(STEUBEN COUNTY) - Numbers from the Steuben County Tourism Bureau show just how much the Fourth of July holiday weekend means to Steuben County's lake-based economy.
The Tourism Bureau says the 2025 Fourth of July holiday period was the busiest weekend of the year, bringing 434,100 out-of-county visits to Steuben County.
The holiday period ran from Thursday, July 3 through Sunday, July 6.
A Busy Holiday Weekend
The Tourism Bureau says Friday, July 4 was Steuben County's busiest day of 2025, with the county's total population reaching 153,800.
Population totals for the holiday period were:
Thursday, July 3: 117,400
Friday, July 4: 153,800
Saturday, July 5: 119,700
Sunday, July 6: 130,200
Out-of-county visits were up 11% year-over-year.
The Tourism Bureau says 28% of visitors came from more than 100 miles away.
Campgrounds And Downtown Angola
Pokagon saw 25,300 visits during the holiday period.
The three largest campgrounds outside of Pokagon drew 28,000 visits.
Downtown Angola's retail area saw 9,300 visits.
Activities at Angola Commons Park drew 23,500 visits.
Lake Traffic By The Numbers
The Tourism Bureau listed the number of people in the water at several Steuben County lakes during the holiday period:
Lake James: 24,600
Hamilton Lake: 9,500
Crooked Lake: 8,200
Jimmerson Lake: 7,500
Snow Lake: 5,500
Clear Lake: 5,300
Lake rentals in July totaled 174.
Economic Impact
The Tourism Bureau listed the holiday weekend's economic impact at $50,887,372 in new dollars to the community, up 14%.