Grand Rapids is a city in Kent County, Michigan, United States, and serves as the main city of the county. It is the second-largest city in Michigan, with a population of 198,917 according to the 2020 census (estimated at 200,117 in 2024). The Grand Rapids metropolitan area, which includes the city and surrounding regions, has over 1.18 million people and is the 49th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Grand Rapids is located along the Grand River, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Lake Michigan. It is an important center for business and culture in West Michigan.

The area was originally home to the Hopewell and Odawa Native American tribes. European Americans began settling there in the early 1800s, and the city was officially established in 1850. In the late 1800s, Grand Rapids became known as the "Furniture City" because of its strong furniture manufacturing industry, a tradition that still influences the region today. The city’s economy includes healthcare, education, manufacturing, and technology. Major employers include Corewell Health, Meijer, and Steelcase.

Grand Rapids has many cultural attractions, such as the Grand Rapids Art Museum and Grand Rapids Public Museum. The city hosts ArtPrize, an international art competition, and the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, a popular place for art and gardening. Because of its many craft breweries, including Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids is also called "Beer City USA." The city is where U.S. President Gerald Ford grew up. He is buried with his wife, Betty, at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids. The city’s airport and a major highway are named after him.

History

After the French settled in Michigan, Jesuit missionaries and traders traveled along Lake Michigan and its smaller rivers.

In 1806, a white trader named Joseph La Framboise and his Métis wife, Madeline La Framboise, traveled by canoe from Mackinac Island and built the first trading post in West Michigan near present-day Grand Rapids on the Grand River, close to Ada Township, where the Grand and Thornapple Rivers meet. They spoke French and were Roman Catholic. They probably both spoke Odawa, Madeline’s language from her mother’s family. In the fall of 1806, Joseph was fatally stabbed by a Potawatomi man named Nequat. Joseph was with his family and a group of voyageurs traveling between the Grand River and Grand Rapids. Nequat asked Joseph to trade liquor with him. When Joseph refused, Nequat left but returned later in the day when Joseph was praying. Nequat stabbed Joseph, killing him and leaving Madeline, his wife, a widow at age 24.

The next spring, a group from the Potawatomi tribe brought Nequat to Madeline for her judgment. It was their tradition for the family of the victim to punish the person who caused the death. Madeline refused to punish Nequat and forgave him, telling the tribe to let him go and that God would judge him. Though Madeline forgave Nequat, the tribe did not. Nequat’s body was later found stabbed with his own knife.

After Joseph’s death, Madeline continued the trade business, expanding fur trading posts to the west and north, gaining a good reputation with the American Fur Company. Madeline, whose mother was Odawa and father was French, later combined her business with the American Fur Company.

By 1810, Chief Noonday, also known as Nowaquakezick, an Odawa leader, built the village of Bock-a-tinck (meaning “at the rapids”) on the northwest side of present-day Grand Rapids near Bridge Street, where about 500 Odawa lived. The population sometimes grew to over 1,000. During the War of 1812, Noonday fought with Tecumseh at the Battle of the Thames. Tecumseh was killed in this battle, and Noonday inherited Tecumseh’s tomahawk and hat. Another village existed farther down the river, led by Chief Black Skin, whose native name was Muck-i-ta-oska or Mukatasha, and who was the son of Chief Noonday.

In 1820, General Lewis Cass, on his way to negotiate the first Treaty of Chicago with 42 men, asked Charles Christopher Trowbridge to set up missions for Native Americans in the Grand River Valley to teach them about religion. In 1821, the Council of Three Fires signed the first Treaty of Chicago, giving the United States all land in Michigan Territory south of the Grand River, except for small reservations. The treaty also included $100,000 for some Native Americans, with Joseph La Framboise receiving $1,000 immediately and $200 a year for life. Madeline La Framboise handed over the trading post to Rix Robinson in 1821 and returned to Mackinac. That year, Grand Rapids had an Odawa village with about 50 to 60 huts on the north side of the river near the 5th Ward, led by Chief Kewkishkam and Chief Noonday.

The first permanent European-American settler in Grand Rapids was Isaac McCoy, a Baptist minister. In 1823, McCoy, a Frenchman named Paget, and a government worker traveled to Grand Rapids from Carey Mission near Niles, Michigan, to set up a mission called the “Thomas Mission.” Negotiations failed, and the group returned to Carey Mission. The government worker stayed until 1824 to build a blacksmith shop, but it was burned by the Odawa. In May 1824, Baptist missionary Reverend Leonard Slater traveled to Grand Rapids with two settlers to do missionary work but left after three days because of threats. On their way back, they met Chief Noonday, who asked them to stay and build a mission, believing that the Odawa needed to adopt European customs to remain in the area. Slater’s group returned to the Carey Mission in the winter of 1824 after struggling with harsh conditions. Chief Noonday, wanting to lead by example, was baptized by Slater in the Grand River, though some followers thought it was a wrestling match Slater won. Slater built the first settler structures in Grand Rapids: a log cabin for himself and a log schoolhouse. In 1825, McCoy returned and established a missionary station, representing settlers arriving from Ohio, New York, and New England.

Shortly after, Louis Campau, known as the official founder of Grand Rapids, was encouraged by fur trader William Brewster to settle in Grand Rapids. In 1826, Campau built his cabin, trading post, and blacksmith shop on the south bank of the Grand River near the rapids, stating the Native Americans there were “friendly and peaceable.” Campau returned to Detroit but came back a year later with his wife and $5,000 in trade goods to trade with the Odawa and Ojibwa, using fur as currency. Campau’s younger brother, Touissant, often helped with trade and other tasks.

Lucius Lyon, a Yankee Protestant who later became Campau’s rival, was hired by the federal government to survey the Grand River Valley in 1830 and 1831. Lyon used tools like a compass and chain to set the boundaries for Kent County, named after New York jurist James Kent. In 1833, a land office was opened in White Pigeon, Michigan, with Campau and settler Luther Lincoln seeking land in the Grand River Valley. Lincoln bought land in what is now Grandville, while Campau purchased 72 acres from the federal government for $90 and named the area Grand Rapids. This land later became the main downtown business district. In 1833, Campau sold land to Joel Guild from New York for $25, and Guild built the first frame building in Grand Rapids, now where McKay Tower stands. Guild later became the postmaster, with mail delivered monthly from Gull Lake, Michigan, to Grand Rapids. In 1833, Grand Rapids was only a few acres of cleared land on each side of the Grand River, with oak trees planted in sandy soil between Lyon Street and Fulton Street.

By 1834, the settlement became more organized. Rev

Geography

Grand Rapids has 37 distinct neighborhoods, according to city government data. The city was built along the Grand River, where there were once rapids. The area is located at an altitude of 610 feet (186 meters) above sea level. Ships could travel on the river up to the fall line, where the rapids made navigation difficult. The river valley is flat and narrow, surrounded by steep hills and bluffs. As you move away from the river, the land becomes more rolling. The area around Grand Rapids includes forests, farmland, and orchards to the northwest. The city is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Lake Michigan. Lansing, the state capital, is approximately 70 miles (110 kilometers) east-by-southeast, and Kalamazoo is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south.

Grand Rapids is divided into four quadrants: NE (northeast), NW (northwest), SE (southeast), and SW (southwest). These quadrants are used in mailing addresses in Kent County. Fulton Street divides the city north to south, and Division Avenue divides it east to west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers a total area of 45.27 square miles (117.25 square kilometers), with 44.40 square miles (115.00 square kilometers) as land and 0.87 square miles (2.25 square kilometers) as water.

Grand Rapids has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), with hot and humid summers, cold and snowy winters, and mild springs and autumns. Despite being inland, the city experiences some effects from Lake Michigan, such as more cloudy days in late fall and winter, delayed heating in spring, delayed cooling in fall, and milder winter temperatures. Lake effect snow also occurs. The city averages 75.6 inches (192 centimeters) of snow annually, making it one of the snowiest major cities in the United States. Quick and sudden lake effect snowstorms often bring heavy snowfall.

March, April, October, and November are transitional months with variable weather. March had a record high of 87°F (31°C) and a record low of −13°F (−25°C). The average last frost in spring is May 1, and the first frost in fall is October 11, giving the area a growing season of 162 days. The city is in plant hardiness zone 6a, while outlying areas are in zone 5b. Some far western suburbs near Lake Michigan are in zone 6b. Summers are warm or hot, with heat waves and severe weather common.

The average temperature in Grand Rapids is 49°F (9°C). The highest temperature recorded was 108°F (42°C) on July 13, 1936, and the lowest was −24°F (−31°C) on February 13–14, 1899. On average, 46% of daylight hours have sunshine, and 138 nights a year have temperatures below 32°F (0°C). The city experiences 9.2 days a year with temperatures of 90°F (32°C) or higher and 5.6 days with lows of 0°F (−18°C) or colder.

The coldest maximum temperature on record was −6°F (−21°C) in 1899, and the most recent subzero Fahrenheit daily maximum was −2°F (−19°C) in 1994. During the reference period of 1991 to 2020, the average coldest daily maximum was 11°F (−12°C). Summer nights near Lake Michigan can be hot and muggy. The warmest night on record was 82°F (28°C) in 1902, and lows above 72°F (22°C) have been recorded every month from April to October. The warmest average low temperature for the year was 74°F (23°C) during the 1991–2020 period.

The most recent record was a February high of 73°F (23°C), set on February 27, 2024.

In April 1956, a violent tornado struck the western and northern parts of the city and its suburbs, causing F5 damage and killing 18 people.

Grand Rapids is prone to flooding due to the Grand River. In March 1904, more than half of the city’s west side was underwater, flooding over 2,500 homes and affecting 14,000 people. On March 28, the river reached 19.6 feet (6.0 meters), exceeding its previous record.

In 2013, the Grand Rapids flood occurred from April 12 to 25, with the river cresting at 21.85 feet (6.66 meters) on April 21. This caused thousands of residents to evacuate and resulted in over $10 million in damage.

The city’s skyline includes the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, formerly the Pantlind Hotel, which reopened in 1981 after renovations. The hotel features a 29-story glass tower with panoramic views. The original architects, Warren & Wetmore, were inspired by Scottish architect Robert Adam. The hotel is owned by Amway Hotel Collection, a subsidiary of Alticor.

Other notable buildings include the JW Marriott Grand Rapids, the first JW Marriott Hotel in the Midwest. The hotel’s design includes cityscapes from five sister cities: Omihachiman, Japan; Bielsko-Biała, Poland; Perugia, Italy; Ga District, Ghana; and Zapopan, Mexico. Each floor displays photographs from one of these cities.

Grand Rapids’ tallest building is the River House Condominiums, a 34-story (123.8 meters) residential tower completed in 2008. It is the tallest all-residential building in Michigan.

The city has two large urban nature centers. The Calvin Ecosystem Preserve and Native Gardens, operated by Calvin University, covers 104 acres (42 hectares) and includes public trails, a wildlife preserve, and the Bunker Interpretive Center. The Blandford Nature Center, opened in 1968, has nature trails, an animal hospital, and a heritage village with 19th-century buildings. Blandford is 264 acres (107 hectares) and is one of the largest urban nature centers in the United States.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, the most common backgrounds were:
• German (16.2%)
• English (12.1%)
• Dutch (12%)
• Irish (11.9%)
• African American (11.6%)
• Mexican (9.5%)
• Polish (6.6%)
• Italian (3.1%)
• French (3%)
• Scottish (2.9%)

As of the 2010 census, the city had 188,036 people, 72,126 households, and 41,015 families. The population density was 4,235.1 people per square mile (1,635.2/km²). There were 80,619 housing units, with an average density of 1,815.7 per square mile (701.0/km²). The city's racial makeup included 64.6% White (59.0% Non-Hispanic White), 20.9% African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 7.7% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 15.6% of the population.

Of the 72,126 households, 31.1% had children under 18 living with them, 35.5% were married couples, 16.4% had a woman living alone without a husband, 5.0% had a man living alone without a wife, and 43.1% were non-families. 32.3% of all households had only one person, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.49, and the average family size was 3.20.

The median age in the city was 30.8 years. 24.7% of residents were under 18; 14.5% were between 18 and 24; 28.6% were between 25 and 44; 21.2% were between 45 and 64; and 11.1% were 65 or older. The city's population was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.

There were 73,217 households, of which 32.0% had children under 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples, 15.8% had a woman living alone without a husband, and 39.4% were non-families. 30.8% of all households had only one person, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.57, and the average family size was 3.24.

The age distribution showed 27.0% under 18, 13.1% between 18 and 24, 31.5% between 25 and 44, 16.7% between 45 and 64, and 11.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females aged 18 or older, there were 92.5 males.

The city's median household income was $37,224, and the median family income was $44,224. Men had a median income of $33,050, while women had $26,382. The city's per capita income was $17,661. 15.7% of the population and 11.9% of families lived below the poverty line. Of those in poverty, 19.4% were under 18, and 10.4% were 65 or older.

According to a 2007 American Community Survey, the largest ancestry groups in Grand Rapids (excluding "American") were German (23.4%), Dutch (21.2%), Irish (11.4%), English (10.8%), Polish (6.5%), and French (4.1%).

After the Fall of Sa

Economy

Based in Grand Rapids, Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health) is the largest employer in West Michigan. In 2023, it had more than 60,000 employees and 11,500 doctors. Corewell Health operates several important facilities on the Grand Rapids Medical Mile, including the Meijer Heart Center, Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion, and Butterworth Hospital, which is a level I trauma center. This area also includes world-class health science facilities such as the Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Valley State University’s Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine’s Secchia Center, and Ferris State University’s College of Pharmacy. Over $1 billion has been invested in projects like the Corewell Health Cancer Pavilion, the Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, and the expansion of the Van Andel Institute. These facilities have helped attract many health science businesses to the region.

Grand Rapids has been a major center for manufacturing since its early days as a furniture production hub. Companies like American Seating, Steelcase (including its subsidiaries Coalesse and Turnstone), Haworth, and Herman Miller are based in or near Grand Rapids. In 1881, the Furniture Manufacturers Association (FMA) was formed in Grand Rapids, making it the first furniture manufacturing advocacy group in the United States. The Kindel Furniture Company and the Hekman Furniture Company have been making furniture in Grand Rapids since 1912 and 1922, respectively.

The Grand Rapids area is also known for its automobile and aviation manufacturing industries. GE Aviation Systems has a location in the city.

Many well-known companies are based in the Grand Rapids area, including Alticor/Amway (a multi-level marketing company), Bissell (a vacuum cleaner and floor care product manufacturer), SpartanNash (a food distributor and grocery store chain), Foremost Insurance Company (a specialty insurance company), Meijer (a regional supercenter chain), GE Aviation (formerly Smiths Industries, an aerospace products company), Wolverine World Wide (a shoe, boot, and clothing manufacturer), Universal Forest Products (a building materials company), and Schuler Books & Music, one of the largest independent bookstores in the United States.

Grand Rapids is also a center for Christian publishing, home to companies like Zondervan, Kregel Publications, Eerdmans Publishing, and Our Daily Bread Ministries.

The city and its surrounding region have a strong food processing and agribusiness industry. Between 2009 and 2019, this industry added 45% more jobs over 10 years. The Grand Rapids Downtown Market, opened in 2013, offers food education, business support, and operates as a farmers market. Michigan is the second most agriculturally diverse state in the nation, and the Greater Grand Rapids region is known for producing fruits like apples, peaches, and blueberries. Because of its location near Lake Michigan, the climate is ideal for growing these crops. The Greater Grand Rapids area produces one-third of Michigan’s total agricultural sales.

Arts and culture

In 1969, Alexander Calder's abstract sculpture, La Grande Vitesse, which means "the great swiftness" or "grand rapids" in French, was placed on Vandenberg Plaza, the new location for Grand Rapids City Hall. This was the first public art piece in the United States funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. The sculpture is often called "the Calder," and since its installation, the city has held an annual Festival of the Arts near it, now known as "Calder Plaza." Every first weekend in June, several downtown blocks around the sculpture are closed to traffic. The festival includes free live performances, food booths with ethnic cuisine, art demonstrations, and other arts-related activities. Organizers say it is the largest all-volunteer arts festival in the United States. Vandenberg Plaza also hosts other ethnic festivals during the summer.

Each October, the city celebrates Polish culture, which historically centered on the West side of town, with an event called Pulaski Days.

In 1973, Grand Rapids hosted Sculpture off the Pedestal, an outdoor exhibition featuring works by 13 famous artists, including Mark di Suvero, John Henry, Kenneth Snelson, Robert Morris, John Mason, Lyman Kipp, and Stephen Antonakos. The event was supported by public and private groups, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the Michigan Council for the Arts, and donations from individuals, businesses, and industries. Fundraising events, volunteers, and locals who provided housing for artists helped make the event successful.

From 1980 to 2015, Celebration on the Grand took place the weekend after Labor Day. It included free concerts, fireworks, and food booths. This event honored life in the Grand River valley.

On November 10, 2004, the first showing of the film The Polar Express happened in Grand Rapids. The movie was based on a children's book by Chris Van Allsburg, who lives in the city. His main character in the book and movie also lives in Grand Rapids, and the movie briefly shows the city. Meijer Gardens created a Polar Express display as part of their Christmas Around the World exhibit.

In mid-2004, the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) started building a new, larger museum for its collection. It opened in October 2007 at 101 Monroe Center NW. The new building faces a sculpture called Ecliptic, created by Maya Lin, at Rosa Parks Circle. The museum was completed in 2007 and was the first art museum to earn gold-level LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

ArtPrize, the world's largest annual art competition decided by public voting, began in Grand Rapids from September 23 through October 10, 2009. It was started by Rick DeVos, grandson of Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, who offered $449,000 in prizes. A total of 1,262 artists displayed their work, and 334,219 votes were cast. The first prize, including $250,000, went to Brooklyn artist Ran Ortner. In 2010, ArtPrize featured work by 1,713 artists, and the first prize was awarded to Grand Rapids artist Chris LaPorte.

Grand Rapids is home to the John Ball Zoological Garden, Belknap Hill, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Gerald Ford and his wife, Betty Ford, are buried on the museum's grounds. Important buildings downtown include the DeVos Place Convention Center, Van Andel Arena, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, and the JW Marriott Hotel. The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts is also downtown and includes art exhibits, a movie theater, and a clay studio.

Along the Grand River, reconstructed earthwork burial mounds built by the Hopewell tribe, a fish ladder, and a riverwalk can be seen.

Grand Rapids is also home to the Van Andel Museum Center, which was founded in 1854 and is one of the oldest history museums in the United States. The museum includes its main building, built in 1994 on the west bank of the Grand River (home to the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium), the Voigt House Victorian Museum, and the City Archives and Records Center. The museum and planetarium were housed in the City Archives and Records Center before 1994. Since the late 20th century, the museum has hosted exhibitions on the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Treasures of Ancient Egypt. It is a non-profit organization managed by the Public Museum of Grand Rapids Foundation.

Heritage Hill, a neighborhood east of downtown, is one of the largest urban historic districts in the country. It includes 1,300 homes built starting in 1848 and represents more than 60 architectural styles. A notable home is the Meyer May House, a Prairie-style house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1908 for local merchant Meyer May. The house is now owned by Steelcase Corporation, which also created the furniture for the Johnson Wax Building in Wisconsin, also designed by Wright. Steelcase restored the house in the 1980s, and the restoration is considered one of the most accurate of any Wright-designed property. The house is used for special events and is open to the public for tours.

Grand Rapids is known for its craft beer culture, which has helped the city gain recognition nationally and internationally. In 2023, the city was named "Best Beer City" for the third year in a row.

Popular concert venues in Grand Rapids include 20 Monroe Live, the DAAC, the Intersection, DeVos Performance Hall, Van Andel Arena,

Sports

Grand Rapids is home to several professional and semi-professional sports teams. The West Michigan Whitecaps, a team in the Midwest League, play at LMCU Ballpark. They won the Championship Series six times in 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2015. They also had the best regular-season record six times in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2007, and 2017. The Whitecaps are connected to the Detroit Tigers in the Class High A level. The Grand Rapids Griffins, an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, play at the Van Andel Arena. They won the IHL Fred A. Huber Trophy in 2001 and were AHL Calder Cup Champions in the 2012–2013 and 2016–2017 seasons. The Griffins are connected to the Detroit Red Wings in the AHL. Grand Rapids Gold is an NBA G League basketball team that plays at the Van Andel Arena. The team is connected to the Denver Nuggets. The Grand Rapids Rise also play at the Van Andel Arena. They are one of seven teams that started the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF), a professional women’s indoor volleyball league. The Vibe lost to the Omaha Supernovas in the PVF Championship match in May 2024.

Grand Rapids FC was the city’s highest-level soccer club from 2014 to 2021. The men’s team played in the National Premier Soccer League for four seasons and moved to USL League Two before the team stopped operating. The team had an average of 4,509 spectators at Houseman Field during their first season. The women’s team joined United Women’s Soccer in 2017 and was renamed Midwest United FC in 2019 after being bought by a local soccer program. They won a national championship in the 2017 season. In 2022, Midwest United moved to the USL W League and started a men’s team in USL League Two. Amway Stadium, planned to have 8,500 seats for a yet-unnamed professional soccer team, is expected to open in 2027.

Former sports teams in Grand Rapids include the Grand Rapids Danger, Grand Rapids Dragonfish, Grand Rapids Cyclones, Grand Rapids Tackers, Grand Rapids Rampage, Grand Rapids Hoops (Grand Rapids Mackers), Grand Rapids Flight, Grand Rapids Owls (1977–80), Grand Rapids Rockets, Grand Rapids Chicks, Grand Rapids Blazers, and the Grand Rapids Shamrocks. The Grand Rapids Blazers won the United Football League Championship in 1961.

Each year, the Amway River Bank Run is held in downtown Grand Rapids. It brings participants from around the world; in 2010, there were more than 22,000 participants. The Grand Rapids Marathon is held in downtown Grand Rapids in mid-October, usually on the same weekend as the Detroit Marathon. Special Olympics Michigan started a campaign in 2021 to build a publicly funded $20 million facility called the Unified Sports and Inclusion Center. This facility will be the largest Special Olympics facility in the world.

Amateur sports groups in the area include the Grand Raggidy Roller Derby WFTDA league, Grand Rapids Rowing Association, Grand Rapids Rugby Club, and the West Michigan Wheelchair Sports Association. The West Michigan Sports Commission was the organizing group for the first State Games of Michigan, held in Grand Rapids from June 25 to 27, 2010.

Government

Under Michigan law, Grand Rapids is a home rule city, meaning it has its own rules for governing. In 1916, the city created a charter that established a council-manager system of government. In this system, responsibilities are shared between an elected City Commission, an elected City Comptroller, and a full-time City Manager hired by the city. The City Commission includes the mayor and two commissioners from each of three wards, totaling seven commissioners. Each ward selects a commissioner every two years for a four-year term. Elections for these positions happen in even-numbered years and are officially non-partisan, though candidates may mention their political beliefs during campaigns. The Commission sets city policies and hires the City Manager and other officials. The City Comptroller ensures financial rules and budgets are followed and prepares the city’s annual financial report. Grand Rapids collects a 1.5% income tax from residents and 0.75% from nonresidents.

The mayor is elected every four years by all city residents and serves as the chair of the Commission, with voting rights equal to a commissioner. In 2014, a rule was passed limiting the mayor to two terms.

The city and its inner suburbs tend to support the Democratic Party, while the outer suburbs of Grand Rapids often support the Republican Party. Historically, Grand Rapids has supported the Republican Party. The city is in Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District, currently represented by Democrat Hillary Scholten. Former President Gerald Ford, who represented the district as the 5th Congressional District from 1949 to 1973, is buried at his Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids.

All four of Grand Rapids’ representatives in the Michigan State House are Democrats. In the Michigan Senate, the city is represented by one Republican and one Democrat. The 30th State Senate District, covering the northern part of the city, is represented by Republican Mark Huizenga. The 29th State Senate District, covering the southern part of the city, is represented by Democrat Winnie Brinks, who won the seat in 2018.

Education

K–12 public education in Grand Rapids is offered by Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) and several charter schools. City High-Middle School is a magnet school for students who are highly skilled academically and is operated by GRPS. Grand Rapids is also home to Catholic Central High School, the oldest co-educational Catholic high school in the United States. National Heritage Academies, a company that runs charter schools in multiple states, has its main office in Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids has many colleges and universities. Private, religious schools such as Aquinas College, Calvin University, Cornerstone University, Grace Christian University, and Kuyper College all have campuses in the city. Calvin Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary are also located in Grand Rapids. Northwood University, which has its main campus in Midland, Michigan, has a smaller campus downtown near the "medical mile." Davenport University, a private, non-profit university with 14 campuses across the state, has its main campus just outside Grand Rapids.

Public tertiary institutions include Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC), which has a campus downtown and other facilities in the city and surrounding areas.

Grand Valley State University, whose main campus is in Allendale, has been expanding its presence downtown by growing its Pew Campus, which began in the 1980s on the west side of the Grand River. This downtown campus covers 67 acres (about 27 hectares) in two locations and includes 12 buildings and three leased spaces. In the 2000s, the university expanded its medical education programs into the Medical Mile, building facilities such as the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences in 2003. In the 2010s, the university expanded further across I-196 into the Belknap Lookout neighborhood, constructing Raleigh Finkelstein Hall to support medical and nursing studies.

Ferris State University has a growing campus downtown, including the Applied Technology Center (operated with GRCC) and the Kendall College of Art and Design, which was once a private school but is now part of Ferris. Ferris also has a branch of the College of Pharmacy downtown on the medical mile. Western Michigan University has a graduate program in Grand Rapids, with facilities downtown and in the southeast. The Van Andel Institute, a cancer research center started in 1996, is also on the medical mile. The institute created a graduate school in 2005 to train students in cellular, genetic, and molecular biology.

Grand Rapids is home to the Secchia Center, a medical education building costing $90 million. This seven-story, 180,000-square-foot (about 17,000 square meters) facility is located at Michigan Street and Division Avenue and is part of the Grand Rapids Medical Mile. The building houses the Grand Rapids Campus of the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. This campus trains medical students for all four years of their education. The modern facility includes clinical examination rooms, simulation suites, classrooms, offices, and student spaces.

Media

The Grand Rapids Press is a newspaper that is published every day. Advance Newspapers produces several weekly newspapers that share news about local communities. Gemini Media is a company that focuses on specific areas and creates the weekly newspaper Grand Rapids Business Journal, as well as the magazines Grand Rapids Magazine, Grand Rapids Family, Michigan Blue, and other business-related publications that come out every few months or once a year. El Vocero Hispano is a Spanish-language newspaper that serves the Latino community in West Michigan. Two free monthly guides are given out: REVUE, which includes news about music and the arts, and RECOIL, which covers music and uses humor similar to the newspaper The Onion. The Rapidian is a website where people in the community write news articles. It is supported by grants from the Knight Foundation and local organizations. Other local media outlets use or reprint its articles.

In 2019, Grand Rapids, along with nearby Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, was ranked as the 45th-largest television market in the United States by Nielsen Media Research. Television stations that serve the area include: WOOD-TV (channel 8, NBC), WZZM-TV (channel 13, ABC), WXMI (channel 17, Fox), and WXSP-CD (channel 15, MyNetworkTV); WOTV (channel 41, ABC and The CW on DT2) and WZPX-TV (channel 43, Ion) from Battle Creek; WWMT (channel 3, CBS) and WLLA (channel 64, Independent) from Kalamazoo; and WTLJ (channel 54, TCT) from Muskegon. Other nearby stations also provide service. WGVU-TV is the public television station in the area.

The Grand Rapids area has 16 AM radio stations and 28 FM radio stations.

Infrastructure

The Grand Rapids Police Department was created in 1871. In 2011, the police dispatch service was combined with the Wyoming Police Department.

Grand Rapids was the location of one of the first regularly scheduled passenger airlines in the United States. Stout Air Services began flights from the old Grand Rapids airport to Detroit (Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan) on July 31, 1926.

I-96 runs along the northern and northeastern sides of the city, connecting to Muskegon to the west and Lansing and Detroit to the east. I-196, also known as the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, runs east–west through the city, linking to I-96 just east of Grand Rapids and to I-94 in Benton Township. I-296 runs concurrently with US 131 between I-96 and I-196. US 131 runs north–south through the city, connecting to Kalamazoo to the south and Cadillac to the north. M-6, the Paul B. Henry Freeway, runs along the south side, linking I-96 and I-196. M-11 runs along Ironwood/Remembrance Road, Wilson Avenue, and 28th Street. M-21 is Fulton Street to the east. M-37 follows Alpine Avenue to the north, I-96, East Beltline Avenue, and Broadmoor Avenue to the south. M-44 is East Beltline north of I-96, Conn. M-44 runs along Plainfield Avenue. M-45 follows Lake Michigan Drive west toward Allendale and Lake Michigan. A-45 is Old US 131 south of 28th Street.

The Interurban Transit Partnership, known as The Rapid, provides public bus transportation. DASH buses, or the "Downtown Area Shuttle," also offer transportation. DASH bus rides are free and connect parking lots in the city to designated loading and unloading spots. The Greyhound Bus terminal is located in the Central Station of the Rapid, making transfers between Greyhound and local buses easier.

Indian Trails offers daily intercity bus service between Grand Rapids and Petoskey, Michigan; Grand Rapids and Benton Harbor, Michigan; and Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, Michigan, with stops in between.

In August 2014, the SilverLine opened. It is Michigan’s first bus rapid transit line, an express bus line designed to operate like a light rail system. Plans are being made to add more express routes, secondary stations, a streetcar, and dedicated highway lanes.

Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR). Eight passenger airlines and two cargo airlines operate over 150 daily flights to 34 nonstop destinations across the United States. International service to Toronto, Canada, was previously offered by Air Canada Express. The airport was formerly called Kent County International Airport before being renamed in 1999.

The first regularly scheduled air service in the United States was between Grand Rapids and Detroit (Dearborn’s Ford Airport) on a Ford-Stout monoplane named Miss Grand Rapids, which began on July 26, 1926. Delta Air Lines continues to operate this route today to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW).

Amtrak provides direct train service to Chicago from the passenger station via the Pere Marquette line. Freight service is provided by CSX, the Grand Elk Railroad, Marquette Rail, and the Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad.

Sister cities

Grand Rapids has sister cities in the following locations:

• Bielsko-Biała, Poland
• Ga East and West District, Ghana
• Gangnam-gu, South Korea
• Ōmihachiman, Japan
• Perugia, Italy
• Zapopan, Mexico