Elkhart ( ) is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The population was 53,923 at the 2020 census. The city is located east of South Bend, Indiana. It is the most populous city in the Elkhart–Goshen metropolitan area, which in turn is part of the South Bend–Elkhart–Mishawaka combined statistical area, in a region commonly known as Michiana.

History

In 1829, the Village of Pulaski was established, consisting of a post office, mill, and a few houses on the north side of the St. Joseph River. Dr. Havilah Beardsley moved westward from Ohio, and on August 9, 1821, purchased one square mile of land from Pierre Moran (a half-French, half-Native American Potawatomi Chief) in order to establish a rival town named Elkhart. The town of Elkhart was first plotted with 48 lots on April 30, 1832. In 1839, the Pulaski Post Office was officially changed to Elkhart. Elkhart was incorporated as a town in 1858 and in 1875 as a city.

Elkhart County was founded exclusively by immigrants from New England. These were old-stock "Yankee" immigrants, that is to say, they were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s. The completion of the Erie Canal caused a surge in New England immigration to what was then the Northwest Territory. The end of the Black Hawk War led to an additional surge of immigration, once again coming almost exclusively from the six New England states as a result of overpopulation combined with land shortages in that region. Some of these later settlers were from upstate New York and had parents who had moved to that region from New England shortly after the Revolutionary War. New Englanders and New England transplants from upstate New York were the vast majority of Elkhart County's inhabitants during the first several decades of its history. These settlers were primarily members of various Protestant religions.

Many inhabitants of Elkhart County fought in the Union Army during the Civil War. In the late 1880s and early 1890s Irish and German migrants began moving into Elkhart County. Most of these later immigrants did not move directly from Ireland and Germany, but rather from other areas in the Midwest where they had already been living, particularly the state of Ohio.A Standard History of Elkhart County, Indiana: An Authentic Narrative of the Past, with Particular Attention to the Modern Era in the Commercial, Industrial, Educational, Civic, and Social Development, Volume 1. American Historical Society, 1916A Standard History of Elkhart County, Indiana: An Authentic Narrative of the Past, with Particular Attention to the Modern Era in the Commercial, Industrial, Educational, Civic, and Social Development, Volume 2. American Historical Society, 1916A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Elkhart County, Indiana by Anthony Deahl. Lewis Publishing Company, 1905

By the early 20th century, musical instrument factories, Miles Laboratories (originally Dr. Miles Medical Company), and numerous mills had set up shop and become the base of the economy. In 1934, the first recreational vehicle factory opened in Elkhart. Similar companies followed suit for the remainder of the decade, and the economy continued to grow until the rationing of materials in World War II. After the war, growth picked back up, and, by 1949, Elkhart was dubbed the "RV Capital of the World."

Infrastructure In 1851, the Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana Railroad Company built the first rail line through the city, and by 1852 the first passenger train passed through town. This, in turn, caused major population growth. Today, Norfolk Southern has the biggest railroad presence in town, although Elkhart has two other railroads: Shortline-Elkhart and Western (operated by Pioneer Railcorp) and Regional-Grand Elk (operated by Watco). Amtrak has two trains that stop in Elkhart, Lake Shore Limited and Capitol Limited, both of which stop at the Elkhart station. Canadian Pacific runs 6-8 trains through town on Norfolk Southern's trackage.

In 1867, Elkhart Hydraulic Company built the first hydraulic dam across the St. Joseph River which would power the city's machinery. Unfortunately, the hydraulics were prone to flooding as was common in those days, the wooden structures were eventually destroyed by fire. The hydraulics were purchased by the Indiana & Michigan Electric Company and they soon reconstructed the dam and by 1913, it powered the city. Today, the dam still produces electric power and is operated by Indiana Michigan Power, a subsidiary of American Electric Power.

In 1889, the world's second electric streetcar system began operating on the city's streets. It has since been decommissioned.

The Beardsley Avenue Historic District, Albert R. Beardsley House, Dr. Havilah Beardsley House, Emmanuel C. Bickel House, Bridge Street Bridge, Charles Gerard Conn Mansion, Elkhart Downtown Commercial Historic District, Green Block, William and Helen Koerting House, Lerner Theatre, Mark L. and Harriet E. Monteith House, Morehous Residential Historic District, State Street-Division Street Historic District, and Young Women's Christian Association are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Name

The name Elkhart is a deliberate misspelling or corruption of "Elks-heart", which refers to the now extinct Eastern elk. The name has been attached to the Elkhart River and surrounding area since at least 1749, when it was recorded in French as ("elk's heart") as the name of a Miami village there. The place name in Miami-Illinois is ("elk's heart"). Later in the 18th century the area was inhabited by the Potawatomi; in the Potawatomi language, the place is likewise known as , "at the elk heart".

The name may reflect a prehistoric association of the Elkhart area with the Kaskaskia people, whom the Miami called "elk hearts". The Kaskaskia are not associated with the area in any historical records, however, having been pushed further south and west by the wars of the 17th century.

Other explanations have been suggested. According to an account by two Miami leaders (Jean Baptiste Richardville and Le Gros) recorded in 1824, the name arose from two women fighting over an elk's heart that had been hung up to dry. Alternatively, some historians including Jacob Piatt Dunn have associated the name with the shape of an island in the Elkhart River that is stated to resemble an elk's heart.

Geography According to the 2010 census, Elkhart has a total area of , of which (or 96.04%) is land and (or 3.96%) is water.

The city sits on the St. Joseph and Elkhart Rivers. The Elkhart River drains into the St. Joseph at Island Park just north of downtown. There are also numerous small lakes around the city.

Climate Elkhart has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), with cold, snowy winters and warm, humid summers.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Elkhart city, Indiana – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2010% 2010White alone (NH)29,56526,35458.03%48.87%Black or African American alone (NH)7,7057,38415.12%13.69%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1541180.30%0.22%Asian alone (NH)4305710.84%1.06%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)20210.04%0.04%Other race alone (NH)952480.19%0.46%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)1,5292,6893.00%4.99%Hispanic or Latino (any race)11,45116,53822.48%30.67%Total50,94953,923100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Elkhart had a population of 53,923. The median age was 33.7 years. 27.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.5 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 20,562 households in Elkhart, of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.6% were married-couple households, 22.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 22,404 housing units, of which 8.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.7%.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 28,556 53.0% Black or African American 7,574 14.0% American Indian and Alaska Native 525 1.0% Asian 589 1.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 36 0.1% Some other race 10,267 19.0% Two or more races 6,376 11.8% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 16,538 30.7%

2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 50,949 people, 19,261 households, and 11,942 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 22,699 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 66.1% White, 15.4% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 12.9% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.5% of the population.

There were 19,261 households, of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.0% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60, and the average family size was 3.25.

The median age in the city was 32.7 years. 29.1% of residents were under 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.5% were from 25 to 44; 22.5% were from 45 to 64, and 11.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census As of the 2000 census, 51,874 people, 20,072 households, and 12,506 families reside in the city. The population density was . There were 21,688 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 71.5% White (predominantly German American), 14.7% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 9.2% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.8% of the population.

Of the 20,072 households, 62.3% were occupied by families, 33.4% had children under 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55, and the average family size was 3.16.

Of the city's population, 28.4% was under 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,863, and the median income for a family was $40,514. Males had a median income of $30,674 versus $22,760 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,890. About 11.1% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Elkhart boasts a growing shopping scene on its Northeast side along CR 6, as well as a vibrant small business sector on Main Street. The Concord Mall closed in 2023. A second shopping mall, Pierre Moran Mall, was partially demolished in 2006 for a new development called Woodland Crossing.

Industry