Portage Township, Porter County, Indiana
Portage Township | |
|---|---|
West Beach at Indiana Dunes National Park | |
| Coordinates: 41°34′41″N 87°10′33″W / 41.57806°N 87.17583°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Porter |
| Government | |
| • Type | Indiana township |
| • Township Trustee | Brenden Clancy (D) |
| Area | |
• Total | 38.25 sq mi (99.07 km2) |
| • Land | 35.57 sq mi (92.12 km2) |
| • Water | 2.68 sq mi (6.95 km2) |
| Elevation | 633 ft (193 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 47,946 |
| • Density | 1,323.8/sq mi (511.13/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 219 |
| FIPS code | 18-61110[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 453758 |
| Website | www |
Portage Township is one of twelve townships in Porter County, Indiana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 47,085.[4] Portage Township was established in 1835.
The residents of Portage Township played pivotal roles in the conservation of the Indiana Dunes.[5][6][7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 954 | — | |
| 1900 | 1,014 | 6.3% | |
| 1910 | 959 | −5.4% | |
| 1920 | 984 | 2.6% | |
| 1930 | 1,343 | 36.5% | |
| 1940 | 2,647 | 97.1% | |
| 1950 | 5,501 | 107.8% | |
| 1960 | 13,721 | 149.4% | |
| 1970 | 28,371 | 106.8% | |
| 1980 | 39,765 | 40.2% | |
| 1990 | 40,929 | 2.9% | |
| 2000 | 43,956 | 7.4% | |
| 2010 | 47,085 | 7.1% | |
| 2020 | 47,496 | 0.9% | |
| [8] | |||
History
Portage Township was organized in 1836, and most likely was named after Portage County, Ohio.[9]
The Nike Missile Site C47 and Josephus Wolf House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[10]
Cities and towns
The largest community in the township is the city of Portage. The bedroom community of the town of Ogden Dunes is also in this township as well as South Haven.[11]
Parks
The city of Portage has an extensive park system. Also within the township is Indiana Dunes National Park's primary beach of West Beach and a facility called Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk.
Education
Portage Township is home to Portage Township Schools.
Higher education:
- Purdue University North Central (classes offered at Portage High School)
- Indiana University Northwest
- Ivy Tech (classes offered at Willowcreek Middle School; full-service campus to be built in 2008)
High school:
Middle schools:
Elementary schools:
The corporation is reviewing the results of a population growth study to determine future facility needs. Current options include: 1) Constructing a ninth elementary school; 2) Constructing a third middle school; or 3) Constructing an intermediate (5th-6th grade) school. For the 2007–2008 school year the Portage Township Schools student enrollment was 8,541.
References
- ^ "Township of Portage". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
- ^ "Census Bureau profile: Portage Township, Porter County, Indiana". United States Census Bureau. May 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Portage township, Porter County, Indiana". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ 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.
- ^ Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2006). "Alice Gray, Dorothy Buell, and Naomi Svihla: Preservationists of Ogden Dunes." The South Shore Journal, "South Shore Journal - Alice Gray, Dorothy Buell, and Naomi Svihla: Preservationists of Ogden Dunes". Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Township Census Counts: STATS Indiana". www.stats.indiana.edu. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests. Lewis Publishing Company. 1912. p. 166.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Porter County, Indiana Sesquicentennial, 150, 1836-1986.