Muskegon, Michigan
City
Muskegon viewed from across Muskegon Lake
Nickname(s):  Port City, Lumber Queen of the World, Skeetown, Midwest Riviera, Lumbertown
Location within Muskegon County and the state of Michigan
Muskegon Show map of Michigan Muskegon Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 43°14′03″N 86°14′54″W / 43.23417°N 86.24833°W / 43.23417; -86.24833
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Muskegon
Government
• Type	Commission-Manager
• Mayor	Ken Johnson[1]
• City Manager	Frank Peterson
Area [2]
• City	18.20 sq mi (47.13 km2)
• Land	14.14 sq mi (36.63 km2)
• Water	4.05 sq mi (10.50 km2)
Elevation	617 ft (191.4 m)
Population  (2020)[4]
• City	38,318
• Density	2,709.33/sq mi (1,046.05/km2)
• Metro	175,824[3]
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	49440-49445
Area code	231
FIPS code	26-56320[5]
GNIS feature ID	1620963[6]
Website	www.muskegon-mi.gov

Muskegon (/məˈskiːɡən/ mə-SKEE-gən) is a city in and the county seat of Muskegon County, Michigan, United States.^[7] Situated around a harbor of Lake Michigan, Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, and boating. It is the most populous city along Lake Michigan's eastern shore. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 38,318.^[4] The city is administratively autonomous from adjacent Muskegon Township.

Muskegon is the center of the Muskegon metropolitan statistical area, which is coextensive with Muskegon County and had a population of 175,824 as of the 2020 census.^[3] It is also part of the larger Grand Rapids-Kentwood-Muskegon-combined statistical area.^[8]

History

The name "Muskegon" is derived from the Ottawa mashkiigong, meaning "marshy river or swamp".^[9][10]

The "Masquigon" River (Muskegon River) was identified on French maps dating from the late 17th century, suggesting French explorers had reached Michigan's western coast by that time. Father Jacques Marquette traveled northward through the area on his fateful trip to St. Ignace in 1675, and a party of French soldiers under La Salle's lieutenant, Henry de Tonty, passed through the area in 1679.^[11]

The county's earliest known Euro-American resident was Edward Fitzgerald, a fur trader and trapper who came to the Muskegon area in 1748 and who died there, reportedly being buried in the vicinity of White Lake. Between 1790 and 1800, a French-Canadian trader named Joseph La Framboise established a fur-trading post at the mouth of Duck Lake. Between 1810 and 1820, several French-Canadian fur traders, including Lamar Andie, Jean Baptiste Recollect, and Pierre Constant, had established fur-trading posts around Muskegon Lake.^[11]

Euro-American settlement of Muskegon began in earnest in 1837, which coincided with the beginning of the exploitation of the area's extensive timber resources. The commencement of the lumber industry in 1837 inaugurated what some regard as the most romantic era in the history of the region. Lumbering in the mid-19th century brought many settlers, particularly from Germany, Ireland, and Canada.^[12]

Some Muskegon neighborhoods began as separate villages. Bluffton was founded as a lumbering village in 1862 in Laketon Township. It had its own post office from 1868 until 1892. Muskegon annexed it in 1889.^[13]

Geography

Muskegon is in western Muskegon County, on the south side of Muskegon Lake, a harbor of Lake Michigan. The city is bordered to the north, across Muskegon Lake, by the city of North Muskegon and Laketon Township. It is bordered to the east by Muskegon Township, to the southeast by Fruitport Township, to the south by the cities of Muskegon Heights, Roosevelt Park, and Norton Shores, and to the west by Lake Michigan. It is 42 miles (68 km) northwest of Grand Rapids, 36 miles (58 km) north of Holland, and 58 miles (93 km) south of Ludington.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has an area of 18.20 square miles (47.14 km²), of which 4.05 square miles (10.49 km²), or 22.3%, are covered by water.^[2] The Muskegon River empties into Muskegon Lake at the city's northeast end.

In May 2022, local environmental groups announced cleanup efforts along Muskegon Lake officially have been completed, leading the Environmental Protection Agency to begin its study to remove Muskegon Lake from the EPA's list of "Areas of Concern", which was expected to be finalized by the end of 2022 and promised additional new economic activity in the downtown and nearby lakefront neighborhoods.^[14]

Climate

Muskegon has a humid continental climate (Dfa) with hot summers and cold winters. Precipitation is consistent year-round. Muskegon receives heavy lake-effect snow from Lake Michigan during winter.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[20] of 2010, 38,401 people, 13,967 households, and 7,895 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,702.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,043.4/km²). The 16,105 housing units had an average density of 1,133.4 per square mile (437.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 57.0% White, 34.5% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.2% of the population.

Of the 13,967 households, 32.5% had children under 18 living with them, 27.9% were married couples living together, 22.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.5% were not families. About 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38. and the average family size was 3.09.

The median age in the city was 34.1 years; the age distribution was 23.3% were under 18; 12.2% from 18 and 24; 28.8% from 25 to 44; 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% were 65 or older. The city's gender makeup was 52.1% male and 47.9% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[5] of 2000,^[21] 40,105 people, 14,569 households, and 8,537 families were residing in the city. The population density was 2,794.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,079.0/km²). The 15,999 housing units had an average density of 1,114.8/sq mi (430.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 57.9% White, 31.7% African American, 2.3% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 2.7% from other races, and 3.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any origins were 6.4% of the population.

Of the 14,569 households, 31.1% had children under 18 living with them, 33.2% were married couples living together, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were not families. About 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42, and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city, the age distribution was 25.8% under 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.6 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 110.3 males.

The city's median income for a household was $27,929, and for a family was $32,640. Males had a median income of $29,114 versus $22,197 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,283. About 16.8% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those 65 or over.

Economy

Downtown Muskegon serves as the hub for much of Muskegon County. Positioned along the southern shoreline of Muskegon Lake, it stretches for nearly two miles. Downtown is home to a number of hotels, a 25,000-square-foot convention center completed in 2021, and the Historic Mercy Health Ice Arena.^[22] The Muskegon Farmer's Market welcomes more than 10,000 visitors every Saturday in the summer, and the boutique incubator shops and chalets on Western Avenue are a popular attraction for residents and tourists looking to support small businesses.^[23]

Arts and culture

The Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts includes two theaters, the main historic Frauenthal house and the smaller Beardsley Theater in the adjoining Hilt Building.^[24] It was refurbished in 1998 and again in 2021, and hosts JAM Theatrical productions, Muskegon Civic Theatre productions, and is home of the West Michigan Symphony Orchestra.^[25][26] The Frauenthal was originally built as the Michigan Theater in 1929.

The Muskegon Museum of Art opened in 1912. Among the highlights of its permanent collection is Tornado Over Kansas, by John Steuart Curry.^[27] Muskegon has a growing collection of publicly owned and displayed art pieces. More than two dozen pieces are on permanent display, predominately in the downtown area.

Lakeshore Museum Center and Hackley & Hume Historic Site, built by Muskegon's lumber barons, are restored and open to the public.^[28] The Hackley & Hume mansions are part of downtown Muskegon's Heritage Village—two blocks from Muskegon Lake, and a National Register Historic District. The mansions are operated with the Lakeshore Museum Center, which details the history of Muskegon County, from the Pottawatomi and Ottawa Native American tribes and lakeside fur traders to the Lumber Queen of the World to today.

Muskegon is also the home of the USS Silversides Submarine Museum^[29] which features USS Silversides, a World War II submarine; USS LST-393, a World War II tank landing ship; and USCGC McLane, a Prohibition-era United States Coast Guard cutter. In addition, Muskegon also berths Milwaukee Clipper, a former passenger ship built in 1904 that traveled the same route as Lake Express does today.

Festivals

Events held in the town include:

• Taste of Muskegon in June
• Parties in the Park, every Friday from June to August at Hackley Park
• The Lakeshore Art Festival in June
• WeDiscover Festival in July, a two-day festival of electronic dance music, import and luxury cars, food, fireworks and family activities.
• Motorcycle rally in July
• Burning Foot Beer Festival held at Pere Marquette Beach
• The Unity Christian Music Festival in August at Heritage Landing
• The Michigan Irish Music Festival in September at Heritage Landing
• The Muskegon Polish Festival on Labor Day weekend.^[30][31]
• The International Buster Keaton Society annual convention in October.^[32]

Sports

Previous sports teams to play in Muskegon have included:

The Seaway Run is run every year in late June. It features a 15k race, 5k race, 5k walk for fun, 15k wheelchair race.

Parks and recreation

Muskegon State Park has a Winter Sports Complex that features ice fishing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, and a luge track. P.J. Hoffmaster State Park has many sand dunes as well as two campgrounds and a public beach.^[33]

Pere Marquette Beach is the largest free public beach on the western shore of Lake Michigan. Windsurfing, kite boarding competitions, and professional volleyball tournaments are held there. Its quartz sand beach is a Clean Beaches Counsel-certified beach. The beach area is popular with cyclists, runners, and hikers, and sand dunes border the beach to the east.

Muskegon Lakeshore Bike Trail allows for biking along the shores of Muskegon Lake to Lake Michigan, with two trails for bike paths, one on the east side of Muskegon and the other along the north side, which northerly connects to other trails, such as the Hart-Montague Bike Trail, making it possible to bike from Muskegon to Hart, Michigan, without ever leaving a bike trail.

Michigan's Adventure, the largest amusement park in the state, is in Muskegon County, a few miles north of the city of Muskegon. Michigan's Adventure features a midway with roller coasters, other rides, amusements, and a full water park.

Muskegon Country Club was founded in 1908 and features a course design by Tom Bendelow and a course redesign by Donald Ross.

Government

The city operates under a Commission-Manager form of local government. The seven-member city commission consists of four commissioners elected via a ward system and two commissioners elected at large. The mayor is also elected at large and serves as chairman of the commission. The city commission hires a city manager to manage the daily operations of the city.^{[citation needed]}

Education

Muskegon Public Schools was founded in 1860 and serves students from preschool through grade 12. Additionally, it runs the Muskegon Training and Education Center. Muskegon is also served by these private K-12 schools: Muskegon Catholic Central, Fruitport Calvary Christian, and Western Michigan Christian.^[34]

Muskegon is also served by Muskegon Community College and Baker College. Western Michigan University, Ferris State University, and Grand Valley State University all operate programs out of the Stevenson Center for Higher Education on the Muskegon Community College campus.

Media

Muskegon's leading newspaper is The Muskegon Chronicle. The Chronicle is a daily newspaper owned by Booth Newspapers. It started publication in 1857.

Muskegon is served by the local television station WMKG-CD. Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Muskegon,_Michigan
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