Whiting, Indiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| City of Whiting | |
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| Coordinates: 41°40′34″N 87°29′26″W / 41.67611°N 87.49056°W | |
| Country | United States |
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| State | Indiana |
| County | Lake |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Joseph M. Stahura (D) |
| Area | |
| - Total | 3.3 sq mi (8.5 km2) |
| - Land | 1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2) |
| - Water | 1.5 sq mi (3.9 km2) 46.34% |
| Elevation | 587 ft (179 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 5,137 |
| - Density | 2,914.1/sq mi (1,126.9/km2) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 46394 |
| Area code(s) | 219 |
| FIPS code | 18-84122[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0445988[2] |
| Website | http://whitingindiana.com/ |
Whiting is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. Whiting is located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan and is nicknamed the "Little City on the Lake". It is about 16 miles from the Chicago Loop and just short of two miles from Chicago's South Side. Whiting is also home to the largest oil refinery in the Midwest.[3] The population was 5,137 at the 2000 census.[1]
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[edit] Geography
Whiting is located at 41°40′34″N 87°29′26″W / 41.67611°N 87.49056°W (41.676027, -87.490460)[4].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.6 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it (46.34%) is water.
The Whiting post office (46394) serves not only the City of Whiting, but also the adjacent Hammond neighborhood of Robertsdale, immediately to the west. Addresses in this Hammond neighborhood show “Whiting, Indiana.” While not legally a part of the City of Whiting, locally the area has long been informally considered to be a culturally integrated part of Whiting. References to Whiting businesses or residents often include those technically from Hammond’s Robertsdale.[5][6][7]
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 5,137 people, 2,091 households, and 1,281 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,914.1 people per square mile (1,126.9/km²). There were 2,313 housing units at an average density of 1,312.1/sq mi (507.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.37% White, 0.56% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 9.09% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.56% of the population.
Largest ancestries: Slovak (18.0%), Polish (17.1%), Irish (16.3%), German (11.5%), English (5.8%), Italian (5.2%). The proportion of Whiting's population claiming Slovak ancestry is among the highest in the United States.
There were 2,091 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,972, and the median income for a family was $40,994. Males had a median income of $33,565 versus $21,981 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,518. About 10.1% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Transportation
Amtrak's Wolverine line stops at Whiting at Hammond-Whiting station. Route 1 of Hammond Transit, a bus service run by City of Hammond, runs through Whiting.
[edit] Education
School City of Whiting serves Whiting. Whiting High School is the sole public high school serving Whiting.
Whiting Public Library is located at 1735 Oliver Street.[8]
[edit] Notes of interest
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (July 2008) |
Pierogi Fest is held each year on 119th Street in downtown Whiting to honor the venerable pierogi dumpling. Spanning over three 3 days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during late July, the event draws in crowds from around the Calumet Region with guests coming from all over the globe.
The nearest airport serving Whiting is Gary/Chicago International Airport.
Whiting is home to the fourth largest oil refinery in the nation, run by BP. This site began operating in the 1890s, and was the first refinery owned by Standard Oil of Indiana, which went on to became Amoco before it merged with BP.
Was featured in an episode of MTV's High School Stories.[9]
The most popular resident of Whiting is the legendary Randy Balko. The founder and host of the city's unofficial RibFest is also a staunch supporter of the Lady Oilers Softball team.
Scenes from the movie Rudy, starring Sean Astin, as well as the 1981 drama Four Friends, were shot in Whiting.[10][11]
[edit] External links
- Whiting, Indiana is at coordinates 41°40′34″N 87°29′26″W / 41.676027°N 87.49046°WCoordinates: 41°40′34″N 87°29′26″W / 41.676027°N 87.49046°W
- City of Whiting, Indiana website
- Pierogi Festival website
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oil_refineries#Indiana
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Whiting History
- ^ Whiting, Indiana - Chamber of Commerce
- ^ Journey Through Calumet - Place
- ^ "Whiting Public Library Home Page." Whiting Public Library. Retrieved on January 21, 2009.
- ^ "IMDB listing for High School Stories". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426710/locations. Retrieved on 2009-03-29.
- ^ "IMDB listing for Rudy". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108002/locations. Retrieved on 2009-03-29.
- ^ "IMDB listing for Four Friends". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082404/locations. Retrieved on 2009-03-29.
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