Why Hammond
Hammond is an industrial city in Lake County, Indiana, positioned along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. As the only municipality in Indiana that directly borders Chicago, it serves as an integral part of the broader Chicago metropolitan region. The city extends from Lake Michigan in the north down to the Little Calumet River in the south, stretching from the Illinois state line to Cline Avenue. Its terrain consists primarily of former dune and swale land that was leveled over time, featuring sandy soil and several local waterways, including Lake George, Oxbow Lake, and the Grand Calumet River.
First settled around 1847 by German immigrant farmers, the location previously served as a crossroads for Native American tribes, explorers, and stagecoach lines. Industrial development began in 1869 with the establishment of a meat-packing plant by George H. Hammond, a pioneer in utilizing refrigerated railcars. Officially incorporated in 1884, the community grew into one of the oldest cities in northern Lake County. While historically part of the Rust Belt, the local economy eventually diversified into light manufacturing, warehousing, transit, food processing, retail, healthcare, and hospitality.
Visitors to the city can explore numerous properties and neighborhoods listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Key historic areas include the State Street Commercial Historic District, Hohman Avenue Commercial Historic District, and Pullman-Standard Historic District. Notable individual structures include the State Bank of Hammond Building, the Morse Dell Plain House and Garden, the Southmoor Apartment Hotel, and the George John Wolf House. The city also hosts a campus of Purdue University as well as the Hammond Public Library, which maintains the Suzanne G. Long Local History Room.
Recreational and entertainment options are centered around the area's waterfronts and established neighborhoods, which include Robertsdale, Hessville, Woodmar, and Schleicher. Parkland surrounding Wolf Lake provides outdoor space for leisure near the water, while the Horseshoe Hammond riverboat casino operates as a major local attraction along Lake Michigan.
Hammond is well connected to the surrounding region by an extensive network of expressways and railways. Travelers can reach the city via the Borman Expressway, the Indiana Toll Road, or the South Shore Line passenger rail service. Its strategic position is further underlined by major railroad marshalling yards and distribution facilities throughout the area.
01 Weather
76°
69°
☔ 100% 
74°
67°
☔ 63%
78°
63°
☔ 100%
70°
64°
☔ 100%
63°
60°
☔ 100% 
60°
58°
☔ 22%