Gary is the largest city in Lake County, Iniana, United States. The city is located in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is approximately 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population was 102,746 at the 2000 census, making it the largest city statewide that was not a county seat. Gary was once the second largest city in Indiana, a position now relinquished to Fort Wayne. It borders Lake Michigan and is known for its large steel mills, high crime rate, and liberal political leaning, with one study rating it the second-most liberal city in the United States.