valparaiso University. It was initially affiliated with the Methodist Church but after 1925 with the Lutheran University Association (which has relationships both with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, and with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and expanded significantly after World War II.
From the 1890s until 1969, there were no African-American residents in Valparaiso. This has been attributed to Valparaiso being a sundown town.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> There was also substantial activity by the Ku Klux Klan, which negotiated to purchase Valparaiso University in 1923.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first African-American family to move to Valparaiso faced intimidation and eventually left the city when a visiting relative was murdered.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In recent years, the city's racial composition has diversified.
Valparaiso also has a long history of being a transportation hub for the region. In 1858, the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad reached Valparaiso, connecting the city directly to Chicago. By 1910, an interurban railway connected the city to Gary, Indiana. Today, while the city no longer has a passenger train station, it is still very much a part of the "Crossroads of America" due to its proximity to I-65, I-80, I-90, and I-94. Additionally, the Canadian National railroad still runs freight on the tracks, including through the downtown area.
Glaciation has left numerous features on the landscape here. Kettle lakes and knobs make up much of this hilly area of Northwest Indiana. The Pines Ski Area is the only remaining kame in the city; the other one is under the university's Chapel of the Resurrection, however, grading of land in that area makes that particular kame almost nonexistent. Many glacial erratics can be found throughout the city. The moraine has left the city with mostly clay soil.
There were 12,610 households, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.99.
The median age in the city was 33.4 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 15.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.9% were from 25 to 44; 22.8% were from 45 to 64; and 13.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.
There were 10,867 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.2% under the age of 18, 17.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,799, and the median income for a family was $60,637. Males had a median income of $46,452 versus $26,544 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,509. About 4.8% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Valparaiso Theatrical Company, a non-profit community theatre group focused on providing fund-raising opportunities for other non-profit organizations through theatrical performance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The city holds two major festivals every year: the Popcorn Festival and the Porter County Fair. The Popcorn Festival is held on the first Saturday after Labor Day. It honors Orville Redenbacher, a former resident who built a popcorn factory there. Redenbacher participated in most of the festival's parades until his death in 1995. The festival also features foot racing events and multiple concerts in addition to typical fair activities. The Porter County Fair consists of carnival attractions and hosts a variety of shows such as a demolition derby, motocross races, and live musical performances.
Porter County Courthouse replaced an earlier brick building in 1883. The current building is 128 feet by 98 feet. It was built with a square tower rising out of the center. The tower was 168 feet tall with a clock on each side. A fire in 1934 damaged in the interior requiring the removal of the tower.<ref name=Neeley>Neeley, George E.; City of Valparaiso, A Pictorial History; G. Bradley Publishing, Inc.; St. Louis, Missouri; 1989</ref>
Valparaiso has an extensive city park district. In 2005 there were 13 parks with another in the planning stages.<ref>Your Guide to Summer Fun! Indiana Dunes, The Casual Coast; Porter County Convention and Recreation and Visitors Commission, 2005</ref>
200 East (East McCord Rd) – a community park with a playground; where many of the city's legendary athletes played football as youngsters. Football at 200 East Park is a staple for young kids growing up in the neighborhood. Bicentennial Park (Burlington Beach Road & Campbell St) – Provides a full range of activities, including a playground, basketball courts, ball diamond and picnic shelters. A prairie restoration is under way in the north half of the park. Central Park Plaza (Lincolnway and Lafayette St) – is the centerpiece of the Downtown Valparaiso revitalization and opened the summer of 2011. It has an outdoor amphitheater for concerts and other special events as well as a splash pad in the center of the park for kids to play. Fairgrounds Park (Calumet & Evans Avenues) – Has the largest complex of ball diamonds and soccer fields in the city. A playground and basketball court are available. Numerous city sports leagues use Fairgrounds Park for their games and tournaments. The park is surrounded by a paved walking circuit that is well occupied on nice days. Foundation Meadows (Campbell Street & Bullseye Lake Rd) – One of the city's newer parks. Glenrose South (1500 Roosevelt Road) – Provides several ball diamonds and when school is out, Thomas Jefferson Middle Schools track is available for those interested in walking. Glenrose South has been the home of the Valparaiso Fourth of July Fireworks display and celebration since 2005. Jessee-Pifer Park (Elmhurst & Madison Streets) – a community park with a basketball court and picnic shelter. Kirchhoff Miller Woods, (Roosevelt Road & Institute St – a community park that provides for basketball, baseball, tennis, picnicking and a playground. Ogden Gardens/Forest Park (Campbell Street and Harrison Blvd) – Ogden Gardens is the home of the city's botanical garden. The Campbell Street end is a formal garden with a variety of planting that bloom throughout the year. The Gazebo is a favorite place for weddings, wedding pictures and high school prom pictures. A Japanese garden is included with a 22,000-gallon Koi pond. Forest Park is to the west with an open grassy picnic area below a wooded picnic area with a shelter.
Rock Island (Coolwood Dr &, Frontage Rd) is a "tourist attraction" found in front of the Strack & Van Til grocery store just off of the US 30 highway. The curb that splits the right and left turn lanes has been responsible for a number car crashes and accidents. Over the weekend between May 17 and May 19 of 2024, community members decorated the curb with rocks, signs, traffic cones, and other miscellaneous decor, including a flamingo and a blanket for one of the rocks. This has since been considered an inside joke, featuring its own Google reviews as an official tourist attraction.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rogers-Lakwood Park (Meridian Road (N Campbell Street)) – Provide opportunities for swimming, fishing, and hiking trails. It is connected to the north side communities of Valparaiso by the Campbell Street Bike Trail (hiking and biking). Tower Park (Evans Ave and Franklin St.) is a community park that offers basketball, baseball, tennis, pickleball, picnicking, and a playground. During winter months, one of the basketball courts is turned into the community skating rink.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Valplayso/Glenrose North (Glendale Blvd and Roosevelt Rd) is the home of Valplayso, a community-designed and community-built playground. At the other end of the parking lot are several ball fields. Separated from Glenrose South by only the Middle Schools track, Glenrose North hosts over half of the community during the Fourth of July Celebration. West Side Park (Joliet Rd) is a community park with a ball field and a playground. Will Park (Morgan Blvd and Brown St) is a community park with a basketball court, playground, and picnic shelter.
Valparaiso is building a series of bike trails across the city. Currently, (March 2012) most of the identified bike routes are part of the county's system of recommended roads and streets.<ref>Northwest Indiana Bike Map, Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, Spring 2008</ref>
Campbell Street Bikeway runs from Rogers-Lakewood Park south Template:Convert to Vale Park Road (CR 400 N). It continues south on the opposite side of Campbell St. base Valparaiso High School, ending Template:Convert south at Ogden Gardens (Harrison Blvd).
At Vale Park, it connects to the Vale Park trail to Valparaiso Street Template:Convert. A new bike loop Template:Convert is being built that circles north along Valparaiso Street to Bullseye Lake Rd, east to Cumberland Crossing (not open to the public (2008), south to Vale Park, turning west to on Vale Park to return to the corner of Vale Park and Valparaiso Street.
At Glendale, the Campbell Street Bikeway connects to the Glendale cross town bike lane. These travel east Template:Convert on Glendale, ending on North Calumet at the Walgreens corner.
Valparaiso has an elected mayor, an elected clerk-treasurer, and an elected council. All of these positions are elected for four-year terms in November of the year before a presidential election year and assumes office on January 1.<ref>Sesquicentennial, The way We Were in 1986, Sesquicentennial Board; Porter County, Indiana; 1986</ref>
Valparaiso University was founded in 1859, and occupies Template:Convert on the south side of the city near downtown. The university is a cultural center of the city, hosting venues such as the Brauer Museum of Art, with more than 2,700 pieces of 19th- and 20th century American art.
Public schools File:Valparaiso Public School District.gifValparaiso Community Schools cover all of Center Township and most of the city of Valparaiso (that which is within Center Township)
The Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana was founded in 1907, serving the Northwest Indiana region. The Post-Tribune is owned by Tribune Company and is based in Merrillville.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The primary local radio stations are WLJE 105.5 FM "Indiana 105", which broadcasts country music, WAKE 1500 AM, which plays adult standards, and WVLP 98.3 FM "ValpoRadio", a non-profit, low power FM community radio station. Valparaiso formerly had a fourth local station, WNWI 1080 AM, which relocated to Oak Lawn, Illinois in 1998 and is now a Chicago-market station. Radio is usually from the Chicago market.
Valparaiso gets all of its water from wells that draw water from depths between 90 and Template:Convert. The supply is treated with chlorine solution to remove the iron.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Valparaiso also has three sewer retention basins.
Valparaiso's energy is provided by NIPSCO. The Schaeffer Power Plant is located south of Valparaiso, in Wheatfield.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On October 6, 2008, Valparaiso inaugurated an express bus service to and from Chicago, Illinois called ChicaGo DASH. Buses depart Valparaiso on weekday mornings and return from Chicago in the evenings.
Charles F. Lembke, architect and contractor. He built many downtown area buildings.<ref name=Nomination>National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form; US Dept of the Interior, National Park Service; Dr. David J. Loring Residence and Clinic; Bertha Stalbaum & Alice Vietzke; Valparaiso Woman’s Club; Valparaiso, Indiana, June 11, 1984</ref>
