Overview

Introduction to East Lansing, Michigan

The Michigan city of East Lansing, best known as the home of Michigan State University (MSU), lies in northwest Ingham County and is the largest suburban community of the state capital of Lansing. Other large cities nearby include Jackson (40 miles to the south), Flint (45 miles to the northeast), Grand Rapids (65 miles to the west), and Detroit (85 miles to the east). Principal highways serving the area include Interstates I-69, I-96, and I-496; U.S. Route 127; and Michigan State Highway 43.

Incorporated as a city in 1907, East Lansing's actual origins trace back more than fifty years prior, when the State Board of Agriculture established a college for the teaching of scientific agriculture in a barely-developed wilderness a few miles east of the newly-constructed wood-framed State Capitol building. In those early days the surrounding village, officially registered as "Collegeville," owed its existence to the presence of teachers and students. Michigan Agricultural College was eventually renamed Michigan State College in 1925 and later Michigan State University in 1955. During this time the city and its university have grown in tandem, and today East Lansing is a thriving college town and Michigan State University has become the largest educational institution in the state.

Points of Interest in East Lansing

East Lansing is the cultural, artistic, and recreational center of central Michigan. Numerous large scale street festivals, outdoor concerts and special events exist year-round to entertain residents and visitors. The East Lansing Film Festival, largest of its kind in Michigan, screens a large variety of genres every spring including features, documentaries, shorts and student films from around the world. The East Lansing Art Festival is another springtime event, held on the weekend before Memorial Day. The Great Lakes Folk Festival, which takes place in August, combines the elements of an arts fair, music festival, county fair, and multi-ethnic cultural celebration into one large event. Other annual celebrations include the Annual Summer Solstice Jazz Festival (June) and the Fountain Square Concert Series (July/August). Cultural sites in town include the Kresge Art Museum, repository since 1959 of Michigan State University's collection of over 7,000 works of art; and the Michigan State University Museum, one of the oldest museums in the Midwest and the first in the state to receive affiliate status from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Other points of interest in and around East Lansing include the following:

  • W. J. Beal Botanical Garden: Oldest of its kind in the United States
  • Michigan State University Horticulture Gardens
  • Beaumont Tower
  • Red Cedar River
  • Michigan Women's Historical Center & Hall of Fame
  • Breslin Center
  • Hannah Community Center
  • East Lansing Family Aquatic Center
  • 4-H Children's Garden
  • Lake Lansing
  • East Lansing Family Aquatic Center
  • Fenner Nature Center
  • Woldumar Nature Center
  • Impression 5 Science Center
  • Potter Park Zoo
  • FunTyme Adventure Park
  • R.E.Olds Transportation Museum
  • Timber Ridge Golf Course
  • Forest Akers Golf Course

For sports fans, Michigan State's outstanding NCAA Division I-A athletic program offers 14 varsity sports for men and 15 for women. The MSU Spartans participate in the Big Ten Conference in all varsity sports except ice hockey (Central Collegiate Hockey Association). Renowned nation-wide for its success in collegiate athletics, Michigan State has captured multiple national titles in football and is the only NCAA Division One Athletic program to have won multiple national championships in both football and basketball.

Neighboring Lansing is home to a professional sports team, Minor League Baseball's Lansing Lugnuts. The Lugnuts compete in the Midwest League as a Class Low-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Less than two hours to the east is the metropolitan Detroit area, home to several major-league caliber pro teams. Among them are the NFL's Detroit Lions (football), Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers, the NHL's Detroit Red Wings (hockey), and the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons. Also in the city is the Detroit Shock of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Demographics

People

Total Population48,374
Male Share of the Population49.5%
Female Share of the Population50.5%
Senior Citizens7.5%
Employed Population 16+21,248
Age of the Population21

Families

% of people married17.6%
Average household size2

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher39.8%
Median Earnings25+$40,099
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$27,738
Median Earnings With High School Degree$30,013

Wealth

Median Family Income$97,227
% Above Poverty Level58.7%
% Below Poverty Level41.3%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time16 minutes
% Working from Home5.1%
% Walking and Biking to Work28.1%
% Using Public Transportation7.7%

Housing

People Living Alone35%
Median Gross Rent$944
Median House Value$186,700

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)23.2%
German17.2%
Irish10.5%
English7.7%
Polish7%
Italian5.5%
Arab2.5%
French Except Basque2.4%
Scottish2.4%
Dutch2.2%
Swedish1.6%
African1.4%
Norwegian1%
Finnish1%
Russian0.9%
Canadian0.9%
Greek0.9%
Hungarian0.7%
Lebanese0.7%
Egyptian0.5%
US/American0.5%
Ukrainian0.4%
Welsh0.4%
Danishn0.4%
Austrian0.4%
Czech0.4%
Lithuanian0.3%
Iranian0.3%
West Indian0.3%
Belgian0.3%
Iraqi0.3%
Croatian0.3%
Slovak0.2%
Somali0.2%
Sierra Leone0.2%
Nigerian0.2%
Ethiopian0.2%
Israeli0.2%
Swiss0.2%
Brazilian0.2%
Turkish0.2%
Romanian0.2%
Jamaican0.1%
Sudanese0.1%
South African0.1%
New Zealand0.1%
Albanian0.1%
Bulgarian0.1%
Jordanian0.1%
Maltese0.1%
Portuguese0.1%
Slovene0.1%
Serbian0.1%
Ghanaian0.1%
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East Lansing Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyIngham County
Standard Zip Codes48824, 48825, 48823
P.O. Box Zip Codes48826
Phone Area Codes517
Time ZoneAmerica/Detroit
Approximate Latitude42.73
Approximate Longitude-84.48

East Lansing Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationEAST LANSING 4 S
Distance4.9 miles
Jan Temp13 to 29 F
Apr Temp35 to 56 F
Jul Temp59 to 82 F
Oct Temp38 to 60 F
Annual Precip30.9 inches
StationST JOHNS
Distance19.6 miles
Jan Temp14 to 29 F
Apr Temp35 to 56 F
Jul Temp60 to 83 F
Oct Temp40 to 60 F
Annual Precip32.9 inches
StationCHARLOTTE
Distance22 miles
Jan Temp15 to 29 F
Apr Temp36 to 56 F
Jul Temp60 to 81 F
Oct Temp40 to 59 F
Annual Precip33.8 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Dimondale1,266$98,611
Laingsburg1,273$62,868
Lansing116,699$47,786
Mason8,447$66,765
Perry2,156$59,857
Williamston3,930$88,315

East Lansing Public Libraries

East Lansing Public Library
950 ABBOT ROAD
East Lansing, Michigan
(517) 351-2420

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More Information for Librarians

East Lansing Public Schools

Donley Elementary School
2961 East Lake Lansing Rd
ZIP: 48823
(517) 333-7370
Primary
Total Enrollment 301
East Lansing High School
509 Burcham Dr
ZIP: 48823
(517) 333-7500
High
Total Enrollment 1110
Glencairn School
939 North Harrison Rd
ZIP: 48823
(517) 333-7930
Primary
Total Enrollment 290
Macdonald Middle School
1601 Burcham Dr
ZIP: 48823
(517) 333-7600
Middle
Total Enrollment 772
Marble School
729 North Hagadorn Rd
ZIP: 48823
(517) 333-7860
Primary
Total Enrollment 333
Pinecrest School
1811 Pinecrest Dr
ZIP: 48823
(517) 333-7870
Primary
Total Enrollment 327
Red Cedar School
1110 Narcissus Dr
ZIP: 48823
(517) 333-5060
Whitehills Elementary School
621 Pebblebrook Ln
ZIP: 48823
(517) 333-7900
Primary
Total Enrollment 303

East Lansing Private Schools

Greater Lansing Islamic School
940 S Harrison Rd
ZIP: 48823
Elementary
Total Enrollment 131
St Thomas Aquinas Parish School
915 Alton Rd
ZIP: 48823
Elementary
Total Enrollment 375
Stepping Stones Montessori School
1370 Beech St
ZIP: 48823
Elementary
Total Enrollment 29
Sources :
Additional Details
East Lansing Colleges
East Lansing colleges and trade schools.
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Historic East Lansing

photo

Library (museum, Michigan Agricultural College i.e. Michigan State University) between 1905 and 1920

Select a photo to view (Source):

Library (museum, Michigan Agricultural College i.e. Michigan State University) between 1905 and 1920

Norman's bldg. (Mich. Agricultural College i.e. Michigan State University) between 1900 and 1910

Williams Hall (Mich. Agricultural College i.e. Michigan State University) between 1900 and 1910

Additional Resources
Info for East Lansing Government Officials


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