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Detroit (/ dɪˈtrɔɪt / dih-TROYT, locally also / ˈdiːtrɔɪt / DEE-troyt) [ 8 ] is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the largest U.S. city on the Canadian border and the county seat of Wayne County. Detroit had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 census, [ 9 ] making it the 26th-most populous city in the United ...
- Overview
- The city layout
- The people and economy
- Cultural life
Detroit, city, seat of Wayne county, southeastern Michigan, U.S. It is located on the Detroit River (connecting Lakes Erie and St. Clair) opposite Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1701 by a French trader, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who built a fort on the river and named it Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit in honour of his patron (the Fr...
Detroit is situated on a broad, generally flat plain. The downtown area retains vestiges of a hexagonal street pattern laid out early in the 19th century that largely disappeared as the city expanded. Most of the city’s commercial and civic buildings are concentrated in the downtown area near the river and include the City-County Building; Cobo Hal...
Detroit’s population grew dramatically between 1850 and 1950. The city’s industrial growth was a magnet for migrants, at first chiefly European immigrants and later African Americans from the South. The population has declined steadily since the mid-1950s, however, in part because much of the white community moved to the suburbs and also because of the loss of industry. By the early 21st century, some four-fifths of the population was African American.
Detroit has a diversified manufacturing and shipping base, but the city’s economy remains unusually sensitive to the fortunes of the automotive industry. As a result, economic booms and depressions have been felt more heavily in Detroit than in most areas of the country. In addition to motor vehicles and automotive parts, the city’s factories produce machinery (including industrial robots), steel, and chemicals. The service sector has become increasingly important.
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Among the colleges and universities in the city are Wayne State University (1868) and the University of Detroit Mercy (1877). Important cultural institutions include Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Bloomfield Hills and the Detroit Institute of Arts. The Motown Historical Museum preserves the house where Berry Gordy, Jr., founded the Motown Record Corporation and tells the story of the creation of the classic soul music produced there. The Henry Ford Museum in suburban Dearborn holds an extensive collection of transportation equipment, while the adjoining Greenfield Village contains reconstructions of 19th-century American buildings and exhibits of traditional crafts. Since 1914 Detroit has maintained a symphony orchestra; summer concerts are presented at the Meadow Brook Music Festival in nearby Rochester. Belle Isle Park, in the Detroit River, has a botanical garden, a children’s zoo, and an aquarium. The city’s professional sports teams include the Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Tigers of Major League Baseball’s American League, the Lions of the National Football League, and the Red Wings, who have been such a dominant force in the National Hockey League that Detroit was dubbed “Hockeytown, U.S.A.”
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Detroit, the largest city in the state of Michigan, was settled in 1701 by French colonists. It is the first European settlement above tidewater in North America. [1] Founded as a New France fur trading post, it began to expand during the 19th century with U.S. settlement around the Great Lakes.
- Visit the Detroit Institute of Arts. The Detroit Institute of Arts displays a representative cross-section of man's artistic creation from the earliest cultures to the present day.
- See Where it All Began at the Motown Museum. Also referred to as "Hitsville USA" for its iconic sign, the Motown Museum is a small shingle-clad building that was occupied from 1957 to 1972 by the studio where records of the "Motown sound" were produced.
- Tour the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant. The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is where the Model T was born, revolutionizing the automotive industry and shaping the way for the future of personal transportation.
- Visit the Detroit Zoo. The Detroit Zoo occupies 125 acres just outside downtown Detroit, home to an astounding number of animals from around the world.
The Metro Detroit area in Southeast Michigan is the state's largest metropolitan area (roughly 50% of the population resides there) and the eleventh largest in the United States. The Grand Rapids metropolitan area in Western Michigan is the state's fastest-growing metro area, with more than 1.3 million residents as of 2006 [update] .
Feb 22, 2023 · This article covers activities in Detroit but not the Greater Metro Detroit area, like Dearborn or Bloomfield Hills, or surrounding counties like Wayne, Macomb, Oakland, or Windsor. Check out these 15 fantastic things to do in downtown Detroit.
Visit Detroit is the official visitor site for Metro Detroit, including Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.
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