Porter

Formed February 17, 1835 (80^th county)

Porter County (173,208), Valparaiso (34,153), Portage (37,929)                

The Second Empire and Neo-Classical masonry courthouse was built in 1885 and significantly remodeled in 1934 after a fire.  It is located on a square at Lincolnway, Franklin, Indiana, and Washington streets.  Indiana State Highway 130 is Lincolnway.  John C. Cochraine is the building architect.  An Administration Center was added in 1993.  The grounds feature veteran memorials.  Porter County was formed on February 17, 1835 from Native American Territory as the 80^th county with Valparaiso as the only county seat.  The county is named for War of 1812 hero David Porter.  The county seat is named for Valparaiso, Chile. 

Porter County government consists of a sheriff, 3 Commissioners, and 7 Council Members.  A Circuit Court Judge and Six Superior Court Judges serve Porter County.  The county is in northwest Indiana on Lake Michigan.  Gary, Indiana is west and South Bend, Indiana is east of the county.  The Kankakee River is its southern border.  The county center is 5.3 miles Southeast of Valparaiso.  The county is surrounded clockwise by La Porte, Starke, Jasper, and Lake counties and Illinois and Michigan.  The county is shaped like a plow.  Valparaiso is near the center of the county.  Portage is in the northwest quarter of the county.  Valparaiso is the county seat and Portage is the largest city.  Valparaiso is 19.7% of the county population while Portage is 21.9% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced VAL-PA-RIE-SOE. 

The area of the county is 418 square miles.  It is 29 out of 92 in the state.   It ranks 10 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 414.4 persons per square mile making it 11 out of 92 in the state.  Porter County has 58.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 80 crosses the county east to west from La Porte County to Lake County.  Interstate Highway 90 enters the county from the east joined with Interstate Highway 80, splits and travels west into Lake County.  Interstate Highway 94 comes in from the northeast, La Porte County, and joins Interstate Highway 80 to go into Lake County.  United States Highway 6 travels east to west from La Porte County to Lake County.  United States Highway 12 parallels Interstate Highway 94 from La Porte to Lake counties.  United States Highway 20 parallels Interstate Highway 80 from La Porte to Lake counties.  United States Highway 30 goes east to west through the middle of the county from La Porte County to Lake County.  United States Highway 231 cuts the southwest corner from Lake County, west, to Jasper County, south.  This county is in the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet Metropolitan Statistical Area.