One city, two sides
East Chicago is a steel town at heart. It grew out of marshland after Inland Steel arrived in 1903, and Cleveland-Cliffs’ Indiana Harbor Works is still here, along with the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal. The city has two broad parts that locals keep straight without thinking: Indiana Harbor, and East Chicago proper.
That split is why we ask about the neighbourhood. A driver sent to “East Chicago, 46312” has a lot of ground to cover. A driver sent to “Sunnyside, off this cross street” does not.
The neighbourhoods we cover
All of them. Here is how the city breaks down, so you can tell us which part you’re in:
- Indiana Harbor: North Harbor, Sunnyside, New Addition, Washington Park, Prairie Park and Marktown.
- East Chicago proper: Northside, Southside, Roxana and Calumet.
Every one of these is ZIP 46312, which is exactly why the ZIP alone isn’t enough. Put the street address in the form. If the car is on a tight street or tucked behind a building, add a line on the call about where it’s parked.
Getting a truck in and out
East Chicago is threaded with big roads. U.S. 12 and U.S. 20 both run through the city, the Cline Avenue Expressway (State Road 912) ties into the Indiana Toll Road and the Borman Expressway, and the South Shore Line has a station in town. Ameristar Casino is here too.
For you, the roads matter in one way: they make the city easy to reach, and same-day pickup is often possible. We confirm the time when we call rather than promise a window up front.
What sells in East Chicago
Anything that’s done. We buy:
- cars that won’t start or haven’t moved in months
- wrecked cars, including ones the insurer wrote off
- cars with brakes, steering or suspension you no longer trust
- cars that overheat, smoke or leak coolant
- scrap cars that are only worth their metal
If the car is unsafe to drive, don’t drive it to meet anyone. It can be collected from where it sits. Our page on cars that are unsafe to drive explains why that’s the better choice and what to tell us about it.
Pickup notes for East Chicago
Neighbourhood plus cross street. This is the single most useful thing you can give us. “Washington Park, near such-and-such avenue” gets a truck to you faster than a ZIP ever will.
Lots and shared driveways. If the car is in a shared lot behind a two-flat or an apartment building, we’ll ask who manages the lot. Some owners want a heads-up before a tow truck comes in.
Blocked in? A car boxed in by others, or parked nose-first against a wall, is still sellable. Read the guide on getting a junk car out of a tight spot for what to mention before the truck is booked.
Keys. Have them ready if you can. If they’re lost, tell us before the truck is booked.
Paperwork, briefly
Indiana titles are the normal route: you sign the title over at pickup. No title? We can still help. Indiana wants either the title (a BMV duplicate is $15) or a BMV certificate of authority ($4), and a car under 15 model years old legally needs one of the two. Say what papers you have and we’ll confirm the route on the call. On the form, the title question has three answers (yes, no, and registration only): pick the one that fits.
Across the line in Whiting
Whiting sits right next to East Chicago on the lake side, and we cover it the same way. If the car is on that side, the Whiting page has the local notes, including the ZIP it shares with Hammond’s Robertsdale. Both towns are part of what we mean by the Hammond, Indiana area: Whiting, East Chicago, Munster and Highland.
To start, use the form on this page or go to the offer page. It takes about a minute: the car first, then your name, phone and the East Chicago address.