Lansing is the capital city of the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and the state's sixth largest city. It is located about 80 miles (125 km) west-northwest of
DetroitDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
and is mostly in
Ingham CountyIngham County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2000 census recorded its population at 279,320. The county seat is Mason. Lansing, the state capital of Michigan, is also within the county...
, although small portions of the city extend into
Eaton CountyEaton County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 103,655. The county seat is Charlotte. Eaton County was named for John Eaton, who was Secretary of War under U.S. President Andrew Jackson, making it one of Michigan's Cabinet counties. It was...
. As of the July 1, 2008
Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
estimate, it has a population of 113,968 and a
Metropolitan Statistical AreaIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget has produced a formal definition of metropolitan areas. These are referred to as "Metropolitan Statistical Areas" and "Combined Statistical Areas" . An earlier version of the MSA was the "Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area" . MSAs are...
(MSA) population of 454,035. The even larger
Combined Statistical AreaThe United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
(CSA) population, which includes
Shiawassee CountyShiawassee is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan, the sole county of the Owosso Micropolitan Statistical Area, and part of the greater Lansing Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population was 71,687, with a population of 70,880 according to the 2008 Census Bureau estimate....
, is estimated at 524,915.
The
Lansing metropolitan areaThe Lansing-East Lansing Metropolitan Statistical Area is a three-county metropolitan area located in Central Michigan defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and encompassing the counties of Eaton, Clinton, and Ingham. The region is colloquially referred to as "Mid-Michigan", and less...
, colloquially referred to as "Mid-Michigan", is an important center for educational, cultural, governmental, business, and high-tech manufacturing institutions, including three
medical schoolA medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine.In addition to a medical degree program, some medical schools offer programs leading to a Master's Degree, Doctor of Philosophy , or other post-secondary education. Medical schools can also...
s (two human medicine and one veterinary), two
nursing schoolA Nursing school is a type of educational institution, or part thereof, providing education and training to become a fully-qualified nurse. The nature of nursing education and nursing qualifications varies considerably across the world.-United Kingdom:...
s, two
law schoolA law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- United States:...
s including the nation's largest law school, a
Big Ten ConferenceThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its eleven member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Iowa and Minnesota in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
university (
Michigan StateMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act. Its alumni include at least six winners of the...
), the state capital, the state
Supreme CourtThe Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices, who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...
and
Court of AppealsThe Michigan Court of Appeals is the intermediate-level appellate court of the state of Michigan. It was created by the Michigan Constitution of 1963, and commenced operations in 1965...
, a
federal courtThe United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan is the Federal district court with jurisdiction over of the eastern portion of the state of Michigan. The Court is based in Detroit, with courthouses also located in Ann Arbor, Bay City, Flint, and Port Huron...
, the
Library of MichiganThe Library of Michigan and Historical Center is a state-run library and historical center located in Lansing, Michigan. The current building opened in 1989....
and Historical Center, and headquarters of four national
insuranceInsurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed and known...
companies.
Lansing is the only U.S. state capital (among the 44 located in counties) that is not also a
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
. The county seat of Ingham County is
MasonMason is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is named after the state's first governor, Stevens T. Mason. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,714, with the 2008 estimate placing it at 8,099. It is the county seat of Ingham County. Mason is the only city in the U.S. that serves as...
, but the county maintains some offices in Lansing.
History
The area that is now Lansing was originally surveyed in 1825 in what was then dense forest. There would be no roads to this area for decades to come.
In the winter of 1835 and early 1836, two brothers from New York plotted the area now known as REO Town just south of downtown Lansing and named it "Biddle City." All of this land lay in a floodplain and was underwater during the majority of the year. Regardless, the brothers went back to New York, specifically
Lansing, New YorkLansing is a town in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 10,521 at the 2000 census. The town is named after John Lansing; settlers from Lansing were early residents of the city of Lansing, Michigan and named the city after their hometown.The Town of Lansing has within it a...
, to sell plots for the town that did not exist. They told the residents of Lansing, New York that this new "city" had an area of 65 blocks, contained a church and also a public and academic square. A group of 16 men bought plots in the nonexistent city and upon reaching the area later that year found they had been scammed. Many in the group too disappointed to stay ended up settling around what is now Metropolitan Lansing. Those who stayed quickly renamed the area "Lansing Township" in honor of their home village in New York.
The sleepy settlement of fewer than 20 people would remain dormant until the winter of 1847 when the state constitution required that the capital be moved from Detroit to a more centralized and safer location in the interior of the state since many were concerned about Detroit's close proximity to British-controlled Canada, which had captured Detroit in the
War of 1812The War of 1812, between the United States of America and the British Empire , lasted from 1812 to 1815. It was fought chiefly on the Atlantic Ocean and on the land, coasts and waterways of North America.There were several immediate stated causes for the U.S...
. The United States had recaptured the city in 1813, but these events led to the dire need to have the center of government relocated away from hostile
British territoryFor American people of British descent, see British American.British America consisted of the English and later British Empire in continental North America in the 17th century and 18th century...
. In addition, there was also concern with Detroit's strong influence over Michigan politics, being the largest city in the state as well as the capital city.
During the multi-day session to determine a new location for the state capital, many cities, including
Ann ArborAnn Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. It is the state's seventh largest city with a population of 114,024 as of the 2000 Census, of which 36,892 are university or college students...
,
MarshallMarshall is a city located in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,459. It is the county seat of Calhoun County...
, and
JacksonJackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 36,316...
, lobbied hard to win this designation. Unable to publicly reach a consensus due to constant political wrangling, the
Michigan House of RepresentativesThe Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 Representatives, each of whom is elected from districts having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the federal U.S. Census...
privately chose the Township of Lansing out of frustration. When announced, many present openly laughed that such an insignificant settlement was now the capital city of Michigan. Two months later, the governor
William L. GreenlyWilliam L. Greenly was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan serving as Governor.-Early life in New York:Greenly was born in Hamilton, New York...
signed into law the act of the legislature officially making
Lansing TownshipThe Charter Township of Lansing, is a charter township of Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 8,458...
the state capital.
With the announcement that Lansing Township had been made the capital, the small village quickly transformed into the seat of state government. The legislature gave the settlement the temporary name of the "Town of Michigan". In April 1848, the legislature then gave the settlement the name of "Lansing". Within months after it became the capital city, individual settlements began to develop along three key points along the
Grand RiverThe Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs 260 miles through the cities of Eaton Rapids, Jackson, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
in the township.
"Lower Village/Town", where present-day Old Town stands, was the oldest of the three villages. It was home to the first house built in Lansing in 1843 by pioneer James Seymour and his family. Lower Town began to develop in 1847 with the completion of the Franklin Avenue (now
Grand River AvenueGrand River Avenue is one of the principal pre-Interstate roads in the state of Michigan. The modern road cuts across the Lower Peninsula in a southeast-to-northwest fashion from Detroit to Grand Rapids...
) covered bridge over the Grand River.
"Upper Village/Town", where present-day REO Town stands at the confluence of the Grand River and the
Red Cedar RiverThe Red Cedar River is a westward flowing river in Michigan which is a tributary of the Grand River. Its source is Cedar Lake which is located in Marion Township in the southeastern corner of Livingston County, and it runs about 45 miles through Okemos, East Lansing, including the campus of...
. It began to take off in 1847 when the Main Street Bridge was constructed over the Grand River. This village's focal point was the Benton House, a 4-story hotel which opened in 1848. It was the first brick building in Lansing and was later razed in 1900.
"Middle Village/Town", where downtown Lansing now stands, was the last of the three villages to develop in 1848 with the completion of the Michigan Avenue bridge across the Grand River and the completion of the temporary capitol building which sat where Cooley Law School stands today on Capitol Avenue in between Allegan and Washtenaw Streets, and finally the relocation of the post office to the village in 1851. This area would grow to become larger than the other two villages up and down river. For a brief time the combined villages were referred to as "Michigan" but was officially named Lansing in 1848.
In 1859, the settlement having grown to nearly 3,000 and encompassing about in area was incorporated as a city. The boundaries of the original city were Douglas Avenue to the north, Wood and Regent Streets to the east, Mount Hope Avenue to the south, and Jenison Avenue to the west. These boundaries would remain unchanged until 1916. Lansing began to grow steadily over the next two decades with the completion of the railroads through the city, a
plank roadA plank road or puncheon is a dirt path or road covered with a series of planks, similar to the wooden sidewalks one would see in a Western movie. Plank roads were wildly popular in Ontario, the U.S. Northeast and U.S. Midwest in the first half of the 19th century...
, and the completion of the current capitol building in 1878.
Most of what is known as Lansing today is the direct result of the city becoming an industrial powerhouse which began with the founding of Olds Motor Vehicle Company in August 1897. The company went through many changes, including a buyout, between its founding to 1905 when founder
Ransom E. OldsRansom Eli Olds was a pioneer of the American automotive industry, for whom both the Oldsmobile and Reo brands were named...
started his new company
REO Motor Car CompanyThe REO Motor Car Company was a Lansing, Michigan based company that produced automobiles and trucks from 1905 to 1975. At one point the company also manufactured buses on its truck platforms.REO was initiated by Ransom E. Olds during August 1904...
, which would last in Lansing for another 70 years. Olds would be joined by the less successful
ClarkmobileClarkmobile was an automobile first built in 1902 by Frank Clark of Clark & Company in Lansing, Michigan. The first model became available in 1903. A newspaper article referred to the auto as the 'Unbreakable Clarkmobile' and showed it surviving an accident....
around 1903. Over the next decades, the city would see itself transformed into a major American industrial center for the manufacturing of automobiles and
automobile partsThis is a list of auto parts , which are manufactured components of automobiles:-Body:* Bonnets* Radiator core supports* Cowl screens* Bumpers** Unexposed bumpers** Exposed bumpers* Fascia supports* Fender * Front clips...
among other industries. The city continued to grow in area too. By 1956, the city had grown to , and doubled in size over the next decade to its current size of roughly .
Today, the city's economy is now diversified among government service, healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, banking, and education.
Timeline
- 1825 – Lansing Township surveyed.
- 1836 – A pair of New York speculators plot and market a non-existent city known as "Biddle City." The New Yorkers that bought into the idea arrive in Lansing to discover that the plots they had bought are located in a marsh, and are underwater. Some of the pioneers stay, but develop a village in what is now Old Town Lansing a mile north of the non-existent "Biddle City."
- 1847 – The state capital moved from Detroit
Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
to Lansing Township.
- 1855 – Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act. Its alumni include at least six winners of the...
is founded as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan.
- 1859 – The city of Lansing officially incorporated with about 3,000 citizens inside of .
- 1879 – New State Capitol
The Michigan State Capitol is the building housing the legislative and executive branches of the government of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the state capital of Lansing in Ingham County...
dedicated. The structure cost $1,510,130.
- 1881 – Michigan Millers Insurance Company
Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed and known...
founded.
- 1897 – Ransom E. Olds
Ransom Eli Olds was a pioneer of the American automotive industry, for whom both the Oldsmobile and Reo brands were named...
drives his first car down a Lansing street. Later that year he founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company, which became the OldsmobileOldsmobile was a brand of automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
division of General Motors in 1908, and he was also the founder of the REO Motor Car CompanyThe REO Motor Car Company was a Lansing, Michigan based company that produced automobiles and trucks from 1905 to 1975. At one point the company also manufactured buses on its truck platforms.REO was initiated by Ransom E. Olds during August 1904...
in 1904, both headquartered in Lansing.
- 1904 – The "most extensive flood in 135 years of local history" causes the Grand River
The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs 260 miles through the cities of Eaton Rapids, Jackson, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
to overflow its banks in March 24–27, leading to major damage and one death. Bridges at Logan Street, Kalamazoo Street, Cedar Street and Mt. Hope Road are all washed away. The Kalamazoo St. bridge lodges against the Michigan Avenue bridge; it is later salvaged and re-erected at Kalamazoo Street.
- 1910 – The population of the city nearly doubles from the 1900 census to 31,229.
- 1912 – The Accident Fund Insurance Company of America founded.
- 1916 – Auto-Owners Insurance Company
Auto-Owners Insurance is a Fortune 500 and has been every year since 2002. The was company founded in 1916 by Vernon Moulton in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Today, it is headquartered in Delta Township, Michigan and has over 65 full service and claims branches nationwide...
founded.
- 1929 – The Lansing Symphony Orchestra
The Lansing Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra headquartered in Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1929 under the leadership of its first Music Director, Izler Solomon. Since 2006, the orchestra has been headed by Music Director Timothy Muffitt.The LSO presents a wide variety...
founded.
- 1940 – Lansing's population stagnates, only rising by 356 over the decade to 78,753.
- 1954 – Frandor Mall opens – first in the area, and second in the state.
- 1956 – The city reaches in size.
- 1957 – Lansing Community College
Lansing Community College is a two-year public college founded in 1957. The college's main campus is located on an urban, 42-acre site in downtown Lansing, Michigan. A West Campus opened in 2004 in Delta Township, southwest of Lansing, and there is also an East Campus located in the Eyde Plaza in...
founded.
- 1960 – The city's population finally breaks the 100,000 mark at 107,807.
- 1961 – Jackson National Life Insurance Company
Jackson National Life Insurance is a U.S. life assurance company that is a subsidiary of the UK based insurer, Prudential Plc. Founded in 1961, Jackson is headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, and has over a thousand employees in the region....
founded.
- 1965 – The city reaches in size.
- 1970 – Lansing reaches its peak population of 131,546.
- 1972 – The Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Thomas M. Cooley Law School, whose main campus is located in Lansing, Michigan, is the largest law school in the United States, as measured by full-time and part-time student enrollment. Thomas M. Cooley is a private law school, unaffiliated with any college or university.-History:The law school...
founded.
- 1980 – Lansing's population declines for the first time losing 989 to hit 130,414.
- 1987 - The Sesquicentennial is celebrated in Lansing
- 1989 – The Library of Michigan
The Library of Michigan and Historical Center is a state-run library and historical center located in Lansing, Michigan. The current building opened in 1989....
and Historical Center near the Capitol Complex dedicated.
- 1992 – The Michigan State Capitol completes an extensive renovation to restore it to its original grandeur.
- 1998 – Mayor David Hollister
David Hollister served as the mayor of Lansing, Michigan from 1993 to 2003, until he resigned to be the director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth under Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm's administration...
signs a 425 AgreementThe legislature of the State of Michigan enacted Public Act 425 of 1984 which is also known by the title Intergovernmental Conditional Transfer Of Property By Contract Act. It became effective March 29, 1985 and was subsequently amended in 1998...
with Alaiedon Township in September to facilitate the development of the headquarters of Jackson National Life Insurance Company.
- 1999 – Mayor David Hollister signs a 425 Agreement with Meridian Township
Meridian Charter Township is a charter township of Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census the township had a population of 39,116. Meridian Township is the local government unit that includes the unincorporated communities and census-designated places of Okemos and...
in November to facilitate the development of the Governor's Collection/College Fields upscale housing developmentSubdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known as a subdivision in the United States...
and golf course.
- 2000 – Lansing's population experiences its greatest drop in its history, falling over 6% over the preceding decade to 119,128.
- 2001 – GM opens new assembly plant, Lansing Grand River Assembly
Lansing Grand River Assembly is a modern automobile factory in Lansing, Michigan. Opened in 2001 by General Motors, the 2,000,000 ft² plant produces vehicles on the company's Sigma platform...
. Builds the CadillacCadillac is a luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors Company. Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mainly in North America....
CTSThe Cadillac CTS is a mid-size luxury sports sedan and executive car manufactured by the Cadillac marque of General Motors. It was introduced in 2002 as the replacement for the unpopular Cadillac Catera. The release of the CTS is credited with reinvigorating the Cadillac brand...
, STSThe STS is a mid-size luxury sports sedan / executive car sold by manufactured and sold by Cadillac. SLS luxury sedan variation of the STS. It is equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission with performance algorithm shifting and driver shift control.- Origins :The STS is the successor to...
, SRXThe Cadillac SRX is a mid-size crossover SUV produced by the Cadillac division of American automaker General Motors since the 2004 model year.-First generation :Engine options include the High-Feature V6 and the 4.6 L Northstar V8...
and V-Series. The architecture of the assembly plant resembles a high-tech research facility instead of a traditional factory.
- 2002 – The Hall of Justice
A Hall of Justice is an occasional term for a city's police headquarters, and exists in cities across the United States. In some cases, the facility may also house courts as well as jails...
(Michigan Supreme CourtThe Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices, who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...
building) at the West-end of the Capitol Complex is dedicated.
- 2004 – Last Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
rolls off the assembly line at Lansing Car AssemblyLansing Car Assembly was a General Motors automobile factory in Lansing, Michigan. It contained two elements, a 1901 automobile plant in downtown Lansing, and the 1920 Durant Motors factory on Lansing's Far Westside....
on April 29. This same year the Thomas M. Cooley Law School becomes the largest law school in the nation.
- 2005 – Mayor Tony Benavides signs a series of three 425 Agreements with Delta Township
Delta Charter Township, officially known as the Charter Township of Delta and commonly known as simply Delta Township, is a charter township of Eaton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 29,682. Delta Township is currently the fourth largest...
and General Motors facilitating the development General Motors' Lansing Delta Township AssemblyLansing Delta Township Assembly is a General Motors automobile assembly factory in Delta Township, Michigan on land that is shared by both the nearby city of Lansing, and the township. It manufactures Saturn, Buick, and GMC vehicles....
Plant.
- 2006 – GM opens state of the art
The state of the art is the highest level of development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field, achieved at a particular time. It also applies to the level of development reached at any particular time usually as a result of modern methods.- Origin :The earliest usage of the term "state...
facility in nearby Delta Charter Township. As with the 2001 assembly plant built in Lansing, the Delta plant resembles a high-tech research facility and not a traditional factory.
- 2008 - Accident Fund Insurance Company of America
Accident Fund Insurance Company of America is a workers' compensation insurance company headquartered in Lansing, Michigan licensed to offer their services in 49 states plus the District of Columbia. The company is a wholly-owned and independently operating subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of...
announces the renovation of the Ottawa Street Power StationOttawa Street Power Station is a former municipal electric and steam utility generating station for the Lansing Board of Water and Light in Lansing, Michigan, located on the Grand River in the city's central business district currently being redeveloped as corporate headquarters for the Accident...
and addition of modern buildings connected by an atrium for their new headquarters.
- 2009 - Construction begins on the new Lansing City Market along the Grand River and the river trail in downtown Lansing.
- 2009 - Auto-Owners Insurance Co. announces it will invest $105.3 million into expanding it's Lansing headquarters and adding 800 new jobs.
Geography
Lansing is the centerpiece of a region of Michigan known as Mid-Michigan or
Central MichiganCentral Michigan, often called Mid-Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Southern Michigan can be considered as a subregion of Central Michigan. As its name implies, it is the central area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and...
.
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of , of which of it is land and (0.57%) of it is water. This figure includes two 425 Agreements with
Alaiedon TownshipAlaiedon Township is a civil township of Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,498.-Communities:...
and Meridian Township, but not the four 425 Agreements with Delta Township since 2000.
Under Michigan law, 425 Agreements are only temporary land sharing agreements, and do not count as official annexations. The Census Bureau, however, for statistical purposes, does count these as annexations. Not counting the temporary 425 Agreements, Lansing administers total.
Lansing is located in the south central part of the lower peninsula where the
Grand RiverThe Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs 260 miles through the cities of Eaton Rapids, Jackson, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
meets the
Red Cedar RiverThe Red Cedar River is a westward flowing river in Michigan which is a tributary of the Grand River. Its source is Cedar Lake which is located in Marion Township in the southeastern corner of Livingston County, and it runs about 45 miles through Okemos, East Lansing, including the campus of...
. The city occupies most of what had formerly been part of Lansing Charter Township. It has also annexed adjacent tracts of land in Delta Charter Township and Windsor Township in Eaton County to the west and
Delhi Charter TownshipDelhi Charter Township is a charter township of Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located directly south of the state's capital city, Lansing. The population was 22,569 at the 2000 census, with the 2007 census estimate placing the population at 25,948...
in Ingham County to the south. The city also controls three non-contiguous tracts of land through 425 Agreements (conditional land transfer agreements) with Meridian Charter Township, Delta Charter Township, and Alaiedon Township in Ingham County to the southeast.
Lansing elevation ranges between
above sea levelThe term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
on the far south side of Lansing along Northrup Street near the Cedar Street intersection, to to above sea level along the Grand River because of the two dams along the river.
The Grand River, the largest river in Michigan, flows through downtown Lansing; and the Red Cedar River, a tributary of the Grand River, flows through the campus at Michigan State University. There are two lakes in the area, Park Lake and
Lake LansingLake Lansing is a lake in Haslett, Michigan just a few miles northeast of the state's capital city of Lansing.-Overview:Lake Lansing was originally known as Pine Lake, and was a highly popular recreation site in the early 1900s. The name was changed to Lake Lansing in 1927...
, both northeast of the city. Lake Lansing is approximately in size and is a summer favorite for swimmers, boaters, and fishermen. Michigan State University Sailing Club and the Lansing Sailing Club are located on Lake Lansing, where sailing regattas are hosted throughout the summer.
The city of Lansing operates a total of of parkland, of which is parkland, are golflands, and are cemetery lands. This figure includes the Waverly Hills
Golf CourseGolf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...
and adjacent Michigan Avenue Park, which are part of Lansing Township, but operated by the City of Lansing. The figure, however, does not include the [Ingham County parklands within the borders of Lansing.
Climate
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Rec High °F (°C) |
66 (18.8) |
69 (20.5) |
79 (26.1) |
86 (30) |
94 (34.4) |
99 (37.2) |
100 (37.7) |
100 (37.7) |
97 (36.1) |
89 (31.6) |
77 (25) |
69 (20.5) |
| Norm High °F (°C) |
29.4 (-1.4) |
32.6 (0.3) |
43.5 (6.4) |
56.6 (13.6) |
69.4 (20.7) |
78.1 (25.6) |
82.1 (27.8) |
79.7 (26.5) |
72 (22.2) |
59.8 (15.4) |
46 (7.7) |
34.1 (1.2) |
| Norm Low °F (°C) |
13.9 (-10.05) |
15.4 (-9.2) |
24.3 (-4.3) |
34.5 (1.4) |
44.8 (7.1) |
54.3 (12.4) |
58.4 (14.6) |
57 (13.4) |
48.9 (9.4) |
38.6 (3.6) |
30.1 (-1.05) |
19.7 (-6.8) |
| Rec Low °F (°C) |
-29 (-33.8) |
-25 (-31.6) |
-15 (-26.1) |
-2 (-18.8) |
19 (-7.2) |
30 (-1.1) |
37 (2.7) |
35 (1.6) |
22 (-5.5) |
15 (-9.4) |
4 (-15.5) |
-18 (-27.7) |
| Precip in (mm) |
1.61 (40.9) |
1.45 (36.8) |
2.33 (59.2) |
3.09 (78.5) |
2.71 (68.8) |
3.6 (91.4) |
2.68 (67.1) |
3.46 (87.9) |
3.48 (88.4) |
2.29 (58.2) |
2.66 (67.6) |
2.17 (55.1) |
| Source: WeatherByDay.com |
Neighborhoods
The city's downtown is dominated by state government buildings, especially the State Capitol; but downtown has also experienced recent growth in new restaurants,
retail storesRetailing consists of the sale of goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be individuals...
and residential developments. Downtown Lansing has a historic city market that is one of the oldest continuously operating farmers' markets in the United States. Upriver and north of downtown is historic Old Town Lansing] with many architecturally significant buildings dating to the mid-1800s. Directly south of downtown on the other side of I-496 along Washington Avenue lies "REO Town", the birthplace of the automobile in the United States, is where Ransom Eli Olds built factories along Washington Avenue. Ransom Eli Olds' home, which once overlooked the factories along Washington Avenue, was displaced by I-496.
Lansing is generally divided into four sections: Eastside, Westside, Northwestside, and the Southside. Each section contains a diverse array of neighborhoods. The Eastside, located east of the
Grand RiverThe Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs 260 miles through the cities of Eaton Rapids, Jackson, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven.-Description:...
and north of the Red Cedar River, is the most ethnically diverse side of Lansing, with foreign-born citizens making up more of its population than any other side in the city. The Eastside's commercial districts are located mainly along Michigan Avenue, and to a lesser extent along Kalamazoo Street. It is anchored by Frandor
Shopping CenterA shopping mall, shopping centre or shopping center is a building or multiple buildings consisting of a complex of shops representing leading merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a convenient parking area – a modern,...
on the very eastern edge of the eastside.
The Westside, roughly located north, west, and south of the Grand River as it curves through the city, is sometimes regarded the city's most socio-economically diverse section. This side also contains Lansing's downtown area, though this neighborhood is often included as an area all its own. Outside downtown, this side is largely a collection of residential neighborhoods and is served by only one other commercial area along Saginaw Street. However, it also includes a small part of the Old Town Commercial Association.
The Northwestside, generally located north of the Grand River, with the
city limitsThe term city limits refers to the defined boundary or border of a city. The terms town limits and village limits mean the same as city limits, but apply to towns and villages. Similarly, the term corporate limits is a legal name that refers to the boundaries of municipal corporations...
defining its north and western borders, is physically the smallest side of the city. This part of the city includes suburban areas and some more rural areas. North of Grand River Avenue, the main street of the side, lie warehouses and light industrial areas served by a major rail line that runs through Lansing. The most notable landmark of this side is Lansing's airport: Capital Region International Airport.
The Southside, usually described as the neighborhoods located south of the Grand and Red Cedar rivers and the I-496 freeway, is physically the largest and most populous side of the city. The area is largely suburban in nature (south of Mount Hope Road near the northern edge), and is served by numerous commercial strips along Cedar Street,
Martin Luther King, Jr. BoulevardStreets named after Martin Luther King, Jr. can be found in many cities of the United States and in nearly every major metropolis in America. The number of streets named after King is growing every year:...
, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Waverly Road, which run north/south. The large Edgewood District is located in the southernmost part of the Southside and is sometimes referred to as South Lansing. Though it is the largest area of the city by both physical size and population, it has often been regarded by Southside citizens as Lansing's most overlooked and forgotten area, as most of Lansing's attention in recent decades has been put into the revitalization of the city's historic core located mostly on small parts of both the East and Westsides.
Districts
- Allen Street
- Churchill Downs
- Colonial Village
- Stadium District
- Edgewood
- Genesee
- Gier Park
- Hosmer
- Old Town
- REO Town
- Washington Square
- Westside
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 119,128 people, 49,505 households, and 28,366 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 3,399.0 per square mile (1,312.3/km²). There were 53,159 housing units at an average density of 1,516.8/sq mi (585.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.28% White (61.4% non-Hispanic White), 21.91% African American, 0.80% Native American, 2.83% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.54% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.0% of the population. The city's foreign-born population stood at 5.9%.
As of 2000, the city's population rose by 32,293 (27%) to 151,421 during the day due to the influx of workers.
There were 49,505 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The
median incomeThe median household income is commonly used to provide data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
for a household in the city was $34,833, and the median income for a family was $41,283. Males had a median income of $32,648 versus $27,051 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $17,924. About 13.2% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Municipal government
Lansing is administered under a
mayor-council governmentThe Mayor-Council government system, sometimes called the Mayor-Commission government system, is one of two variations of government used for the most part in modern representative municipal governments in the United States. It is also used in some other countries...
, more specifically a "strong mayor" setup in which the mayor holds most of the city's administrative powers, such as appointment of department heads and drafting and administering a city budget, though the council must approve his/her actions. The mayor is elected at-large every four years. Lansing is different from most U.S. cities in that its eight-member
city councilA city council is the legislative body that governs a city, municipality or local government area.-Australia:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council may vary slightly...
includes four members each elected from one of four wards, as well as four "at-large" members elected citywide. The reasoning behind this system is that while each ward of the city gets its own representation, the at-large councilmembers serve as a voice for often- underrepresented neighborhoods in those wards.
The current mayor is
Virgil BerneroVirgil Bernero is the current mayor of Lansing, Michigan, elected on November 8, 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, who took office on January 1, 2006.
The city council members as of January 3, 2008 are:
Eric Hewitt (1st Ward)
Sandy Allen (2nd Ward)
A'Lynne Robinson (3rd Ward and Council Vice President)
Tim Kaltenbach (4th Ward)
Kathie Dunbar (at-large)
Brian Jeffries (at-large)
Derrick Quinney (at-large and Council President)
Carol Wood (at-large)- also a candidate for Mayor.
Politics
The city finds itself wedged between the Conservative politics of Western Michigan, and the more Liberal politics of Eastern Michigan. The city has not had a Republican mayor in office for more than a decade, and the last two mayoral elections have hosted all Democratic candidates.
State and federal representation
Lansing currently lies mostly within the boundaries of
Michigan's 8th congressional districtMichigan's 8th congressional district is a United States congressional district in Southern Michigan and Southeast Michigan. It consists of all of Clinton, Ingham, and Livingston counties, and includes the southern portion of Shiawassee and the northern portion of Oakland counties.The district was...
, which has been represented by Republican congressman Mike Rogers since 2001. The small portion of the city that extends into
Eaton CountyEaton County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 103,655. The county seat is Charlotte. Eaton County was named for John Eaton, who was Secretary of War under U.S. President Andrew Jackson, making it one of Michigan's Cabinet counties. It was...
is located in
Michigan's 7th congressional districtMichigan's 7th congressional district is a United States congressional district in Southern Michigan. It consists of all of Branch, Eaton, Hillsdale, Jackson, and Lenawee counties, and includes most of Calhoun and a large portion of western and northern Washtenaw counties.In the November 4, 2008...
, which has been represented by Democratic congressman
Mark SchauerMark Schauer is a U.S. Congressman from Michigan. He is a former Democratic member of the Michigan Senate, representing the 19th District since 2003, served as the Minority Leader. His district covered all of Calhoun County and most of Jackson County. Previously he was a member of the Michigan...
since
2009On November 4, 2008, the United States held a general election. The result was a significant victory for the Democratic Party on the national level, as they increased majorities in both houses of Congress and won the Presidency.-President:...
.
At the
stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
level, Lansing is located in the 23rd district of the
Michigan SenateThe Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 representatives who are elected from districts having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
, which has been represented by Democratic state senator
Gretchen WhitmerGretchen Whitmer is a Democratic member of the Michigan Senate, representing the 23rd District since a special election in March 2006 to replace Virg Bernero, who ran for and won the mayorship of Lansing that year...
since January 1, 2007. The small portion of the city that extends into Eaton County is located in the 24th district of the Michigan Senate, which is currently represented by Republican state senator
Patricia L. BirkholzPatricia L. Birkholz is a member of the Michigan State Senate. She has been in the state senate since 2002. Before that she served in the State House of Representatives from 1996-2002. Prior to that she was the county treasurer for Allegan County....
. The city lies in the 67th, 68th, 69th, and 71st districts of the
Michigan State House of RepresentativesThe Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 Representatives, each of whom is elected from districts having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the federal U.S. Census...
, represented by state representatives Barb Byrum (D-67),
Joan BauerJoan Bauer is a Democratic Party politician from Michigan. She is the current member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 68th District, which is in Ingham County in the northern portion of the city of Lansing.-Early life:...
(D-68), Mark Meadows (D-69), and Rick Jones (R-71).
Despite Lansing not being a designated
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
, many county offices and courts are still located within downtown Lansing, including the county circuit court.
Economy
The Lansing metropolitan area's major industries are
governmentA government is the body within a community, political entity or organization which has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws and regulations.....
,
educationEducation in its broadest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual...
,
insuranceInsurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed and known...
, healthcare, and
automobileAn automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufacturing. Being the state capital, many state government workers reside in the area.
Michigan State University,
Thomas M. Cooley Law SchoolThomas M. Cooley Law School, whose main campus is located in Lansing, Michigan, is the largest law school in the United States, as measured by full-time and part-time student enrollment. Thomas M. Cooley is a private law school, unaffiliated with any college or university.-History:The law school...
, and
Lansing Community CollegeLansing Community College is a two-year public college founded in 1957. The college's main campus is located on an urban, 42-acre site in downtown Lansing, Michigan. A West Campus opened in 2004 in Delta Township, southwest of Lansing, and there is also an East Campus located in the Eyde Plaza in...
are significant employers in the region.
General Motors has offices and a hi-tech
manufacturing facilityA factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where workers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
in Lansing and several manufacturing facilities immediately outside the city, as well, in nearby Lansing and Delta townships. The Lansing area is headquarters to four major national insurance companies:
Auto-Owners InsuranceAuto-Owners Insurance is a Fortune 500 and has been every year since 2002. The was company founded in 1916 by Vernon Moulton in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Today, it is headquartered in Delta Township, Michigan and has over 65 full service and claims branches nationwide...
Company,
Jackson National LifeJackson National Life Insurance is a U.S. life assurance company that is a subsidiary of the UK based insurer, Prudential Plc. Founded in 1961, Jackson is headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, and has over a thousand employees in the region....
, the Accident Fund, and Michigan Millers Insurance Company.
The recent decline of the
auto industryThe automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells the world's motor vehicles. In 2008, more than 70 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide....
in the region has increased the region's awareness of the importance of a strategy to foster the
high-technologyIn a search of New York Times articles, the first occurrence of the phrase "high tech" occurs in a 1957 story advocating "atomic energy" for Europe: "...Western Europe, with its dense population and its high technology..." The twelfth occurrence, in 1968, is, significantly, in a story about Route...
sector.
- An initiative called Prima Civitas, created by Michigan State University, in cooperation with the cities of Lansing and East Lansing, under the direction of former Lansing mayor David Hollister, is spearheading focused economic development
Economic development is the increase in the standard of living of a nation's population associated with sustained growth from a simple, low-income economy to a modern, high-income economy...
in the technology sector in the region.
- Early availability of high-speed Internet
Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just broadband, is a high data rate Internet access—typically contrasted with dial-up access using a 56k modem....
in 1996, as well as the MSU, Cooley Law School, and LCC student population, fostered an intellectual environment for information technology companies to incubate.
Lansing has a number of technology companies in the fields of
information technologyInformation technology , as defined by the Information Technology Association of America , is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware." IT deals with the use of electronic...
and
biotechnologyBiotechnology is technology based on biology, agriculture, food science, and medicine. Modern use of the term usually refers to genetic engineering as well as cell- and tissue culture technologies...
.
- Emergent BioSolutions is an international biopharmaceutical company that maintains significant operations in Lansing. Emergent BioSolutions is developing an array of biodefense and commercial products and currently manufactures the only FDA approved anthrax vaccine at its Lansing operations. In March 2009 Emergent announced another $10.9 million investment in its Lansing facility and is adding 93 new employees.
- Neogen is an international food and animal safety and diagnostics company headquartered in Lansing.
- IBM
International Business Machines Corporation, abbreviated IBM, is a multinational computer technology and IT consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, Town of North Castle, New York, United States. The company is one of the few information technology companies with a continuous history dating...
announced in January 2009 that it was opening its first U.S. programming center in the former MSU Federal Credit UnionMichigan State University Federal Credit Union or MSUFCU--headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan--is the largest university-based credit union in the world in membership and asset size. MSUFCU is a federal credit union chartered and regulated under the authority of the National Credit Union...
headquarters in East Lansing for application software for governments, universities, etc.
Healthcare
Sparrow HospitalSparrow Hospital, located in Lansing, Michigan, is a 733 bed hospital that provides care for the greater Mid-Michigan region. The hospital is a subsidiary of Sparrow Health System, and is affiliated with the Colleges of Human Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine at nearby Michigan State University...
is a 740 bed hospital and is affiliated with Michigan State University and its College of Human Medicine and College of Osteopathic Medicine. In February 2009 it was announced that Sparrow and MSU formalized their partnership to increase research and faculty recruitment. Sparrow Hospital is the Regional Center for pediatrics, cancer care, including radiation therapy, trauma care, neurological care, high-risk obstetrics and neonatal intensive care. The Sparrow Tower was finished January 2008 and includes but is not limited to: a dedicated pediatric emergency room (the only one in the region), the largest adult emergency room in the region, state-of-the-art operating rooms, a rooftop helipad, oncology center, heart and vascular center and orthopedic department. In addition, 4,500 deliveries are performed at Sparrow Hospital annually, rehabilitation, and emergency treatment is more than any other hospital in mid-Michigan. The Sparrow Health System Laboratory performs over 3 million tests per year, at various laboratory sites, which include four remote testing facilities and thirteen patient service centers. Sparrow Hospital is certified as a Level I Trauma Center by the
American College of SurgeonsThe American College of Surgeons is an educational association of surgeons created in 1913 to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice.-Membership:...
. In May 2009 Sparrow announced that it now has its own helicopter service based at its downtown Lansing hospital's new $2.5 million helipad. The addition is expected to increase helicopter patient transport to the hospital from four a month to 400 a year.
Ingham Regional Medical CenterIngham Regional Medical Center is a hospital in Lansing, Michigan. IRMC is a subsidiary of the McLaren Health Care Corporation, which is an integrated managed care health care organization operating in Michigan. Both the College of Human Medicine and the College of Osteopathic Medicine at...
is also a university affiliated teaching hospital. Ingham enjoys a special affiliation in radiation oncology with the University of Michigan and Michigan State University; Ingham is part of the Great Lakes Cancer Institute (GLCI). Ingham received five-star ratings for: Coronary bypass surgery; Cardiac interventions; Treatment of heart attacks; Total knee replacement; Total hip replacement; Back and neck surgery; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease care; Community-Acquired pneumonia care.
Urban renewal and downtown redevelopment
Several
urban renewalUrban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of reconstruction...
projects by private developers are adding higher end apartments and condominiums to the Lansing market. The Arbaugh, a former
department storeA department store is a retail establishment which specializes in satisfying a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
across from Cooley Law School, was converted into apartments in 2005. Motor Wheel Lofts, an industrial site, will be converted into loft-style living spaces in mid-2006. A combination retail and residential complex to the south of
Oldsmobile ParkOldsmobile Park is a baseball stadium in Lansing, Michigan, and home field of the Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball team. The Michigan State University college baseball team also plays select home games at Oldsmobile Park...
baseball stadiumBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
called "The Stadium District", was completed in 2007. The Stadium District, immediately south of
Oldsmobile ParkOldsmobile Park is a baseball stadium in Lansing, Michigan, and home field of the Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball team. The Michigan State University college baseball team also plays select home games at Oldsmobile Park...
in Lansing, was redeveloped using a grant from the
Cool Cities InitiativeCool Cities Initiative is an iniative started by Governor Jennifer Granholm to spur growth and investment in Michigan during a period of economic decline. The Initiative was proposed in 2003 in response to students attending college in Michigan and then seeking employment out of state...
.
In May 2006, the historically significant Mutual Building located on Capitol Avenue was purchased by The Christman Company to be renovated back to its original grandeur and used as the company's headquarters. Additional downtown developments include the renovation of the historic Hollister Building, and the expansion of the former Abrams Aerial Building. As of August 2008, an 18-story condominium high-rise called Capitol Club Tower is in the design phase with the adjacent parking structure already having been approved by city council and purchased by the developer. The city market, in existence since 1909, was approved to be sold for a multi-building mixed-use development called MarketPlace that will be built after a new city market is built by 2009, right next to the current market on the adjacent riverfront. The MarketPlace project is being developed along with BallPark North, another mixed-use development that will be immediately north of Oldsmobile Stadium. The new city market will be across the river from where the Accident Fund insurance company is renovating the former (art deco) Ottawa Street Powerplant into their new headquarters as well as the addition of modern buildings to the north that will be connected by an atrium. In 2009, the restaurant Troppo began construction on a new 2-story building that will have an open air patio on the roof facing the Capitol building.
List of largest metropolitan Lansing employers – 2005
Source: Lansing Chamber of Commerce - Lansing Region's Largest Employers - 2005
| Company/Organization | Sector | Local Full-time Employment |
|---|
State of MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
|
Government A government is the body within a community, political entity or organization which has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws and regulations.....
|
14,355 |
Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act. Its alumni include at least six winners of the...
|
Higher EducationHigher education refers to a level of education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, community colleges, liberal arts colleges, institutes of technology and other collegiate level institutions, such as vocational schools, trade schools and career colleges, that award academic...
|
10,500 |
| General Motors Corporation |
Automobile Manufacturing The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells the world's motor vehicles. In 2008, more than 70 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide....
|
6,300 |
| Sparrow Health System Sparrow Health System is a comprehensive, integrated managed care health care organization located in Central Michigan. Two health maintenance organizations, the Physicians Health Plan of Mid-Michigan and the Sparrow Physicians Health Plan, are owned and operated by Sparrow Health System...
|
Healthcare |
6,000 |
| Lansing Community College Lansing Community College is a two-year public college founded in 1957. The college's main campus is located on an urban, 42-acre site in downtown Lansing, Michigan. A West Campus opened in 2004 in Delta Township, southwest of Lansing, and there is also an East Campus located in the Eyde Plaza in...
|
Higher EducationHigher education refers to a level of education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, community colleges, liberal arts colleges, institutes of technology and other collegiate level institutions, such as vocational schools, trade schools and career colleges, that award academic...
|
3,180 |
| Ingham Regional Medical Center Ingham Regional Medical Center is a hospital in Lansing, Michigan. IRMC is a subsidiary of the McLaren Health Care Corporation, which is an integrated managed care health care organization operating in Michigan. Both the College of Human Medicine and the College of Osteopathic Medicine at...
|
Healthcare |
2,500 |
| Lansing Public School District |
Primary EducationA primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
|
2,106 |
MeijerMeijer is a regional American hypermarket chain based in Walker, Michigan. Founded in 1934 as a supermarket chain, Meijer is credited with pioneering the modern supercenter concept in 1962. About half of the company's 190 locations are located in Michigan, with additional locations in Illinois,...
|
Warehousing, Retailer, GrocerBeginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
|
2,000 |
| Auto-Owners Insurance Auto-Owners Insurance is a Fortune 500 and has been every year since 2002. The was company founded in 1916 by Vernon Moulton in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Today, it is headquartered in Delta Township, Michigan and has over 65 full service and claims branches nationwide...
|
InsuranceInsurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed and known...
|
1,500 |
| Peckham, Inc. |
ManufacturingManufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to make things for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
|
1,400 |
| Jackson National Life Jackson National Life Insurance is a U.S. life assurance company that is a subsidiary of the UK based insurer, Prudential Plc. Founded in 1961, Jackson is headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, and has over a thousand employees in the region....
|
InsuranceInsurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed and known...
|
1,393 |
| Ingham County |
Government A government is the body within a community, political entity or organization which has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws and regulations.....
|
1,258 |
| City of Lansing |
Government A government is the body within a community, political entity or organization which has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws and regulations.....
|
1,240 |
United States Postal ServiceThe United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution. Within the United States, it is commonly...
|
Government A government is the body within a community, political entity or organization which has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws and regulations.....
|
1,200 |
Wal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large, discount department stores. It is the world's largest public corporation by revenue, according to the 2008 Fortune Global 500. The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962, incorporated on October 31, 1969, and...
|
Retailer |
1,185 |
| Dart Container Dart Container Corporation of Mason, Michigan, United States is the world's largest manufacturer of foam cups and containers, producing about as many as all competitors combined.-Company history:...
|
ContainerFood storage is both a traditional domestic skill and is important industrially. Food is stored by almost every human society and by many animals...
Manufacturer |
1,144 |
| John Henry Company |
PrintingPrinting is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing.-History:...
|
750 |
| Quality Dairy Quality Dairy is a chain of convenience stores in the Mid-Michigan area which specialize in selling products made within the state. Most well known around the capital, Lansing, Quality Dairy has operated since 1936....
|
Food Food is any substance, usually composed of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and water, that can be eaten or drunk by an animal, including humans, for nutrition or pleasure. Items considered food may be sourced from plants, animals or other categories such as fungus or fermented products like alcohol...
Goods |
730 |
Lansing Board of Water & LightThe Lansing Board of Water and Light is a publicly owned, municipal utility that provides electricity and water to the residents of the cities of Lansing and East Lansing, Michigan and the surrounding townships of Delta, Delhi, Meridian and DeWitt...
|
Utility In economics, utility is a measure of the relative satisfaction from, or desirability of, consumption of various goods and services. Given this measure, one may speak meaningfully of increasing or decreasing utility, and thereby explain economic behavior in terms of attempts to increase one's utility...
|
712 |
| Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS) |
Data Processing Computer data processing is any process that uses a computer program to enter data and summarise, analyse or otherwise convert data into usable information. The process may be automated and run on a computer. It involves recording, analysing, sorting, summarising, calculating, disseminating and...
|
660 |
| Michigan Farm Bureau The Michigan Farm Bureau was founded on the campus of Michigan State University in 1919. The organization's primary goal is to promote and represent the interests of its agricultural members within the state of Michigan....
|
InsuranceInsurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed and known...
|
650 |
Education
Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act. Its alumni include at least six winners of the...
, a member of the Big Ten Conference, is known as "the pioneer land grant college", located in neighboring
East LansingEast Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 46,525 at the time of the 2000 census...
. MSU has the largest land campus in the United States and is home to several nationally and internationally recognized academic and research oriented programs. Michigan State offers over 200 programs of study and is home to fourteen different degree-granting schools and colleges including three medical schools, a law school, and numerous PhD programs. It is the only university in the nation with three medical schools. MSU is consistently one of the top three programs in the United States for
study abroadStudying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in another country.Typically, classes taken while studying abroad award credits transferable to higher education institutions in the home country...
programs. The MSU College of Education is also consistently rated as the top education program in the nation. Michigan State University is the oldest agricultural college in the United States. The MSU School of Criminal Justice is the oldest continuous degree granting criminal justice program in the nation. In 2008, the Department of Energy announced MSU won the contest for a $550 million Facility for Rare Isotope Beams that will attract top researchers from around the world to conduct experiments in nuclear science, astrophysics and applications of isotopes to other fields.
The
Thomas M. Cooley Law SchoolThomas M. Cooley Law School, whose main campus is located in Lansing, Michigan, is the largest law school in the United States, as measured by full-time and part-time student enrollment. Thomas M. Cooley is a private law school, unaffiliated with any college or university.-History:The law school...
is the largest law school in the nation and is located in downtown Lansing. Cooley is fully accredited by the
American Bar AssociationThe American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
. A majority of Cooley students are from out-of-state.
Lansing Community CollegeLansing Community College is a two-year public college founded in 1957. The college's main campus is located on an urban, 42-acre site in downtown Lansing, Michigan. A West Campus opened in 2004 in Delta Township, southwest of Lansing, and there is also an East Campus located in the Eyde Plaza in...
offers more than 500 areas of study to over 18,000 students at its main facilities in Lansing, and another 5,000 students at twenty-nine extension centers and a site in
Otsu, Japanis the capital city of Shiga, Japan.As of February 2007 the city has an estimated population of 329,355 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 880.49 persons per km². The total area is 374.06 km².Around 667 to 672, the Ōmi Ōtsu Palace was founded by Emperor Tenji...
. LCC's new, state-of-the-art University Center enables students to take courses with the goal of eventually earning an undergraduate or graduate degree from other Michigan institutions. The University Center stands on the former site of "Old Central", Lansing's first
public high schoolA public high school is a secondary school in the United States of America that is financed by tax revenues and other government-collected revenues and administered exclusively by state and local officials. On the other hand, private schools are typically funded by tuition and private donations....
, which was established in 1875 as Lansing High School. (In the 1920s it was renamed as Central High School, and in 1957 became the first building on the LCC campus.)
Other institutions of
higher educationHigher education refers to a level of education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, community colleges, liberal arts colleges, institutes of technology and other collegiate level institutions, such as vocational schools, trade schools and career colleges, that award academic...
include
Western Michigan UniversityWestern Michigan University is a public university established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo. When the school first opened, it was known as the Western State Normal School, but was renamed Western State Teachers College in 1927 and Western Michigan College of Education in 1941. On February 26, 1957...
(branch campus in Delta Township),
Davenport UniversityDavenport University is a private, non-profit, multi-location university located in Northern Indiana and throughout Michigan. It was established in 1866 and currently offers Master's Degrees, Bachelor's Degrees, Associate's Degrees, diplomas, and post-grad certification programs in business,...
in Downtown Lansing,
Central Michigan UniversityCentral Michigan University is a coeducational state university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan. Nearly 28,000 students are enrolled, of which approximately 20,000 are undergraduates, making the university the fourth largest in Michigan. CMU also has off-campus sites...
(branch campus), and
Great Lakes Christian CollegeGreat Lakes Christian College is a four-year Christian college in Delta Township, Michigan near the state capital of Lansing. It is supported by Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ and currently has 260 enrolled students...
(campus in Delta Township).
Public and private primary schools
- Lansing School District
Lansing School District is a school district headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, United States.In the 2000s many larger city urban school districts have struggled academically, Lansing included, it was announced to much surprise in September 2009 that 31 of LSD's 33 buildings finally met the...
- Lansing Public Schools
In most of the world, excluding England and Wales and some Commonwealth countries, a public school is an educational institution that is funded with tax revenue and most commonly administered by a local government or government agency...
: (Lansing EverettEverett High School is a public high school located on the south side of Lansing, Michigan. It is currently the music and performing arts magnet school for the Lansing School District....
, JW Sexton High SchoolJ.W. Sexton High School is a public school located on the western edge of Lansing, Michigan, United States, in the Lansing School District. The principal is currently Dr. Reginald Bates. The Sexton Big Reds are members of the Capital Area Activities Conference. Sexton has a predominantly Black...
, and Lansing EasternEastern High School is a high school in Lansing, Michigan and a part of the Lansing School District. It is located on the city's near-eastside on Pennsylvania Avenue, one block north of Michigan Avenue...
)
- Lansing Christian Schools
- Lansing Catholic Central
- Waverly School District
- Mid-Michigan Public School Academy
- El-Hajj Malik Shabazz Academy (named after Malcolm X
Malcolm X , also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African-American Muslim minister, public speaker, and human rights activist. To his admirers, he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against...
)
- Gada Masif Johnson School for the Arts
- Our Savior Lutheran School
Parades
- Each year in June, the Michigan Pride festival includes a gay pride parade from Riverfront Park to the capitol.
- The Capital City African American Cultural Association hosts an African American Parade and Heritage Festival every year for almost a decade. The chair of the CCAACA is the Rev. Dr. Michael C. Murphy, who is pastor of St. Stephen's Community Church, a former State Representative and a long-time community leader. The parade highlights African American culture, its influence in Michigan, and recognizes prominent African American individuals in the community and their contributions to Lansing as the grand marshal of each parade. The festival immediately following the parade consists of live entertainment, "soul food" and lots of fun for adults and children. It is held every year on the first Saturday in August and begins at 11:00 a.m. in downtown Lansing, Michigan. The festival is held at Ferris Park in downtown Lansing. In 2009 they will celebrate 10 years.
- The 24th Annual Silver Bells in the City Parade proceeded through the streets of downtown Lansing on November 21, 2008. The 2007 parade attracted over 120,000 for the Electric Light Parade followed by the lighting of Michigan's official Christmas tree in front of the State Capitol and a firework show (weather permitting) over the State Capitol.
Music
- The Lansing Symphony Orchestra
The Lansing Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra headquartered in Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1929 under the leadership of its first Music Director, Izler Solomon. Since 2006, the orchestra has been headed by Music Director Timothy Muffitt.The LSO presents a wide variety...
has been entertaining generations of Lansing area residents since 1929. The current music director-Orchestra:The title of music director or musical director is used by many symphony orchestras to designate the primary conductor and artistic leader of the orchestra. The term "music director" is most common for orchestras in the United States...
is Timothy Muffett.
- There are many bars and clubs in downtown Lansing let alone in the neighborhoods surrounding downtown. Bars and clubs in downtown include: Brannigan Brothers, Kelly's, The Firm, Tavern on the Square, 621, Excel, The Exchange, Harem's, Rum Runners (dueling piano bar), Moriarty's, Nuthouse, Art's and The Green Door to name just a few. Many of these bars and clubs have live bands; The Green Door is a blues bar that has live bands 7-nights a week.
- The Lansing JazzFest
The Lansing JazzFest is a free music festival that takes place each year in the summer in Lansing, Michigan. It showcases nationally, regionally, and locally known jazz artists such as Marcus Belgrave, the Professors of Jazz at MSU , Eric Reed, Michael Kaeshammer, Straight Ahead, Don Phillips,...
and the Old Town BluesFestThe Old Town BluesFest is a free music festival that takes place each year in the early autumn in Lansing, Michigan. It showcases nationally, regionally, and locally known blues artists such as W. C. Clark, Grana' Louise, Byther Smith, Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang, A.C...
host leading musicians, and are two of the larger music festivalA music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
s held each year in the state.
- Old Town's Festival of the Moon and Sun is a two day festival full of food and live music.
- Old Town Oktoberfest is a two-day event drawing hundreds to the Old Town neighborhood for live polka music, authentic German food and of course world renowned German-style beer.
- It was announced in May 2007 that the city would host a Thursday night, summertime blues concerts along Washington Square in downtown Lansing named "Blues on the Square" that will feature national acts during the summer June-August. In 2008 the event regularly drew crowds over 500 to downtown.
- The Common Ground Festival is a musical event held over a week every July at the Adado Riverfront Park in downtown Lansing pulling in crowds over 90,000 for the week. It began in 2000 and replaced the Michigan Festival that was held in nearby East Lansing. It has wide range of musical acts. In 2008, acts included Staind
Staind is an American rock band from Springfield, Massachusetts, including lead singer/guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist/vocalist Johnny April and drummer Jon Wysocki...
, Drowning PoolDrowning Pool is a four-piece hard rock/heavy metal band that was formed in 1996 in Dallas, Texas, United States. They are currently signed to Eleven Seven Music and have released three albums, their most recent being Full Circle, which was released on August 7, 2007. Each of their three albums has...
, Sammy HagarSamuel Roy "Sammy" Hagar , known as "The Red Rocker", is an American rock singer, guitarist, composer and solo artist. Hagar was one of the three singers for Van Halen, as well as of the early 1970s rock band Montrose. On March 12, 2007, Hagar was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a...
, The Hard LessonsThe Hard Lessons is a rock band from Detroit, Michigan, known for their high-energy live appearances and innovative sound. The band has toured extensively in the United States and Europe...
, Snoop DoggCordazar Calvin Broadus , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is a Grammy Award-nominated American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as an MC in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of producer Dr. Dre's most notable protégés...
, REO SpeedwagonREO Speedwagon is an American rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois United States. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. REO Speedwagon has charted two number one songs, "Keep On Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling", both power ballads...
, Kellie PicklerKellie Dawn Pickler is an American country music artist and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol, eventually finishing in sixth place. In 2006, she signed to BNA Records as a recording artist, releasing her debut album,...
, SeetherSeether is a South-African rock band from Johannesburg, formed in 1999. The band is currently signed to Wind-up Records. Originally named Saron Gas and signed to Musketeer Records in South Africa, they changed their name in 2002, coinciding with the release of their second album and major label...
and Trace AdkinsTracy Darrell "Trace" Adkins is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1996 with the album Dreamin' Out Loud, released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released seven more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations...
.
Theatre
- The Riverwalk Theatre, (formerly the Okemos Barn Theatre), the Lansing Civic Players, and the BoarsHead Theater are all located in downtown.
- Peppermint Creek Theatre Company
Peppermint Creek Theatre Company was established in Mason, Michigan. It is a fast growing, award winning theater company out of East Lansing, Michigan. The owner and president is Chad Badgero....
is a well established "new" award winning theater company.
- The Greater Lansing Ballet Company
'A ballet company is a group of dancers who perform ballets. The size of a company can range from less than a dozen dancers to a large ensemble. Large professional ballet companies are often comprised of several levels of hierarchy, beginning with Apprentices, or junior dancers, then moving on to...
is an award-winning balletBallet is a formalized type of performance dance, which originated in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century French courts, and which was further developed in England, Italy, and Russia as a concert dance form...
and dance companyA dance company is an organization of dancers and associated personnel normally creating dances.-Members:*Artistic Director*Choreographer*Dancers*Board of Directors*Education administrator*Technical team*Receptionist*Marketing Manager*Finance Manager...
.
- The Creole Gallery brings in various musicians and hosts the Icarus Falling Theater group.
Museums
Lansing is home to a number of small, specialized museums such as:
- The Impression 5 Science Center, a children's museum located in a historic wagon works factory on the Grand River.
- The Michigan Museum of Surveying
The Michigan Museum of Surveying is a museum founded in 1989 and located in Lansing, MI. It is the oldest museum in the Western Hemisphere dedicated solely to Surveying...
the only museum in North America solely dedicated to surveying and mapping. It is located in a former steam plant constructed in 1923.
- The R.E. Olds Transportation Museum, a museum dedicated to the education of Lansing's role in the development of transportation, particularly the automobile.
- The Michigan Women's Hall of Fame
The Michigan Women's Hall of Fame honors distinguished women, both historical and contemporary, who have been associated with the U.S. state of Michigan. It is housed in the Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame building, located at 213 W. Main Street in downtown Lansing, Michigan...
, a museum dedicated to the historical accomplishments and achievements of Michigan women. The house is located directly south of downtown in the 1903-built Cooley-Haze House. The museum is surrounded by Cooley Gardens.
- The Turner-Dodge House, a museum dedicated to Lansing's early pioneers. The museum sits in the Classical Revival-styled Turner-Dodge Mansion, built in 1858 for James and Marion Turner, and later by their daughter and her husband. It is on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
- The Michigan Library and Historical Center contains one of the 10 largest genealogy collections in the nation, has a museum dedicated to Michigan's history among other attractoins. http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17445_19273---,00.html
Farmers' markets
Lansing has several
farmers' marketFarmers
' markets, sometimes called greenmarkets, are markets, usually held out-of-doors, in public spaces, where farmers can sell produce to the public.-History:...
s throughout the city in the summer months. These markets include the Allen Street Farmer's Market on the city's eastside, the Old Town Farmer's Market, and the year-round historic Lansing City Market located near downtown. The Lansing City Market is building a brand new $1.6 million facility on the riverfront in downtown Lansing where it will continue its year round operations providing specialty items in addition to regular groceries from over 30 vendors.
Potter Park Zoo
The historic Potter Park Zoo, located along the Red Cedar River in Lansing, has more than 400 animals and numerous programs and events for children and families. With annual attendance increasing every year since 2006 (137,236 in 2008 compared to 110,167 in 2006) there are $667,100 in capital improvements planned for 2009 including a giant walk-in aviary and a new female tiger. This is in addition to $1.3 million spent on capital improvements in 2008.
Libraries
The
Library of MichiganThe Library of Michigan and Historical Center is a state-run library and historical center located in Lansing, Michigan. The current building opened in 1989....
and Historical Center is a highly regarded state library and research center. The library is one of the top five genealogical research facilities in the United States. The
Capital Area District LibraryThe Capital Area District Library is a system of libraries in Ingham County, Michigan, United States. It was formed in 1998 by an agreement between Ingham County and the City of Lansing. It consists of thirteen libraries and a bookmobile. CADL is governed by a seven-member board, five of which are...
has 13 branches within Ingham County, some of these include: The Main library downtown, the Foster Library on the east side, and the South Lansing Library on the south side.
Other area destinations
The
Wharton Center for Performing ArtsThe Wharton Center for Performing Arts is located in East Lansing, Michigan, USA, on the campus of Michigan State University. It is the home of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra which performs 17 concerts a year there...
recently began a 24,000 sq/ft expansion having already spent over $1.3 million in 2008. Many Broadway shows come to The Wharton Center before making to theaters in larger places such as Chicago. The Kresge Art Museum, the MSU Museum, and the Abrams Planetarium are highly acclaimed cultural destinations located on the
campus of Michigan State UniversityThe campus of Michigan State University is located in East Lansing on the banks of the Red Cedar River, and comprises a contiguous area of , of which are developed. Built amid virgin forest, the campus opened in 1855 with three buildings, none of which remain...
in East Lansing. In June 2007 MSU announced the plans to build a new art museum after a $26 million gift from Eli and Edythe Broad. Internationally known Pritzker Prize winning architect Zaha Hadid of London won the design competition for the museum that will be built in East Lansing.
Newspapers and Magazines
- Lansing State Journal
The Lansing State Journal is a daily newspaper published in Lansing, Michigan owned by Gannett.-History:The paper was started as the Lansing Republican on April 28, 1855...
- Lansing City Pulse
- The New Citizens Press
- Capital Gains Media
- Capital Area Women's Lifestyle Magazine
- The Greater Lansing Business Monthly
- Greater Lansing Woman Magazine
- The Hub
- MIRS News-Michigan Information & Research Service
- The State News
The State News is the student newspaper of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. It is supported by a combination of advertising revenue and a $5 refundable tax that students pay at each semester's matriculation. Though The State News is supported by a student tax, the faculty and...
- Gongwer News Service
Gongwer News Service publishes a weekday subscriber-based newsletter in Lansing, Michigan and Columbus, Ohio. Gongwer covers state government and politics in both Michigan and Ohio, and maintains one of the largest Capitol bureaus in either state...
Television
Cable slots listed reflect the
ComcastComcast Corporation , founded in 1963, is the largest cable operator in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers. Comcast is headquartered in the One Comcast Center in Center City, Philadelphia,...
cable system in Lansing.
- WLNS
WLNS-TV is the CBS television affiliate serving the Lansing/Jackson, Michigan television market in the United States. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 36 from a 306-meter transmitter located midway between East Lansing and the town of Williamston, giving it a signal footprint in...
6 (CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
) (Cable 9)
- WILX
WILX-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Central Michigan that is licensed to Onondaga. Its broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 10 from a transmitter in the town. Owned by Gray Television, the station has studios on American Road in Lansing...
10 (NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
) (Cable 4)
- WHTV
WHTV is the MyNetworkTV affiliate licensed to Jackson, Michigan, United States. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a 263-meter--tall tower located near Onondaga, Michigan, on the border between Ingham and Jackson Counties.The station signed on it in 1999, carrying programming...
18 (My Network TV) (Cable 8)
- WKAR
WKAR-TV is a PBS-member station serving the Lansing, Michigan area. It is owned by Michigan State University. The station broadcasts on digital channel 40, which redirects to its former analog channel 23 via PSIP). Its studios are located on MSU's campus in East Lansing, its city of license...
23 (PBSThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television service with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. However, its operations are largely funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting...
) (Cable 13)
- WSYM
WSYM-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Lansing, Michigan. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 38 from a transmitter five miles south of Eaton Rapids along M-99. Owned by Journal Communications, the station has studios on West Saint Joseph Street in downtown...
47 (FoxThe Fox Broadcasting Company , commonly referred to as Fox , is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, from 2004 to 2009 Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the 18–49 demographic...
) (Cable 7)
- WLAJ
WLAJ is the ABC-affiliated television station for Lansing, Michigan. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 51 from a transmitter northeast of Tompkins Township on the Jackson and Ingham County line. Owned by Freedom Communications, the station has studios on South...
53 (ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
) (Cable 3) / DT2 (CWThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
) (Cable 5)
The NBC affiliate maintains the Fox affiliate's News programming. Both affiliates broadcast their newscasts at the News 10 studios in Lansing. Often the same reporters are used on both broadcasts.
Radio
Lansing's radio dial has quite a few stations.
Note: If the station has no city listed before the format, it is licensed to Lansing.
- 88.1 WLGH
WLGH is a non-commercial, contemporary Christian FM radio station located in Lansing, Michigan. The station, which broadcasts on 88.1 MHz FM, is owned by Superior Communications which is in turn owned by Jennifer and Edward Czelada.The station is officially licensed to operate in Leroy Township,...
– (Leroy TownshipLeroy Township or Le Roy Township may refer to the following places in the United States:* Leroy Township, Boone County, Illinois* Leroy Township, Audubon County, Iowa* Leroy Township, Benton County, Iowa* Le Roy Township, Bremer County, Iowa...
, contemporary Christian) "Smile FM"
- 88.5 WJOM
WLGH is a non-commercial, contemporary Christian FM radio station located in Lansing, Michigan. The station, which broadcasts on 88.1 MHz FM, is owned by Superior Communications which is in turn owned by Jennifer and Edward Czelada.The station is officially licensed to operate in Leroy Township,...
– (Eagle, contemporary Christian) "Smile FM"
- 88.9 WDBM
WDBM , East Lansing, Michigan, is a 2,000 watt, Class A, student-run radio station at Michigan State University that broadcasts to listeners in the Lansing, Michigan, metropolitan area. The station is the successor to the Michigan State Network, which in the 1970s was the nation's largest college...
– (East LansingEast Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 46,525 at the time of the 2000 census...
, collegeCollege is a term most often used today to denote degree awarding tertiary educational institution. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of colleagues, for example, an electoral college, a College of Arms or the College of Cardinals...
/Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act. Its alumni include at least six winners of the...
) "The Impact"
- 89.7 WLNZ
WLNZ is a non-commercial FM radio station located in Lansing, Michigan. The station, which broadcasts on 89.7 FM, is owned by Lansing Community College....
– (public radio/Lansing Community CollegeLansing Community College is a two-year public college founded in 1957. The college's main campus is located on an urban, 42-acre site in downtown Lansing, Michigan. A West Campus opened in 2004 in Delta Township, southwest of Lansing, and there is also an East Campus located in the Eyde Plaza in...
)
- 90.5 WKAR
WKAR-FM is a public radio station in East Lansing, Michigan; broadcasting on the FM dial at 90.5 MHz. It is owned by Michigan State University, and is sister station to the AM radio and television stations with the same call letters....
– (East LansingEast Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 46,525 at the time of the 2000 census...
, public radio/Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act. Its alumni include at least six winners of the...
)
- Note: WKAR runs with 86,000 watts
- 91.3 WOES
WOES is a non-commercial, educational radio station that broadcasts from Ovid-Elsie High School. It is known as "The Polka Palace."...
– (OvidOvid is a village in Clinton and Shiawassee counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. Nearly all of the village is located within Ovid Township in Clinton County. The population was 1,514 at the 2000 census.The village is on M-21, about east of St...
, polkaThe polka is a lively Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in the Czech lands and is still a common genre in Lithuanian, Czech, Croatian, Slovenian, Polish, German, Hungarian, Austrian,...
/Ovid-Elsie High School)
- 92.1 WQTX
WQTX is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to St. Johns, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1972 and has been through a number of different calls and formats during its history....
– (St. JohnsSt. Johns is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,485. It is the county seat of Clinton County.-Geography:...
, classic hitsClassic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
) "92X"
- 92.9 WJZL
WJZL is a radio station in the Lansing, Michigan market, broadcasting a satellite-fed smooth adult contemporary format....
– (Grand LedgeGrand Ledge is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city lies mostly within Eaton County, though a small portion extends into Clinton County, and sits above the Grand River 12.7 miles directly west of downtown Lansing. The population was 7,813 at the 2000 census...
, smooth jazzSmooth jazz is a sub-genre of jazz which is influenced stylistically by R&B, funk and pop.Beginning in the early 1970s, it was an evolution into jazz with a modern, electronic sensibility...
)
- 93.7 WBCT-FM – (Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River and is approximately 30 miles from Lake Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 197,800, making it the 114th largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Kent County,...
, country) "B93"
- Note: WBCT runs with 320,000 watts
- 94.1 WVIC
WVIC is a radio station broadcasting a modern rock format. Licensed to Jackson, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1955 as WIBM-FM. The station broadcasts from a tower near Springport, Michigan. The station can be heard from Kalamazoo to Ypsilanti, and from Alma, Michigan to Angola, Indiana...
– (JacksonJackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 36,316...
, modern rockModern rock is a term commonly used to describe a rock music format found on American commercial radio. Generally beginning with late 1970s punk but referring especially to rock music since the 1980s, the phrase "modern rock" is used to differentiate the music from "classic rock", which focuses on...
) "94.1 the Edge"
- 94.9 WMMQ
WMMQ is an American Classic rock radio station at 94.9 FM, licensed to East Lansing, Michigan. The station is owned by Citadel Broadcasting....
– (East LansingEast Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 46,525 at the time of the 2000 census...
, classic rockClassic rock was originally conceived as a radio station programming format which evolved from the album oriented rock format in the early-1980s...
)
- 96.5 WQHH
WQHH is a commercial FM radio station located in DeWitt, a suburb of Lansing, Michigan. The station broadcasts on 96.5 MHz with 6,000 watts. The station plays hip hop as well as rhythm & blues music.WQHH began broadcasting on May 26, 1991 with 3,000 watts...
– (DeWittDeWitt is a city in Clinton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,702 at the 2000 census.The city is located within DeWitt Township, though it is politically independent. It is just north of Interstate 69, and just west of US 127, about 10 miles north of downtown...
, urbanMainstream urban is a term used to describe a radio format similar to an urban contemporary format. The format differentiates itself due to two factors: playlist composition and target demographic...
) "Power 96.5"
- 97.5 WJIM
WJIM-FM is a radio station in Lansing, Michigan, broadcasting a Top 40 format.The station has had the WJIM-FM calls continuously since it signed on in 1960. For over three decades, WJIM-FM broadcast an easy listening/beautiful music format, which evolved during the early 1990s into a soft adult...
– (CHRContemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the top 40 music charts...
) "97-5 Now-FM"
- 99.1 WFMK
WFMK FM 99.1, is an adult contemporary radio station licensed to East Lansing, Michigan. It is owned by Citadel Broadcasting.WFMK is one of the United States' oldest adult contemporary stations. The station signed on in 1959 as WSWM, and offered a Beautiful Music format.WSWM was purchased by...
– (East LansingEast Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 46,525 at the time of the 2000 census...
, adult contemporary)
- 100.7 WITL-FM
WITL-FM is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Lansing, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1965. The station has been a ratings leader in Lansing for many years....
– (countryCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
) "Whittle"
- 101.7 WHZZ
WHZZ is a radio station licensed to Lansing, Michigan. It first began broadcasting in 1957 as WILS-FM. Prior to the adoption of the current format in September 2005, WHZZ had programmed a CHR/top 40 format for over a decade as "Z101.7." After WHZZ's change to "Mike FM", the CHR format was picked...
– (adult hitsAdult hits is a radio format, popular in the early 2000s, that does not adhere to a specific music genre, but instead draws from a wider playlist. Most adult hits stations play a mix of rock, alternative, pop, new wave and oldies hits.Companies associated with the format in Canada include NewCap,...
) "Mike-FM"
- 105.7 WOOD
WOOD-FM , Grand Rapids, Michigan, is an adult contemporary music formatted radio station on the frequency of 105.7 FM. The station signed on for the first time in 1962. WOOD-FM aired a Beautiful Music format for decades, which in the early 1990s evolved into the current AC format.WOOD-FM is...
– (Grand RapidsGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River and is approximately 30 miles from Lake Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 197,800, making it the 114th largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Kent County,...
, adult contemporary) "Star 105.7"
- 106.1 WJXQ
WJXQ is a radio station broadcasting an active rock format. Licensed to Charlotte, Michigan, it first began broadcasting under the WKHM-FM call sign. Their studios are located on Cedar St. in Holt, Michigan.-Beginnings: WKHM-FM:...
– (CharlotteCharlotte is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,389. It is the county seat of Eaton County....
, active rockActive rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs.-Format background:...
) "Q106"
- 107.3 WBBL-FM
WBBL-FM is a radio station broadcasting an all-sports format in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It first began broadcasting in 1979 under the call sign WPLB-FM. The station is currently owned by Citadel Broadcasting. WBBL-FM is currently Grand Rapids' affiliates of Fox Sports Radio. The station has been...
– (Greenville/Grand RapidsGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River and is approximately 30 miles from Lake Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 197,800, making it the 114th largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Kent County,...
, Sports radioSports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
)
- 730 AM WVFN
WVFN is a radio station licensed to East Lansing, Michigan, broadcasting a sports radio format. It broadcasts on AM frequency 730 kHz and is under the ownership of Citadel Broadcasting....
– (East Lansing, sports talk) "The Game"
- 870 AM WKAR
WKAR is a National Public Radio member station in East Lansing, Michigan; broadcasting at 870 kHz. It is owned by Michigan State University, and carries news and talk shows from NPR. It is part of MSU's Broadcasting Services Division, and is a sister station to the FM radio and television...
– (East Lansing, NPR news/talk)
- 1110 AM WUNN – (Mason
Mason is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is named after the state's first governor, Stevens T. Mason. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,714, with the 2008 estimate placing it at 8,099. It is the county seat of Ingham County. Mason is the only city in the U.S. that serves as...
, religious/southern gospel)
- 1180 AM WXLA
WXLA is a commercial AM radio station located in Dimondale, a suburb of Lansing, Michigan. The station broadcasts on 1180 kHz with 10,000 watts during most daytime hours. During the two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset it cuts back to 2,000 watts...
– (DimondaleDimondale is a village in Eaton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,342 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Windsor Charter Township. Dimondale is a suburb of Lansing, Michigan, which is northeast of the village in Ingham County, Michigan...
, (adult standardsAdult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
) "Timeless Classics 1180"
- 1240 AM WJIM
WJIM is a radio station licensed to Lansing, Michigan broadcasting a news-talk format. WJIM began broadcasting in 1934, under the ownership of Gross Telecasting. Then-onwer Harold Gross named the station after his son Jim, who would become the station's general manager from the 1960's through the...
– (news/talk) "Lansing's Big Talker"
- 1320 AM WILS
WILS is a radio station located in Lansing, Michigan broadcasting a news-talk format.Until October 2006, WILS aired ABC Radio's satellite-delivered adult standards/MOR music package known as "Timeless Classics" . The station had had this format since the early 1990s and was quite successful in the...
– (news/talk) "More Compelling Talk"
- 1390 AM WLCM
WLCM is a commercial Christian AM radio station located in Charlotte, Michigan. WLCM operates on 1390 KHz from two locations. During the day it broadcasts with 5,000 watts from Charlotte. Beginning on December 29, 2008, WLCM began operating with its new 4,500 watt night-time transmitter located...
– (CharlotteCharlotte is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,389. It is the county seat of Eaton County....
, religious)
- 1580 AM WWSJ
WWSJ is an AM radio station broadcasting from St. Johns, Michigan on 1580 kHz. The station transmits with 1,000 watts during the day using a directional antenna that sends the signal primarily to the north and south...
– (St. JohnsSt. Johns is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,485. It is the county seat of Clinton County.-Geography:...
, urban contemporary gospelUrban contemporary gospel is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
) "Joy 1580"
- 162.400 WXK81 – NOAA Weather Radio (Onondaga
Onondaga is an unincorporated community in Onondaga Township in the southwestern corner of Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the Grand River at approximately 20 miles south of Lansing and approximately 15 mile northwest of Jackson....
, weather)
Sports
The
Lansing LugnutsThe Lansing Lugnuts are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, that plays in the Midwest League.The Midwest League came to Lansing, Michigan in 1996. The franchise began in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1955; after two seasons it moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where it...
are a Class A
Midwest LeagueThe Midwest League is a Class A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort Cardinals – began operating...
, Minor League Baseball team, currently affiliated with the
Toronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League.The "Blue Jays" name originates from the bird of the same name...
. The Lugnuts are one of the most popular franchises in
Minor League BaseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in North America that compete at levels below that of Major League Baseball. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses, and many are members of Minor League Baseball, an umbrella organization for leagues...
, drawing 538,325 fans during the 1996 season , and in the process outdrawing many larger teams. Their logo is one of the most popular in the minors . The team plays its home games at
Oldsmobile ParkOldsmobile Park is a baseball stadium in Lansing, Michigan, and home field of the Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball team. The Michigan State University college baseball team also plays select home games at Oldsmobile Park...
, which was built at a cost of $12.7 million and opened in 1996 in downtown Lansing. It was partially renovated in 2006. Oldsmobile Park has a
seating capacitySeating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, either in terms of the physical space available, or in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that...
of 11,215 fans, and was built to accommodate additional expansion. The team has won two Midwest League championships, their first in 1997 and their second in 2003.
The
Lansing CapitalsThe Lansing Capitals were an expansion team for the 2006 International Basketball League season.The Capitals' inaugural season ended with a record of 5 wins and 17 losses, finishing 10th out of 12 teams in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals will play a part-time schedule in 2007 before returning...
began play in the International Basketball League in 2006.
Michigan State University sponsors both men's and women's sports, usually competing as a member of the
Big Ten ConferenceThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its eleven member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Iowa and Minnesota in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
. The Spartans have won National Titles in Men's Basketball, Football, Men's Boxing, Men's Cross Country, Men's Gymnastics, Men's
Ice HockeyIce Hockey is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a puck into the opposing team's goal. It is a fast-paced and physical sport...
, Men's Soccer, and Men's Wrestling.
Lansing Community CollegeLansing Community College is a two-year public college founded in 1957. The college's main campus is located on an urban, 42-acre site in downtown Lansing, Michigan. A West Campus opened in 2004 in Delta Township, southwest of Lansing, and there is also an East Campus located in the Eyde Plaza in...
also sponsors many sports, competing as members of the
Michigan Community College Athletic AssociationThe Michigan Community College Athletic Association is an association of community college athletic departments throughout Michigan and northern Indiana....
. The Stars have won NJCAA titles in the following sports: Women's Softball, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Women's Marathon and Men's Marathon.
The Lansing area is also known for its many golf courses, with two courses owned by Michigan State University, four municipal courses, and many additional public and private courses in the area. Walnut Hills
Country ClubA country club is a private club and it may have a closed membership. Most offer a variety of recreational sports facilities and are located in city outskirts or rural areas.. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or traditional polo...
in nearby East Lansing formerly hosted the
LPGAThe LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters are in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
's Oldsmobile Classic from 1992–2000. The Michigan PGA recently relocated from the
DetroitDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
area to
Bath, MichiganBath is an unincorporated community in Bath Township, Clinton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated just north of exit 92 off Interstate 69, about north of East Lansing....
, which is on the northern edge of Lansing.
In the 1980s and 1990s Lansing was a major player in semi-pro football. The Lansing Crusaders won MFL/MCFL championships in 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, and 1990. The team finished second in 1984, 1986, and 1991.
Other past sports teams include:
- Lansing – Michigan State League
The Michigan State League was the name of several different Minor League Baseball leagues, many of which only lasted for a season or two.The first version ran from 1889-1890, followed by a one season league in 1895 and a one season "Class D" league in 1902....
(baseball) – 1889 to 1890
- Lansing Senators – Michigan State League (baseball) – 1895 and 1902
- Southern Michigan League
The Southern Michigan League was a Minor League Baseball circuit which operated between 1906 and 1912. It was classified as a Class D league from 1906 to 1910 and as a Class C league from 1911 to 1912...
– 1907 to 1914
- Central League
The or is one of Japan's two major professional baseball leagues, the winner of which plays the Japan Series against the winner of the other league, the Pacific League....
– 1921 to 1922
- renamed the Lansing Lancers – Michigan State League – 1940
- and then back as the Lansing Senators – Michigan State League – 1941
- Lansing Capitals – North American Basketball League – 1966-67 to 1967-68
- Lansing Lancers
The Lansing Lancers were a professional ice hockey team playing in the International Hockey League. They were based in Lansing, Michigan and played their games at Metro Ice Arena. They were a member of the league during the 1974–1975 season. The team suspended operations during the season on...
– International Hockey League – 1974 to 1975
- Capital City Cardinals – Michigan Charity Football League – 1980
- Lansing Crusaders – Michigan Charity Football League – 1980 to 1988
- Michigan Football League – 1989 to 1994
- Capital City Cowboys – Michigan Football League – 1992
- Lansing Ice Nuts – International Independent Hockey League
The International Independent Hockey League was an independent low-level professional hockey league that played in the Great Lakes Region of the US in late 2003 before falling apart in 2004...
– 2003 to 2004
Airports
Scheduled commercial airline service is offered from
Capital Region International AirportCapital Region International Airport , formerly known as Lansing Capital City Airport, is a public, Class C airport located northwest of downtown Lansing in DeWitt Township, Michigan....
(formerly known as Capital City Airport). Northwest Airlines maintains routes to Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul. United Airlines maintains routes to Chicago O'Hare. In 2008 Capital City Airport received a port of entry designation and now has a permanent customs facility, thus changing its name to reflect the port of entry status. UPS has a freight hub at CRIA making up part of the 24 million pounds of annual cargo moving through the airport. In 2008 a extension to the largest of the three runways (now 8,500 feet) was completed to allow for larger aircraft to use the airport.
Michigan Flyer provides bus service between Lansing and Detroit Metro Airport eight times daily.
Interstate highways
- I-69
Interstate 69 is an Interstate Highway in the United States. It exists in two parts: a completed highway from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and a mostly-proposed extension southwest to the Mexican border in Texas...
runs from IndianapolisIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. The United States Census estimated the city's population, excluding the included towns, at 798,382 in 2008...
north to Lansing and east to Port HuronPort Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 32,338 at the 2000 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
, connecting to Canada.
- I-96
Interstate 96 is an intrastate Interstate Highway that is entirely within the U.S. state of Michigan. Its western terminus is at an interchange with US-31 and US-31 BR, on the western boundary of Norton Shores southeast of Muskegon. Its eastern terminus is at I-75 near the Ambassador Bridge in...
runs from MuskegonMuskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 40,105. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...
, past Grand RapidsGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River and is approximately 30 miles from Lake Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 197,800, making it the 114th largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Kent County,...
and Lansing to DetroitDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
.
- I-496
Interstate 496 is an Interstate Highway that passes through downtown Lansing, Michigan and is a "child" of Interstate 96. It is ceremonially designated the R.E. Olds Freeway along the portion that cuts through the city of Lansing...
, the Ransom E. Olds Freeway, loops through downtown Lansing, connecting with I-96 on either end.
- I-69 Business Loop or BL I-69 is a loop route running through Lansing and East Lansing.
- I-96 Business Loop or BL I-96 is a loop route running through Lansing.
- Capitol Loop
The Capitol Loop is a state trunkline highway running through Lansing, Michigan. It was commissioned on October 13, 1989 and forms a loop route off Interstate 496 through downtown Lansing near the Michigan State Capitol complex...
a loop route off I-496 serving the state capitol and other downtown facilities.
US highways
- US 127
U.S. Route 127 is a long north-south United States highway in the eastern half of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 27 in Chattanooga, Tennessee...
is a north-south highway passing between the city and neighboring East Lansing, continuing northerly toward ClareClare is a city in Clare and Isabella counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located primarily in Clare County, the city had a population of 3,173 at the 2000 census....
and GraylingGrayling is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Crawford County. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. Grayling takes its name from the Grayling fish that was once prevalent in its lakes and streams....
and southerly toward Jackson, MichiganJackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 36,316...
and into OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
.
Michigan state trunklines
- M-43
M-43 is a highway in southwestern and central parts of the U.S. state of Michigan from South Haven to Webberville. The route is not a direct path between the two cities as the route heads east from South Haven, through Kalamazoo then north to Woodbury where it turns east and heads into Lansing...
(Saginaw Avenue)
- M-99
M-99 is a state highway in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs from the Ohio state border, where it connects to SR 15, north to Lansing where it terminates at a junction with I-496...
(Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.).
Railways
- Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a blend of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union Station...
provides intercity passenger rail service at a stop in nearby East LansingEast Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 46,525 at the time of the 2000 census...
, on the Blue WaterMichigan Services is an umbrella term used by Amtrak to describe passenger rail service by three separate routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with the Michigan cities of Grand Rapids, Port Huron, and Detroit, as well as other stations along the three lines...
line from ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
to Port HuronPort Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 32,338 at the 2000 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
.
- Three freight railroads serve Lansing including Canadian National Railways (CN), CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the CSX Corporation and headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is one of the three Class I railroads serving most of the East Coast, the other two being the Norfolk Southern Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway...
(CSXT), and Norfolk Southern RailwayThe Norfolk Southern Railway is a major Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
(NS).
Public transportation
- Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA)
The Capital Area Transportation Authority provides mass transit bus service and paratransit within the metro Lansing, Michigan area including Michigan State University .- CATA system :...
provides public transit bus service to the Lansing-East Lansing Metropolitan area on 33 routes. CATA boasts the second highest ridership in the state of MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
after Detroit with 53,000 daily rides in September 2008 and 11,306,339 rides in fiscal year 2008. CATA also provides paratransit services through Spec-Tran and the "Night Owl." Also, the "Entertainment Express" (CATA route 4) runs Thursday through Saturday from 7pm-2am connecting downtown Lansing's and East Lansing's entertainment districts. CATA won APTA's America's Best Transit Award in the medium size category (4-30 million rides) in 2007. CATA has two transportation centers (CTC), one in downtown Lansing and one on the campus of Michigan Sate University.
- Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, USA, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States and Canada, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and incorporated...
provides inter-cityIntercity or Inter-city means "between cities". It can refer to inter-city transportation by rail, bus, truck or airline. There are many transport companies with Intercity or Inter-city as their brand.* Inter-city rail services...
busA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus seats a maximum of 8 to 300 passengers...
service. CATA and Greyhound are both located in the CATA Transportation Center (CTC) in downtown Lansing.
- Also, Lansing has several taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire, with a driver, for a single passenger, or small group of passengers, typically for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
companies serving the area, including Spartan-Yellow Cab, Big Daddy Taxi, Jb's Country Club Transportation, S-cabs Taxi Service. In 2008 the Green Cab Company opened using Toyota Prius hybrid cars to provide "green" cabs to Lansing.
- Michigan Flyer provides daily shuttle service between Lansing, Jackson, & Ann Arbor, to and from the Detroit Metro Airport. Daily The Michigan Flyer has eight shuttles east bound headed towards the airport, and also eight shuttles west bound headed back towards Ann Arbor, Jackson, & East Lansing. The Michigan Flyer luxury motor coach service is based out of East Lansing.
Bicycling
- The eight-mile (13-km), non-motorized Lansing River Trail
Lansing River Trail is a multiple use, non-motorized trail approximately long. It runs along the Grand River and the Red Cedar River between Michigan State University and Dietrich Park in northern Lansing....
runs along the Grand River and the Red Cedar River, running as far east as Michigan State University, and passes Potter Park Zoo, the Capitol Loop, and several other destinations of interest, and as far west as Moores Park.
Utilities
Water supply, power and steam are municipally-owned utilities which are provided by
Lansing Board of Water & LightThe Lansing Board of Water and Light is a publicly owned, municipal utility that provides electricity and water to the residents of the cities of Lansing and East Lansing, Michigan and the surrounding townships of Delta, Delhi, Meridian and DeWitt...
. In 2008 the Lansing BWL constructed Michigan's largest solar array towards the goal of increasing renewable energy in the energy grid.
Natural gas is provided by
Consumers EnergyConsumers Energy is a public utility that provides natural gas and electricity to more than 6 million of Michigan's 10 million residents. It serves customers in all 68 of the state’s Lower Peninsula counties.-History:...
.
Notable residents
- Joel Bakan
Joel Conrad Bakan is a Canadian lawyer and writer.Born in Lansing, Michigan and raised for most of his childhood in East Lansing, Michigan where his parents, Paul and Rita Bakan, were both long-time professors in psychology at Michigan State University. In 1971, he moved with his parents to...
– Canadian lawThe Canadian legal system has its foundation in the British common law system, inherited from being a former colony of the United Kingdom and later a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Quebec, however, still retains a civil system for issues of private law...
professor and documentary filmmaker
- Martin Bertram – author of medieval novel Vanity of Vanities
Vanity of Vanities is a novel by Martin Bertram. Set in the 12th century on the fictional Island of Vanar, Vanity of Vanities tells the story of powerful kingdoms brought to ruin by the selfish ambitions of men....
- Terry Brunk - ex-World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
/ECWECW may refer to:Professional wrestling*Extreme Championship Wrestling, a professional wrestling promotion that operated from 1992 to 2001* ECW on TNN, a professional wrestling television program produced by the original promotion from 1999 to 2000...
/TNATNA may refer to:*Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, a wrestling organization in Nashville, Tennessee*Tamil National Alliance, a political coalition in Sri Lanka*Thai News Agency*The National Archives, in the United Kingdom*The New Amsterdams, a band...
/WCW professional wrestler known as "Sabu"
- Timothy Busfield
Timothy "Timmy B" Busfield , is an American actor and director best known for his role as Eliot Weston on the television series Thirtysomething and his recurring role as Danny Concannon on the television series The West Wing.-Biography:The son of university professors, Busfield as a boy frequently...
– actor/director
- Charles G. Callard
Charles "Chuck" Gordon Callard was born in Lansing, Michigan. He was a pilot on an aircraft carrier while serving in the United States Navy during World War II and then earned his MBA at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1947...
– co-founder of Callard Madden & Associates and a pioneer developer of corporate valuation models
- Jim Cash
Jim Cash was a film writer, noted for writing such 1980s films such as Top Gun and The Secret of My Success. He was born in Boyne City, Michigan, USA), and later lived in Grand Rapids. He received a B.A. in English from Michigan State University in 1970, followed by a M.A...
– screenwriter of Top GunTop Gun is a 1986 movie that was directed by Tony Scott, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, in association with the Paramount Pictures company...
and many other commercially successful films
- Doc Corbin Dart
Doc Corbin Dart is lead singer, founder, and lyricist of Lansing, Michigan, USA's seminal 80's punk rock act The Crucifucks. He is the son of Rollin Dart, former chair of Dart National Bank, cousins of the Dart Container family....
– singer of punk band The Crucifucks
- Ed Emshwiller
Ed Emshwiller was a visual artist notable for illustrations of many science fiction magazine covers and for his pioneering experimental films...
– visual artistThe visual arts are art forms that focus on the creation of works which are primarily visual in nature, such as traditional plastic arts , modern visual arts , and design and crafts...
& founder of CalArtsThe California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, California, in Los Angeles County, California. CalArts is authorized by the state of California to grant Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts in the visual, performing, and literary arts...
Computer AnimationComputer animation is the art of creating moving images with the use of computers. It is a subfield of computer graphics and animation. Increasingly it is created by means of 3D computer graphics, though 2D computer graphics are still widely used for stylistic, low bandwidth, and faster real-time...
Lab
- David Fairchild
David Grandison Fairchild was an American botanist and plant explorer. Fairchild was responsible for the introduction of more than 200,000 exotic plants and varieties of established crops into the United States, including soybeans, mangos, nectarines, dates, bamboos, and flowering cherries...
, botanist
- Chris Hansen
Christopher Edward "Chris" Hansen is an American television infotainment personality. He is well-known for his work on the Dateline NBC television segment To Catch a Predator...
– Dateline NBCDateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It is similar in scope to ABC's 20/20 or CBS's 60 Minutes.-History:...
correspondent
- Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is an American radio host, author, former psychotherapist and entrepreneur, and a progressive or liberal political commentator. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, airs in the United States and has 2 million unique listeners a week...
– radio talk-showTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host & author
- Ahney Her
Whitney Her , better known by her stage name Ahney Her, is an American actress.-Personal life:She was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan, where she is currently a student at JW Sexton High School.-Career:...
- actress Gran TorinoGran Torino is a American drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, who also stars in the film. The film marks Eastwood's return to a lead acting role after four years, his last leading role having been in Million Dollar Baby. The film features a predominantly Hmong cast, as well as...
- Andy Hilbert
Andy Hilbert is a professional ice hockey forward who is currently an unrestricted free agent in the National Hockey League and has accepted a tryout with the Minnesota Wild.- Playing career :...
– NHLThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league as a joint venture for its self perpetuating membership of 30 franchised member clubs located in the United States and Canada...
hockeyHockey is any of a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball, or a hard, round, rubber or heavy plastic disc called a puck, into the opponent's net or goal, using a hockey stick.-Field hockey:...
player
- John Hughes
John Wilden Hughes, Jr. was an American film director, producer and writer. He scripted some of the most successful films of the 1980s and 1990s, including National Lampoon's Vacation; Ferris Bueller's Day Off; Weird Science; The Breakfast Club; Some Kind of Wonderful; Sixteen Candles; Pretty in...
– film directorA film director, or filmmaker is a person who directs the making or production of a film. Some also consider a film producer to be a filmmaker....
- Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
– Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act. Its alumni include at least six winners of the...
and NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
basketball star
- Rashad Evans
Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial arts fighter from Lansing, MI currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2...
- UFC Fighter
- Michael Kimball
Michael Kimball is an American novelist.- Biography & Career :Michael Kimball was born February 1, 1967 in Lansing, Michigan and is the author of three novels: The Way the Family Got Away , How Much of Us There Was , and Dear Everybody...
- novelist
- Lisa Kron
Elizabeth S. "Lisa" Kron is a Tony Award-nominated American actress and playwright.-Biography:Kron was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She jokes in one of her plays that her life began on her parents’ trip to Europe: “I was conceived in Venice, you know...
– theatre actress & playwrightA playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. These works are usually written to be performed in front of a live audience by actors...
- Matthew Lillard
Matthew Lyn Lillard is an American actor. He is probably best known for his roles as Stevo in SLC Punk, Shaggy Rogers in the Scooby-Doo film series, and as Stu Macher in Scream....
– actor
- Jef Mallett
Jef Mallett is the creator and artist of the comic strip Frazz. He attended nursing school for a period of time before leaving to pursue his artistic interests. He has a longtime interest in the thrill and excitement of bicycling...
- creator and artist of the comic stripA comic strip is a sequence of cartoons that tells a story, often humorous, though adventures and soap opera-like dramas are also prevalent. They are written and drawn by a comics artist or cartoonist, and many are published on a recurring basis in newspapers and on the Internet.In the UK and the...
FrazzFrazz is a syndicated comic strip by Jef Mallett that, on the surface, is about school custodian Edwin "Frazz" Frazier and the school where he works, but which, according to Mallett, is really about discovery. The strip debuted on 2 April 2001....
- Suzanne Malveaux
Suzanne M. Malveaux , is an American television news reporter. She is currently the White House correspondent for CNN and primary substitute host on CNNs "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer"...
– CNNCable News Network, almost always referred to by its initialism CNN, is an U.S. cable news network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first network to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television network in the United States...
television news reporter
- Ryan Miller
Ryan Miller is an American ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He is known for his hybrid style of goaltending, placing him on par with the likes of Martin Brodeur and Evgeni Nabokov...
– NHLThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league as a joint venture for its self perpetuating membership of 30 franchised member clubs located in the United States and Canada...
– hockey star
- Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad II is an American football wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Muhammad was a Pro Bowl selection for the Panthers...
– NFLThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
football player
- Ransom E. Olds
Ransom Eli Olds was a pioneer of the American automotive industry, for whom both the Oldsmobile and Reo brands were named...
– Automobile Manufacturer; founded Olds Motor Vehicle CompanyOldsmobile was a brand of automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
- Larry Page
Lawrence Edward "Larry" Page, is a US computer scientist best known as cofounder of Google Inc. He is ranked 26th on the 2009 Forbes list of the world’s billionaires and is the 6th richest person in America...
– co-founder of GoogleGoogle Inc. is an American public corporation, earning revenue from advertising related to its Internet search, e-mail, online mapping, office productivity, social networking, and video sharing services as well as selling advertising-free versions of the same technologies. Google has also...
.com
- Greg Raymer
Gregory Raymer , nicknamed "Fossilman", is a professional poker player. He is best known for winning the 2004 World Series of Poker main event, and for the opaque holographic sunglasses that he sometimes wears during hands.-Life before poker:Raymer's family moved numerous times during his...
– 2004 World Series of PokerThe World Series of Poker is a poker tournament held annually in Las Vegas. The first WSOP in 1970 was an invitational wherein Benny Binion invited six of the best known poker players to The Horseshoe Casino. At first, the WSOP grew slowly. It was twelve years before the WSOP drew 52...
champion
- Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Paul "Wrecking" Crewe in The Longest Yard, Coach Nate Scarborough in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard, Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, J.J...
– actor
- Steven Seagal
Steven F. Seagal is an American action movie actor, producer, writer, director, martial artist, philanthropist, guitarist, and singer-songwriter...
– actor
- John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in...
– MLB player and 1996 Cy Young AwardThe Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner
- Jim "Soni" Sonefeld
Jim "Soni" Sonefeld, full name James Sonefeld , is an American musician and one of the founding members of Hootie & the Blowfish. In September 2008 he went solo with his solo debut album Snowman Melting on Aquarian Nation Records / The Orchard record label...
– drummer & percussionist for Hootie & The BlowfishHootie & the Blowfish is an American rock band that enjoyed widespread popularity in the second half of the 1990s. They were originally formed in 1986 at the University of South Carolina by Darius Rucker, Dean Felber, Jim Sonefeld, and Mark Bryan. The band has recorded seven studio albums to...
- Debbie Stabenow
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Stabenow , née Greer, is a Democratic United States Senator from Michigan.In the 2000 election, Stabenow defeated the Republican incumbent, Senator Spencer Abraham. She is the first female U.S. Senator from Michigan...
– U.S. Senator
- Jay Vincent
Jay Fletcher Vincent is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'7" forward, Vincent played at Michigan State University under coach Jud Heathcote, where he teamed with Magic Johnson and Greg Kelser to win the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
– retired American professional basketball player
- Sam Vincent
James Samuel Vincent is a retired American professional basketball player and the former head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. In 2008 Sam was named the head coach of the Anaheim Arsenal of the NBA Developmental league.Vincent won the State of Michigan "Mr. Basketball" award in 1981, the first...
– retired American professional basketball player
- Malcolm X
Malcolm X , also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African-American Muslim minister, public speaker, and human rights activist. To his admirers, he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against...
– human rightsHuman rights refer to the "basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled." Examples of rights and freedoms which have come to be commonly thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the...
activist
- Merv Pregulman
Mervin Pregulman is a former All-American football tackle and center who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines and in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers , Detroit Lions , and New York Bulldogs . He went on to a successful business career as the president and CEO of Siskin Steel &...
- NFL player for the Green Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League and are the third-oldest franchise in the NFL.The Packers are the last vestige of "small town...
, Detroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are an American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in downtown Detroit....
, and the New York Bulldogs
- George Teague
George Theo Teague is a former American football player in the National Football League.He is famous for an incident in a game against the San Francisco 49ers on September 24, 2000 when he was a safety for the Dallas Cowboys...
- NFL player for the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, and the Miami Dolphins
Sister cities
Akuapim South DistrictThe Akuapim South District is a district of Ghana in the Eastern Region.-Sources:*...
,
GhanaThe Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa which borders Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
GuadalajaraGuadalajara is the capital city of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of the state and in the western-Pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,579,174 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
, Mexico
Ōtsuis the capital city of Shiga, Japan.As of February 2007 the city has an estimated population of 329,355 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 880.49 persons per km². The total area is 374.06 km².Around 667 to 672, the Ōmi Ōtsu Palace was founded by Emperor Tenji...
, Japan
Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd and Leningrad...
, Russia
SaltilloSaltillo is the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila and the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. The city is located at 400km south of the U.S...
, Mexico
SanmingSanming is a prefecture-level city in western Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders Nanping City to the north, Fuzhou City to the east, Quanzhou City to the southeast, Longyan City to the south, and the province of Jiangxi to the west....
, China
Lansing has three "friendship cities":
CosenzaCosenza is a city in Italy, located at the confluence of two rivers: the Busento and the Crathis. The municipal population is of around 70,000. The urban area, however, counts over 260,000 inhabitants....
, Italy
LanzhouLanzhou is a prefecture-level city and capital of Gansu province in northwestern China.-History:Originally in the territory of the Western Qiang peoples, Lanzhou became part of the territory of Qin in the 6th century BC....
, China Sakaide, Japan
External links