A Chicago Southland suburb bordering the Indiana state line
Lansing is a Chicago Southland suburb and border town across Indiana's state line from cities Hammond and Munster. Like much of Illinois, Lansing’s population has declined slightly since 2020, according to a 2023 U.S. Census estimate, and the city now has fewer than 28,000 residents for the first time since the 1970s. Despite being less than 10 miles from Chicago’s South Side, Lansing has a small-town vibe that appeals to many of its residents. “As a community, they’re pretty close-knit here,” says Laura Alvarado, the interim executive director of the Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce. “Everyone I know is so people-oriented. They just come together as a community.”
Lansing has everything locals could want from retail to parks to schools.
Lansing has a small-town vibe that appeals to many of its residents.
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Near the busiest stretch of the Tri-State Tollway
The Tri-State Tollway, one of the most notorious highway bottlenecks in the Midwest, bisects Lansing. Its three routes—Interstates 80, 94 and 294—form an eastbound junction on the way to Indiana, and traffic slowdowns are to be expected. Access to the expressway is a boon to many of the town’s major employers, including the Land O’ Frost plant, which has been processing lunch meat since it opened in 1969.
Lansing Municipal Airport, originally built by Henry Ford to connect Detroit with the Ford assembly plant in nearby Chicago Heights, serves as a reliever airport for Chicago. The airport’s 1920s hangar is on the National Register of Historic Places and appears on the village seal. Commercial air travel is available at Chicago Midway International Airport, 25 miles north of Lansing.
There is no commuter train station in Lansing, but PACE bus routes run along Calumet Avenue and Torrence Avenue.
Local shopping and dining are highlighted by generational favorites and pizza with a pipe organ
Lansing’s downtown district is along Ridge Road, leading into downtown Munster. “Lansing has the cutest downtown,” says Donna Stuckert, the director of communications for the Village of Lansing. “There’s lots of shopping and great restaurants.” Gayety’s Chocolates and Ice Cream, originally established in Chicago in 1920, is a beloved Lansing staple. In a region known for pizza, Beggars Pizza stands out thanks to its 1920s pipe organ. It’s believed to be one of just three pizzerias in the country to feature a pipe organ.
Torrence Avenue is Lansing’s other main commercial corridor. Several national chains are located along this stretch, as is the venerable Calumet Bakery. Known for its nutrolls and donuts, the bakery has been part of Lansing’s morning routine since 1935. Torrence Avenue also leads north to the River Oaks Center Mall in neighboring Calumet City.
Residents love all the options they have at Calumet Bakery.
When it’s time to go shopping in Lansing, River Oaks Center has retail favorites.
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Bungalows and Cape Cod dwellings are commonplace
The median home price in Lansing is just below $200,000, less than half of the national median. Locally, Lansing's home prices are around $20,000 higher than Hammond, $40,000 higher than Calumet City, and $150,000 less than Munster's. The city's biggest housing boom occurred from the 1950s to the 1980s, and that’s reflected in a large number of cottages, bungalows, Cape Cods, split-levels and ranch-style homes. Move-in ready houses begin around $125,000. Subdivisions of New Traditional houses on Lansing’s west side are higher in price, ranging between $385,000 and $480,000.
Unique Cape Cod homes with beautiful yards can be found scattered throughout Lansing.
Classic cottages cling to clean cut yards in the Lansing area.
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Thornton Fractional South High is known for its drama program
Lansing School District No. 158 receives a D-plus rating from Niche. Though the district’s three elementary schools and junior high are all rated C-minus or higher, the district gets a D-minus for resources and facilities. Elementary students on Lansing's south side are zoned for Sunnybrook School District No. 171, which earns a C-rating. Thornton Fractional South High School earns a B-minus rating. T.F. South has an acclaimed drama program that has made multiple appearances in the state finals. Actor Jim O’Heir, best known for portraying the lovably inept Jerry Gergich on “Parks and Recreation," is among the program’s alums. Students can also attend A-rated Marian Catholic High School, which has a bus route from Lansing to its campus in Chicago Heights.
Thornton Fractional South High works closely with Lansing parents so students can always thrive.
Marian Catholic High School has a bus route from Lansing to it's campus in Chicago Heights.
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Multiple forest preserves and trail systems provide an escape to nature
The Lan-Oak Park District has 20 parks covering 125 acres and operates the 60,000-square-foot Eisenhower Community and Fitness Center. The Eisenhower Center is open year-round and provides a recreational outlet during Chicagoland's frigid winter months.
Multiple Cook County Forest Preserves are along Lansing’s southwestern boundary, including Brownell Woods and Lansing Woods. The 12-mile-long Thorn Creek Trail System connects the surrounding preserves. Another trail, the 14.5-mile-long Pennsy Greenway, runs through the heart of downtown Lansing on its path between Calumet City and Schererville, Indiana.
Brownell Woods has beautiful hiking trails all throughout Lansing.
Eisenhower Community and Fitness Center is open year round for residents of Lansing.
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Concerts and festivals at Fox Pointe event venue
Fox Pointe, a downtown amphitheater that opened in 2018, has quickly become a centerpiece of Lansing life. The village sponsors free Wednesday night concerts there from June through September, and the venue hosts annual events like L.A.C.E. Autumn Fest and the holiday tree lighting.
The Good Neighbor Day Parade, held annually since the 1960s, runs down Ridge Road on the first Saturday of May. “It’s usually a pretty full crowd,” Alvarado says. “I know at one time they thought about no longer having it, but the community kept it going.”
Fox Pointe, a downtown amphitheater that opened in 2018, is a centerpiece of Lansing life.
Fox Pointe hosts free music concerts for residents of Lansing in the summer months.
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Crime rate higher than the national average
Lansing's property and violent crime rates were higher than the national average in 2023.
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