85-596: The Lower Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Lower Michigan – is the larger, southern and less elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan ; the other being the Upper Peninsula , which is separated by the Straits of Mackinac . It is surrounded by water on all sides except its southern border, which it shares with Indiana and Ohio . Although the Upper Peninsula
170-468: A 12-year-old, 3,000-pound female dancing elephant named Rajje (alternately reported as Raji and Little Rajjee, among other variations) rebelled against her trainer during a performance in a shopping-center circus near what was then Logan Street and Holmes Road in Lansing, and escaped into the streets, aggravated by the frenzied pursuit of nearly 4,000 local residents. The incident ended with the shooting of
255-618: A Midwestern humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfb/Dfa ) that is influenced by the Great Lakes , and is part of USDA Hardiness zone 5b. Winters are cold with moderate to heavy snowfall, while summers are very warm and humid. The monthly daily average temperature in July is 71.5 °F (21.9 °C), while the same figure for January is 23.4 °F (−4.8 °C); the annual mean is 48.21 °F (9.01 °C). On average, temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32.2 °C) on 8.8 days of
340-424: A church and a public and academic square. 16 men bought plots in the nonexistent city, and upon reaching the area later that year found they were the victims of the scam. Many in the group, disappointed and now without funds to move on again, opted to stay and ended up settling around what is now metropolitan Lansing. The story has persisted due to a 1904 newspaper article, which cited a memoir told by Daniel W. Buck,
425-525: A consensus because of constant political wrangling, the Michigan House of Representatives privately chose the Township of Lansing out of frustration. When announced, many present openly laughed that such an insignificant settlement was now Michigan's capital. Two months later, Governor William L. Greenly signed into law the act of the legislature making Lansing Township the state capital. With
510-468: A few hundred feet tall, most common in the north. The highest point in the Lower Peninsula is not definitely established, but is either Briar Hill at 1,705 feet (520 m), or one of several points nearby in the vicinity of Cadillac . The lowest point is at the shore of Lake Erie at 571 feet (174 m). The western coast features extensive sandy beaches and dunes produced by Lake Michigan and
595-530: A few hundred feet tall. The highest point in the Lower Peninsula is either Briar Hill at 1,705 feet (520 m), or one of several points nearby in the vicinity of Cadillac . The lowest point is the surface of Lake Erie at 571 feet (174 m). A feature of Michigan that gives it the distinct shape of a mitten is the Thumb . This peninsula projects out into Lake Huron and the Saginaw Bay . The geography of
680-477: A growing season of 149 days. The average window for measurable snow (≥0.1 in or 0.25 cm) is November 4 through April 6. See or edit raw graph data . As of the 2010 census , there were 114,297 people, 48,450 households, and 26,234 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,174.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,225.8/km ). There were 54,181 housing units at an average density of 1,505.0 per square mile (581.1/km ). The racial makeup of
765-511: A lesser extent along Kalamazoo Street. It is anchored by Frandor Shopping Center 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 as 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
850-613: A respected Lansing mayor and son of one of the early pioneers. His story was cited in Michigan pioneer papers and retold in newspaper articles multiple times in the decades that followed. His characterization of the city as being born from a "land scam" was incorrect, though his story had some elements of truth as well. The brothers were William and Jerry Ford. Although they were originally from New York, they were well-respected businessmen who hailed from Jackson and were instrumental during its earliest years. In 1836, they bought 290 acres in
935-590: A spot on it to indicate the location. The peninsula is sometimes divided into the Northern Lower Peninsula —which is more sparsely populated and largely forested—and the Southern Lower Peninsula—which is largely urban or farmland. Southern Lower Michigan is sometimes further divided into economic and cultural subregions. The more culturally and economically diverse Lower Peninsula dominates Michigan politics, and maps of it without
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#17327662149281020-504: A total area of 97,990 square miles (253,800 km ) – including those territorial waters – Michigan is the largest state east of the Mississippi River , and the eleventh largest state overall. More than half of the state's land area – 30,156 square miles (78,100 km ) – is still forest . The state lies roughly between 41° and 49° north latitude, and between 82° and 91° west longitude. The heavily forested Upper Peninsula
1105-577: A tributary of the Red Cedar, flows northward through the southeastern part of the city. There are two lakes in the area, Park Lake and Lake Lansing , both northeast of the city. Lake Lansing is approximately 500 acres (2.0 km ) 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
1190-583: A variety of nearby islands. The Upper Peninsula is bounded on the southwest by Wisconsin , and the Lower Peninsula is bounded on the south by Indiana and Ohio . Both land masses are also separated from the Canadian province of Ontario by waterways of the Great Lakes, and from each other by the Straits of Mackinac . Because its land is largely surrounded by the Great Lakes, which flow into
1275-402: A warmer climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfa ) with hot summers and cold winters. The northern two-thirds of the Lower Peninsula and the entire Upper Peninsula has a more severe climate (Köppen Dfb ), with warm, but shorter summers and longer, cold to very cold winters. Some parts of the state average high temperatures below freezing from December through February, and into early March in
1360-469: Is Mount Arvon at 1,979 feet (603 m). The peninsula is as large as Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island combined but has fewer than 330,000 inhabitants. The geographic orientation of Michigan's peninsulas makes for a long distance between the ends of the state. Ironwood , in the far western Upper Peninsula, lies 630 highway miles (1,015 km) from Lambertville in the Lower Peninsula's southeastern corner. The geographic isolation of
1445-528: Is commonly referred to as "the U.P.", it is uncommon for the Lower Peninsula to be called "the L.P.". Because of its recognizable shape, the Lower Peninsula is nicknamed The Mitten , with the eastern region identified as " The Thumb ". This has led to several folkloric creation myths for the area, one being that it is a handprint of Paul Bunyan , a giant lumberjack and popular European-American folk character in Michigan. When asked where they live, Lower Peninsula residents may hold up their right palm and point to
1530-632: Is home to Michigan State University , a public research university with an enrollment of more than 50,000. The area features two medical schools , one veterinary school, two nursing schools , and two law schools . It is the site of the Michigan State Capitol , the state Supreme Court , the Court of Appeals , a federal court , the Library of Michigan and Historical Center, and headquarters of four national insurance companies. Lansing
1615-576: Is home to three National Park Service preserves: Isle Royale National Park , located in Lake Superior, about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario ; Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore , on the Lake Superior shore between Munising and Grand Marais ; and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore , on the Lake Michigan shore between the villages of Frankfort , Empire , and Glen Arbor . Other national protected areas in
1700-578: 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 limits defining its north and western borders, is physically the smallest side of the city. This part of the city includes moderate-density residential areas and some green areas. North of Grand River Avenue,
1785-540: Is more than six miles (9.7 km) from one of these bodies of water, and at most 85 miles (137 km) from one of the Great Lakes (near Lansing ). The American Bird Conservancy and the National Audubon Society have designated several locations as internationally Important Bird Areas . The Lower Peninsula is dominated by a geological basin known as the Michigan Basin . That feature
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#17327662149281870-483: Is relatively mountainous in the west. The Porcupine Mountains , which are part of one of the oldest mountain chains in the world, rise to an altitude of almost 2,000 feet (610 m) above sea level and form the watershed between the streams flowing into Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The surface on either side of this range is rugged. The state's highest point, in the Huron Mountains northwest of Marquette,
1955-636: Is represented by a nearly circular pattern of geologic sedimentary strata in the area with a nearly uniform structural dip toward the center of the peninsula. The basin is centered in Gladwin County where the Precambrian basement rocks are 16,000 feet (4,900 m) deep. Around the margins, such as under Mackinaw City, Michigan , the Precambrian surface is around 4,000 feet (1,200 m) down. This 4,000-foot (1,200 m) contour on
2040-471: Is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan and the most populous city in Ingham County . It is mostly in the county, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County . The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making it the sixth most populous city in Michigan . The population of its metropolitan statistical area ( MSA ) was 541,297 at
2125-537: 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 Westside. The middle of the Southside—South-Central Lansing—contains
2210-400: Is the only U.S. state capital (among the 47 located in counties) that is not also a county seat . The seat of government of Ingham County is Mason , but the county maintains some offices in Lansing. The first recorded person of European descent to travel through the area that is now Lansing was British fur trader Hugh Heward and his French-Canadian team on April 24, 1790, while canoeing
2295-651: The Fox Islands , North Manitou Island , and South Manitou Island in Lake Michigan; Harsens Island in Lake St. Clair; and Belle Isle and Grosse Ile in the Detroit River . Keweenaw Bay , Whitefish Bay , and the Big and Little Bay de Noc are the principal bays of the Upper Peninsula. The Grand and Little Traverse , Thunder , and Saginaw bays are found on the Lower Peninsula. After Alaska, Michigan has
2380-583: The Grand River . The land that was to become Lansing was surveyed as "Township 4 North Range 2 West" in February 1827 in what was then dense forest. It was the last of the county's townships to be surveyed, and the land was not offered for sale until October 1830. There would be no roads to this area for decades to come. Historians have lamented the persistence of a myth about Lansing's founding. The incorrect story of Lansing's beginnings states that in
2465-758: The Saint Lawrence River , Michigan is the only U.S. state whose streams and rivers are almost entirely within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed. Michigan's territorial waters include roughly half each of Lake Superior , Lake Michigan , and Lake Huron , and smaller areas of Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie . It includes an estimated 11,000 inland lakes. It encompasses 58,110 square miles (150,500 km ) of land, 38,575 square miles (99,910 km ) of Great Lakes waters, and 1,305 square miles (3,380 km ) of inland waters. Its territorial waters are second in area only to those of Alaska . At
2550-492: The "Village of Michigan". On February 16, 1842, Alaiedon township was split into the townships of Lansing, Delhi and Meridian (originally suggested as "Genoa") based on a petition submitted in December 1841 by Henry North, Roswell Everett and Zalmon Holmes. Henry North proposed the name "Lansing" for the township at the request of his father, who wanted it named after their old town of Lansing, New York . On February 15, 1859,
2635-400: The 2020 census, the third largest in the state after metropolitan Detroit and Grand Rapids . It was named the new state capital of Michigan in 1847, ten years after Michigan became a state. The Lansing metropolitan area , colloquially referred to as "Mid-Michigan", is an important center for educational, cultural, governmental, commercial, and industrial functions. Neighboring East Lansing
Lower Peninsula of Michigan - Misplaced Pages Continue
2720-455: The City of Lansing, and does not include the 0.18 square miles (0.47 km ) of the combined Hawk Island County Park and adjacent Soldan Dog Park operated by Ingham County within the city of Lansing. All together then, 3.55 square miles (9.2 km ) of the city (or approximately 10%) is publicly administered open space. The city's downtown is dominated by state government buildings, especially
2805-539: The Eastside, Westside, Northwestside, and Southside. Each section contains a diverse array of neighborhoods. The Eastside, located east of the Grand River 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
2890-612: The Great Lakes. The state's numerous rivers are generally short and shallow, though several are navigable by recreational watercraft. The principal ones include the Au Sable , Thunder Bay , Cheboygan , and Saginaw , all of which flow into Lake Huron; the Ontonagon , and Tahquamenon , which flow into Lake Superior; and the St. Joseph , Kalamazoo , Grand , Muskegon , Manistee , and Escanaba , which flow into Lake Michigan. The state
2975-637: The Old Everett Area. This location once contained the Everett School District and was annexed into the city in 1948. Unincorporated areas adjacent to Lansing include parts of Lansing Charter Township , such as the unincorporated community of Edgemont Park , as well as parts of Delta Charter Township , such as the unincorporated community of Waverly . Though they are not part of the City of Lansing, these unincorporated communities often use Lansing mailing addresses. Lansing has
3060-581: The Pixie-Eared Elephant" in continuity with the ambush of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in his introduction to a 1968 biography of the outlaws. Then teenage Lansing residents who had goaded the elephant later on recalled the incident with sober regret in a local newspaper retrospective in 2011. Lansing is the centerpiece of a region of Michigan known as Mid-Michigan . According to the United States Census Bureau ,
3145-536: The State Capitol; but downtown has also experienced recent growth in new restaurants, retail stores and residential developments. Downtown Lansing had a historic city market that was one of the oldest continuously operating farmers' markets in the United States, until it closed in 2019. Downriver and north of downtown is historic Old Town Lansing with many architecturally significant buildings dating to
3230-513: The Thumb is mainly flat with a few rolling hills. The Leelanau Peninsula lies in the Northern Lower Michigan region. See Also Michigan Regions The Great Lakes that form most of the water boundary of Michigan are Lake Erie , Lake Huron , Lake Michigan , and Lake Superior . Because of the historical importance of shipping on the lakes, Michigan has about 150 lighthouses , more than any other state. ( see Lighthouses in
3315-551: The United States ) The state is bounded on the south by the states of Ohio and Indiana , sharing land and water boundaries with both. Michigan's northern boundaries are almost entirely water boundaries, from south to north, with Illinois and Wisconsin in Lake Michigan; then a land boundary with Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula, that is principally demarcated by the Menominee and Montreal Rivers ; then water boundaries again, in Lake Superior, with Wisconsin and Minnesota to
3400-497: The Upper Peninsula are sometimes mistakenly presented as "Michigan", which contributes to resentment by "Yoopers" (residents of "the U.P"). Yoopers jokingly refer to residents of the Lower Peninsula as "flat-landers" (referring to the region's less rugged terrain) or " trolls " (because, being south of the Mackinac Bridge , they " live under the bridge "). The Lower Peninsula is bounded on the west by Lake Michigan and on
3485-442: The Upper Peninsula from Michigan's political and population centers makes the U.P. culturally and economically distinct. The Lower Peninsula, shaped like a mitten, is 277 miles (446 km) long from north to south and 195 miles (314 km) from east to west and occupies more than two-thirds of the state's land area. The surface of the peninsula is generally level, broken by conical hills and glacial moraines usually not more than
Lower Peninsula of Michigan - Misplaced Pages Continue
3570-424: 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
3655-474: 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 income 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 income for
3740-487: The ages of 18 and 24; 30.2% were from 25 to 44; 23.8% were from 45 to 64; and 9.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 119,128 people, 49,505 households, and 28,366 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,399.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,312.4/km ). There were 53,159 housing units at an average density of 1,516.8 per square mile (585.6/km ). The racial makeup of
3825-453: The announcement that Lansing Township had been made the capital, the small settlement quickly transformed into the seat of state government. Within months after it became the capital city, further individual settlements began to develop around it, along three key points along the Grand River in the township: The collection of original settlements ("Upper Town", "Lower Town" and "Middle Town") had for some years been collectively referred to as
3910-664: The bedrock clips the northern part of the lower peninsula and continues under Lake Michigan along the west. It crosses the southern counties of Michigan and continues on to the north beneath Lake Huron . Most monthly temperatures in the lower peninsula range from a low of 14 degrees to a high of 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Michigan's Lower Peninsula can be divided into four main regions based on geological, soil, and vegetation differences; amount of urban areas or rural areas; minority populations; and agriculture . The four principal regions listed below can further be separated into sub-regions and overlapping areas. Interstate Highways in
3995-430: The city has a total area of 36.68 square miles (95.00 km ), of which 36.05 square miles (93.37 km ) is land and 0.63 square miles (1.63 km ) is water. This figure includes two 425 Agreements with Alaiedon Township and Meridian Township, and the four 425 Agreements with Delta Township since 2000. Since the 2010 census, the city has entered into two additional 425 Agreements. The first agreement consisted of
4080-494: The city in 1813, but these events led to the dire need to have the center of government relocated further away from hostile British territory . There was also concern with Detroit's strong influence over Michigan politics, being the state's largest city as well as the capital city. During the multi-day session to determine a new location for the state capital, many cities, including Ann Arbor , Marshall , and Jackson , lobbied hard to win this designation. Unable to publicly reach
4165-415: The city was 61.2% White (55.5% non-Hispanic White), 23.7% African American, 0.8% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.3% from other races, and 6.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.5% of the population. Foreign-born residents made up 8.3% of the population. The median age in the city was 32.2 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.3% were between
4250-491: 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 races, 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
4335-583: The city's economy is diversified among government service, healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, banking, and education. In the late 1840s to early 1850s, the citizens of Lansing were unified against slavery, and the city became a secondary stop on the Underground Railroad , as one of the last steps of an escape route that led through Battle Creek, Schoolcraft and Cassopolis. From Lansing, the route led to Durand, and then to either Port Huron or Detroit. The Kerns Hotel fire on December 11, 1934,
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#17327662149284420-522: The city. The area is largely residential 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. Boulevard , 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
4505-442: The elephant by Lansing police. Provoked by the growing crowd, Rajje's rampage took her through the men's wear, sporting goods and gift departments of a local Arlan's discount store before leading police on a two-mile chase in which she knocked down and injured a 67-year-old man, tried to move a car, and caused thousands of dollars in damage before being killed. Life Magazine quoted Rajje's trainer, William Pratt, as shouting at
4590-648: The entire lengths of the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair (including the First Nation reserve of Walpole Island ) and the Detroit River. The southeastern boundary ends in the western end of Lake Erie with a three-way convergence of Michigan, Ohio and Ontario. With the exception of two tiny areas on its borders – one drained by the Mississippi River by way of the Wisconsin River in the Upper Peninsula,
4675-666: The entire state. The soil is of a varied composition and in large areas is very fertile, especially in the south. However, the Upper Peninsula for the most part is rocky and mountainous, and the soil is unsuitable for agriculture. The climate is tempered by the proximity of the lakes and is much milder than in other locales with the same latitude. The principal forest trees include basswood , maple , elm , sassafras , butternut , walnut , poplar , hickory , oak , willow , pine , birch , beech , hemlock , witchhazel , tamarack , cedar , locust , dogwood , and ash . Lansing, Michigan Lansing ( / ˈ l æ n s ɪ ŋ / )
4760-592: The entire surface of the Upper Peninsula (being principally of primitive origin), while Secondary deposits cover the entire Lower Peninsula. The Upper Peninsula exhibits Lower Silurian sandstones, limestones, copper and iron bearing rocks, corresponding to the Huronian system of Canada . The central portion of the Lower Peninsula contains coal measures and rocks of the Permo-Carboniferous period. Devonian and sub-Carboniferous deposits are scattered over
4845-488: The far northern parts. During the winter through the middle of February parts of the state are frequently subjected to heavy lake-effect snow . The state averages from 30–40 inches (76–102 centimetres) of precipitation annually. Snow cover tends to be intermittent in the southern part of the state, but persistent in northern Lower Michigan and especially in the Upper Peninsula. The entire state averages 30 days of thunderstorm activity per year. These can be severe, especially in
4930-541: The far south side of Lansing along Northrup Street near the Cedar Street intersection, to 833 feet (254 m) to 805.5 feet (246 m) above sea level along the Grand River. The Grand River, the largest river in Michigan, flows through downtown Lansing, and the Red Cedar River, a tributary of the Grand, flows through the campus of Michigan State University to its confluence with the Grand in Lansing. Sycamore Creek ,
5015-462: The largest state park and state forest system of any state. These parks and forests include Holland State Park , Mackinac Island State Park , Au Sable State Forest , and Mackinaw State Forest . Michigan has a humid continental climate , although there are two distinct regions. The southern third of the Lower Peninsula (south of Saginaw Bay and from the Grand Rapids area southward) have
5100-497: The last −20 °F (−29 °C) or colder reading occurred on February 27, 1994; the record low maximum is −4 °F (−20 °C) on January 22, 1883, while, conversely, the record high minimum is 78 °F (26 °C) on August 1, 2006, and July 18, 1942. Freezing temperatures in June are exceedingly rare and have not occurred in July or August since the 19th century; on average, they arrive on October 4 and depart on May 7, allowing
5185-430: The less successful Clarkmobile around 1903. Over the next decades, the city would be transformed into a major American industrial center for the manufacturing of automobiles and parts , among other industries. The city also continued to grow in area. By 1956, the city had grown to 15 square miles (39 km ), and doubled in size over the next decade to its current size of roughly 33 square miles (85 km ). Today,
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#17327662149285270-508: The longest shoreline of any state, 3,288 miles (5,292 km). An additional 1,056 miles (1,699 km) can be added if islands are included. This roughly equals the length of the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida. The state has 11,037 inland lakes comprising 1,305 square miles (3,380 km ) of inland water. No point in Michigan is more than 6 miles (9.7 km) from an inland lake or more than 85 miles (137 km) from one of
5355-457: 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
5440-405: The mid-19th century. 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:
5525-616: The next two decades with the completion of the railroads through the city, a plank road , and the completion of the current capitol building in 1878. Most of what is known as Lansing today is the 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. Olds started his new REO Motor Car Company , which would last in Lansing for another 70 years. Olds would be joined by
5610-508: The northeast by Lake Huron , which connect at the Straits of Mackinac . In the southeast, the waterway consisting of the St. Clair River , Lake St. Clair , Detroit River , and Lake Erie separates it from the province of Ontario , Canada. It is bounded on the south by the states of Indiana and Ohio . This border is irregular: the border with Indiana was moved 10 miles northward from its territorial position to give Indiana more access to Lake Michigan, and its slightly angled border with Ohio
5695-442: The northwest corner of Ingham County. They platted the land and hoped to build a community they named Biddle City, located south of the convergence of the Grand River and the Red Cedar River, in Lansing's present-day REO Town neighborhood. Biddle City's plat map included plans for a public square, church square and academy square. They sold 21 parcels of it — mostly to other Michiganders, not New Yorkers — and buyers understood that it
5780-547: The other by way of the Kankakee - Illinois River in the Lower Peninsula – the rivers and streams of Michigan drain entirely into the Great Lakes. The larger islands of Michigan include Isle Royale and Grand Island in Lake Superior; Neebish and Sugar islands in the St. Mary's River ; Drummond Island , Les Cheneaux Islands , Mackinac Island , Bois Blanc Island , and Charity Island in Lake Huron; Beaver Island ,
5865-488: The prevailing winds from the west. The relatively shallow Saginaw Bay is surrounded by a similarly shallow drainage basin . Several large river systems flow into the adjacent Great Lakes, including the Kalamazoo , Grand , Muskegon , and Manistee rivers (Lake Michigan), and the Au Sable and Tittabawassee – Shiawassee – Saginaw rivers (Lake Huron). Because of the networks of rivers and numerous lakes, no point on land
5950-415: The region include: U.S. Highways in the region include: The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. 43°40′N 84°45′W / 43.667°N 84.750°W / 43.667; -84.750 Geography of Michigan Michigan consists of two peninsulas surrounded primarily by four of the Great Lakes and
6035-605: The scene, "Damn these people [...] They wouldn't leave her alone." The incident was widely reported, including a photospread in Life . While the Lansing State Journal coverage stressed the danger of the incident, the Detroit Free Press noted that witnesses cried out "Murderers! Murderers!" as police fired eight shots. Author Nelson Algren cites the injustice and sad end of the pursuit of "Raji,
6120-454: The settlement, having grown to nearly 3,000 and encompassing about seven square miles (18 km ) in area, was incorporated as a city, carving off a section of seven square miles from Lansing Township. 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 until 1916. Lansing began to grow steadily over
6205-399: The southern part of the state. The state averages 17 tornadoes per year, which are more common in the extreme southern portion of the state. Portions of the southern border have been nearly as vulnerable historically as parts of Tornado Alley . Farther north, in the Upper Peninsula, tornadoes are rare. The geological formation of the state is greatly varied. Primary boulders are found over
6290-505: The state include: Keweenaw National Historical Park , Huron National Forest , Manistee National Forest , Hiawatha National Forest , Ottawa National Forest , Fumee Lake Natural Area, and Father Marquette National Memorial . The largest section of the North Country National Scenic Trail also passes through Michigan. With 78 state parks , 19 state recreation areas, and 6 state forests , Michigan has
6375-542: The summer. The City of Lansing operates a total of 3.55 square miles (9.2 km ) of parkland, of which 2.80 square miles (7.3 km ) is parkland, 0.43 square miles (1.1 km ) are golflands, and 0.31 square miles (0.80 km ) are cemetery lands. However, this figure includes the Waverly Hills Golf Course and adjacent Michigan Avenue Park, whose 0.18 square miles (0.47 km ) are located within neighboring Lansing Township, but operated by
6460-621: The temporary 425 Agreements, Lansing administers 34.1 square miles (88 km ) total. Lansing is located in the south-central part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan , where the Grand River meets the Red Cedar River . 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
6545-733: The temporary transfer of 1,888.2 acres of Lansing Capital Region International Airport to the city from DeWitt Township in 2011. The second agreement consisted of the temporary transfer of 41 acres (17 ha) in Alaiedon Township for the expansion of the headquarters of Jackson National Life Insurance Company in 2013 bringing the area either fully or conditionally under control of the city to 39.69 square miles (102.80 km ). 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
6630-730: The west, Delhi Charter Township in Ingham County to the south, and in DeWitt Charter Township in Clinton County to the north. 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. It is also located between the state's two largest cities, Detroit and Grand Rapids. Lansing elevations range between 890 feet (271 m) above sea level on
6715-475: The west, capped around by the Canadian province of Ontario to the north and east. The northern boundary then runs completely through Lake Superior, from the western boundary with Minnesota to a point north of and around Isle Royale , thence traveling southeastward through the lake in a reasonably straight line to the Sault Ste. Marie area. In Southeastern Michigan there is a water boundary with Canada along
6800-485: 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". This land lay in a floodplain and was underwater during the majority of the year. Nevertheless, the brothers went back to Lansing, New York , to sell plots for the town that did not exist. They told the New Yorkers this new "city" had an area of 65 blocks,
6885-681: The year and drop to or below 0 °F (−17.8 °C) on 10.5 nights. Precipitation is generally greatest during summer but still frequent and significant in winter. Snowfall, which normally occurs from November to April, averages 51.1 inches (130 cm) per season, significantly less than areas to the west such as Grand Rapids as Lansing is relatively immune to lake-effect snows ; seasonal snowfall has historically ranged from 16.6 in (42 cm) in 1863−64 to 97.2 in (247 cm) in 1880−81. The highest and lowest officially recorded temperatures were 103 °F (39 °C) on July 6, 2012 , and −37 °F (−38 °C) on February 2, 1868, with
6970-477: Was from. The settlement of fewer than 20 people that would become the City of Lansing remained quiet until the winter of 1847. The state constitution required the capital be moved from Detroit to a more central and safer location in the state's interior in 1847; many were concerned about Detroit's proximity to British -controlled Canada , which had captured Detroit in the War of 1812 . The United States had recaptured
7055-541: Was not yet a real city. Unfortunately, Biddle City never took off. The financial Panic of 1837 forced the brothers to heavily mortgage the property, and the city never materialized. Biddle City was not Lansing's original name, nor a precursor to it, as the plat was located outside of Lansing's original city limits. Originally, all that existed was Lansing Township, named in 1842 by an early settler, Joseph E. North Sr., after Lansing in Tompkins County, NY, where he
7140-611: Was part of the compromise which ended the Toledo War . The Lower Peninsula is a part of the Great Lakes Plain, which include large parts of Wisconsin and Ohio. At its widest points, the Lower Peninsula is 277 miles (446 km) long from north to south and 195 miles (314 km) from east to west. It contains nearly two-thirds of Michigan's total land area. The surface of the peninsula is generally level, broken by conical hills and glacial moraines usually not more than
7225-513: Was the deadliest in the city's history. Perhaps thirty-four people died in the fire, although the hotel register was also destroyed making an exact count impossible. On February 8, 1951, the Elliott-Larsen Building was intentionally set on fire by a state office employee. The following morning, the seventh floor collapsed down to the next level, which destroyed a large number of state historical records. On September 26, 1963,
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