Ypsilanti is located where an old Indian trail crossed the Huron River and was, long before the coming of the white man, the camping and burial ground for several native American tribes. In 1809, three French explorers built a log structure on the west bank of an Indian trading post and was one of the earliest structures in the vast, sparsely populated Michigan territory, whose citizens, including soldiers in forts, numbered just 4,762.
Over the years, Ypsilanti grew and flourished. The early development of the community was influenced and enhanced by the presence of the river and its abundant water power. As the
years progressed, the river industries of the mid to late 19th century yielded to manufacturing, and mills gave way to auto related commerce which became a major economic force in the community.
In 1941, Ford Motor Company built a plant in Willow Run. That plant was quickly converted to wartime production when the U.S. entered World War II. The famous B-24 bombers rolled off the Willow Run assembly line one every 55 minutes.
The rich array of historic architecture was approved as a Historic District and, with growing pride, Ypsilanti works to protect and enjoy its heritage. The historical walking tour takes you on a journey to the past.
Detroit
Here are some basic facts about metro Detroit.
Area
The Detroit region consists of 10 counties: Genesee, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne. The city of Detroit is in Wayne County.
Land Area 6,657 square miles
Municipalities More than 275 cities, villages and townships.
Retail sales: (2007 est. in thousands): $83,271,199
Income: (Detroit MSA) Per Capita (2007 est.): $31,323 Household income (2007 est.):$81,833 Disposable Income (2007 est., in thousands): $140,488,853
Construction: Residential (valuation in thousands, 2006): $1,933,056 Non-residential (sq. ft., 2006): 25,741,156 Median Household Value: $179,915
People
2007 Population (Est.) Detroit region: 5,507,161
2007 Households (Est.) Detroit region: 2,077,980
Top 5 Fastest Growing Communities:
Community
County
Population April 2000
Population July 2007
Percent Change
New Haven
Macomb
3,071
5,406
76.0
New Baltimore
Macomb
7,405
11,919
61.0
Saline Twp.
Washtenaw
1,302
2,043
56.9
Dexter
Washtenaw
2,338
3,575
52.9
Macomb Twp.
Macomb
50,478
74,741
8.1
Taxes
Income: Flat rate of 4.35% Seven regional Detroit municipalities have a local income tax.
Property: Real estate is assessed at 50% of market value. Millage rates range from $14.25 to $73.19 per $1,000 valuation depending on the municipality.
Sales: Sales tax is 6.0%.
Business: Michigan adopted a new and improved business tax called the Michigan Business Tax (MBT). To calculate your companies business tax visit www.michigan.gov/mbt
.
Business
Top Ten Largest Employers in the Detroit Region .
Ford Motor Co.
General Motors
University of Michigan
Chrysler LLC
Detroit Public Schools
U.S. Postal Service
U.S. Government
Henry Ford Health Services
St. John Health System
City of Detroit
Fortune 500 Companies
Company
Rank
General Motors
4
Ford Motor Company
7
GMAC
78
Delphi Automotive
92
Lear Corporation
157
TRW Automotive Holdings
174
Pulte Homes
282
Masco
223
Visteon
234
DTE Energy
273
ArvinMeritor
301
CMS Energy
366
Federal-Mogul
355
Autoliv
363
Kelly Services
428
Borg-Warner
451
Technology
The Detroit region is a hotbed for technology companies. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation ranked Michigan 19th in the 2007 State New Economy Index: Benchmarking Economic Transportation in the States report. This report measures 26 categories, ranging from IT professionals to venture capital and measures the global, entrepreneurial and knowledged-based economy of each state.
Additionally, in the first round of the $2 billion 21st Century Jobs Fund, 61 life science, alternative energy, homeland security and advanced manufacturing companies will share more than $100 million for new development and scientific advancements.
More than 287,000 people work in advanced manufacturing for more than 3,000 Michigan companies.
There are more than 100 companies in the Detroit region involved in development of alternative energy technology.
Michigans life sciences industry has seen the fastest growth in the nation. There are now a total of 542 companies employing nearly 32,000 with $4.8 billion in sales.
Transportation
Interstates
I-75 runs north from Florida to Michigans Upper Peninsula.
I-94 runs west from Port Huron, through Detroit, to Montana.
I-96 runs northwest from downtown Detroit to Grand Rapids and Muskegon.
Willow Run Airport
(Ypsilanti) Reliever airport for Detroit Metro Airport. The third largest cargo airport in the country
Port of Detroit
Two full-service terminals, a liquid-bulk terminal and a bulk facility and a single-dock facility which can handle up to 10 ocean-going vessels at a time.
The People Mover
is a 2.9-mile elevated system serving downtown Detroit. The system travels in a continuous loop around the downtown area, with 13 stops.
Quality of Life
Cost of Living
Third Qurater 2008 Detroit 100.9, Atlanta 97.5, Boston 132.3, Chicago 115.3, Cleveland 97.7, Philadelphia 125.8, New York 224.2
Education
150 K-12 school districts 10 universities 13 colleges 18 community college campuses
The region is home to numerous vocational training providers. These providers are training professionals in a wide variety of culinary skills and technology.
In 2005 Regional Detroit Colleges and Universities granted nearly 49,000 degrees.
Health Care
64 hospitals with over 11,000 physicians working in 80 specialty and subspecialty areas.
Seven regional Detroit hospitals earned top honors of Best Hospital in 2007 by U.S. News and World Report.
Arts & Culture
30 arts museums including the Detroit Institute of Arts
, the fifth-largest fine arts museum in the United States and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the largest of its kind in the country.
Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn
, is a massive indoor-outdoor complex that includes an IMAX theatre. The village and museum cover 12 acres, include nearly 100 historic buildings and house an incomparable collection of American artifacts and memorabilia.
18 professional, 21 community and 8 student/university live theaters including the beautifully restored Fox Theatre in Detroit.
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra
, under musical directorion of Leonard Slatkin, easily ranks within the top bracket of Americas best symphonies.
The Detroit region is home to three casinos. Two of the three recently celebrated grand openings of their permanent casinos and hotels. The MGM Grand
recently opened an new facility while the MotorCity
casino expanded.
Recreation
Sports
Michigan ranks second for the number of registered boaters. In Michigan, you are never more than six miles from a lake or stream.
Michigan's more than 850 golf courses has earned it the title of "America's Summer Golf Capital." Michigan has more courses than any other state. In the Detroit Region, there are 228 public and 73 private golf courses and 36 driving ranges.
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