West Lafayette is a city in Wabash Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, about 65 miles (105 km) northwest of the state capital of Indianapolis and 103 miles (166 km) southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette is directly across the Wabash River from its sister city, Lafayette. It is the most densely populated city in Indiana and is home to Purdue University. The university employs 12,000 people, most of whom live in either West Lafayette or Lafayette.