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Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids, Michigan
City
City of Grand Rapids
Images from top to bottom, left to right: downtown cityscape, Meyer May House, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum,La Grande Vitesse, pedestrian bridge over the Grand River, Van Andel Arena, Grand Valley State University's Cook–DeVos Center on the Medical Mile
Images from top to bottom, left to right: downtown cityscape, Meyer May House, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum,
La Grande Vitesse, pedestrian bridge over the Grand River, Van Andel Arena, Grand Valley State University's Cook–DeVos Center on the Medical Mile
Flag of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Flag
Official seal of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Seal
Official logo of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Logo
Nickname(s): GR, The River City, Beer City USA, Furniture City
Location of Grand Rapids within Kent County, Michigan
Location of Grand Rapids within Kent County, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan is located in the US
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 42°57′40.5″N 85°39′20.59″W / 42.961250°N 85.6557194°W / 42.961250; -85.6557194Coordinates: 42°57′40.5″N 85°39′20.59″W / 42.961250°N 85.6557194°W / 42.961250; -85.6557194
Country  United States
State  Michigan
County Kent County, Michigan seal.png Kent
Founded 1826
Incorporation 1850
Government
 • Type City Commission-Manager
 • Mayor Rosalynn Bliss (D)
 • City Manager Greg Sundstrom
Area
 • City 45.27 sq mi (117.25 km2)
 • Land 44.40 sq mi (115.00 km2)
 • Water 0.87 sq mi (2.25 km2)  1.92%
Elevation 640 ft (200 m)
Population (2015)
 • City 195,097
 • Rank 122nd in US
 • Density 4,364.7/sq mi (1,685.2/km2)
 • Urban (2010) 569,935 (US: 70th)
 • Metro 1,038,583 (US: 52nd)
 • CSA 1,421,374 (US: 38th)
Demonym(s) Grand Rapidian
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s) 616
FIPS code 26-34000
GNIS feature ID 0627105
Website www.grcity.us

Grand Rapids is the second-largest city in Michigan, and the largest city in West Michigan. It is on the Grand River about 30 miles (48 km) east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 1,005,648, and the combined statistical area of Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland had a population of 1,321,557. Grand Rapids is the county seat of Kent County, Michigan.

A historic furniture-manufacturing center, Grand Rapids is home to five of the world's leading office furniture companies, and is nicknamed Furniture City. Its more common modern nickname of River City refers to the landmark river for which it was named. The city and surrounding communities are economically diverse, based in the health care, information technology, automotive, aviation, and consumer goods manufacturing industries, among others.

Grand Rapids is the hometown of U.S. President Gerald Ford, who is buried with his wife Betty on the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in the city.

For thousands of years, succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples occupied the area. Over 2000 years ago, people associated with the Hopewell culture occupied the Grand River Valley. Later, a tribe from the Ottawa River traveled to the Grand River valley, fighting three battles with the Prairie Indians who were established in the area. The tribe later split, with the Chippewas settling in the northern lower peninsula, the Pottawatomies staying south of the Kalamazoo River and the Ottawa staying in central Michigan.


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