West Lafayette () is a city in Wabash Township, Tippecanoe County,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

, United States, about northwest of the state capital of

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

and southeast of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

. West Lafayette is directly across the Wabash River from its sister city, Lafayette. As of the 2020 census, its population was 44,595. It is the most densely populated city in Indiana and is home to

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and ...

History

Augustus Wylie laid out a town in 1836 in the Wabash River floodplain south of the present Levee. Due to regular flooding of the site, Wylie's town was never built. The present city was formed in 1888 by the merger of the adjacent suburban towns of Chauncey, Oakwood, and Kingston, located on a bluff across the Wabash River from Lafayette, Indiana. The three towns had been small suburban villages which were directly adjacent to one another. Kingston was laid out in 1855 by Jesse B. Lutz. Chauncey was platted in 1860 by the Chauncey family of Philadelphia, wealthy land speculators. Chauncey and Kingston formed a municipal government in 1866 which selected the name "Chauncey". The new town of Chauncey remained a small suburban village until

opened in 1869. In 1871 Chauncey voted to be annexed by Lafayette because it was unable to provide the infrastructure (such as improved streets, waterworks, police and fire protection). Lafayette voted against annexing Chauncey because of the high cost of the many improvements that the village lacked. In May 1888, the town of Chauncey voted to change its name to West Lafayette after a petition signed by 152 electors. By that time, the growth of the university was fueling the growth of the little town. The address of

was given as "Lafayette, Indiana" until well into the twentieth century. West Lafayette never gained a railroad depot and lagged several years behind Lafayette in the establishment of municipal infrastructure and services. Today, West Lafayette has established itself as a separate city, with independent services and unique neighborhoods distinct from those of its sister city, Lafayette. In November 2013, the City of West Lafayette approved an

annexation Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...

that placed much of the

academic campus and residence hall system within the official boundaries of the municipality for the first time. This expansion also included a large section of the US Highway 231 corridor that was previously part of unincorporated Tippecanoe County. Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity House, Jesse Andrew House, Chauncey-Stadium Avenues Historic District,

John E. and Catherine E. Christian House Samara, also known as the John E. Christian House, is a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The home is an example of the Usonian homes that Wright designed. Samara was built from 1954 to 1956 and was still ...

, Curtis-Grace House, Happy Hollow Heights Historic District, Hills and Dales Historic District, Morton School, and The Varsity are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Geography

West Lafayette lies in central Tippecanoe County and overlooks the Wabash River, which borders the city on the east and south. Most of the city lies in eastern Wabash Township, though a small portion on the northeast side extends into Tippecanoe Township. Elevations range from slightly over near the river to more than in northern parts of the city near U.S. Route 52. According to the 2010 census, West Lafayette has a total area of , of which (or 99.87%) is land and (or 0.13%) is water.

Neighborhoods

* Avondale * Bar Barry Heights * Camelback * Glenwood Heights * Happy Hollow * Hills and Dales

* New Chauncey Neighborhood

* Northwestern Heights * Park Ridge * Peppermill Village * Plaza Park * Prophets Ridge * Stonebridge * University Farm * Wabash Shores

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2020, there were 44,595 people living in the city.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 29,796 people, 11,945 households, and 4,072 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 12,591 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 60.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 9.8%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% Native American, 17.3% Asian, 1.9% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 7.6% of the population. There were 11,945 households, of which, 16.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 65.9% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the city was 22.8 years. 11.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 49.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.4% were from 25 to 44; 11.7% were from 45 to 64; and 8.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 54.2% male and 45.8% female. Following the 2010 census, West Lafayette annexed additional territory including the Purdue University main campus. The census bureau released an updated report to reflect the boundary updates. The census now reports 14,053 households and a population of 44,910.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 28,778 people, 10,462

household A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is i ...

s, and 3,588 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 10,819 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 69.3%

, 13.3% Asian, 8.4%

, 0.2% Native American, <0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.2% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 9.2% of the population. There were 10,462 households, out of which 14.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.6% were

living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 65.7% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city, the population was spread out, with 10.4% under the age of 18, 54.6% from 18 to 24, 16.9% from 25 to 44, 10.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 133.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 137.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,869, and the median income for a family was $51,510.The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $18,337. About 22.5% of families and 38.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

Government

The city's elected officials consist of the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

, a clerk, and a nine-member Common Council. The nine-member Common Council holds the city's

legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

authority and makes the laws through ordinances, orders, resolutions and motions. The city is divided into 6 districts, and the Common Council consists of one council member from each district, plus three at-large council members. Elected by the council members, the president of the Common Council presides over the council meetings and is first in the line of succession should the mayor not finish his or her term of office. All city elected officials have a term of office of four years with no limit on the number of terms. Regular elections for all offices are held at the same time in the odd year preceding the presidential election year. The following is a list of all mayors of West Lafayette since the position began in 1924.Kriebel, Robert C
Ross-Ade: Their Purdue Stories, Stadium, and Legacies
p. 166 (2009)

Education

Purdue University Engineering Quad Fountain

West Lafayette is the home of Purdue University's main campus, with an enrollment of over 40,000 students. Purdue University Liberal Arts fountain

The West Lafayette Community School Corporation administers three schools. The school district is not coterminous with the municipality; areas annexed by the city after 2000 continue to be served by county schools. Students attend West Lafayette Elementary School (formerly Cumberland Elementary School) through third grade, while students in grades 4–6 attend West Lafayette Intermediate School. Students in the 7th grade and above attend West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School. The West Lafayette Community School Corporation is a top rated, public school district with numerous accolades. The

Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...

operates Pleasantview SDA School which offers courses for grades K–8, and the Montessori School of Greater Lafayette teaches K–6. There are other schools, both public and private, that have a West Lafayette address, but these are actually located outside the city limits. Approximately 77% of West Lafayette's population age 25 or older hold a bachelor's degree or higher according to the U.S. Census 2005–2007 American Community Survey. The city ranks sixth highest on this measure among U.S. municipalities between 20,000 and 65,000 population. In addition, the

Tippecanoe School Corporation The Tippecanoe School Corporation administers 18 high schools, middle schools and elementary schools in Tippecanoe County, Indiana: High schools * Elston Community Education Cente* McCutcheon High School]* William Henry Harrison High School (West ...

and Lafayette School Corporation operate public schools outside the West Lafayette city limits. There is also a variety of

private schools An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British En ...

in Lafayette and an

Ivy Tech Community College Ivy Tech Community College (Ivy Tech) is a public community college system in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the state's public community college system and it has more than 40 locations. It is also the state's largest public postsecondary in ...

branch. The town has a lending library, the West Lafayette Public Library. There is also a branch of the county-run library (Tippecanoe County Public Library) in the Klondike area to the west of the city.

Economy

The economy of West Lafayette is heavily influenced by the presence of Purdue University, with an enrollment of over 50,000, more than the city's population. The university employs 12,000 people, most of whom live in either West Lafayette or Lafayette. The

Purdue Research Park The Purdue Research Parks are a network of four research parks located in Indiana, United States. The flagship West Lafayette park is located less than north of Purdue University's West Lafayette campus, and is the largest university-affiliated ...

, established in 1961, is home to more than 140 companies of which nearly 100 are technology related. As of 2009, these companies employ more than 3,000. The Park offers communications infrastructure, research facilities, a business incubation complex to help start-up firms and scenic walking trails and lakes. It is one of the largest university-affiliated research parks in the United States. The Purdue Research Park is owned by Purdue Research Foundation, the University's non-profit funding and technology licensing arm. Commercial activities, however, take place mostly across the river in Lafayette. The largest commercial area in West Lafayette is the Wabash Landing/Levee area, which has become a thriving urban-type district since the entire area was reconstructed and the Pedestrian Bridge to Lafayette replaced the old State Street bridge. The Levee features Wabash Landing, a complex containing shops, restaurants, coffee houses, a 9-screen movie theater, a Hilton Garden Inn, and the Riverside Skating Center.

News and media

West Lafayette residents use many of the news and media outlets located in its twin city of Lafayette. Media located in West Lafayette proper include: * The Purdue Exponent. Purdue University's independent student newspaper serving Purdue, West Lafayette, and Lafayette. Newsroom and offices located just off campus on Northwestern Avenue in West Lafayette. * WPBI-LD 16 ( Fox; NBC on LD2; ABC on LD3) * WLFI-TV 18, ( CBS; 18.2 CW; 18.3 Ion; 18.4 getTV) * WPBY-LD 35 ( ABC; MeTV/ MyNetworkTV on LD2) *

WBAA WBAA (920 AM) and WBAA-FM (101.3 FM) are two non-commercial educational radio stations licensed to West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, both serving the Lafayette metro area with public radio formats. WBAA's format is exclusively news-o ...

Radio. (920AM, 101.3FM), a

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...

affiliate with studios located on the

campus * WLQQ Radio. (106.7FM)

Transportation

Public transportation in West Lafayette is managed by the Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation.

Airports

* Purdue University Airport

Highways

Interstate 65 Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between the Great Lakes and the Gul ...

Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along th ...

(near

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

) and

US 52 U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States highway in the central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follo ...

Joliet, Illinois Joliet ( ) is a city in Will and Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. At the 2020 census, the city was the third-largest in Illinois, with a population of 150,362. His ...

(also near Chicago) and Indianapolis * US 231 to Rensselaer, Indiana and Owensboro, Kentucky * State Road 26 from

campus to Kokomo, Indiana * State Road 43 to

Brookston, Indiana Brookston is a town in Prairie Township, White County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 1,554 as of the 2010 United States Census. History Brookston was platted in 1853, and named for James Brooks, a railroad official. The Brook ...

and

Reynolds, Indiana Reynolds is a town in Honey Creek Township, White County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 533 at the 2010 census. History Reynolds was platted in 1854 when the railroad was extended to that point. The town was named for Benjamin ...

Railroads

* Amtrak (Lafayette station) * CSX Transportation *

Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad The Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad Company is a Class III railroad serving agricultural communities in east-central Illinois and west-central Indiana. History In December 1977, Conrail was set to abandon of their ex-New York Centr ...

* Norfolk Southern Railway

Points of interest

* Purdue University Horticulture Gardens * Harry's Chocolate Shop, a bar that is part of the 19th century Von's Shops building * Fort Ouiatenon, an early French trading post *

Purdue State Bank The Purdue State Bank Building is a historic structure in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, designed by American architect and Frank Lloyd Wright's mentor Louis Sullivan. Completed in 1914, the bank is the smallest and least expensive of ...

, 1914 bank building designed by architect Louis Sullivan * Samara (John E. Christian House), a Usonian home designed by architect

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

* Celery Bog Nature Area and Lilly Nature Center * Purdue Horticulture Park

Notable people

''For notable residents associated with

, see List of Purdue University people.''
''For notable natives from the neighboring city Lafayette, Indiana, see that page.'' * Brian Binnie, test pilot for

SpaceShipOne SpaceShipOne is an experimental air-launched rocket-powered aircraft with sub-orbital spaceflight capability at speeds of up to 3,000 ft/s (900 m/s, 3240 km/h), using a hybrid rocket motor. The design features a unique " feathering ...

Katie Bouman Katherine Louise Bouman (; born 1989) is an American engineer and computer scientist working in the field of computer imagery. She led the development of an algorithm for imaging black holes, known as Continuous High-resolution Image Reconstr ...

, computer scientist who was a member of the Event Horizon Telescope team that captured the first image of a black hole *

Max Mapes Ellis Max Mapes Ellis, (December 3, 1887 - August 26, 1953) was an American physiologist. He was married to the American ichthyologist Marion Durbin Ellis (1887-1972) in 1909. Early life and career Ellis was the son of Horace and Grace V. Ellis. He w ...

, American physiologist * Bob Friend, Major League Baseball player * Gen Fukunaga, founder of Funimation Entertainment * Sanjay Ghemawat, computer scientist and senior fellow of Google * Anissa Jones, actress, best known as "Buffy" on CBS' ''

Family Affair ''Family Affair'' is an American sitcom starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Keith) as he attemp ...

'' *

Cleve Jones Cleve Jones (born October 11, 1954) is an American AIDS and LGBT rights activist. He conceived the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, which has become, at 54 tons, the world's largest piece of community folk art as of 2020. In 1983, at the onset ...

, conceived the AIDS quilt * Stan Jones, educator and politician * Tom Kelly, songwriter * Drew Brees, NFL player * Harry G. Leslie, governor of Indiana *

Jay McDowell BR549 (originally spelled BR5-49) was an American country rock band founded in 1993. It originally consisted of Gary Bennett (lead and background vocals, acoustic guitar), Don Herron (steel guitar, resonator guitar, fiddle, mandolin, acoustic gu ...

, bassist for country music band BR549 *

Toby Moskowitz Tobias Jacob "Toby" Moskowitz (born February 3, 1971) is an American Financial economics, financial economist and a professor at the Yale School of Management. He was the winner of the 2007 American Finance Association (AFA) Fischer Black Priz ...

, financial economist *

Chike Okeafor Chikezie Russell Okeafor (; born March 27, 1976) is a former American football player. During his National Football League career from 1999 to 2009, he played defensive end and linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks, and the ...

, NFL player *

Eric Rodwell Eric Victor Rodwell (born May 1, 1957) is an American professional bridge player. He has won the Bermuda Bowl representing the United States five times and is one of ten players who have won the triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the Wor ...

, multiple world champion bridge player *

Erik Sabel Erik Sabel (born October 14, 1974) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for three seasons. He played for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1999 and 2001 and the Detroit Tigers in 2002. Following his playing career, Sabel has been pit ...

, MLB player *

Randy Truitt Randy Truitt is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives representing District 26 which includes portions of Tippecanoe and Warren County. He was first elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2008. Prior to 2008, he was ...

, former member of the Indiana House of Representatives *

George Karlaftis George Karlaftis ( el, Γιώργος Ματθαίου Καρλάφτης; ; born 3 April 2001) is a Greek-born professional American football defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Athens ...

, NFL player for the Kansas City Chiefs

References

Bibliography

External links

City of West Lafayette, Indiana website
{{Authority control Cities in Indiana Populated places established in 1888 Cities in Tippecanoe County, Indiana Lafayette metropolitan area, Indiana Articles containing video clips 1888 establishments in Indiana