Chicago suburbs (Indiana)
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The Chicago suburbs in Indiana are also known as the Lake region or the Calumet Region of the state. The region is comprised of five counties that neighbor Chicago, Illinois and Lake Michigan, including Lake, Porter, La Porte, Newton and Jasper counties. The region includes not only a large group of Chicago suburbs, such as Merrillville, Highland, Munster, and Schererville, but also a number of cities whose economies are only loosely linked to Chicago's. The largest city in the region is Gary; other notable cities in the region include Hammond, East Chicago, Valparaiso, and Michigan City. A number of the suburbs serve as bedroom communities for both Chicago and the Northwest Indiana cities.
The region is noted for its heavy industry. Gary, Portage, and East Chicago are home to major steel mills; the region is also the home of other metals industries, refineries, and heavy manufacturing.
The Lake Michigan shore is a major attraction. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, in Porter County, is a well-preserved stretch of sand dunes, beaches, grasslands, and forests.
The portions of these counties that are more distant from Chicago remain rural.
These counties are also in the Central Standard Time Zone, which is separate from the majority of Indiana counties, which are in the Eastern Standard Time Zone. Also, unlike most of Indiana, the Lake Region observes Daylight Saving Time.