ZIP Code 49696

Traverse City is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The city hosts the National Cherry Festival, attracting approximately 500,000 visitors annually. The area is also known for its viticulture industry, and is one of the centers of wine production in the Midwest. The Traverse City area was known to Natives as Kitchiwikwedongsing, which was often shortened to Wequetong, meaning "at the head of the bay", in reference toGrand Traverse Bay. The bay earned its name from 18th-century French voyageurs who made la grande traverse, or "the long crossing", across the mouth of bay, from present-day Norwood to Northport. In 1847, Captain Horace Boardman of Naperville, Illinois, purchased the land at the. mouth of the Boardman River (then known as the Ottawa River) and built a dwelling and sawmill near the mouth. The first permanent settlement in 1839 was called "Grand. Traverse", and is today known as Old Mission. In 1890, Traverse. City was incorporated as a village, and began the commercial growth of the area. In 2010, the area was the largest producer of tart cherries in the United States in 2010. It has also been noted as one of Michigan's top LGBT-friendly locations. The town is known for being a year-round tourism hotspot, winning multiple awards and awards.

History

The Traverse City area is home to the Ojibwe, Ottawa, and Potawatomi people. They lived through the European colonization and the establishment of the Northwest Territory. The area was known to Natives as Kitchiwikwedongsing, which was often shortened to Wequetong, meaning "at the head of the bay", in reference to Grand Traverse Bay. Over time, European settlers killed the Natives, and their settlements were slowly abandoned. The first Cherry Festival was held in 1925. The city was incorporated as a city in 1895. It was first called "Blessing of the Blossing of Blossoms" during World War II, and has been carried on ever since. It is now known as the "Traverse City Cherry Festival" and is held in the spring during the blooming season to attract people during the blossoming season. The town is located on the Old Mission Peninsula, which is widely known for its cherry trees. It has a population of about 2,000 people, and is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, near the Great Lakes region. The U.S. state of Michigan is about the same size as the state of California. The state's population is about 3,000. The county seat is about 1,500 people, which makes it the largest state in the United States by far. The largest city in the state is Detroit, Michigan, with a population around 1,800. The population of Traverse County is about 2.5 million.

Geography

The city is the main inland port of the Grand Traverse Bay. It is separated from the waters of Lake Michigan by the Leelanau Peninsula. The most prominent of the city's waterways is the Boardman River. The city is laid out in a grid plan, with major streets named after people, trees, and geographical locations. The tallest building is the Park Place Hotel (at 9 stories), although recently, many proposals have been made to build taller buildings. The Boardman's 287-square-mile (740 km²) watershed contributes one-third of the water volume to the bay. More than 36 miles (58 km) of its 179 miles (288 km) is designated as a Blue Ribbon trout fishery. The City has one superfund site, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. At this location, toxic runoff from the Coast Guard Air Station contaminated the groundwater along Avenue E. The Avenue E Groundwater Contamination Site is located on the north bank of the River West River, which runs through the city. The River West building, which was canceled in 2017, was the tallest building in the city, at 9 stories, and was located in the heart of the City's central business district. A notable example is Clinch Park, a public park, beach, and splash pad. This park can be very congested during the summer months and especially during the National Cherry Festival. It has many beaches and public parks, a notable example of which is the Clinch Beach Park.

Climate

Traverse City's record high temperature is 105 °F (41 °C), recorded in 1936. The city has a warm-summer continental climate. Lake-effect snowfall constitutes a large percentage of the total annual snow accumulation, which averages around 80 inches (203 cm). Periods of snowfall typically last from November to April, although light snow as late as May or as early as late September sometimes occur. The area's diverse coastal weather patterns occasionally consist of sudden and/or large amounts of precipitation during the seasonally active periods. It generally experiences warm, mild summers and severe winters. It is located near the 45th parallel, which has a strong moderating effect on the city. It has a hot-summers continental climate (Dfa) as well as a warm summer climate (Köppen Dfb) As a result of its location, the city has warm summers and mild winters. Its record low temperature is 33 °F (36 °C) recorded on February 17, 1979. It also has a high temperature of 105 °F  recorded in 1936, and a low temperature of 33 °C recorded on February 17, 1979, both of which were recorded in the city's downtown area. It experiences a warm winter climate (Cfa) with heavy snowfall, which can last as long as two months. In the summer, it experiences warm summers, with temperatures as high as 80 degrees F (32 degrees C) and a dry summer.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 14,674 people, 6,675 households, and 3,369 families residing in the city. There were 7,358 housing units at an average density of 883.3 per square mile (341.0/km²) The racial makeup of the city was 94.4% White, 0.7% African American, 1.8% Native American, 0.,7% Asian, 0,5% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.67% of the population. The city is served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord. It is part of the Western Diocese, which serves Western Michigan and Northern New Hampshire. The population of Michigan City was 14,532 at the 2000 census, with 6,842 people at the 2010 census. The average household size was 2.08, with the average family size of 2.77. The median income for a household in theCity was $37,330, and the median income. for a family was $46,912. The per capita income for the city is $22,247. About 7.4%. of the residents were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 7.9%. of those age 65 or over. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the city has a population of 14,000.

Government

Traverse City is a home rule, charter city under the Home Rule Cities Act, incorporated on May 18, 1895. The city is governed by six commissioners and a mayor, elected at-large. Together they compose a seven-member legislative body. The commission appoints a city manager who serves as chief executive for city operations. Traverse City proper has generally supported the Democratic Party, despite Grand Traverse County favoring the Republican Party. The current mayor, Richard Lewis, was elected to office in 2021, running unopposed. Lewis identifies as a moderate Democrat.Traverse city is located within Michigan's 1st congressional district, represented by Jack Bergman (RWatersmeet). As with the rest of Michigan, it is served by senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters (both Democratic) in the United States Senate. The U.S. House of Representatives is also located in the city, and is represented by John Conyers (D-Michigan) The city's mayor is expected to run for re-election in 2020, but has not yet announced his candidacy. The mayor's office is located in a building that was once the home of the city manager of Evart, Michigan. It is located near the intersection of I-94 and I-75. The Traverse River flows through the city and into the Michigan Turnpike, which runs into the city's downtown area. It was once known as the "Traverse River" and is now known as "The Traverse Waterway".

Education

Traverse City is home to Northwestern Michigan College, a two-year community college. The Traverse City Area Public Schools district includes 10 elementary schools serving grades Pre-K through 5. The district also includes an alternative high school and a montessori elementary school. There are also a number of charter schools, including the Woodland School, the Old Mission Peninsula School, and Grand Traverse Academy. Vocational career training is offered to high school students within the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District at the TBAISD Career Tech Center (CTC), located within just outside Traverse. City is served by six branch libraries, including a library at Cherry Capital Airport, which offers aviation and auto service classes. The city is also served by the TraVERSe Bay Area District Library, which has six branch library, which includes a library in the Hagerty Center, which is at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, Great Lakes Culinary Institute, and Great Lakes Water Studies Institute. It is also home to the Children's House, an independent Montessori school, and the Pathfinder School, a small independent school near Greilickville. The Trinity Lutheran School offers a lutheran education to K-8 students in Traverse city. There is also a non-denominational Christian school in the city, and a Mennonite and Adventist school for K-12 students in the area, as well as other smaller religious schools. Traverse County has a large number of private religious schools, such as St. Francis High School.

Culture

Most of Traverse City's economy is based on tourism. The National Cherry Festival, usually in the first week of July, tends to host hundreds of thousands of tourists and locals to the area. In November Beer Week is celebrated, with tours of breweries including samplings of craft brews, dinners and workshops. The sandy soil is conducive to viticulture, and there are over 50 wineries in the Traverse city area. The Traverse Symphony Orchestra (TSO), founded in 1952 by community leader Elnora Milliken as the Northwestern Michigan Symphony Orchestra, has grown from a small group of volunteer musicians to a paid professional orchestra of 60 contracted members. There are eleven recognized Michigan historical markers in theTraverse City area. They are:Bingham District No. 5 SchoolhouseCity Opera HouseCongregation Beth El BayGrand Traverse County Courthouse.Great Lakes Sport Fishery.Park Place Hotel.Perry Hannah House.Traverse city is located at the base of the Old Mission Peninsula wine region. Every October the Black Star Farms host a wine fest along the Black Mission Peninsula, which is known for its rich, ice-rich Riesling grapes. Both the Leelanau Peninsula and the Grand Traverse Bay provide the ideal maritime climate and the rest of the Northern Michigan glacial soil does the rest. The largest variety of cherry produced locally is the Montmorency cherry, or the "pie cherry". Other cherries grown in the region include the Ulster, or sweet cherry, and the Balaton.

Economy

Traverse City is home to a number of local businesses including Hagerty Insurance Agency and Munson Medical Center. In recent years, the city has developed a growing technology industry, with numerous tech start-ups, a startup incubator, podcasts, and breweries. Traverse City and its micropolitan area are known for their small business, which bring in a multitude of people during the summer months. The city's central business district is located along Front Street downtown. Another major shopping district is on US 31 southwest of town, where several big box stores are located, as well as a shopping malls, the Grand Traverse Mall, anchored by Target, JCPenney, Macy's. Two Meijer stores, one Walmart, one Sam's Club, one Costco, one Target, one Menards, and a multitudeof local grocery store chains offer grocery and other options to big-box shopping. Another mall, the Cherryland Center, is located on Garfield Avenue on the south end of town; this mall features Big Lots. There is a significant manufacturing presence in the city, with several companies based in the area, including a large aerospace company and a major manufacturer of aircraft parts and parts for the U.S. Air Force. There are also numerous small businesses, such as a local insurance agency and a medical supply company, that have opened in the last few years. The town has a large number of restaurants and bars, many of which are located on the city's main street, Front Street.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Traverse City, Delta County, Michigan = 83. 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 60. 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 50. 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 Traverse City = 3.2 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 15,678 individuals with a median age of 39.5 age the population grows by 2.18% in Traverse City, Delta County, Michigan population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,894.39 residents per square mile of area (731.43/km²). There are average 2.07 people per household in the 6,686 households with an average household income of $37,845 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is of the available work force and has dropped -3.48% 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 20.94%. The number of physicians in Traverse City per 100,000 population = 420.1.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Traverse City = 30.2 inches and the annual snowfall = 81.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 128. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 163. 81 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 14.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 57, 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 Traverse City, Delta County, Michigan which are owned by the occupant = 53.90%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 51 years with median home cost = $156,720 and home appreciation of -5.95%. 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 $10.63 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 $4,810 per student. There are 19.5 students for each teacher in the school, 2126 students for each Librarian and 770 students for each Counselor. 9.79% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 19.48% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 11.09% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).