 |
|
|
|
| Overview » Overview » High Points » Comparisons | Almanac » Zip Codes » Climate/Weather | People » Population » Ancestry » Political Giving | Local » Map & Nearby » Hospitals » Starbucks | Schools » High Schools |
Ann Arbor is located in southeastern Michigan on the Huron River, about 40 miles west of Detroit and 45 miles east of Lansing. John Allen and Elisha Rumsey founded the city in 1824, naming it after their spouses, both named Ann. Today, "A-Squared" is Michigan's 7th-largest city, with a population of around 115,000. The hometown of former President Gerald Ford, the city manages to exude Midwestern charm while claiming a strong economy based on a variety of industries, including printing and publishing, electronics and transportation equipment, medical equipment and technology. Domino's Pizza and Borders Books are based in the city. Ann Arbor is also an important medical center, home to a large pharmaceutical research facility and several high tech research and development firms. The city offers a great quality of life, ranking #10 on the BestJobsUsa.com list of the Best Places to Live and Work in America. It also ranked #3 among small cities on Ladies' Home Journal's 2002 list of the Best Cities for Women.
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 attracts thousands of visitors to its festivals throughout the year: the 2-day Ann the Arbor Folk Festival in January, the 3-week Ann Arbor Summer Festival (music, comedy, films) in June and the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival in September.
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 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. Detroit offers pro sports teams in each of the four major leagues. Baseball's Detroit Tigers play downtown at 40,000-seat, state-of-the-art Comerica Park, which has a Ferris wheel and a carousel. Adjacent 65,000-seat Ford Field is the domed den of the NFL's Lions. The stadium also hosts national events such as the Super Bowl and NCAA Men's Final Four basketball. The NHL's Detroit Red Wings play at 20,000-seat Joe Louis Arena, which also features college tournaments such as the Great Lakes Invitational in December and the CCHA tournament in March. A half-hour drive northeast of Ann Arbor, the 2,000-seat Palace at Auburn Hills hosts the NBA's Detroit Pistons, the WNBA's Shock, and Arena Football's Fury.
Although it's not the warmest city you'll encounter, Ann Arbor is a nice place to enjoy the great outdoors. Dexter-Huron Metropark, just 7 miles northwest of Ann Arbor on the Huron River, provides 122-acres of wooded areas 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.
A progressive city with a thriving college scene and one of the youngest populations (28 years median age) among major cities, Ann Arbor offers a stimulating nightlife. Home to the University of Michigan's 35,000 students, the area is loaded with hip bars, coffee houses and places to hear live music. Washington and Main Streets are among the city's favorite hotspots for a night out. Nearby Ypsilanti offers more restaurants and bars. Detroit has a booming music scene, plenty of bars, three casinos within the city and another across the Canadian border in Windsor.
Ann Arbor strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Michigan):
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| College Educated Adults (vs. Peers) | Top 1% |  |
| Public Transportation Use (vs. State) | Top 1% | |
| Walking and Biking to Work (vs. Peers) | Top 1% | |
| Racial Diversity (vs. State) | Top 3% | |
| Median Family Income (vs. State) | Top 9% | |
| Well-Paid Single Men (vs. State) | Top 10% | |
| Well-Paid Single Women (vs. Peers) | Top 12% | |
Comparing Ann Arbor to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Michigan (State):
Ratings range from 
(lowest) to 
(highest).
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Well-Paid Single Women |  | |
| Well-Paid Single Men | | |
| Male Share of the Population |  | |
| Racial Diversity |  | |
| Female Share of the Population |  |  |
| Senior Citizens | | |
| Children Under 5 Years Old | | |
| Age of the Population | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Portion of People Married | | |
| Average Household Size | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| College Educated Adults | | |
| Median Family Income | | |
| People in Middle Class or Better |  | |
| People Above Poverty | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Walking and Biking to Work | | |
| Working at Home | | |
| Public Transportation Use | | |
| Short Commute Times | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| People Living Alone | | |
| Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals | | |
| Seasonal and Vacation Housing | |  |
| Housing Recently Built | | |
| Affordability of Rents | | |
| Affordability of Property Taxes | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Low Property Crime | |  |
| Low Violent Crime | | |
Detailed pages on related topics: Ann Arbor colleges • Ann Arbor travel • Ann Arbor mortgages and property.
 | Ann Arbor Careers Ann Arbor career and employment information. |
 | Ann Arbor Colleges Ann Arbor colleges and trade schools. |
 | Ann Arbor Hotels & Travel Ann Arbor hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation. |
 | Ann Arbor Mortgage Ann Arbor property, mortgage, and real estate. |
We've crunched the numbers to create PlaceMatch™, which compares thousands of cities and towns to find the places most similar to each.
Select a photo to view (Source):
U. of Michigan (president's house) between 1880 and 1899
Homeopathic hospital (University of Michigan) c1903.
University of Michigan (Commencement Day, Senior Parade) between 1890 and 1910
Are you an official in the Ann Arbor government or quasi-government agency such as the chamber of commerce, visitors bureau or economic development council? If so, visit our information page for government officials to see how CityTownInfo can support you.
Webmasters & Bloggers: Please link to this page on Ann Arbor. Just copy the HTML below and paste it into your web page or blog.
Copyright © 2004-2008, Moving Traffic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.