Mishawaka, city, St. Joseph county, northern Indiana, U.S. It lies along the St. Joseph River, just east of South Bend. The community was founded around the St. Joseph Iron Works, built in 1833 to exploit nearby bog iron deposits, and two years later a village was platted under the company name; in 1838 it was combined with three adjacent plats as Mishawaka. The name is said to derive from the Potawatomi word for “country of dead trees.” Several thousand Belgian immigrants after World War I formed a substantial Flemish-speaking community in the city. Mishawaka is an industrial centre with manufactures including military and civilian vehicles, plastics, medical instruments, electric motors, and hydraulic equipment. Bethel College (1947) is operated by the Missionary Church. There are recreation facilities on the St. Joseph River and nearby lakes. Inc. 1899. Pop. (2000) 46,557; South Bend–Mishawaka Metro Area, 316,663; (2010) 48,252; South Bend–Mishawaka Metro Area, 319,224.