DeWitt is a city in Clinton County, Michigan. It had a population of 4,776 according to the 2020 census. The city is located north of Interstate 69 and west of U.S. Highway 127. It is also situated just north of the city of Lansing.

History

DeWitt was named after DeWitt Clinton, who was the Governor of New York in the 1820s. The area was first settled by Captain David Scott, who moved there from Ann Arbor in 1833 and divided the land into lots. The State Legislature officially created DeWitt Township on March 23, 1836. The first township meeting was held at Captain Scott’s home on April 8, 1836. A man named Welcome J. Partelo was chosen as the township’s first Supervisor during that meeting.

Soon, the state divided DeWitt Township into the many townships that exist today. In 1837, the township was split by a north–south line, and the western half became Watertown Township. Two years later, the township was split again by an east–west line, and the northern half became Bingham Township. The next day, the governor approved a law that split the remaining area by an east–west line, making the eastern half Ossowa Township (which was later renamed Bath Township in 1857). In 1841, the northern half of the remaining land became Olive Township. In just four years, DeWitt Township changed from covering the entire county to its current size.

The county seat for Clinton County was located in DeWitt Township when the county was first established. The county seat stayed in DeWitt Township until December 1857, when it was moved to High Hall in the village of St. Johns, until a new courthouse could be built.

In the early 1900s, the Lansing, St. Johns and St. Louis Railway brought new opportunities and growth to the area. The town was officially formed into a village in 1929, and it no longer operated entirely under the township’s control.

The area that is now the city was first formed into a village in 1929.

On October 21, 1930, a large fire destroyed eight historic and business buildings in the downtown area. This included the Clinton House/Hotel, a well-known local establishment. The fire caused a lot of damage to the community and slowed business growth. However, homes continued to be built, and DeWitt began to become a bedroom community, where people live but work elsewhere.

The Village of Dewitt was officially changed into a city in 1965.

In 2005, the DeWitt area was ranked as the 75th best place to live in the United States by CNN Money.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.99 square miles (7.74 km²), of which 2.86 square miles (7.41 km²) is land and 0.13 square miles (0.34 km²) is water.

DeWitt is located on the Looking Glass River, a tributary of the Grand River.

Education

The city has the following schools, which are organized by grade levels:

• Fuerstenau Early Childhood Center (Pre-K)
• Schavey Road Elementary School (Kindergarten and 1st grade)
• Scott Elementary School (2nd and 3rd grades)
• Herbison Woods School (4th and 5th grades)
• DeWitt Middle School (6th-8th grades)
• DeWitt High School (9th-12th grades)

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the city had 4,507 people, 1,732 households, and 1,314 families. The population density was 1,575.9 people per square mile (608.5/km²). There were 1,808 housing units, with an average density of 632.2 per square mile (244.1/km²). The racial makeup was 94.9% White, 1.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 3.5% of the population.

Of the 1,732 households, 37.9% had children under 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples, 11.4% had a female householder without a husband, 3.9% had a male householder without a wife, and 24.1% were non-families. Twenty percent of households had only one person, and 7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.60, and the average family size was 2.99.

The median age in the city was 39.8 years. Twenty-six point six percent of residents were under 18, 8% were aged 18 to 24, 23.2% were aged 25 to 44, 32.4% were aged 45 to 64, and 9.8% were 65 or older. The gender distribution was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

As of the 2000 census, the city had 4,702 people, 1,624 households, and 1,307 families. The population density was 1,641.3 people per square mile (633.7/km²). There were 1,661 housing units, with an average density of 579.8 per square mile (223.9/km²). The racial makeup was 95.85% White, 1.02% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 2.55% of the population.

Of the 1,624 households, 50.5% had children under 18 living with them, 65.9% were married couples, 11.3% had a female householder without a husband, and 19.5% were non-families. Sixteen point three percent of households had only one person, and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.89, and the average family size was 3.25.

In 2000, 33.8% of the population was under 18, 7.2% were aged 18 to 24, 29.5% were aged 25 to 44, 24.1% were aged 45 to 64, and 5.4% were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and older, there were 93.6 males.

In 2010, the median household income was $69,174, and the median family income was $78,935. Males had a median income of $51,409, while females had a median income of $35,545. The per person income was $26,997. About 3.6% of families and 4.3% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under 18 and 8.6% of those aged 65 or older.

Climate

This climate region is known for large changes in temperature between seasons, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes very cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, DeWitt has a humid continental climate, which is labeled as "Dfb" on climate maps.

Notable people

• SungWon Cho, video creator and voice actor
• Dave Cutler, software engineer
• Oscar G. Johnson, World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient
• Jordyn Wieber, gymnast and Olympic gold medalist
• Steven J. Glew, collector and subject of a Netflix documentary titled "The Pez Outlaw"