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Valparaiso, Indiana

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City of Valparaiso
City
Flag of City of Valparaiso
Flag
Official seal of City of Valparaiso
Seal
Nickname: 
Valpo
Motto: 
"Vale of Paradise"
Location in Indiana
Location in Indiana
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountyPorter
TownshipCenter
Government
 • MayorJon Costas (R)
Area
 • Total11.0 sq mi (28.5 km2)
 • Land10.9 sq mi (28.2 km2)
 • Water0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)  0.73%
Elevation
794 ft (242 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total27,428
 • Density2,515.4/sq mi (971.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
46383-46385
Area code219
FIPS code18-78326Template:GR
GNIS feature ID0449849Template:GR
Websitewww.valpo.us

Valparaiso (Template:PronEng) is a city in Porter County, Indiana, U.S., and is the southeasternmost suburb of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the county seat of Porter CountyTemplate:GR. The city's nickname is Valpo.

History

The site of present day Valparaiso was included in the purchase of land from the Potawatomi Indians by the U.S. Government in October 1832. Located on the ancient Sauk Indian Trail from Rock Island to Detroit, the town had its first log cabin in 1834.[1]Established in 1836 as the county seat of Portersville, it was renamed to Valparaiso in 1837 after Valparaíso, Chile, near which the county's namesake David Porter battled in the War of 1812.[2] Until 1991 it was the terminal of Amtrak's Calumet commuter service.

Geography

It is situated at the junctions of U.S. Route 30, State Road 2, and State Road 49. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.0 square miles (28.5 km²), of which, 10.9 square miles (28.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.73%) is water.

Topography

The city is situated on the Valparaiso Moraine, which is also the Eastern Continental Divide.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 27,428 people, 10,867 households, and 6,368 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,515.4 people per square mile (971.6/km²). There were 11,559 housing units at an average density of 1,060.1/sq mi (409.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.35% White, 1.60% African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.34% of the population. 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.

Education

Higher education

The city is the site of multiple colleges and universities. Purdue University North Central has a satellite campus in Valparaiso, and one of Ivy Tech's 23 regional campuses is located in the city. Valparaiso is also home to namesake Valparaiso University, occupying 310 acres (1.3 km2) on the south side of the city near downtown. The university is also a cultural center of the city, hosting venues such as the Brauer Museum of Art, home to more than 2,700 pieces of 19th- and 20th century American art.

The official history of Valparaiso University was written by Prof. Richard Baepler. His Flame of Faith, Lamp of Learning details the colorful and impressive history of the University from its Methodist roots in 1859 to its lasting reputation as a Lutheran University (1925). The intellectual story of Valparaiso University in the post-war years might be best summarized by Prof. John Strietelmeier who wrote that what united the VU thinkers of this period was "the dream that somewhere there might be a place where high faith and high intellect might meet to provide an apostate age with a new vision and a new hope." Streietelmeier was a Professor in Geography and an Editor of the University's "The Cresset." His writings represent a critical set of impressions from the 1950s and 1960s at VU and are collected by Baepler in his Witness to His Generation: Selected Writings of John Strietelmeier along with a significant biography of Strietelmeier's life and intellectual context.

Primary and secondary education

Culture

City Fairs

The Popcorn Festival

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 racing events and a balloon launch 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.

Infrastructure

Valparaiso gets all of its water from wells that draw water from depths between 90 and 120 feet (37 m). The supply is treated with chlorine solution to remove the iron[2], and is backed up by diesel fuel generators to maintain the supply during power outage. Valparaiso also has three sewer retention basins. The water department works with the recycling and waste reduction district to educate residents about the hazards of household waste.

Valparaiso’s energy is provided by NIPSCO, which also provides five hundred other companies with energy in states such as Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The NIPSCO energy plant is located only about twenty minutes north of Valparaiso, next to Lake Michigan. [3]

On October 1, 2007, Valparaiso inaugurated a city bus service, the V-Line. It operates between downtown, the university, and shopping centers and has an express service to the Indiana Dunes on weekends.

Notable natives

Notes

  1. ^ Valparaiso City Employees. "City History." City of Valparaiso. 14 Feb 2008 <http://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/cityhistory/cityhistory/CHShort/cityhistory.htm>
  2. ^ Baker, Ronald L. (1995). Indiana Place Names. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 170. ISBN 0-253-28340-X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

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