Portage, IN

Portage is a lakefront city in northwest Indiana, just 40 miles from Chicago via I-94. The interstate provides the main access route, with State Road 249 running north-south through town and US-20 as an alternate east-west option. Most visitors come from the Chicago area for beach access or pass through on longer Midwest trips. The city sits along Lake Michigan's shore in the Indiana Dunes region, experiencing lake-effect weather that moderates temperatures year-round. It's home to the Port of Indiana-Burns Waterway, one of the Great Lakes' largest cargo ports.