Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids | |
|---|---|
| Nicknames: GR, Furniture City, Beer City USA | |
| Motto(s): Motu Viget (Latin) (English: "Strength in activity") | |
Interactive map of Grand Rapids | |
| Coordinates: 42°57′48″N 85°40′4″W / 42.96333°N 85.66778°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Kent |
| Founded | 1826 |
| Incorporated | 1838 (village) 1850 (city) |
| Government | |
| • Type | City commission |
| • Mayor | David LaGrand (D) |
| • Manager | Mark Washington |
| • Clerk | Joel Hondorp (R) |
| Area | |
| 45.63 sq mi (118.19 km2) | |
| • Land | 44.78 sq mi (115.97 km2) |
| • Water | 0.86 sq mi (2.22 km2) 1.92% |
| Elevation | 640 ft (200 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| 198,917 | |
• Estimate (2024) | 200,117 |
| • Rank | US: 128th MI: 2nd |
| • Density | 4,442.49/sq mi (1,715.26/km2) |
| • Urban | 605,666 (US: 70th) |
| • Urban density | 2,207.6/sq mi (852.3/km2) |
| • Metro | 1,162,950 (US: 49th) |
| • CSA | 1,502,552 (US: 40th) |
| Demonym | Grand Rapidian |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 49501–49508, 49510, 49514–49516, 49518, 49523, 49525, 49534, 49546, 49548, 49555, 49560, 49588, 49594 |
| Area code | 616 |
| FIPS code | 26-34000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0627105 |
| Website | GrandRapidsMI.gov |
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Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the second-most populous city in Michigan. The Grand Rapids metropolitan area has a population of 1.16 million and a combined statistical area population of 1.5 million.
Grand Rapids is situated along the Grand River approximately 25 miles (40 km) east of Lake Michigan and is the economic and cultural hub of West 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". As a result of the numerous micro and craft breweries, many with notable reputations nationally such as Founders and New Holland which are known globally, Grand Rapids is also known as "Beer City USA". Due to the prominence of the Grand River, many local businesses and civic organizations use the moniker "River City" in their names. 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 was the childhood home 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. The city's Gerald R. Ford International Airport and Gerald R. Ford Freeway are named after him.