Gary, Indiana

Gary
Official seal of Gary
Nicknames: 
"City in Motion", "City of the Century", "Magic City", "Steel City", "City on the Move"
Motto: 
We Are Doing Great Things
Map
Location of Gary in Lake County, Indiana
Gary is located in Indiana
Gary
Gary
Gary is located in the United States
Gary
Gary
Coordinates: 41°35′44″N 87°20′43″W / 41.59556°N 87.34528°W / 41.59556; -87.34528[1]
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountyLake
TownshipsCalumet, Hobart
IncorporatedJuly 14, 1906 (1906-07-14)
Named forElbert Henry Gary
Government
 • TypeStrong mayor–council
 • BodyCity council
 • MayorEddie Melton (D)
 • City ClerkSuzette Raggs (D)
 • City JudgeDeidre L. Monroe (D)
Area
 • Total50.60 sq mi (131.05 km2)
 • Land49.87 sq mi (129.15 km2)
 • Water0.73 sq mi (1.89 km2)
Elevation607 ft (185 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total69,093
 • Density1,385.55/sq mi (534.97/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (Central)
ZIP Codes
46401–46411
Area code219
FIPS code18-27000
GNIS feature ID2394863[1]
Websitegary.gov

Gary (/ˈɡæri/ GARR-ee) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 census the city's population was 69,093, making it Indiana's ninth-largest city.[4] 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 along the southern shore of Lake Michigan about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Chicago. The city is the western gateway to the Indiana Dunes National Park, and is within the Chicago metropolitan area.[5][6]

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.[7] Like other Rust Belt cities, Gary's once thriving steel industry has been significantly affected by the disappearance of local manufacturing jobs since the 1970s. As a result of this economic shift, the city's population has decreased drastically, having lost 61% of its population since 1960.[8] Because of its large losses in population and deteriorating economy, Gary is often cited as an example of industrial decline and urban decay in America. Although initially a very diverse city, the city of Gary holds one of the nation's highest percentages of African Americans.[9]

Gary is serviced by the Gary/Chicago International Airport, an alternative airport 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 also home to a professional baseball team, the Gary SouthShore RailCats. In addition to its large steel mills, the city is known for being the birthplace of the Jackson family, a family of well-known entertainers whose members include singer Michael Jackson.[10]

  1. ^ a b c "City of Gary". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ "2014 Public Officials Directory". Lake County Board of Elections and Voter's Registration. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  3. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  4. ^ "Gary city, Indiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  5. ^ Stephanie Smith; Steve Mark (2006). "Alice Gray, Dorothy Buell, and Naomi Svihla: Preservationists of Ogden Dunes". The South Shore Journal. 1: 15–21. ISSN 1933-8163. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  6. ^ Smith, Stephanie. "The Historical Roots of The Nature Conservancy in the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland Region: From Science to Preservation". South Shore Journal. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  7. ^ "City of Gary, Indiana". www.gary.gov. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  8. ^ Engel, Pamela (June 20, 2013). "Gary, Indiana Is Deteriorating So Much That It May Cut Off Services To Nearly Half Of Its Land". Business Insider. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
  9. ^ "Gary city, Indiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  10. ^ Donley, Brendan (August 22, 2017). "A Day at the Beach in, Yes, Gary, Indiana". The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2017.

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