Search results
Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River , 66 miles (106 km) northwest of Detroit , it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan .
- 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.
Britannica Quiz
Historical USA
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.”
Exclusive academic rate for students! Save 67% on Britannica Premium.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Located in southeastern Michigan, Detroit is the largest city in the state, the 10th largest city in the United States and the eighth largest metropolitan area. Detroit has had a profound impact on the world – from being the automobile capital of the world to inventing the Motown sound – Detroit has crafted American culture.
- Detroit-style pizza is a rectangular pizza with a thick crust that is crispy and chewy. The pizza is baked in rectangular steel trays, modeled off...
- Detroit is most known for its automotive heritage. Detroit is also referred to as Motown, based on the recording label Motown Records. You can lear...
- The top attractions in Detroit are the Detroit Institute of Arts, Henry Ford Museum, Detroit Zoo, and Belle Isle. Detroit is home to four professio...
- Visit the Belle Isle Island. Situated in the Detroit River, Belle Isle is a relatively small island measuring about 3 miles in length and only a mile wide, there is however plenty to keep visitors to the island entertained.
- See the Detroit Temple. The Detroit Masonic Temple is visually impressive. It is the largest of its kind in the world and is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the United States.
- Be a bookworm in the Detroit Public Library. When the Detroit Public Library first opened its doors in 1865 its collection consisted of 5,000 books, all of which were contained in a room within the old Capital High School building.
- Immerse yourself in the history of Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne can be found in West Jefferson and, dating back to 1840, is rightfully named Historic Fort Wayne.
Visit Detroit is the official visitor site for Metro Detroit, including Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.
Sep 18, 2024 · Ranking of the top 8 things to do in Detroit. Travelers favorites include #1 Detroit Institute of the Arts, #2 Motown Museum and more.
Jan 31, 2022 · And while they are worthy must-sees, there’s so much more to explore when you arrive: cycling routes, time-capsule jazz clubs, Black history sights, brilliant bakeries, and street art galore. Here are 18 top things to do in the Motor City.
