Detroit

Detroit is a major port on the Detroit River, one of the four major straits that connect the Great Lakes system to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The metropolitan area, known as Metro Detroit, is home to 4.3 million people, making it the second-largest in the Midwest after the Chicago metropolitan area. The city's name comes from the word 'détroit' meaning "strait" as the city was situated on a narrow passage of water. In 1701, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and Alphonse de Tonty founded Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, the future city of Detroit. Detroit is best known as the center of the U.S. automobile industry, and the "Big Three" auto manufacturers General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis North America (Chrysler) are all headquartered in Metro Detroit. As of 2007, the Detroit metropolitan area is the number one exporting region among 310 defined metropolitan areas in the United States. Detroit and its neighboring Canadian city Windsor are connected through a highway tunnel, railway tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge, which is second-busiest international crossing in North America, after San DiegoTijuana. Both cities will soon be connected by a new bridge currently under construction, which will provide a complete freeway-to-freeway link. The new bridge is expected to be open by 2024. In 2013, Detroit became the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy, which it successfully exited in December 2014, when the city government regained control of the finances.

Toponymy

Detroit is the primary city name, but also Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pt Pk are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is City of Detroit. Detroit is named after the Detroit River, connecting Lake Huron with Lake Erie. The city's name comes from the French word 'détroit' meaning "strait" as the city was situated on a narrow passage of water linking two lakes. The river was known as le détroit du Lac Érié," among the French, which meant "the strait of Lake Erie". The city is located in the province of Michigan, which is part of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is the largest city in the state, with a population of more than 1.5 million. It was founded in 1836 and is home to the Detroit Institute of Arts, a museum of art and culture, and the Detroit Museum of Nature and Science, which was established in 1851. The Detroit River runs through the city and was once known as the 'Detroit strait' or 'Detroit-Erie strait', meaning "the Detroit strait" or 'the Detroit-Erié strait'. It was also known as 'Le Detroit' or "Le Detroit" in French, meaning "The Detroit River" or "TheDetroit Strait" by the French. The name 'Detroit' is now used to refer to the city as a whole, rather than just the river that runs through it. It also means "Detroit" in English, and "Detroit River" in German, which means 'Detroit's River' and 'Detroit River' in both languages. The word 'Détroit" means'strait' in French.

History

The city was named by French colonists, referring to the Detroit River (French: le détroit du lac Érié, meaning the strait of Lake Erie), linking Lake Huron and Lake Erie. It was the third-largest city in what was known as the Province of Quebec since the British takeover of French colonies following their victory in the Seven Years' War. The region's economy was based on the lucrative fur trade, in which numerous Native American people had important roles as trappers and traders. Descendants of the earliest French and French-Canadian settlers formed a cohesive community, who gradually were superseded as the dominant population after more Anglo-American settlers arrived in the early 19th century with American westward migration. Today the flag of Detroit reflects its French colonial heritage. The Great Fire of 1805 destroyed most of Detroit, which had primarily buildings made of wood, chimneys and wooden homes. The city is located in the Upper Great Lakes region of the U.S. and was once the largest city in the state of Michigan, with a population of 2,144. It is located on the banks of the Detroit and St. Clair rivers, which were once part of the Upper and Lower Great Lakes watersheds. Detroit was the site of the Battle of Detroit (1763), which was fought between British and French troops in the North American front of the French and Indian War (175463-175463) The city's name was shortened to Detroit in 1760 and shortened its name to Detroit.

Geography

Detroit is the principal city in Metro Detroit and Southeast Michigan. It is situated in the Midwestern United States and the Great Lakes region. The highest elevation in the city is directly north of Gorham Playground on the northwest side approximately three blocks south of 8 Mile Road, at a height of 675 to 680 feet. Belle Isle Park is a 982-acre (1.534 sq mi; 397 ha) island park in the Detroit River, between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. Detroit is the only major city along the CanadaU.S. border in which one travels south in order to cross into Canada. The city and close-in suburbs are part of USDA Hardiness zone 6b, while the more distant northern and western suburbs generally are included in zone 6a. Detroit has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfa) which is influenced by the Great lakes like other places in the state. The warm season ranges from May to September, with temperatures exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) on days 12 to 16. The cold season runs from January to September. The temperature extremes range from 105 °C (41 °F) in July to 73 °C on August 1, 2006. A decade or two may pass between the most recent occurrences of five or two or two readings between 100 °C and 100 °F on July 24, 1934. The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is theonly international wildlife preserve in North America, and is uniquely located in a major metropolitan area.

Demographics

In the 2020 United States Census, the city had 639,111 residents, ranking it the 27th most populous city in the United States. The city has had the most dramatic decline in the population of the past 70 years (down 1,210,457) and the second-largest percentage decline (down 65.4%). The population collapse has resulted in large numbers of abandoned homes and commercial buildings, and areas of the city hit hard by urban decay. In the 2018 American Community Survey, median household income in the city was $31,283, compared with the median for Michigan of $56,697. The median income for a family was $36,842, well below the state median of $72,036. Of every three Detroit residents, one lives in poverty.Oakland County once rated in Metro Detroit amongst the wealthiest counties in the US, is no longer shown in the top 25 listing of wealthiest counties per household. But internal county statistical methods on per capita income for counties with more than one million residents are still within the top 12, slipping from the fourth-most affluent county in 2004 to 11th in 2009. In 2010, the mean income of Detroit is below the overall U.S. average by several thousand dollars. The population density was 5,144.3 people per square mile (1,895/km²). There were 349,170 housing units at an average density of 2,516.5 units per squaremile (971.6/ km²). Housing density has declined.

Economy

Several major corporations are based in the city, including three Fortune 500 companies. The most heavily represented sectors are manufacturing (particularly automotive), finance, technology, and health care. The city of Detroit and other publicprivate partnerships have attempted to catalyze the region's growth by facilitating the building and historical rehabilitation of residential high-rises in the downtown. Since 2006, $9.9 billion has been invested in downtown and surrounding neighborhoods; $5.5 billion in 2013 and 2014. The number of vacant downtown buildings has dropped from nearly 50 to around 13 on July 25, 2013, Meijer, a midwestern retail chain, opened its first supercenter store in Detroit in the northern portion of the city and it is also the centerpiece of a new $72 million shopping center named Gateway Marketplace. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office opened its Elijah J. McCoy Satellite Office in the Rivertown/Warehouse District as its first location outside Washington, D.C.'s metropolitan area. In April 2014, the United States Department of Labor reported the city's unemployment rate at 14.5%. The city itself has cleared sections of land while retaining a number of historically significant vacant buildings in order to spur redevelopment; even though it has struggled with finances, the city issued bonds in 2008 to provide funding for ongoing work to demolish blighted properties. In the decade prior to 2006, downtown gained more than $15 billion in new investment from private and public sectors. A study in 2007 found out that Downtown's new residents are predominantly young professionals (57% are ages 25 to 34, 45% have bachelor's degrees, and 34% have a master's degree).

Arts and culture

Detroit has a rich musical heritage and has contributed to a number of different genres. The city's theatre venue circuit is the United States' second largest and hosts Broadway performances. Live music has been a prominent feature of Detroit's nightlife since the late 1940s. Berry Gordy, Jr. founded Motown Records, which rose to prominence during the 1960s and early 1970s with acts such as Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, the Jackson 5, Martha and the Vandellas, The Spinners, Gladys Knight & The Marvelettes, The Elgins, The Monitors, The Velvettes, and Marvin Gaye in the house band The Motown Sound. Detroit's proximity to Windsor, Ontario, provides for views and nightlife, along with Ontario's minimum drinking age of 19. A 2011 study by Walk Score recognized Detroit for its above average walkability among large U.S. cities. About two-thirds of suburban residents occasionally dine and attend cultural events or take in professional games in the city of Detroit. In the central portions of Detroit, the population of young professionals, artists, and other transplants is growing and retail is expanding. This dynamic is luring additional new residents, and former residents returning from other cities, to the city's Downtown along with the revitalized Midtown and New Center areas. A desire to be closer to the urban scene has also attracted some young professionals to reside in inner ring suburbs such as Ferndale and Royal Oak.

Sports

Detroit is one of 13 U.S. metropolitan areas that are home to professional teams representing the four major sports in North America. Since 2017, all of these teams play in the city limits of Detroit itself. The city hosted the 2005 MLB All-Star Game, 2006 Super Bowl XL, both the 2006 and 2012 World Series, WrestleMania 23 in 2007, and the NCAA Final Four in April 2009. In 1932, Eddie "The Midnight Express" Tolan from Detroit won the 100- and 200-meter races and two gold medals at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Detroit has made the most bids to host the Summer Olympics without ever being awarded the games, with seven unsuccessful bids for the 1944, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972 summer games. In the years following the mid-1930s, Detroit was referred to as the "City of Champions" after the Tigers, Lions, and Red Wings captured the three major professional sports championships in existence at the time in a seven-month period of time. In college sports, Detroit's central location within the Mid-American Conference has made it a frequent site for the league's championship events. The University of Detroit Mercy has an NCAA Division I program, and Wayne State University has both Division I and II programs. The NCAA football Quick Lane Bowl is held at Ford Field each December. The Detroit Tigers have won four World Series titles (1935, 1945,1968, and 1984). The Detroit Red Wings have won 11 Stanley Cups (the most by an American NHL franchise) The Detroit Lions have won 4 NFL titles (1945, 1953, 1957, 1958, and 1959) and three NBA titles (1989, 1990, 2004).

Government

The government of Detroit is run by a mayor, the nine-member Detroit City Council, the eleven-member Board of Police Commissioners, and a clerk. All of these officers are elected on a nonpartisan ballot, with the exception of four of the police commissioners, who are appointed by the mayor. The city is home to the Thirty-Sixth District Court, as well as the First District of the Michigan Court of Appeals and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Detroit is sometimes referred to as a sanctuary city because it has "anti-profiling ordinances that generally prohibit local police from asking about the immigration status of people who are not suspected of any crime" The city provides law enforcement through the Detroit Police Department and emergency services through theDetroit Fire Department. In March 2013, Governor Rick Snyder declared a financial emergency in the city, stating the city had a $327 million budget deficit and faced more than $14 billion in long-term debt. In 2016, further corruption charges were brought against 12 principals, a former school superintendent and supply vendor for a $12 million kickback scheme. Detroit's protracted decline has resulted in severe urban decay, with thousands of empty buildings around the city. Some parts of Detroit are so sparsely populated the city has difficulty providing municipal services. Roughly half of the owners of Detroit's 305,000 properties failed to pay their 2011 tax bills, resulting in about $246 million in taxes and fees going uncollected, nearly half of which was due to Detroit.

Education

Detroit is home to several institutions of higher learning including Wayne State University, a national research university with medical and law schools in the Midtown area. The University of Detroit Mercy offers more than a hundred academic degrees and programs of study including business, dentistry, law, engineering, architecture, nursing and allied health professions. Sacred Heart Major Seminary offers a variety of academic programs for both clerical and lay students. Other institutions in the city include the College for Creative Studies and Wayne County Community College. Marygrove College was a Catholic institution formerly based in Detroit before it closed in 2019. As of 2016 there were 30,000 excess openings in Detroit traditional public and charter schools, bearing in mind the number of K-12-aged children in the City. Detroit public schools students scored lowest on tests of all major cities in the United States in 2015. Nearly half of Detroit's adults are functionally illiterate. Detroit is served by various private schools, as well as parochial Catholic schools operated by the Roman Archdiocese of Detroit. There are four Catholic grade schools and three Catholic City of the City of Detroit high schools. Detroit has about 66,000 public school students (201112), the Detroit Public Schools district is the largest school district in Michigan. There is a concentration of senior high schools and charter school in the Downtown Detroit area, which had wealthier residents and more gentrification relative to other parts of Detroit: Downtown, northwest Detroit, and northeast Detroit have 1,894, 3,742, and 6,018 students of high school age each, respectively.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan = 25.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 36. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Detroit = 3.3 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 639,111 individuals with a median age of 34.2 age the population dropped by -4.02% in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 4,606.84 residents per square mile of area (1,778.71/km²). There are average 2.81 people per household in the 317,108 households with an average household income of $31,486 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 27.00% of the available work force and has dropped -8.05% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by -3.10%. The number of physicians in Detroit per 100,000 population = 173.5.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Detroit = 29.7 inches and the annual snowfall = 32.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 126. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 183. 83 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 19.5 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 50, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan which are owned by the occupant = 45.36%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 59 years with median home cost = $65,440 and home appreciation of -8.80%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $15.50 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,667 per student. There are 22.6 students for each teacher in the school, 1384 students for each Librarian and 424 students for each Counselor. 5.14% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 6.97% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 4.33% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).