East Chicago, IN

East Chicago is a city located in Lake County, Indiana. The population was 27,527 at the 2010 census. East Chicago is part of the Chicago metropolitan area.

East Chicago was founded in 1892 and named after East Cleveland, Ohio. The city's economy was initially based on steel production and shipbuilding. However, the industry declined in the early 20th century and by 1930 East Chicago had become a largely industrial city with a population of just over 10,000 people. In the 1950s and 1960s, however, East Chicago experienced an economic revival as it became one of the major manufacturing centers for automobiles and appliances in the United States. However, by 1990 this industry had also declined and by 2000 East Chicago had become a largely impoverished city with a population of just over 26,000 people.

Since 2000 however, East Chicago has experienced another economic revival as its downtown has been redeveloped into a mixed-use district that now houses several restaurants, bars, art galleries and retail stores. This redevelopment has led to an increase in both population and commerce within East Chicago which now has a population of over 30,000 people. As a result of this renewed prosperity, East Chicago has begun to experience some gentrification as well as new investment opportunities that are bringing new businesses and jobs to the cityscape.