St. John, IN

Wicker Avenue, also signed as U.S. 41, links three very different St. John destinations: the public library, the Sunday farmers market, and the Shrine of Christ's Passion. The shrine's half-mile prayer trail uses 40 life-size bronze sculptures, landscaped settings, music, and narrated listening stations to depict the last days of Jesus; its grounds are open year-round when weather permits. The farmers market operates every Sunday from May through October at 9660 Wicker Avenue. At 9450 Wicker Avenue, the Lake County Public Library branch stays open until 8:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. It has public computers, Wi-Fi, meeting and small-group rooms, downloadable materials, and programs ranging from early literacy and crafts to Makerspace and computer classes. St. John is also a fast-growing Lake County town southeast of Chicago. Founded in 1837, it established a post office in 1846.

ATTRSteve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA / CC BY 2.0

Housing estimates for 2020-2024 put owner occupancy at 97 percent, the median owner-occupied value at $406,300, monthly mortgage costs at $2,155, and median gross rent at $989. Town parks supply much of the recurring outdoor activity. Heartland Park combines five softball fields, four baseball fields, six sand-volleyball courts, a playground, and a walking path. Lake Hills Park has a lake, fishing pier, amphitheater, playground, and walking and bicycle trail; Heron Lake Park adds a splash pad and sledding hill, while the Gates of St. John complex has pickleball courts, soccer fields, a playground, and a separate skatepark. The town's dated 2026 events include movies at Prairie West Park, concerts at Lake Hills Park, a youth fishing derby, an Easter egg hunt, and community skatepark cleanups.