County outline
Where LaPorte County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 97.6% of LaPorte County’s measured area and water for 2.4%. Its combined area converts to 1,588.3 square kilometers or approximately 392,486 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 598.288 | 1,549.559 | 382,904.3 |
| Water | 14.971 | 38.775 | 9,581.4 |
| Total | 613.259 | 1,588.334 | 392,485.8 |
How LaPorte County compares
By original Census land area, LaPorte County ranks #2 of 92 in Indiana and #1628 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.509 times the Indiana county-equivalent median of 396.4 square miles. It accounts for 1.7% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Indiana ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of LaPorte County
The Census Bureau estimates that 111,294 people lived in LaPorte County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #580 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #16 of 92 in Indiana. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 112,418, the population has declined by 1,124 (−1%), compared with +2.8% for Indiana as a whole.
With 598.3 square miles of land, that is 186 people per square mile (72 per km²), placing LaPorte County #667 nationally for density and #22 in Indiana. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Indiana median is 88. Put another way, there are about 3.4 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 112,279 | 112,404 | 111,617 | 111,144 | 111,349 | 111,294 |
| Change | — | +125 | −787 | −473 | +205 | −55 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in LaPorte County
11 incorporated places lie at least partly in LaPorte County. Together they are home to 66,220 people (59.5%); the other 45,074 (40.5%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Michigan City city, with 31,338 residents in the county. The county seat, La Porte city, has 22,600 residents. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Kingsford Heights town grew fastest since then (+12.5%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan City city | 31,338 | −2.3% | 20.6 |
| La Porte cityCounty seat | 22,600 | −0% | 14.6 |
| Westville town | 5,387 | +2% | 3.251 |
| Trail Creek town | 1,987 | −3.4% | 1.217 |
| Kingsford Heights town | 1,500 | +12.5% | 0.888 |
| Long Beach town | 1,158 | −2.5% | 1.053 |
| Wanatah town | 972 | −3.5% | 1.399 |
| La Crosse town | 556 | −4% | 0.569 |
| Michiana Shores town | 303 | −1.9% | 0.348 |
| Pottawattamie Park town | 234 | −3.7% | 0.253 |
| Kingsbury town | 185 | −3.1% | 0.593 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside LaPorte County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
LaPorte County is a central county of the Michigan City-La Porte, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area. LaPorte County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the metro area has the same 598.3 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #339 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #351 by population. It belongs to the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
15 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in LaPorte County; 11 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
463404634546346463484635046360463654637146382463904639146532465524655446574
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering LaPorte County
LaPorte County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents, including 1 in Michigan. It has more land than every one of them. The largest neighbor is Berrien County (567.8 mi²) and the smallest is Starke County (309.1 mi²). Together with its neighbors, LaPorte County forms a block of 2,351.2 mi² of land, of which it holds 25.4%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. LaPorte | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berrien CountyMichigan | 567.8 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| St. Joseph County | 457.8 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Porter County | 418.1 | 1.4× smaller | Compare |
| Starke County | 309.1 | 1.9× smaller | Compare |
How big is LaPorte County compared with U.S. states?
LaPorte County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.7 times as much. Indiana’s county land could hold about 60 areas the size of LaPorte County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 24.5 miles (39.4 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about LaPorte County?
LaPorte County has more land than 1,594 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places LaPorte County at #1,702 nationally by total area, 74 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 2.4%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 1.3 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside LaPorte County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1627 | Baltimore County, Maryland | 598.4 | Compare |
| #1628 | LaPorte County, Indiana | 598.3 | This county |
| #1629 | Hillsdale County, Michigan | 598.2 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 41.549013, -86.744739. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,549,559,361 m²; AWATER: 38,775,328 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is LaPorte County?
LaPorte County, Indiana has 598.3 square miles (1,549.6 km²) of land and 15 square miles of water, for a total area of 613.3 square miles. It ranks #1628 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is LaPorte County the largest county in Indiana?
No. LaPorte County ranks #2 of 92 in Indiana by land area. The largest is Allen County, with 657.1 square miles of land.
What counties border LaPorte County?
LaPorte County shares a land border with Porter County, Starke County, St. Joseph County, and Berrien County, Michigan.
What is the population of LaPorte County?
The Census Bureau estimates LaPorte County had 111,294 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #580 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 186 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of LaPorte County?
The county seat of LaPorte County is La Porte.
What cities and towns are in LaPorte County?
LaPorte County has 11 incorporated places. The most populous five are Michigan City city, La Porte city, Westville town, Trail Creek town, and Kingsford Heights town; 45,074 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is LaPorte County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Michigan City-La Porte, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in LaPorte County?
15 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in LaPorte County, and 11 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does LaPorte County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.7 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in LaPorte County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 382,904 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 392,486 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.