Grand Rapids is the second largest city in Michigan. It sits on the banks of the Grand River and is approximately 30 miles east of Lake Michigan. Our state capitol, Lansing, lies about 60 miles to the east and Kalamazoo is about 50 miles to the south. Major highways servicing the Grand Rapids area include Interstate 96, Interstate 196, U.S. Highway 131 and M-6 (Paul B. Henry Freeway).
According to the census of 2000, there were 197,800 people and the median income for a household in the city was $37,224. Grand Rapids has traditionally been a stronghold for the Republican Party. The city is the center of the 3rd Congressional District. Former president Gerald R. Ford represented the district from 1949 to 1974. Principal industries include furniture and automobile manufacturing. Grand Rapids is home to retailers Meijer and Spartan Stores. The city recently has had success in attracting businesses focusing on health sciences. There is an active movement among community leaders to have Michigan State University open a new medical school in Grand Rapids. Colleges and universities located in Grand Rapids include
Aquinas College,
Calvin College, Kuyper College,
Cornerstone University and
Grand Rapids Community College. Other higher-level institutions with facilities downtown include Grand Valley State University (located in Allendale, Michigan), Ferris State University, Kendall College of Art and Design, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Davenport University and Western Michigan University.
The Grand Rapids Press is the daily newspaper,
Advance Newspapers provide community-based information to greater Grand Rapids and Rapid Growth is a weekly online news magazine reporting on growth and investment in the city.
Other Grand Rapids area resources:
Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce
Grand Rapids Public Library
