Burns Harbor, Indiana

This article is about the town of Burns Harbor, Indiana. For Burns Waterway Harbor, see Port of Indiana.

Burns Harbor, Indiana
Town
Town of Burns Harbor
Location of Burns Harbor in Porter County, Indiana.
Coordinates: 41°37′43″N87°07′28″W / 41.62861°N 87.12444°W / 41.62861; -87.12444
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Porter
Township	Westchester
Area [1]
• Total	6.44 sq mi (16.67 km2)
• Land	6.44 sq mi (16.67 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	630 ft (190 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,055
• Density	319.25/sq mi (123.27/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	46304
Area code	219
FIPS code	18-09370 [3]
GNIS feature ID	2396621 [2]
Website	http://www.burnsharbor-in.gov

Burns Harbor is a town in Westchester Township, Porter County, Indiana, United States on the shores of Lake Michigan in Northwest Indiana. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 1,156 at the 2010 census. Burns Harbor is located adjacent to the Indiana Dunes, an area that conservationists have fought hard to preserve. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

History

Burns Harbor was founded in 1966. ^[7] The town took its name from a local port which was named for the harbor's promoter Randall W. Burns. ^[8]

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Burns Harbor has a total area of 6.78 square miles (17.56 km²), of which 6.66 square miles (17.25 km²) (or 98.23%) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.31 km²) (or 1.77%) is water. ^[9]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1970	1,284		—
1980	920		−28.3%
1990	786		−14.6%
2000	766		−2.5%
2010	1,156		50.9%
2020	2,055		77.8%
Source: US Census Bureau

2010 census

As of the census ^[10] of 2010, there were 1,156 people, 456 households, and 305 families living in the town. The population density was 173.3 inhabitants per square mile (66.9/km²). There were 495 housing units at an average density of 74.2 per square mile (28.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.4% White, 1.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.8% of the population.

There were 456 households, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.1% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.10.

The median age in the town was 34.6 years. 26.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31% were from 25 to 44; 25.6% were from 45 to 64; and 10.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.8% male and 49.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census ^[3] of 2000, there were 766 people, 303 households, and 219 families living in the town. The population density was 112.1 inhabitants per square mile (43.3/km²). There were 323 housing units at an average density of 47.3 per square mile (18.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.26% White, 0.26% African American, 1.17% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 0.39% from other races, and 2.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.31% of the population.

There were 303 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $53,929, and the median income for a family was $57,188. Males had a median income of $43,393 versus $22,143 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,344. About 4.2% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Steel manufacturing is a key industry in Burns Harbor

Transportation

Burns Harbor benefits from close access to many major forms of transportation.

Airports

• Gary/Chicago International Airport (GYY) in Gary
• O'Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago
• Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) in Chicago
• South Bend Regional Airport (SBN) in South Bend
• Porter County Regional Airport (VPZ) in Valparaiso

Commuter Rail

• The South Shore Line provides service between Chicago and South Bend. The closest station is located at Ogden Dunes, Indiana. The South Shore is operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD).

Ports

• The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor which includes an international shipping port and the Burns Waterway Small Boat Harbor for public access to Lake Michigan. The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor is divided between Burns Harbor and Portage.

  

  View of the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor as seen from Lake Michigan

Highways

• Interstate 80
• Interstate 90
• Interstate 94
• U.S. Route 12
• U.S. Route 20
• Indiana State Road 149

Education

Burns Harbor is served by Duneland Schools (http://www.duneland.k12.in.us) providing education for grades Kindergarten through 12, and is in close proximity to many higher education facilities including:

• Indiana University Northwest (IUN)
• Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana (Ivy Tech)
• Purdue University North Central (PNC)
• Purdue University Calumet (Purdue Cal)
• Valparaiso University (Valpo)

In popular culture

The unpopular rock band Turnerjoy practiced in the basement of a mobile home company in Burns Harbor. The band is the subject of the 2020 documentary Get Out of Home and scenes from the movie take place in Burns Harbor. ^[11]

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Burns Harbor, Indiana
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2009). "The Historical Roots of the Nature Conservancy in the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland Region: From Science to Preservation." The South Shore Journal, 3. "South Shore Journal - the Historical Roots of the Nature Conservancy in the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland Region: From Science to Preservation". Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
5. Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2006). "Alice Gray, Dorothy Buell, and Naomi Svihla: Preservationists of Ogden Dunes." The South Shore Journal, 1. "South Shore Journal - Alice Gray, Dorothy Buell, and Naomi Svihla: Preservationists of Ogden Dunes". Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
6. Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2007). "The cultural impact of a museum in a small community: The Hour Glass of Ogden Dunes." The South Shore Journal, 2. "South Shore Journal - the Cultural Impact of a Museum in a Small Community: The Hour Glass in Ogden Dunes". Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
7. "Burns Harbor". Indiana Dunes Tourism. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
8. Mark Skertic (2003). A Native's Guide to Northwest Indiana . Lake Claremont Press. p.  181. ISBN   978-1-893121-08-9.
9. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 11, 2012.
11. Get Out of Home. | The Story of Turnerjoy , retrieved April 12, 2023

External links

• Town of Burns Harbor, Indiana website
• Photographs of the ArcelorMittal steel works
• Burns Harbor Waterway