In the late 19th century, a small area in northwest Indiana started to gain attention from Chicagoans. When the railroad was built, many people came to Cedar Lake and its namesake waterway to escape the bustling city about 45 miles away. By the early 1900s, 50 hotels were around the water and big musical acts performed in dance halls and ballrooms. One of the hotels is now a history museum, and one of the dance pavilions is on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the resort aspect is gone, but the lake still spans 800 acres, making it one of the largest in the state, says Dave Harkabus, a local associate broker at Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices Realty who grew up in the area. “It’s big enough to do whatever you want on a lake. And something is going on even in the winter.”
Homes on Cedar Lake provide easy access to the water.
The Museum at Lassen's Resort is an homage to the regions century-old history,.
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Lemon Lake County Park is another attraction
"I think one of the most overlooked things about Cedar Lake is Lemon Lake County Park,” Harkabus says. “They’ve put in a world-class disc golf course that people come from all over to play.” There are also walking paths, pavilions, a bird sanctuary, fishing and two dog parks. “To buy a house across the street from there, your backyard is 400 acres,” he adds. The Cedar Lake Yacht Club puts on sailboat races, and during the winter, when the lake freezes over, there are motorcycle races on the ice.
Many residents of Cedar Lake enjoy outdoor activities such as disc golf.
Kids will enjoy playing for hours outdoors at the Lemon Lake County Park in Cedar Lake.
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From the lakefront to the outer reaches of Cedar Lake
In Cedar Lake’s tourist heyday, cottages lined the lakefront. In some cases, cottages are at the foundation of a much larger house, but some are in their original form. Further from the lake are some newly constructed homes and more townhouses and condos. Although the median house price in Cedar Lake is below the national average at about $315,000, some houses surrounding the lake are priced in the millions. The median is slightly lower than the nearby communities of St. John, at about $365,000 and Crown Point, at nearly $455,000. The tax advantage is another benefit to living in Cedar Lake because it’s in Indiana rather than Illinois. “The difference is insane. I have a $500,000 house in nearby Schererville, and the annual taxes are around $2,900,” Harkabus says. “You put my house in Illinois - the taxes are $14,000.” The Illinois state line is only 7 miles west.
Cedar Lake is a neighborhood that features a mix of both modern and traditional houses.
Boating enthusiasts will enjoy Cedar Lake's large stock of lakefront homes.
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Things to know
Violent crime reached a 10-year peak in 2020 but has steadily declined since then, according to FBI data. Overall crime rates are low for the area, particularly as property crime has also steadily declined by 76% since 2015.
Restaurants with views of Cedar Lake
Some popular waterfront restaurants and bars offer scenic views of the water. “The Lighthouse Restaurant is the most popular. They serve 1,500 people on Mother’s Day alone,” Harkabus says. More restaurant and retail options exist away from the lake on Brunswick Road and Parrish Avenue. Nearby St. John or Crown Point, less than 10 miles away, have even more choices.
Dividing line between Crown Point and Hanover Schools
Cline Avenue is the dividing line between the two school districts serving the town. Children east of that line go to Crown Point Community School Corporation, rated an A on Niche, while the rest attend Hanover Community School Corporation, which gets an A-minus. The Crown Point Corporation has a little over 9,000 students in the district, while Hanover is much smaller at just 2,700.
Hanover Central Middle School is a highly rated, public school in Cedar Lake.
Hanover Central High School serves students from all nearby towns, including Cedar Lake.
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The closest hospital is near I-65
Interstate 65 is about 13 miles east of the community, helping connect the area to Gary and Chicago to the north. Franciscan Health Crown Point is the closest major hospital off the interstate. There’s no local bus service in Cedar Lake, but commuters can take a Gary Public Transportation express bus route from Crown Point to Gary. Around Gary and nearby East Chicago, commuters can also board South Shore Line commuter trains to reach other job centers in the region.
Written By
Jeff Stapleton
Photography Contributed By
Nadia George
Video By
Patrick Johnson
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Randy Hoyle,
an experienced agent in this area.
On average, homes in Cedar Lake, IN sell after 56 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Cedar Lake, IN over the last 12 months is $319,900, up 3% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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