East Chicago, city (1990 pop. 33,892), Lake co., extreme NW Ind., on L. Michigan; 41°39'N 87°27'W. In the industrialized Calumet region, adjoining Gary, Hammond, and Whiting; inc. 1889. It is a very large port, and its Indiana Harbor on L. Michigan is connected with the Grand Calumet R. by a ship and barge canal. The city’s mfg. base is dominated by heavy industry such as steelworks, scrap-iron processing, RR-equip. shops, and chemical plants, but its pop. has decreased by nearly 12% since the 1970s.
