Gary

About Gary

Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 census, making it Indiana's eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located in the Chicago metropolitan area along the southern shore of Lake Michigan about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Chicago. The city is the western gateway to the Indiana Dunes National Park.

Gary was named after lawyer Elbert Henry Gary, who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. U.S. Steel had established the city in 1906 as a company town to serve its steel mills. Since the 1970s, Gary and other Rust Belt cities have lost a high number of people as the steel industry has gone through restructuring and manufacturing jobs moved out of the United States. As a result of this economic shift, the city's population has declined 61% since the 1960 census.

Although initially a very diverse city, Gary currently has one of the United States's highest percentages of African Americans. Between 1970 and 2010, Gary had the nation's highest Black population per capita. The city has a legacy of African-American cultural and historical accomplishments. In 1945, Gary was the first city in the Midwest (and one of the first in the United States) to fully integrate its public school system. It elected the country's first Black mayor, Richard Hatcher in 1967, and in 1972 hosted the first and largest National Black Political Convention.

Gary is served by the Gary/Chicago International Airport, an alternative to the Chicago region's two larger airports. The city's public transport is provided by the Gary Public Transportation Corporation and the South Shore Line passenger railway, which connects to the Chicago transit system. It is home to a professional baseball team, the Gary SouthShore RailCats. In addition to its large steel mills, the city is known as the birthplace of the Jackson family, well-known entertainers whose members include singers Michael and Janet Jackson.

Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Gary weather: 7-day forecast

Source: National Weather Service (NOAA).

Live webcams in Gary

Webcams: Windy.com

Living in Gary

Median household income

$38,731

Median home value

$94,700

Median rent

$1,012/mo

Median age

36.5

Map of Gary

Tap any street on the map to see it in Street View below. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Gary Street View

Drag the image to look around and tap the arrows on the ground to move. If it says there is no imagery, tap a nearby street on the map above.

Gary, IN population

Gary had 69,093 residents in the 2020 Census.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census.

Gary at a glance

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Gazetteer, ZCTA), USGS GNIS, Wikidata.

Towns near Gary

• Ross4.1 mi S
• New Chicago4.5 mi SE
• Lake Station5.0 mi E
• Griffith5.9 mi SW
• Hobart6.5 mi SE
• Highland6.5 mi SW
• East Chicago6.7 mi NW
• Hammond7.9 mi W
• Merrillville8.3 mi S
• Ogden Dunes8.4 mi E
• Munster8.7 mi W
• Portage8.7 mi E

Straight-line distance between town centers.

Frequently asked questions about Gary