Small Town Breakdown No. 24: Kouts, Indiana
In 2025 we are highlighting 52 small towns across the state of Indiana in 52 weeks. For our 24th small town breakdown of the year, we’re going from Syracuse in Kosciusko County to Kouts in Porter County. Kouts is 2 hours and 15 minutes north of Indianapolis, 2 hours and 10 minutes west of Fort Wayne, 1 hour and 10 minutes southwest of South Bend, and 1 hour and 15 minutes southeast of downtown Chicago.
The History of Porter County and Kouts, Indiana
Porter County was organized in 1836 from land that was previously part of LaPorte and Newton counties. It was named after US Navy Captain David Porter, who served in the War of 1812 and the Barbary Wars. Porter County is the ninth-most populated county of 92 counties in Indiana.
Barnhardt Kautz (pronounced Kouts) originally founded Kouts Station in 1867 as a village where Erie and Pennsylvania railroads intersected. The name was later changed to Kout in 1882 before finally becoming Kouts, as it’s known today, in 1890. It didn’t become an incorporated town until 1921, when electricity made its way to town. In addition to the railroad junction, the Kankakee River attracted settlers for fishing and trapping. As of the 2023 census Kouts’ population was 2,054, making it the seventh-largest of 11 incorporated cities/towns in Porter County. Kouts, located within Pleasant Township, is the 226th largest city in Indiana.
Things to Do In or Near Kouts, Indiana
Pork Fest is an annual event set for August 22-23 later this summer. It includes a parade, food and shopping vendors, country classic 5K, live entertainment at Pennsy Park and more. Over 8,000 people attend each year. Pennsy Park is also home to a splash pad.
Dunn’s Bridge County Park is the site of, you guessed it, Dunn’s Bridge – one of the oldest landmarks in the region. It was built by a local farmer named J.D. Dunn over 100 years ago across the Kankakee River. Some even suggest it can be traced to George Ferris, who invented the Ferris Wheel. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only public access point to the Kankakee River in Porter County.
Open Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Pleasant Township Pool is a great summer spot to soak up some sun. Children 3 and under get in free, and you can bring your own food and beverage in to enjoy.
Places to Eat in Kouts, Indiana
John Andy’s Deli & Cafe is open from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday-Sunday. Hours are extended from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Fridays for its fish fry, with white fish, pollack and ocean perch available, each served with French fries and coleslaw or a side of hushpuppies. John Andy’s is veteran owned and operated, has over 1,800 likes on Facebook and a perfect 5.0-star rating on Google.
Cronies Charhouse and Ginmill is a dive bar and grill open seven days a week. Guests can enjoy live entertainment, and there’s all-you-can-eat lake perch, walleye, bluegill and frog legs on Fridays. Cronies has racked up over 3,700 likes on Facebook.
Baum’s Bridge Inn is located southwest of town on the banks of the Kankakee River. Like Cronies, Baums has all-you-can-eat walleye and ocean perch – plus prime rib – on Fridays, and there’s live entertainment every other Sunday. Historical fact: Enos Baum built the toll bridge Baum’s Bridge in 1863.
Love is the main ingredient at Desserts by Juliette. It all began in 2013 when Juliette quit her job to help her grandma rehab from an illness. Juliette made dessert recipes, and it brought her, her mom Susan and grandma, who has since passed away, closer together. They started food blogging, and when one of them became No. 1 on Google, the bakery was born in 2018. Cakes and cupcakes were the original staples, and now desserts are provided for all occasions including weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, showers, graduations and retirements. Locals and visitors can enjoy coffee, cold brew, lattes, mochas, donuts and macarons on top of all the delicious desserts.
Kouts Middle/High School Mascots and IHSAA State Finals
Kouts Middle/High School can hang its hat on two things – they’ve got two mascots. All boys teams are known as the Mustangs, and every girls team is the Fillies. The boys basketball team made it to the 2021 state finals but lost to Barr-Reeve. Just a couple weeks ago, the baseball program – ranked No. 1 in Class 1A – made its first trip to the state finals but came up short against ninth-ranked Indianapolis Lutheran, 14-1.
Top 5 Recommendations by Get Indiana
John Andy’s Deli & Cafe
Pork Fest
Cronies Charhouse and Ginmill
Desserts by Juliette
Baum’s Bridge Inn
Top 5 Recommendations by Kouts Locals
Cronies Charhouse and Ginmill
John Andy’s Deli & Cafe
Dunn’s Bridge County Park
Wana Pizza
Pork Fest
That’s it for small town breakdown No. 24 of 2025. Where should we head next?
Small Town Breakdown No. 24: Kouts, Indiana
In 2025 we are highlighting 52 small towns across the state of Indiana in 52 weeks. For our 24th small town breakdown of the year, we’re going from Syracuse in Kosciusko County to Kouts in Porter County. Kouts is 2 hours and 15 minutes north of Indianapolis, 2 hours and 10 minutes west of Fort Wayne, 1 hour and 10 minutes southwest of South Bend, and 1 hour and 15 minutes southeast of downtown Chicago.
The History of Porter County and Kouts, Indiana
Porter County was organized in 1836 from land that was previously part of LaPorte and Newton counties. It was named after US Navy Captain David Porter, who served in the War of 1812 and the Barbary Wars. Porter County is the ninth-most populated county of 92 counties in Indiana.
Barnhardt Kautz (pronounced Kouts) originally founded Kouts Station in 1867 as a village where Erie and Pennsylvania railroads intersected. The name was later changed to Kout in 1882 before finally becoming Kouts, as it’s known today, in 1890. It didn’t become an incorporated town until 1921, when electricity made its way to town. In addition to the railroad junction, the Kankakee River attracted settlers for fishing and trapping. As of the 2023 census Kouts’ population was 2,054, making it the seventh-largest of 11 incorporated cities/towns in Porter County. Kouts, located within Pleasant Township, is the 226th largest city in Indiana.
Things to Do In or Near Kouts, Indiana
Pork Fest is an annual event set for August 22-23 later this summer. It includes a parade, food and shopping vendors, country classic 5K, live entertainment at Pennsy Park and more. Over 8,000 people attend each year. Pennsy Park is also home to a splash pad.
Dunn’s Bridge County Park is the site of, you guessed it, Dunn’s Bridge – one of the oldest landmarks in the region. It was built by a local farmer named J.D. Dunn over 100 years ago across the Kankakee River. Some even suggest it can be traced to George Ferris, who invented the Ferris Wheel. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only public access point to the Kankakee River in Porter County.
Open Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Pleasant Township Pool is a great summer spot to soak up some sun. Children 3 and under get in free, and you can bring your own food and beverage in to enjoy.
Places to Eat in Kouts, Indiana
John Andy’s Deli & Cafe is open from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday-Sunday. Hours are extended from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Fridays for its fish fry, with white fish, pollack and ocean perch available, each served with French fries and coleslaw or a side of hushpuppies. John Andy’s is veteran owned and operated, has over 1,800 likes on Facebook and a perfect 5.0-star rating on Google.
Cronies Charhouse and Ginmill is a dive bar and grill open seven days a week. Guests can enjoy live entertainment, and there’s all-you-can-eat lake perch, walleye, bluegill and frog legs on Fridays. Cronies has racked up over 3,700 likes on Facebook.
Baum’s Bridge Inn is located southwest of town on the banks of the Kankakee River. Like Cronies, Baums has all-you-can-eat walleye and ocean perch – plus prime rib – on Fridays, and there’s live entertainment every other Sunday. Historical fact: Enos Baum built the toll bridge Baum’s Bridge in 1863.
Love is the main ingredient at Desserts by Juliette. It all began in 2013 when Juliette quit her job to help her grandma rehab from an illness. Juliette made dessert recipes, and it brought her, her mom Susan and grandma, who has since passed away, closer together. They started food blogging, and when one of them became No. 1 on Google, the bakery was born in 2018. Cakes and cupcakes were the original staples, and now desserts are provided for all occasions including weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, showers, graduations and retirements. Locals and visitors can enjoy coffee, cold brew, lattes, mochas, donuts and macarons on top of all the delicious desserts.
Kouts Middle/High School Mascots and IHSAA State Finals
Kouts Middle/High School can hang its hat on two things – they’ve got two mascots. All boys teams are known as the Mustangs, and every girls team is the Fillies. The boys basketball team made it to the 2021 state finals but lost to Barr-Reeve. Just a couple weeks ago, the baseball program – ranked No. 1 in Class 1A – made its first trip to the state finals but came up short against ninth-ranked Indianapolis Lutheran, 14-1.
Top 5 Recommendations by Get Indiana
John Andy’s Deli & Cafe
Pork Fest
Cronies Charhouse and Ginmill
Desserts by Juliette
Baum’s Bridge Inn
Top 5 Recommendations by Kouts Locals
Cronies Charhouse and Ginmill
John Andy’s Deli & Cafe
Dunn’s Bridge County Park
Wana Pizza
Pork Fest
That’s it for small town breakdown No. 24 of 2025. Where should we head next?
Small Town Breakdown No. 24: Kouts, Indiana
In 2025 we are highlighting 52 small towns across the state of Indiana in 52 weeks. For our 24th small town breakdown of the year, we’re going from Syracuse in Kosciusko County to Kouts in Porter County. Kouts is 2 hours and 15 minutes north of Indianapolis, 2 hours and 10 minutes west of Fort Wayne, 1 hour and 10 minutes southwest of South Bend, and 1 hour and 15 minutes southeast of downtown Chicago.
The History of Porter County and Kouts, Indiana
Porter County was organized in 1836 from land that was previously part of LaPorte and Newton counties. It was named after US Navy Captain David Porter, who served in the War of 1812 and the Barbary Wars. Porter County is the ninth-most populated county of 92 counties in Indiana.
Barnhardt Kautz (pronounced Kouts) originally founded Kouts Station in 1867 as a village where Erie and Pennsylvania railroads intersected. The name was later changed to Kout in 1882 before finally becoming Kouts, as it’s known today, in 1890. It didn’t become an incorporated town until 1921, when electricity made its way to town. In addition to the railroad junction, the Kankakee River attracted settlers for fishing and trapping. As of the 2023 census Kouts’ population was 2,054, making it the seventh-largest of 11 incorporated cities/towns in Porter County. Kouts, located within Pleasant Township, is the 226th largest city in Indiana.
Things to Do In or Near Kouts, Indiana
Pork Fest is an annual event set for August 22-23 later this summer. It includes a parade, food and shopping vendors, country classic 5K, live entertainment at Pennsy Park and more. Over 8,000 people attend each year. Pennsy Park is also home to a splash pad.
Dunn’s Bridge County Park is the site of, you guessed it, Dunn’s Bridge – one of the oldest landmarks in the region. It was built by a local farmer named J.D. Dunn over 100 years ago across the Kankakee River. Some even suggest it can be traced to George Ferris, who invented the Ferris Wheel. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the only public access point to the Kankakee River in Porter County.
Open Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Pleasant Township Pool is a great summer spot to soak up some sun. Children 3 and under get in free, and you can bring your own food and beverage in to enjoy.
Places to Eat in Kouts, Indiana
John Andy’s Deli & Cafe is open from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday-Sunday. Hours are extended from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Fridays for its fish fry, with white fish, pollack and ocean perch available, each served with French fries and coleslaw or a side of hushpuppies. John Andy’s is veteran owned and operated, has over 1,800 likes on Facebook and a perfect 5.0-star rating on Google.
Cronies Charhouse and Ginmill is a dive bar and grill open seven days a week. Guests can enjoy live entertainment, and there’s all-you-can-eat lake perch, walleye, bluegill and frog legs on Fridays. Cronies has racked up over 3,700 likes on Facebook.
Baum’s Bridge Inn is located southwest of town on the banks of the Kankakee River. Like Cronies, Baums has all-you-can-eat walleye and ocean perch – plus prime rib – on Fridays, and there’s live entertainment every other Sunday. Historical fact: Enos Baum built the toll bridge Baum’s Bridge in 1863.
Love is the main ingredient at Desserts by Juliette. It all began in 2013 when Juliette quit her job to help her grandma rehab from an illness. Juliette made dessert recipes, and it brought her, her mom Susan and grandma, who has since passed away, closer together. They started food blogging, and when one of them became No. 1 on Google, the bakery was born in 2018. Cakes and cupcakes were the original staples, and now desserts are provided for all occasions including weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, showers, graduations and retirements. Locals and visitors can enjoy coffee, cold brew, lattes, mochas, donuts and macarons on top of all the delicious desserts.
Kouts Middle/High School Mascots and IHSAA State Finals
Kouts Middle/High School can hang its hat on two things – they’ve got two mascots. All boys teams are known as the Mustangs, and every girls team is the Fillies. The boys basketball team made it to the 2021 state finals but lost to Barr-Reeve. Just a couple weeks ago, the baseball program – ranked No. 1 in Class 1A – made its first trip to the state finals but came up short against ninth-ranked Indianapolis Lutheran, 14-1.
Top 5 Recommendations by Get Indiana
John Andy’s Deli & Cafe
Pork Fest
Cronies Charhouse and Ginmill
Desserts by Juliette
Baum’s Bridge Inn
Top 5 Recommendations by Kouts Locals
Cronies Charhouse and Ginmill
John Andy’s Deli & Cafe
Dunn’s Bridge County Park
Wana Pizza
Pork Fest
That’s it for small town breakdown No. 24 of 2025. Where should we head next?
Written By:
Cheyne Reiter
Written By:
Cheyne Reiter
Cheyne Reiter
