Zeeland, MI
| Zeeland, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location of Zeeland within Ottawa County, Michigan |
|
| Coordinates: 42°48′45″N 86°01′07″W / 42.81250°N 86.01861°WCoordinates: 42°48′45″N 86°01′07″W / 42.81250°N 86.01861°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Ottawa |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Kevin Klynstra |
| Area | |
| • City | 3.01 sq mi (7.80 km2) |
| • Land | 2.99 sq mi (7.74 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 649 ft (198 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • City | 5,504 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 5,558 |
| • Density | 1,840.8/sq mi (710.7/km2) |
| • Metro | 1,306,768 (Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland MSA) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 49464 |
| Area code(s) | 616 |
| FIPS code | 26-89260 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1616917 |
| Website | http://www.ci.zeeland.mi.us/ |
Zeeland (/ˈziːlᵻnd/ ZEE-lənd) is a city in Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,504 at the 2010 census. The city is located at the western edge of Zeeland Charter Township which is politically independent. Its name is derived from the Dutch province of Zeeland.
In 1847, nearly 500 Dutch citizens sailed for America ostensibly to achieve religious freedom, although their decision to immigrate was probably also influenced by other factors, such as their failure to thrive under dire economic conditions in their home province of Zeeland, Netherlands and their opposition to modern scientific and social advances of the time.
The emigrants were led by Jannes van de Luijster, a wealthy landowner who sold his holdings in the Netherlands to advance money for the members to pay their debts and buy passage to America. Their settlement, some 16,000 acres (65 km2) of land once occupied by the Odawa people, was named after their home province of Zeeland.
Van de Luyster arranged for three ships to sail for the United States. He came on the first ship, arriving on June 27, 1847. He was followed by the Steketee group on July 4, and Reverend Van Der Meulen’s group on August 1 of that year. The total number of settlers was 457.
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