Dyer, Indiana

Dyer, Indiana
Town
Motto: Striving Higher in Dyer

Dyer's location in Lake County (left)
and the state of Indiana (right).
Coordinates: 41°30′1″N 87°30′44″W / 41.50028°N 87.51222°W / 41.50028; -87.51222Coordinates: 41°30′1″N 87°30′44″W / 41.50028°N 87.51222°W / 41.50028; -87.51222
Country United States United States
State Indiana Indiana
County Lake
Township St. John
Settled[1] 1838
Incorporated January 24, 1910
Government[2]
  Type Town
  Body Town Council
  President Joseph M. Cinko (D, 1st)
  Vice-President Mary Tanis (R, 4th)
  Members: Jeffrey Decker (R, 2nd) Connee D. Trepton (D, 3rd) Debbie Astor (R, 5th)
  Clerk-Treasurer Patricia A. Hawrot (D)
  Administrator Rick Eberly
Area[3]
  Total 6.10 sq mi (15.8 km2)
  Land 6.10 sq mi (15.8 km2)
  Water 0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation 640 ft (200 m)
Population (2010)[4]
  Total 16,390
  Estimate (2013) 16,277
  Density 2,687/sq mi (1,037/km2)
Standard of living (2008-12)[4]
  Per capita income $35,020
  Median home value $197,500
Time zone Central (UTC-6)
  Summer (DST) Central (UTC-5)
ZIP code 46311
Area code 219
FIPS code 18-19270[5]
GNIS feature ID 0433824[6]
Website www.townofdyer.com
Demographics (2010)[7]
White Black Asian
90.1% 2.5% 2.9%
Islander Native Other Hispanic
(any race)
0.0% 0.2% 4.3% 9.3%

Dyer is a town in St. John Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 16,390 at the 2010 census.

This bedroom community lies in the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

Dyer placed 97th on the "100 Best Places to Live in the US" by CNN and Money Magazine in 2005. It was one of two Indiana municipalities to earn this distinction (the other being Fishers outside Indianapolis).[8]

Geography

Dyer is located at 41°30′01″N 87°30′44″W / 41.500218°N 87.512161°W / 41.500218; -87.512161 (41.500218, -87.512161).[9]

Dyer borders Munster to the north, unincorporated St. John Township to the south, Schererville to the east, and Lynwood and Sauk Village in Illinois to the west. The Illinois state line comprises Dyer's entire western border. One of Dyer's neighborhoods, Briar Ridge, spans both Dyer and adjacent Schererville.

Dyer is built on mostly flat land with an exception being the steep sand ridge south of US Highway 30. This is the Glenwood Shoreline.

According to the 2010 census, Dyer has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.80 km2), all land.[3]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910545
1920479−12.1%
193067240.3%
194097645.2%
19501,55659.4%
19603,993156.6%
19704,90622.9%
19809,55594.8%
199010,92314.3%
200013,89527.2%
201016,39018.0%
Est. 201416,169[10]−1.3%
Source:[5]

As of 2009, the median income for a household in the town was $76,599 while the mean income for a household in the town was $93,308. The median income for a family was $87,127 and the mean income for a family was $103,563. The estimated per capita income for the town was $34,275. About 0.7% of families and 1.2% of the population were estimated to be below the poverty line.[11]

2010 census

As of the census[4] of 2010, there were 16,390 people, 5,985 households, and 4,552 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,686.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,037.4/km2). There were 6,125 housing units at an average density of 1,004.1 per square mile (387.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 90.1% White, 2.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.9% Asian, 2.4% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.3% of the population.

There were 5,985 households of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23.9% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.12.

The median age in the town was 42.9 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 31.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

History

In 1830, the first permanent white settlers came to Northwest Indiana.[1] The earliest historical records date back to 1838. On June 1, 1855, the original plat of the town[1] was established. Aaron Norton Hart, a settler from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, played a key role in developing Dyer's infrastructure in the 1860s and 1870s. Hart supervised construction of roads and the implementation of a drainage ditch system, allowing agricultural and commercial use of the marshy land. Hart was killed in 1883 while working on a ditch near Plum Creek. Hart Street, one of Dyer's major north-south streets, bears his name. Hart's wife, Martha Dyer Hart, is the town's namesake.[12]

Dyer was incorporated as a town under Indiana law on February 8, 1910.[1] Upon incorporation, Dyer was divided into three wards: The first ward consisted of all land within town limits lying west of Hart Street; the second ward comprised the section east of Hart Street and south of Lincoln Highway; the land north of Lincoln Highway and east of Hart Street formed the third ward.[1]

Transportation

Roads

Dyer's primary arterial road is U.S. Route 30/Lincoln Highway, which runs east-west through the town. A 1.3-mile (2.1 km) stretch of this route traversing Dyer and Schererville was considered one of the most prominent Seedling Mile projects on the Lincoln Highway when it was constructed in the early 1920s, and came to be known as the highway's "Ideal Section." It remains in use to this day.

Amtrak

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Dyer at the Dyer Amtrak Station. The station is served by the Cardinal with service to Chicago Union Station and New York Penn Station via Washington D.C.'s Union Station. On the days that the Cardinal does not run, the Hoosier State connects Indianapolis to Chicago, where connecting trains take passengers to other destinations in the Amtrak system.[13]

Education

Lake County Public Library operates the Dyer-Schererville Branch at 1001 West Lincoln Highway in adjacent Schererville.[14]

Dyer is served by the Lake Central School Corporation. Public high school students living in Dyer are served by Lake Central High School located outside the town limits on Route 41 in St. John.[15] Three of the system's schools are located within Dyer town limits: Kahler Middle School, on Route 30 west of Hart Street, Protsman Elementary, located north of 213th Street, and Bibich elementary, located just off of 81st street.

It is also the home of Protestant Reformed Christian School (PRCS), a Christian school started by members of the Protestant Reformed Churches.

Sports

Dyer is home to the Chi-Town Shooters, a minor league professional ice hockey team that is a member of the All American Hockey League. The team's home arena is Midwest Training & Ice Center.

Notable places

Meyer's Castle, built for herbologist Joseph E. Meyer in 1927-1931, is located in the town.

References

External links

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