Airport

Porter County Municipal Airport is home for more than 144 general aviation aircraft. These aircraft range in size from small one passenger propeller driven aircraft, to large corporate jets. Our community is growing rapidly and the Porter County Municipal Airport Authority has ensured that the Airport's growth is keeping pace meeting the needs of our residents, visitors and businesses. There are expansion projects underway to meet the growing community needs and stimulate future business in the area. Features:

• Located 10 minutes from Chesterton
• Meeting / Conference room
• Pilot lounge with TV and telephone DUAT, computer access, weather, and Internet access for pilots
• Crew cars
• Overnight hard surface parking or hangar
• Clearance delivery 135.20 MHz. on the field
• ASOS (219-531-1770)
• Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 104
• Civil Air Patrol
• Indiana Aviation Museum
• Porter County Pilot's Association

Gary Chicago International Airport is dedicated to providing quality service, low cost and convenient access. The Gary/Chicago International Airport has set its sights on continued growth and expansion. Recognized as Chicago's Third Airport, The Gary/Chicago International Airport represents the highest degree of safety and operational efficiency with lots of capacity and room to grow. Strategically located within 25 miles from Chesterton and 35 minutes from downtown Chicago, Gary/Chicago International Airport offers convenient access to Chicago. Highway connections include I-90, I-80/94, I-65, the Chicago Skyway, the Dan Ryan Expressway, and Lake Shore Drive.Features:

• Location: 25 miles/35 minutes to downtown Chicago
• Location: Quick multi-modal connections and easy access surface transportation via a multiple highway network, rail and Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor
• Location: Central location provides the fastest access to the South, both coasts, and the Midwest
• Regional market in excess of 9 million consumers
• Low cost access to the entire Chicago marketplace
• Avoids City of Chicago-proper air and ground congestion
• Excellent airside and roadway access
• Foreign Trade Zone and U.S. Custom's Service: Foreign Trade Zone is expandable to suit tenant

Chicago Midway Airport is a one hour drive from Chesterton, and is located ten miles from downtown Chicago. One of the fastest growing airports in the continent, Chicago Midway Airport serves over 17 million travelers each year. Chicago Midway Airport currently has three concourses, serving major airlines such as American, Continental, and Southwest. Recent improvements have included an expansion of baggage claim areas and ticket counters, and a new terminal-concourse bridge.

Quick Facts

• Chesterton is known as "The Gateway to the Dunes" and is served by two major highway segments (Interstate 94 and Interstate 80/90), two major U.S. Highways (Highway 12 and Highway 20), and State Road 49.
• Chesterton’s road network is centrally located along the southern shoreline of Lake Michigan to service Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Southern Indiana.
• 11 million people live within 100 mile radius - making Chesterton the most logical choice for transportation and shipping related businesses.

Distance to Major Metro Areas

Chicago, IL 49 miles
Fort Wayne, IN 160 miles
Indianapolis, IN 163 miles
Madison, WI 195 miles
Detroit, MI 241 miles
Green Bay, WI 255 miles
Cleveland, OH 300 miles

The Port of Indiana - Burns Harbor is located 10 minutes from Chesterton on the south shore of Lake Michigan just 30 land miles and 18 nautical miles from Chicago.
The port offers:

• Year-round barge access to Midwestern markets and the Gulf of Mexico through the Inland Waterway System
• Direct access to the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence Seaway
• 560-acres with more than 30 tenants
• Capacity for Great Lakes bulk carriers up to 1,000 feet in length and saltwater vessels capable of transiting the locks on the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway system
• Service by the nation's nine class one carriers
• Foreign Trade Zone classification
• 12 modern shipping berths
• Special design allowing any vessel that navigates the 27-foot draft of the St. Lawrence Seaway to dock and turn around at the port
• Tenant services including tug, barge fleeting, railroad switching, waste disposal/sanitation, security and fire protection
• Heavy industry, light manufacturing and warehousing businesses
• Service for major cargoes including iron, steel, grain, chemicals, fertilizers, coal and heavy lift project cargo (up to 230 tons)

Access

Waterways - provides ship and barge connections to the world through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, including year-round access to the Inland Waterway System, connecting the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico. The port currently has the capability to simultaneously berth ten ships and has a 27-foot draft.

Rail - The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad, Norfolk Southern, CSX, and South Shore Railroad all service the port. The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad is the largest switch carrier in the U.S. with 54 miles of main track and 266 miles of additional yard and siding track. The South Shore Line rail passenger service is the last electric interurban line in the nation and transports 3.4 million passengers annually from Chicago to as far as South Bend, Ind.

Highway - Direct access is provided via IN-249. Along with this direct port access, four major interstates transect Northwest Indiana including I-65, I-80, I-90, I-94, offering routes to both coasts, the Gulf of Mexico and Canada. In addition, Chicago I-55 and I-57 connect Northwest Indiana with other Midwest and southern destinations.

Air - Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport are all easily accessible from Burns Harbor/Portage. The Gary/Chicago International Airport, 14 miles away, has the second-longest runway in the Chicago metro area and serves more than 65,000 flights per year.

Passenger Rail
Quick Facts

In addition to being centrally located for highways, Chesterton is also a focal point for freight rail and passenger rail. The Town is currently served by three Class I railroads, CSX, N.Y. Central, and Michigan Central, and the South Shore Railroad. The South Shore Line rail passenger service is the last electric interurban line in the nation and transports 3.4 million passengers annually from Chicago to as far as South Bend, Indiana.