Overview
Lake County is the northwesternmost county of Indiana, which also comprises the southeastern portion of the Chicagoland region.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 82°F; winter lows dip to about 18°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: May and Jun. (climate data from nearby Indiana Dunes National Park)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- GYY Gary/Chicago International Airport, Gary — 10 mi away. Directions
- MDW Chicago Midway International Airport, Chicago — 29 mi away (major hub). Directions
Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Gary — Gary/Chanute Aquatorium, City Methodist Church, Ingwald Moe House.
- Day 2: Hammond — Hammond Lakefront Park and Bird Sanctuary, Wolf Lake Boardwalk, Horseshoe Hammond.
- Day 3: Munster — Centennial Park, Community Veterans' Memorial, Centennial Park.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Places in Lake County
Gary
City / town · 17 listings
Hammond
City / town · 16 listings
Munster
City / town · 13 listings
East Chicago
City / town · 4 listings
Dyer
City / town · 3 listings
Crown Point
City / town · 2 listings
Merrillville
City / town · 2 listings
Schererville
City / town · 1 listings
Hobart
City / town
Lake Station
City / town
Understand
Lake County is both the industrial underbelly of Chicago and the industrial hinterland of Indiana. A major population center for both, Lake County has fallen on hard times since World War II, with the steady decline in the U.S. industrial sector. Once a rich city, Gary now ranks among the country's poorest, most violent, and most blighted cities, governed by crooks and abandoned by the middle class. Outside Gary life is far better, albeit still relatively poor.
Why come to Lake County? Chicagoans will shake their heads, Hoosiers relate to it with a mixture of terror and derision. But there are some real diamonds in the rough, some great deals on hotels, and several big casinos. Fans of the industrial post-apocalyptic genre will find much to gawk at. That and the fact that all the transport heading east from Chicago passes through!
Cities
- Crown Point
- Dyer — home to Meyer's Castle
- East Chicago
- Gary
- Hammond
- Hobart
- Lake Station
- Merrillville
- Munster
- Schererville
- Whiting
Other destinations
- Indiana Dunes National Park (Miller Woods unit)
Nearby
Lansing
City / town · 10 mi away
Portage
City / town · 2 listings · 12 mi away
Chicago Heights
City / town · 13 mi away
Hebron
City / town · 14 mi away
Beecher
City / town · 4 listings · 16 mi away
Harvey
City / town · 2 listings · 17 mi away
Valparaiso
City / town · 12 listings · 17 mi away
Indiana Dunes National Park
Park · 13 listings · 18 mi away
My experience
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