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Metro Detroit

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The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in southeastern Michigan, centered on the city of Detroit. As the home of the "Big Three" American automakers (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler), it is the world's traditional automotive center and a key pillar of the U.S. economy.

The United States Office of Management and Budget defines the Detroit–Warren–Livonia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as the six counties of Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 4,441,551. The Census Bureau's 2006 estimate placed the population at 4,468,966 million, which ranks it as the tenth-largest MSA. The MSA covers an area of 3,913 square miles (10,134.6 km²).

The nine-county area designated by the United States Census Bureau as the Detroit–Ann Arbor–Flint Combined Statistical Area (CSA) includes the metropolitan areas of Flint, Ann Arbor, Monroe, and the Detroit-Warren-Livonia MSA. It had a population of 5,357,538 as of the 2000 census. The Census Bureau's 2006 estimate placed the population at 5,410,014. This CSA covers 5,814 square miles (15,058.1 km²) in area.

If the adjacent city of Windsor, Ontario and its suburbs are counted, the area would have a population of about 5.9 million (see: Windsor-Detroit).

Also, if the nearby Toledo Metropolitan Area and its commuters are taken into account, the region constitutes a much larger population center than reported by its designated Combined Statistical Area (CSA). An estimated 46 million people live within a 300 mile (480 km) radius of the city of Detroit.

The counties of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb form the core of the Detroit area. They are sometimes informally referred to as the tri-county area. Lenawee County was removed from Detroit's CSA in 2000.

Economy

The region's nine county area with its population of 5.4 million has a workforce of nearly 2.8 million with about 240,000 businesses. Metro Detroit has made Michigan's economy a leader in information technology, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing; Michigan ranks fourth nationally in high tech employment with 568,000 high tech workers, including 70,000 in the automotive industry. Michigan typically ranks second or third in overall Research & Development (R&D) expenditures in the United States. Metro Detroit is an important source of engineering job opportunities. The domestic auto industry accounts, directly and indirectly, for one of ten jobs in the United States.

Metro Detroit shared in the economic difficulties brought on by the severe stock market decline following the September 11, 2001 attacks which had caused a pension and benefit fund crisis for American companies including General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler. The American auto companies are proving to be more resilient than other affected industries as each implements its respective turnaround plan. Although retiree health care costs remain a significant issue, General Motors' investment strategy has generated a $17.1 billion pension fund surplus, an increase of $9.6 billion in 2006, moving the company closer to achieving its turnaround plans.

Metro Detroit serves as the headquarters for the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, known as TACOM, with Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) is one of America's largest and most recently modernized facilities, with six major runways, Boeing 747 maintenance facilities, and an attached Westin Hotel and Conference Center.

]] Detroit's major port status and extensive toll-free expressway system make it an ideal location as a global business center. A 2004 Border Transportation Partnership study showed that 150,000 jobs in the Detroit-Windsor region and $13 billion in annual production depend on Detroit's international border crossing. A source of top talent, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is one of the world's leading research institutions and Wayne State University in Detroit has the largest single-campus medical school in the United States.

In 2004, led by Metro Detroit, Michigan ranked second nationally in new corporate facilities and expansions. From 1997 to 2004, Michigan was the only state to top the 10,000 mark for the number of major new developments. Metro Detroit is a leading corporate location with major office complexes such as the Renaissance Center, the Southfield Town Center, and Cadillac Place with the Fisher Building in the historic New Center area. Both BorgWarner and TRW Automotive Holdings chose Metro Detroit for their new headquarters. Quicken Loans, National City Bank, Ernst & Young, GMAC, Visteon, and OnStar are sources of growth. Compuware, IBM, Google, and Covansys are examples information technology and software companies with a headquarters or major presence in Metro Detroit. Electronic Data Systems (EDS) makes Metro Detroit its regional headquarters, and one of its largest global employment locations. The area is home to Rofin-Sinar Technologies, a leading maker of lasers. The metropolitan Detroit area has one of the nation's largest office markets with 147,082,003 square feet. Virtually every major U.S company and many from around the globe have a presence in Metro Detroit. DaimlerChrysler's largest corporate facility is its U.S. headquarters and technology center in the Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills. Downtown Detroit reported $1.3 billion in restorations and new developments for 2006.

Tourism

Tourism is an important component of the region's economy. About 15.5 million people visit metro Detroit annually, spending about $4.5 billion. The area has some of the nation's finest hotels, casinos, performance centers, stadiums, convention centers, theaters, museums, libraries, schools, parks, beaches, and infrastructure to support economic growth. Detroit is the largest city or metro area to offer casino resorts (MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino, Greektown Casino, and nearby Casino Windsor). Metro Detroit is a leading tourist destination easily accommodating super sized crowds to events such as the North American International Auto Show, the Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival, Tastefest, and Super Bowl XL. The Detroit International Riverfront links the Renaissance Center a series of venues, parks, restaurants, and hotels. In 2006, the Motown Winter Blast drew a cold weather crowd of 1.2 million people to Campus Martius Park area downtown. Detroit's metroparks include fresh water beaches such as Metropolitan Beach, Kensington Beach, and Stony Creek Beach. Metro Detroit offers canoeing through the Huron-Clinton Metroparks as well as downhill and cross-county skiing at Alpine Valley Ski Resort, Mt. Brighton, Mt Holly, and Pine Knob Ski Resort. The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international wildlife preserve in North America, uniquely located in the heart of a major metropolitan area. The Refuge includes islands, coastal wetlands, marshes, shoals, and waterfront lands along 48 miles of the Detroit River and Western Lake Erie shoreline.There is a small waterpark in nearby Southgate MI called Splash Park.

For a nearby vacation, Metro Detroit residents will visit Michigan's Thumb, and towns such as Port Huron, Lexington, Caseville, and Port Austin. Some may even travel to Northern Michigan for summer and winter activities.

Metro Detroit contains a number of shopping malls, including the upscale Somerset Collection in Troy and the Great Lakes Crossing outlet mall in Auburn Hills, both major draws for tourists.

The region's leading attraction is The Henry Ford, located in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, which is America's largest indoor-outdoor museum complex. The recent renovation of the Renaissance Center, a state of the art cruise ship dock, new stadiums, and a new RiverWalk have spurred economic development. Nearby Windsor has a 19 year old drinking age with a myriad of entertainment to complement Detroit's Greektown district. Tourism planners have yet to tap the potential economic impact of the estimated 46 million people that live within a 300 mile (480 km) radius of Detroit.

Sports

Professional sports has a major fan following in Metro Detroit. The area is home to many sports teams, including six professional teams in four major sports. The area's several universities field teams in a variety of sports. Michigan Stadium, home of the Michigan Wolverines, is the largest American football stadium in the world. Metro Detroit hosts many annual sporting events including auto and hydroplane racing. The area has hosted many major sporting events, including the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl XVI, Super Bowl XL, the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and the first two games of the 2006 World Series.

Club Sport League Venue Location
Detroit Lions Football NFL (National Football Conference) Ford Field Detroit
Detroit Red Wings Ice Hockey NHL (Western Conference) Joe Louis Arena Detroit
Detroit Pistons Basketball NBA (Eastern Conference) Palace of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills
Detroit Tigers Baseball MLB (American League) Comerica Park Detroit
Detroit Shock Basketball WNBA Palace of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills
Oakland University Golden Grizzlies various NCAA (The Summit League) various Rochester
University of Detroit Mercy Titans various

 NCAA (Horizon League) various, including Calihan Hall Detroit
University of Michigan Wolverines various NCAA (Big Ten Conference, Central Collegiate Hockey Association) various, including Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor
Wayne State University Warriors various

 NCAA (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, College Hockey America) various Detroit
various Auto racing NASCAR, IRL, ARCA Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn
Detroit APBA Gold Cup Hydroplane racing APBA Detroit River Detroit
Detroit Ignition Indoor soccer Major Indoor Soccer League Compuware Arena Plymouth Township
Plymouth Whalers Hockey Ontario Hockey League Compuware Arena Plymouth Township

Demographics

The first Europeans to colonize the Detroit area were French, and their legacy can be observed today in the names of many area cities (ex. Detroit, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Ile) and streets (ex. Gratiot, Beaubien, St. Antoine, Cadieux). Later, there was an influx of persons of British and German descent, followed later by Polish, Irish, Italian, Greek,Jewish, and Belgian immigrants who made their way to the city during the early 20th century and during World War II. There was also a large migration into the city of African-Americans from the rural South following World War I. As in most large cities, there were distinct neighborhoods and even cities (Hamtramck was predominantly Polish, for example) dominated by the various ethnic groups.

Today, the Detroit suburbs in Oakland County, Macomb County, and northeastern and northwestern Wayne County are predominantly white. Oakland County is among the most affluent counties in the United States. In Wayne County, the city of Dearborn has a large concentration of Arab Americans, mainly Lebanese. Recently, the area has witnessed some growth in Asian American and Hispanic populations. The southwest side of the city contains a large Chicano community, while significant populations of Chinese, Indian, Korean, Cambodian, Iranian, and Filipino ancestry are found in suburban communities in Oakland, Washtenaw, and western Wayne Counties.

Of the African-Americans who live in the area, about 70% live within the Detroit city limits. Other communities with large black populations include Inkster, Highland Park, Ecorse, River Rouge, Southfield, Pontiac and Oak Park. The Michigan Chronicle, the state's largest black-owned newspaper, is based in Detroit. The Michigan Citizen is another paper which targets African American readers.

Counties

Principal cities

Central City

Suburbs With Population Over 100,000

Suburbs With Population 50,000-100,000

Outlying Focus Cities

These cities are a part of Metro Detroit's wider nine county combined statistical area (CSA) and within its commuting and commercial radius, but have traditionally had an independent identity separate from that of Metro Detroit.

Area codes

Metro Detroit is served by eight telephone area codes (nine if Windsor is included). The 313 area code, which used to encompass all of Southeast Michigan, has been narrowed to the city of Detroit and a few close suburbs. 313 has assumed special status as many teenage and young adult Detroiters say that they are from "The 3-1-3" to assert that they are "truly" from Detroit, but this is not common among those who are older than typical rap fans.

  • The 248 area code along with the newer 947 area code overlay mostly serve Oakland County.

  • Macomb County is largely served by 586.

  • Genesee, St. Clair, and Lapeer counties, as well as eastern Livingston County are covered by 810.

  • Washtenaw, Monroe, and western Wayne are in the 734 area.

Transportation

Major airports

Major highways

The Metro Detroit area is criss-crossed by several major interstate highways and freeways.

  • I-75 (Chrysler and Fisher Freeways) is the region's main north-south route, serving Flint, Pontiac, Troy, and Detroit, before continuing south (as the Fisher Freeway) to serve many of the communities along the shore of Lake Erie.
  • I-94 (Ford Freeway) runs east-west through Detroit and serves Ann Arbor to the west (where it continues to Chicago) and Port Huron to the northeast. The stretch of the current I-94 freeway from Ypsilanti to Detroit was one of the first American limited-access freeways. Henry Ford built it to link his factories at Willow Run and Dearborn during World War II. It was called the Willow Run Expressway.
  • I-96 runs northwest-southeast through Livingston County and (as the Jeffries Freeway) has its eastern terminus in downtown Detroit.
  • I-275 runs north-south from I-75 in the south to the junction of I-96 and I-696 in the north, providing a bypass through the western suburbs of Detroit.
  • I-696 (Walter Reuther Freeway) runs east-west from the junction of I-96 and I-275, providing a route through the northern suburbs of Detroit. Taken together, I-275 and I-696 form a semi-circle around Detroit.
  • I-375 is a short spur route in downtown Detroit, an extension of the Chrysler Freeway.
  • I-475 runs north-south through downtown Flint for several miles before rejoining I-75.
  • I-69, although a north-south route for most of its length, runs east-west across St. Clair, Lapeer, and Genesee counties, serving Flint, Lapeer, and Port Huron.
  • M-10 (The John C. Lodge Freeway) runs largely parallel to I-75 from Southfield to downtown, and connects with I-75 via Jefferson Avenue.
  • M-14 runs east-west from I-275 in Livonia to Ann Arbor.
  • M-39 (The Southfield Freeway) runs north-south from Southfield to Allen Park via I-94. North of 10 Mile, the freeway ends and continues as Southfield Road into Birmingham.
  • M-53 (Christopher Columbus Freeway from Sterling Heights to Washington), more commonly known as the Van Dyke Expressway or Van Dyke Freeway. Continues as Van Dyke Road or Van Dyke Avenue north to Port Austin and south through Warren to Gratiot Avenue in Detroit.
  • M-59 (Veterans Memorial Freeway from Utica to Pontiac), continues east as Hall Road to Clinton Township and west as various surface roads to I-96 near Howell

  • M-8 (Davison Freeway), the first modern limited-access urban freeway in America, opened in 1942.

Traditionally, Detroiters referred to their freeways by name rather than route number. Today, the Davison, Lodge, and Southfield Freeways are almost always referred to by name rather than route number. True Detroiters precede each freeway name with the word 'the' as in The Lodge, The Southfield, and The Davison. This was also once true for the Chrysler, Fisher, and Ford Freeways (and to a lesser extent the Jeffries and Reuther Freeways) before the Department of Transportation mandated deemphasization of the use of proper names on guide signs for Interstates. Other freeways are referred to only by number (I-275, M-59, I-69 and I-475); their names, if any, were never in common everyday usage.

Other major roads

  • 8 Mile Road, known by many due to the film 8 Mile, forms the dividing line between Detroit on the south and the suburbs of Macomb and Oakland counties on the north. It is also known as Baseline Road outside of Detroit, because it coincides with the baseline used in surveying Michigan; that baseline is also the boundary for a number of Michigan counties as well as the boundary for Illinois and Wisconsin. Designated as M-102 for much of its length in Wayne County.
  • Gratiot Avenue (M-3) is a major road that runs from Port Huron to downtown Detroit.
  • Jefferson Avenue is a scenic highway that runs parallel to the shore of the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair. It is also the principal thoroughfare for the Grosse Pointes, where it is called Lake Shore Drive. Another important dividing line between Detroit and the city of Grosse Pointe Park is Alter Road, where portions of some intersecting streets have been reconfigured or walled-off in order to thwart vehicular and pedestrian movement from Detroit into Grosse Pointe Park.
  • Michigan Avenue/US 12 runs from downtown Detroit through the western suburbs toward Ypsilanti, passes south of Ann Arbor, and eventually reaches Chicago, Illinois.
  • Woodward Avenue (M-1) is considered the Detroit area's main thoroughfare. It is the dividing line between the East Side and the West Side. Woodward stretches from downtown Pontiac to the Detroit River near Hart Plaza. In Downtown Detroit, the Fox Theatre and Detroit Institute of Arts are located on Woodward as well as the Detroit Zoo just outside of the city. The Woodward Dream Cruise, a classic car cruise from Pontiac to Ferndale is held in August and is the largest single day classic car cruise in America.
  • Telegraph Road (US 24) is a major north-south road extending from Toledo, Ohio through Monroe, Wayne, and Oakland Counties to Pontiac. It has gained notoriety in a song (Telegraph Road) by the group Dire Straits.
  • Dixie Highway or (Dix-Toledo) is one of America's historic highways. Its eastern division extended from Miami, FL to Sault Ste. Marie, MI. The remnants of this highway exist northbound and southbound through the Detroit metropolitan area.
  • Fort Street (M-85) is the only Michigan highway in Downriver.It extends from Flat Rock to Detroit.
  • Grand River Avenue connects the suburbs of Brighton, Novi, and Farmington to downtown Detroit.

It is one of the 5 roads planned by Judge August Woodward to radiate out from Detroit and connect the city to other parts of the state.

Mile roads

Surface street navigation in Metro Detroit is commonly anchored by "mile roads," major east-west surface streets that are spaced at one-mile intervals and increment as one travels north and away from the city center. Mile roads sometimes have two names, the numeric name (ex. 15 Mile Road) used in Macomb County and a local name (ex. Maple Road) used in Oakland County mostly.

Education

Notable High Schools

Notes and references

See also

External links



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Last updated on Tuesday March 11, 2008 at 16:04:42 PDT (GMT -0700)
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