City of Ann Arbor Overview

Brief History

Ann Arbor is located in the southeast corner of Michigan, 36 miles west of Detroit. The Huron River borders the city to the north.

In 1823, a group of pioneers passed through the fur trading post of Detroit, and pushed on along the banks of the Huron River in search of a location for a new frontier community. Among the settlers was a Virginian named John Allen and fellow pioneer, Elisha Rumsey. Some forty miles west of Detroit, in the slopes that bounded the Huron River, the pioneers established their settlement. On February 12, 1824, they registered their claims in Detroit as Annarbour; the name is believed to honor their wives Ann and Mary Ann and "arbour" refers to a grove or shady openings common to the area. Eventually the words were separated and the town became known as Ann Arbor – it remains the only city in the world with that name.

Area and Population

The city of Ann Arbor covers an area of 27.7 sq mi (71.7 km², with 27.0 sq mi (70.0 km²) of land and 0.7 sq mi (1.7 km²) of inland water.

The approximate population of the city is 115,214.

Weather

Ann Arbor, MI climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70s and very cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 20s. It averages 31.25 inches of precipitation and 37.3 inches of snow.

Weather averages for the month of May:

Maximum Temperature 21°C
Minimum Temperature 8°C
Precipitation 74.2mm
Snow 0.0 cm

Metro Area Major Private Sector Employers

(Source: Business Review, Book of Lists 2005)

ProQuest
Johnson Controls
Meijer Cos. Ltd.
Yazaki North America
Citizens Insurance Co. of America
Target
Visteon Corp.
General Motors Corp.
Google

Colleges & Universities

University of Michigan
Eastern Michigan University
Cleary College
Concordia College
Washtenaw Community College

Newspapers

Ann Arbor News
Ann Arbor Observer
The Michigan Daily

Sports and Leisure

Ann Arbor offers the sports fan a lively college sports scene with access to major league teams 40 miles east in Detroit. Within Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan Wolverines play football at 107,500-seat Michigan Stadium, the largest in the country. Another 45 miles west is East Lansing, home to the Michigan State University Spartans.

Ann Arbor has many museums, including the Gerald R. Ford Library, the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology and the University of Michigan Museum of Art. The city also attracts thousands of visitors to its many festivals throughout the year. For example, The Ann Arbor Summer Festival is an exhilarating celebration of performing arts, outdoor entertainment and community spirit. Each year, the three-week event offers dozens of performances, events, activities, exhibitions, parties and more, with eclectic music, dance, theater, film, visual arts and family fun. And, each July, more than 500,000 visitors attend the Ann Arbor Art Fairs. Established in 1960, the event comprises four, nationally recognized and award-winning, juried art fairs that transform Ann Arbor into an impressive outdoor art gallery showcasing the best in fine art and fine crafts.

Outdoors

Ann Arbor is a nice place to enjoy nature. Dexter-Huron Metropark, just 7 miles northwest of Ann Arbor on the Huron River, provides 122-acres of wooded area and excellent river fishing. Hudson Mills Metropark, another 5 miles northwest, is a 1,549-acre park that offers fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking and nature trails, softball diamonds and an 18-hole golf course. With easy access to more water sports on the Great Lakes, plus skiing in dozens of nearby slopes, Ann Arbor offers an endless array of outdoor activities.

Sources

http://www.annarborsummerfestival.org/
http://www.artfair.org/
http://www.census.gov/
http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/michigan/ann-arbor/
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26/2603000.html