Detroit
Detroit | ||
---|---|---|
Mayor Mike Duggan (D) | | |
• Clerk | Janice Winfrey | |
• City council | Members
| |
Area EDT) | ||
ZIP Codes | 482XX | |
Mass transit | Detroit Department of Transportation, Detroit People Mover, QLine | |
Website | detroitmi |
Detroit (/dɪˈtrɔɪt/; dih-TROYT, locally also /ˈdiːtrɔɪt/)[7] is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. Detroit had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 census,[8] making it the 29th-most populous city in the United States. The Metro Detroit area, home to 4.3 million people, is the second-largest in the Midwest after the Chicago metropolitan area and the 14th-largest in the United States. A significant cultural center, Detroit is known for its contributions to music, art, architecture and design, in addition to its historical automotive background.[9][10]
In 1701,
Detroit is a port on the Detroit River, one of the four major straits that connect the Great Lakes system to the St. Lawrence Seaway. The city anchors the second-largest regional economy in the Midwest and the 14th-largest in the United States.[13] Detroit is best known as the center of the U.S. automotive industry, and the "Big Three" auto manufacturers—General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis North America (Chrysler)—are all headquartered in Metro Detroit.[14] The Detroit Metropolitan Airport is among the most important hub airports in the United States. Detroit and its neighboring Canadian city Windsor constitute the second-busiest international crossing in North America, after San Diego–Tijuana.[15]
An increasingly popular tourist destination, Detroit receives 16 million visitors per year.[16] In 2015, Detroit was named a "City of Design" by UNESCO, the first U.S. city to receive that designation.[17] Time named Detroit as one of the fifty World's Greatest Places of 2022 to explore.[18]
History
Toponymy
Detroit is named after the Detroit River, connecting Lake Huron with Lake Erie. The name comes from the French word détroit meaning 'strait' as the city was situated on a narrow passage of water linking the two lakes. The river was known as le détroit du Lac Érié in French, which means 'the strait of Lake Erie'.[19][20] In the historical context, the strait included the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River.[21][22]
Early settlement
Kingdom of France 1701–1760
Kingdom of Great Britain 1760–1783
United States 1783-1812
United Kingdom 1812–1813
United States 1813–present
The first Europeans did not penetrate into the region and reach the straits of Detroit until French missionaries and traders worked their way around the Iroquois League, with whom they were at war in the 1630s.[26] The Huron and Neutral people held the north side of Lake Erie until the 1650s, when the Iroquois pushed them and the Erie people away from the lake and its beaver-rich feeder streams in the Beaver Wars of 1649–1655.[26] By the 1670s, the war-weakened Iroquois laid claim to as far south as the Ohio River valley in northern Kentucky as hunting grounds,[26] and had absorbed many other Iroquoian peoples after defeating them in war.[26] For the next hundred years, virtually no British or French action was contemplated without consultation with the Iroquois or consideration of their likely response.[26] When the French and Indian War evicted the Kingdom of France from Canada, it removed one barrier to American colonists migrating west.[27]
British negotiations with the Iroquois would both prove critical and lead to a Crown policy limiting settlements below the Great Lakes and west of the
French settlement
On July 24, 1701, the French explorer
By 1773, after the addition of
The region's economy was based on the lucrative
During the French and Indian War (1754–63)—the North American front of the Seven Years' War between Britain and France—British troops gained control of the settlement in 1760 and shortened its name to Detroit. Several regional Native American tribes, such as the Potowatomi, Ojibwe and Huron, launched Pontiac's War in 1763 and laid siege to Fort Detroit but failed to capture it. In defeat, France ceded its territory in North America east of the Mississippi to Britain following the war.[36]
Following the American Revolutionary War and the establishment of the United States as an independent country, Britain ceded Detroit along with other territories in the area under the Jay Treaty which established the northern border with its colony of Canada.[37] The Great Fire of 1805 destroyed most of the Detroit settlement, which had primarily buildings made of wood. One stone fort, a river warehouse, and brick chimneys of former wooden homes were the sole structures to survive.[38] Of the 600 Detroit residents in this area, none died in the fire.[39]
19th century
From 1805 to 1847, Detroit was the capital of Michigan as a territory and as a state. William Hull, the United States commander at Detroit, surrendered without a fight to British troops and their Native American allies during the War of 1812 in the siege of Detroit, believing his forces were vastly outnumbered. The Battle of Frenchtown was part of a U.S. effort to retake the city, and U.S. troops suffered their highest fatalities of any battle in the war. This battle is commemorated at River Raisin National Battlefield Park south of Detroit in Monroe County. Detroit was recaptured by the United States later that year.[40]
The settlement was incorporated as a city in 1815.
Prior to the American Civil War, the city's access to the Canada–US border made it a key stop for refugee slaves gaining freedom in the North along the Underground Railroad. Many went across the Detroit River to Canada to escape pursuit by slave catchers.[43][41] An estimated 20,000 to 30,000 African-American refugees settled in Canada.[44] George DeBaptiste was considered to be the "president" of the Detroit Underground Railroad, William Lambert the "vice president" or "secretary", and Laura Smith Haviland the "superintendent".[45]
Numerous men from Detroit volunteered to fight for the Union during the Civil War, including the 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment. It was part of the Iron Brigade, which fought with distinction and suffered 82% casualties at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. When the First Volunteer Infantry Regiment arrived to fortify Washington, D.C., President Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying, "Thank God for Michigan!" George Armstrong Custer led the Michigan Brigade during the Civil War and called them the "Wolverines".[46]
During the late 19th century, wealthy industry and shipping magnates commissioned the design and construction of several
In 1896, a thriving carriage trade prompted Henry Ford to build his first automobile in a rented workshop on Mack Avenue. During this growth period, Detroit expanded its borders by annexing all or part of several surrounding villages and townships.[47]
20th century
In 1903, Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company. Ford's manufacturing—and those of automotive pioneers William C. Durant, Horace and John Dodge, James and William Packard, and Walter Chrysler—established Detroit's status in the early 20th century as the world's automotive capital.[41] The growth of the auto industry was reflected by changes in businesses throughout the Midwest and nation, with the development of garages to service vehicles and gas stations, as well as factories for parts and tires.[citation needed] Because of the booming auto industry, Detroit became the fourth-largest city in the nation by 1920, following New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia.[48]
In 1907, the Detroit River carried 67,292,504 tons of shipping commerce through Detroit to locations all over the world. For comparison, London shipped 18,727,230 tons, and New York shipped 20,390,953 tons. The river was dubbed "the Greatest Commercial Artery on Earth" by The Detroit News in 1908. The prohibition of alcohol from 1920 to 1933 resulted in the Detroit River becoming a major conduit for smuggling of illegal Canadian spirits.[11]
With the rapid growth of industrial workers in the auto factories,
Detroit, like many places in the United States, developed racial conflict and discrimination in the 20th century following the rapid demographic changes as hundreds of thousands of new workers were attracted to the industrial city. The Great Migration brought rural blacks from the South; they were outnumbered by southern whites who also migrated to the city. Immigration brought southern and eastern Europeans of Catholic and Jewish faith; these new groups competed with native-born whites for jobs and housing in the booming city.[citation needed]
Detroit was one of the major Midwest cities that was a site for the dramatic urban revival of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) beginning in 1915. "By the 1920s the city had become a stronghold of the KKK", whose members primarily opposed Catholic and Jewish immigrants but also practiced discrimination against Black Americans.[50] Even after the decline of the KKK in the late 1920s, the Black Legion, a secret vigilante group, was active in the Detroit area in the 1930s. One-third of its estimated 20,000 to 30,000 members in Michigan were based in the city. It was defeated after numerous prosecutions following the kidnapping and murder in 1936 of Charles Poole, a Catholic organizer with the federal Works Progress Administration. Some 49 men of the Black Legion were convicted of numerous crimes, with many sentenced to life in prison for murder.[51]
By 1940, 80% of Detroit deeds contained
In the 1940s the world's "first urban depressed freeway" ever built, the Davison,[55] was constructed. During World War II, the government encouraged retooling of the American automobile industry in support of the Allied powers, leading to Detroit's key role in the American Arsenal of Democracy.[56] Jobs expanded so rapidly due to the defense buildup in World War II that 400,000 people migrated to the city from 1941 to 1943, including 50,000 blacks in the second wave of the Great Migration, and 350,000 whites, many of them from the South. Whites, including ethnic Europeans, feared black competition for jobs and scarce housing. The federal government prohibited discrimination in defense work, but when in June 1943 Packard promoted three black people to work next to whites on its assembly lines, 25,000 white workers walked off the job.[57] The 1943 Detroit race riot took place in June, three weeks after the Packard plant protest, beginning with an altercation at Belle Isle. A total of 34 people were killed, 25 of them black and most at the hands of the white police force, while 433 were wounded (75% of them black), and property valued at $2 million (worth $30.4 million in 2020) was destroyed. Rioters moved through the city, and young whites traveled across town to attack more settled blacks in their neighborhood of Paradise Valley.[58][59]
Postwar era
Industrial mergers in the 1950s, especially in the automobile sector, increased
In this postwar era, the auto industry continued to create opportunities for many African Americans from the South, who continued with their Great Migration to Detroit and other northern and western cities to escape the strict Jim Crow laws and racial discrimination policies of the South. Postwar Detroit was a prosperous industrial center of mass production. The auto industry comprised about 60% of all industry in the city, allowing space for a plethora of separate booming businesses including stove making, brewing, furniture building, oil refineries, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and more. The expansion of jobs created unique opportunities for black Americans, who saw novel high employment rates: there was a 103% increase in the number of blacks employed in postwar Detroit. Black Americans who immigrated to northern industrial cities from the south still faced intense racial discrimination in the employment sector. Racial discrimination kept the workforce and better jobs predominantly white, while many black Detroiters held lower-paying factory jobs. Despite changes in demographics as the city's black population expanded, Detroit's police force, fire department, and other city jobs continued to be held by predominantly white residents. This created an unbalanced racial power dynamic.[61]
Unequal opportunities in employment resulted in unequal housing opportunities for the majority of the black community: with overall lower incomes and facing the backlash of discriminatory housing policies, the black community was limited to lower cost, lower quality housing in the city. The surge in the black population augmented the strain on housing scarcity. The livable areas available to the black community were limited, and as a result, families often crowded together in unsanitary, unsafe, and illegal quarters. Such discrimination became increasingly evident in the policies of redlining implemented by banks and federal housing groups, which almost completely restricted the ability of blacks to improve their housing and encouraged white people to guard the racial divide that defined their neighborhoods. As a result, black people were often denied bank loans to obtain better housing, and interest rates and rents were unfairly inflated to prevent their moving into white neighborhoods. White residents and political leaders largely opposed the influx of black Detroiters to white neighborhoods, believing that their presence would lead to neighborhood deterioration. This perpetuated a cyclical exclusionary process that marginalized the agency of black Detroiters by trapping them in the unhealthiest, least safe areas of the city.[61]
In 1956, Detroit's last heavily used
All of these changes in the area's transportation system favored low-density, auto-oriented development rather than high-density urban development. Industry also moved to the suburbs, seeking large plots of land for single-story factories. By the 21st century, the metro Detroit area had developed as one of the most sprawling job markets in the United States; combined with poor public transport, this resulted in many new jobs being beyond the reach of urban low-income workers.[64]
In 1950, the city held about one-third of the state's population. Over the next 60 years, the city's population declined to less than 10 percent of the state's population. During the same time period, the sprawling metropolitan area grew to contain more than half of Michigan's population.[41] The shift of population and jobs eroded Detroit's tax base.[citation needed]
In June 1963, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a major speech as part of a civil rights march in Detroit that foreshadowed his "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, D.C., two months later. While the civil rights movement gained significant federal civil rights laws in 1964 and 1965, longstanding inequities resulted in confrontations between the police and inner-city black youth who wanted change.[65]
I have a dream this afternoon that my four little children, that my four little children will not come up in the same young days that I came up within, but they will be judged on the basis of the content of their character, not the color of their skin ... I have a dream this evening that one day we will recognize the words of Jefferson that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." I have a dream ...
—Martin Luther King Jr. (June 1963 Speech at the Great March on Detroit)[66]
Longstanding tensions in Detroit culminated in the Twelfth Street riot in July 1967. Governor George W. Romney ordered the Michigan National Guard into Detroit, and President Lyndon B. Johnson sent in U.S. Army troops. The result was 43 dead, 467 injured, over 7,200 arrests, and more than 2,000 buildings destroyed, mostly in black residential and business areas. Thousands of small businesses closed permanently or relocated to safer neighborhoods. The affected district lay in ruins for decades.[67] According to the Chicago Tribune, it was the 3rd most costly riot in the United States.[68]
On August 18, 1970, the NAACP filed suit against Michigan state officials, including Governor William Milliken, charging de facto public school segregation. The NAACP argued that although schools were not legally segregated, the city of Detroit and its surrounding counties had enacted policies to maintain racial segregation in public schools. The NAACP also suggested a direct relationship between unfair housing practices and educational segregation, as the composition of students in the schools followed segregated neighborhoods.[69] The District Court held all levels of government accountable for the segregation in its ruling. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed some of the decision, holding that it was the state's responsibility to integrate across the segregated metropolitan area.[70] The U.S. Supreme Court took up the case February 27, 1974.[69] The subsequent Milliken v. Bradley decision had nationwide influence. In a narrow decision, the Supreme Court found schools were a subject of local control, and suburbs could not be forced to aid with the desegregation of the city's school district.[71]
"Milliken was perhaps the greatest missed opportunity of that period", said Myron Orfield, professor of law at the University of Minnesota Law School. "Had that gone the other way, it would have opened the door to fixing nearly all of Detroit's current problems."[72] John Mogk, a professor of law and an expert in urban planning at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, says,
Everybody thinks that it was the riots [in 1967] that caused the white families to leave. Some people were leaving at that time but, really, it was after Milliken that you saw mass flight to the suburbs. If the case had gone the other way, it is likely that Detroit would not have experienced the steep decline in its tax base that has occurred since then.[72]
1970s and decline
In November 1973, the city elected Coleman Young as its first black mayor. After taking office, Young emphasized increasing racial diversity in the police department, which was predominantly white.[73] Young also worked to improve Detroit's transportation system, but the tension between Young and his suburban counterparts over regional matters was problematic throughout his mayoral term.
In 1976, the federal government offered $600 million (~$2.5 billion in 2023) for building a regional rapid transit system, under a single regional authority.[74] But the inability of Detroit and its suburban neighbors to solve conflicts over transit planning resulted in the region losing the majority of funding for rapid transit.[citation needed] The city then moved forward with construction of the elevated downtown circulator portion of the system, which became known as the Detroit People Mover.[75]
The gasoline crises of 1973 and 1979 affected auto industry. Buyers chose smaller, more fuel-efficient cars made by foreign makers as the price of gas rose. Efforts to revive the city were stymied by the struggles of the auto industry, as their sales and market share declined. Automakers laid off thousands of employees and closed plants in the city, further eroding the tax base. To counteract this, the city used eminent domain to build two large new auto assembly plants in the city.[76]
Young sought to revive the city by seeking to increase investment in the city's declining downtown. The Renaissance Center, a mixed-use office and retail complex, opened in 1977. This group of skyscrapers was an attempt to keep businesses in downtown.[41][77][78] Young also gave city support to other large developments to attract middle and upper-class residents back to the city. Despite the Renaissance Center and other projects, the downtown area continued to lose businesses to the automobile-dependent suburbs. Major stores and hotels closed, and many large office buildings went vacant. Young was criticized for being too focused on downtown development and not doing enough to lower the city's high crime rate and improve city services to residents.[citation needed]
High unemployment was compounded by
1980s
On August 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed near Detroit Metro airport, killing all but one of the 155 people on board, as well as two people on the ground.[80]
1990s & 2000s
In 1993, Young retired as Detroit's longest-serving mayor, deciding not to seek a sixth term, with Dennis Archer succeeding him. Archer prioritized downtown development, easing tensions with its suburban neighbors. A referendum to allow casino gambling in the city passed in 1996; several temporary casino facilities opened in 1999, and permanent downtown casinos with hotels opened in 2007–08.[81]
Campus Martius, a reconfiguration of downtown's main intersection as a new park, was opened in 2004. The park has been cited as one of the best public spaces in the United States.[82][83][84] In 2001, the first portion of the International Riverfront redevelopment was completed as a part of the city's 300th-anniversary celebration.[85]
2010s
In September 2008, Mayor
The city's financial crisis resulted in Michigan taking over administrative control of its government.[90] Governor Rick Snyder declared a financial emergency in March 2013, stating the city had a $327 million budget deficit and faced more than $14 billion in long-term debt. It had been making ends meet on a month-to-month basis with the help of bond money held in a state escrow account and had instituted mandatory unpaid days off for many city workers. Those troubles, along with underfunded city services, such as police and fire departments, and ineffective turnaround plans from Mayor Bing and the City Council[91] led the state of Michigan to appoint an emergency manager for Detroit. On June 14, 2013, Detroit defaulted on $2.5 billion of debt by withholding $39.7 million in interest payments, while Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr met with bondholders and other creditors in an attempt to restructure the city's $18.5 billion debt and avoid bankruptcy.[92] On July 18, 2013, Detroit became the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy.[93] It was declared bankrupt by U.S. District Court on December 3, with its $18.5 billion debt.[94] On November 7, 2014, the city's plan for exiting bankruptcy was approved. On December 11 the city officially exited bankruptcy. The plan allowed the city to eliminate $7 billion in debt and invest $1.7 billion into improved city services.[95]
One way the city obtained this money was through the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). Holding over 60,000 pieces of art worth billions of dollars, some saw it as the key to funding this investment. The city came up with a plan to monetize the art and sell it, leading to the DIA becoming a private organization. After months of legal battles, the city finally got hundreds of millions of dollars towards funding a new Detroit.[96]
One of the largest post-bankruptcy efforts to improve city services has been to fix the city's broken street lighting system. At one time it was estimated that 40% of lights were not working, which resulted in public safety issues and abandonment of housing. The plan called for replacing outdated high-pressure sodium lights with 65,000 LED lights. Construction began in late 2014 and finished in December 2016; Detroit is the largest U.S. city with all LED street lighting.[97]
In the 2010s, several initiatives were taken by Detroit's citizens and new residents to improve the cityscape by renovating and revitalizing neighborhoods. Such projects include volunteer renovation groups[98] and various urban gardening movements.[99] Miles of associated parks and landscaping have been completed in recent years. In 2011, the Port Authority Passenger Terminal opened, with the riverwalk connecting Hart Plaza to the Renaissance Center.[78]
One symbol of the city's decades-long decline, the
The city has seen a rise in gentrification.[104] In downtown, for example, the construction of Little Caesars Arena brought with it high class shops and restaurants along Woodward Avenue. Office tower and condominium construction has led to an influx of wealthy families but also a displacement of long-time residents and culture.[105][106] Areas outside of downtown and other recently revived areas have an average household income of about 25% less than the gentrified areas, a gap that is continuing to grow.[107] Rents and cost of living in these gentrified areas rise every year, pushing minorities and the poor out, causing more and more racial disparity and separation in the city. In 2019, the cost of a one-bedroom loft in Rivertown reached $300,000 (~$352,668 in 2023), with a five-year sale price change of over 500% and average income rising by 18%.[108]
Geography
Metropolitan area
Detroit is the center of a three-county urban area (with a population of 3,734,090 within an area of 1,337 square miles (3,460 km2) according to the
Topography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 142.87 square miles (370.03 km2), of which 138.75 square miles (359.36 km2) is land and 4.12 square miles (10.67 km2) is water.[112] Detroit is the principal city in Metro Detroit and Southeast Michigan. It is situated in the Midwestern United States and the Great Lakes region.[113]
The
The city slopes gently from the northwest to southeast on a till plain composed largely of glacial and lake clay. The most notable topographical feature in the city is the Detroit Moraine, a broad clay ridge on which the older portions of Detroit and Windsor are located, rising approximately 62 feet (19 m) above the river at its highest point.[115] 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 (206 to 207 m).[116] Detroit's lowest elevation is along the Detroit River, at a surface height of 572 feet (174 m).[117]
Belle Isle Park is a 982-acre (1.534 sq mi; 397 ha) island park in the Detroit River, between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. It is connected to the mainland by the MacArthur Bridge. Belle Isle Park contains such attractions as the James Scott Memorial Fountain, the Belle Isle Conservatory, the Detroit Yacht Club on an adjacent island, a half-mile (800 m) beach, a golf course, a nature center, monuments, and gardens. Both the Detroit and Windsor skylines can be viewed at the island's Sunset Point.[118]
Three road systems cross the city: the original French template, with avenues radiating from the waterfront, and true north–south roads based on the Northwest Ordinance township system. The city is north of Windsor, Ontario. Detroit is the only major city along the Canada–U.S. border in which one travels south in order to cross into Canada.[119]
Detroit has four border crossings: the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit–Windsor tunnel provide motor vehicle thoroughfares, with the Michigan Central Railway Tunnel providing railroad access to and from Canada. The fourth border crossing is the Detroit–Windsor Truck Ferry, near the Windsor Salt Mine and Zug Island. Near Zug Island, the southwest part of the city was developed over a 1,500-acre (610 ha) salt mine that is 1,100 feet (340 m) below the surface. The Detroit salt mine run by the Detroit Salt Company has over 100 miles (160 km) of roads within.[120][121]
Climate
Detroit, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Climate chart (explanation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Detroit and the rest of southeastern Michigan have a hot-summer
Precipitation is moderate and somewhat evenly distributed throughout the year, although the warmer months such as May and June average more, averaging 33.5 inches (850 mm) annually, but historically ranging from 20.49 in (520 mm) in 1963 to 47.70 in (1,212 mm) in 2011.
Climate data for Detroit ( | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
70 (21) |
86 (30) |
89 (32) |
95 (35) |
104 (40) |
105 (41) |
104 (40) |
100 (38) |
92 (33) |
81 (27) |
69 (21) |
105 (41) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 53.0 (11.7) |
55.3 (12.9) |
69.3 (20.7) |
79.6 (26.4) |
87.2 (30.7) |
92.6 (33.7) |
93.8 (34.3) |
92.1 (33.4) |
89.3 (31.8) |
80.6 (27.0) |
66.7 (19.3) |
56.1 (13.4) |
95.4 (35.2) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 32.3 (0.2) |
35.2 (1.8) |
45.9 (7.7) |
58.7 (14.8) |
70.3 (21.3) |
79.7 (26.5) |
83.7 (28.7) |
81.4 (27.4) |
74.4 (23.6) |
62.0 (16.7) |
48.6 (9.2) |
37.2 (2.9) |
59.1 (15.1) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.8 (−3.4) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
37.2 (2.9) |
48.9 (9.4) |
60.3 (15.7) |
69.9 (21.1) |
74.1 (23.4) |
72.3 (22.4) |
64.9 (18.3) |
53.0 (11.7) |
41.2 (5.1) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
50.6 (10.3) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 19.2 (−7.1) |
20.8 (−6.2) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
39.1 (3.9) |
50.2 (10.1) |
60.2 (15.7) |
64.4 (18.0) |
63.2 (17.3) |
55.5 (13.1) |
44.0 (6.7) |
33.9 (1.1) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
42.0 (5.6) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 0.1 (−17.7) |
3.5 (−15.8) |
12.0 (−11.1) |
25.5 (−3.6) |
36.3 (2.4) |
47.3 (8.5) |
54.1 (12.3) |
53.4 (11.9) |
41.6 (5.3) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
8.8 (−12.9) |
−3.7 (−19.8) |
Record low °F (°C) | −21 (−29) |
−20 (−29) |
−4 (−20) |
8 (−13) |
25 (−4) |
36 (2) |
42 (6) |
38 (3) |
29 (−2) |
17 (−8) |
0 (−18) |
−11 (−24) |
−21 (−29) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.23 (57) |
2.08 (53) |
2.43 (62) |
3.26 (83) |
3.72 (94) |
3.26 (83) |
3.51 (89) |
3.26 (83) |
3.22 (82) |
2.53 (64) |
2.57 (65) |
2.25 (57) |
34.32 (872) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 14.0 (36) |
12.5 (32) |
6.2 (16) |
1.5 (3.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.9 (4.8) |
8.9 (23) |
45.0 (114) |
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 7 (18) |
7 (18) |
4 (10) |
1 (2.5) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (2.5) |
6 (15) |
7 (18) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 13.4 | 11.0 | 11.1 | 12.5 | 12.9 | 10.7 | 10.5 | 9.7 | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.0 | 13.1 | 136.0 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 10.7 | 9.2 | 5.3 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 8.0 | 37.6 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
74.7 | 72.5 | 70.0 | 66.0 | 65.3 | 67.3 | 68.5 | 71.5 | 73.4 | 71.6 | 74.6 | 76.7 | 71.0 |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 16.2 (−8.8) |
17.6 (−8.0) |
25.9 (−3.4) |
35.1 (1.7) |
45.7 (7.6) |
55.6 (13.1) |
60.4 (15.8) |
59.7 (15.4) |
53.2 (11.8) |
41.4 (5.2) |
32.4 (0.2) |
21.9 (−5.6) |
38.7 (3.7) |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 119.9 | 138.3 | 184.9 | 217.0 | 275.9 | 301.8 | 317.0 | 283.5 | 227.6 | 176.0 | 106.3 | 87.7 | 2,435.9 |
Percent possible sunshine | 41 | 47 | 50 | 54 | 61 | 66 | 69 | 66 | 61 | 51 | 36 | 31 | 55 |
Average ultraviolet index | 1.2 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 5.4 | 6.9 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 7.1 | 5.3 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 4.4 |
Source 1: | |||||||||||||
Source 2: UV Index Today (1995 to 2022)[130] |
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Climate data for Detroit | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean No. of days with Maximum temperature => 90.0 °F (32.2 °C) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
Mean No. of days with Minimum temperature => 68.0 °F (20.0 °C) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
Mean No. of days with Minimum temperature <= 32.0 °F (0.0 °C) | 27 | 25 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 24 | 120 |
Mean No. of days with Maximum temperature <= 32.0 °F (0.0 °C) | 16 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 42 |
Mean No. of days with snow depth => 0.1 in (0.25 cm) | 17 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 48 |
Average sea temperature °F (°C) | 33.6 (0.9) |
32.7 (0.4) |
33.4 (0.8) |
39.7 (4.3) |
48.9 (9.4) |
63.9 (17.7) |
74.7 (23.7) |
75.4 (24.1) |
70.5 (21.4) |
60.3 (15.7) |
48.6 (9.2) |
38.1 (3.4) |
51.7 (10.9) |
Mean daily daylight hours | 9.0 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 14.0 | 12.0 | 11.0 | 10.0 | 9.0 | 12.2 |
Average Ultraviolet index | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4.8 |
Source 1: NWS (1991–2020)[131] | |||||||||||||
Source 2 : Weather Atlas (daylight-UV-water temperature) [132] |
Architecture
Seen in panorama, Detroit's waterfront shows a variety of architectural styles. The postmodern Neo-Gothic spires of Ally Detroit Center were designed to refer to the city's Art Deco skyscrapers. Together with the Renaissance Center, these buildings form a distinctive and recognizable skyline. Examples of the Art Deco style include the Guardian Building and Penobscot Building downtown, as well as the Fisher Building and Cadillac Place in the New Center area near Wayne State University. Among the city's prominent structures are United States' largest Fox Theatre, the Detroit Opera House, and the Detroit Institute of Arts, all built in the early 20th century.[133][134]
While the Downtown and New Center areas contain high-rise buildings, the majority of the surrounding city consists of low-rise structures and single-family homes. Outside of the city's core, residential high-rises are found in upper-class neighborhoods such as the East Riverfront, extending toward Grosse Pointe, and the Palmer Park neighborhood just west of Woodward. The University Commons-Palmer Park district in northwest Detroit, near the University of Detroit Mercy and Marygrove College, anchors historic neighborhoods including Palmer Woods, Sherwood Forest, and the University District.[citation needed]
Forty-two significant structures or sites are listed on the
Some of the oldest neighborhoods are along the major Woodward and East Jefferson corridors, which formed spines of the city. Some newer residential construction may also be found along the Woodward corridor and in the far west and northeast. The oldest extant neighborhoods include West Canfield and Brush Park. There have been multi-million dollar restorations of existing homes and construction of new homes and condominiums here.[77][135]
The city has one of the United States' largest surviving collections of late 19th- and early 20th-century buildings.
The city has substantial activity in urban design, historic preservation, and architecture.
The
Other major parks include
Neighborhoods
Detroit has a variety of neighborhood types. The revitalized Downtown,
The city has numerous neighborhoods consisting of vacant properties resulting in low inhabited density in those areas, stretching city services and infrastructure. These neighborhoods are concentrated in the northeast and on the city's fringes.[140] A 2009 parcel survey found about a quarter of residential lots in the city to be undeveloped or vacant, and about 10% of the city's housing to be unoccupied.[140][145][146] The survey also reported that most (86%) of the city's homes are in good condition with a minority (9%) in fair condition needing only minor repairs.[145][146][147][148]
To deal with vacancy issues, the city has begun demolishing the derelict houses, razing 3,000 of the total 10,000 in 2010,[149] but the resulting low density creates a strain on the city's infrastructure. To remedy this, a number of solutions have been proposed including resident relocation from more sparsely populated neighborhoods and converting unused space to urban agricultural use, including Hantz Woodlands, though the city expects to be in the planning stages for up to another two years.[150][151]
Public funding and private investment have been made with promises to rehabilitate neighborhoods. In April 2008, the city announced a $300 million (~$417 million in 2023) stimulus plan to create jobs and revitalize neighborhoods, financed by city bonds and paid for by earmarking about 15% of the wagering tax.[150] The city's working plans for neighborhood revitalizations include 7-Mile/Livernois, Brightmoor, East English Village, Grand River/Greenfield, North End, and Osborn.[150] Private organizations have pledged substantial funding to the efforts.[152][153] Additionally, the city has cleared a 1,200-acre (490 ha) section of land for large-scale neighborhood construction, which the city is calling the Far Eastside Plan.[154] In 2011, Mayor Dave Bing announced a plan to categorize neighborhoods by their needs and prioritize the most needed services for those neighborhoods.[155]
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1820 | 1,422 | — | |
1830 | 2,222 | 56.3% | |
1840 | 9,102 | 309.6% | |
1850 | 21,019 | 130.9% | |
1860 | 45,619 | 117.0% | |
1870 | 79,577 | 74.4% | |
1880 | 116,340 | 46.2% | |
1890 | 205,876 | 77.0% | |
1900 | 285,704 | 38.8% | |
1910 | 465,766 | 63.0% | |
1920 | 993,678 | 113.3% | |
1930 | 1,568,662 | 57.9% | |
1940 | 1,623,452 | 3.5% | |
1950 | 1,849,568 | 13.9% | |
1960 | 1,670,144 | −9.7% | |
1970 | 1,514,063 | −9.3% | |
1980 | 1,203,368 | −20.5% | |
1990 | 1,027,974 | −14.6% | |
2000 | 951,270 | −7.5% | |
2010 | 713,777 | −25.0% | |
2020 | 639,111 | −10.5% | |
2022 (est.) | 620,376 | [3] | −2.9% |
U.S. Decennial Census[156] 2010–2020[8] |
In the
Detroit's 639,111 residents represent 269,445 households, and 162,924 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,144.3 people per square mile (1,986.2 people/km2). There were 349,170 housing units at an average density of 2,516.5 units per square mile (971.6 units/km2). Of the 269,445 households, 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 21.5% were married couples living together, 31.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.5% were non-families, 34.0% were made up of individuals, and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59, and the average family size was 3.36.
There was a wide distribution of age in the city, with 31.1% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
Religion
According to a 2014 study, 67% of the population of the city identified themselves as
. Other religions collectively make up about 8% of the population.Income and employment
The loss of industrial and working-class jobs in the city has resulted in high rates of poverty and associated problems.[161] From 2000 to 2009, the city's estimated median household income fell from $29,526 to $26,098.[162] As of 2010[update], the mean income of Detroit is below the overall U.S. average by several thousand dollars. Of every three Detroit residents, one lives in poverty. Luke Bergmann, author of Getting Ghost: Two Young Lives and the Struggle for the Soul of an American City, said in 2010, "Detroit is now one of the poorest big cities in the country".[163]
In the 2018 American Community Survey, median household income in the city was $31,283, compared with the median for Michigan of $56,697.[164] The median income for a family was $36,842, well below the state median of $72,036.[165] 33.4% of families had income at or below the federally defined poverty level. Out of the total population, 47.3% of those under the age of 18 and 21.0% of those 65 and older had income at or below the federally defined poverty line.[166]
Area | Number of house- holds |
Median House- hold Income |
Per Capita Income |
Percent- age in poverty |
---|---|---|---|---|
Detroit City
|
263,688 | $30,894 () | $18,621 () | 35.0% () |
Wayne County, MI
|
682,282 | $47,301 | $27,282 | 19.8% |
United States | 120,756,048 | $62,843 | $34,103 | 11.4% |
Race and ethnicity
Self-identified race | 2020[168] | 2010[169] | 1990[52] | 1970[52] | 1950[52] | 1940[52] | 1930[52] | 1920[52] | 1910[52] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White |
14.7% | 10.6% | 21.6% | 55.5% | 83.6% | 90.7% | 92.2% | 95.8% | 98.7% |
—Non-Hispanic | 11% | 7.8% | 20.7% | 54.0%[c] | — | 90.4% | — | — | — |
Black or African American |
77.7% | 82.7% | 75.7% | 43.7% | 16.2% | 9.2% | 7.7% | 4.1% | 1.2% |
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 8.0% | 6.8% | 2.8% | 1.8%[c] | — | 0.3% | — | — | — |
Asian |
1.6% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | — |
Beginning with the rise of the automobile industry, Detroit's population increased more than sixfold during the first half of the 20th century as an influx of European, Middle Eastern (Lebanese, Assyrian/Chaldean), and Southern migrants brought their families to the city.[170] With this economic boom following World War I, the African American population grew from a mere 6,000 in 1910[171] to more than 120,000 by 1930.[172] Perhaps one of the most overt examples of neighborhood discrimination occurred in 1925 when African American physician Ossian Sweet found his home surrounded by an angry mob of his hostile white neighbors violently protesting his new move into a traditionally white neighborhood. Sweet and ten of his family members and friends were put on trial for murder as one of the mob members throwing rocks at the newly purchased house was shot and killed by someone firing out of a second-floor window.[173]
Detroit has a relatively large Mexican-American population. In the early 20th century, thousands of Mexicans came to Detroit to work in agricultural, automotive, and steel jobs. During the Mexican Repatriation of the 1930s many Mexicans in Detroit were willingly repatriated or forced to repatriate. By the 1940s much of the Mexican community began to settle what is now Mexicantown.[174] Immigration from Jalisco significantly increased the Latino population in the 1990s. By 2010 Detroit had 48,679 Hispanics, including 36,452 Mexicans: a 70% increase from 1990.[175]
After World War II, many people from
While African Americans previously[when?] comprised only 13% of Michigan's population, by 2010 they made up nearly 82% of Detroit's population. The next largest population groups were white people, at 10%, and Hispanics, at 6%.[180] In 2001, 103,000 Jews, or about 1.9% of the population, were living in the Detroit area.[181] According to the 2010 census, segregation in Detroit has decreased in absolute and relative terms and in the first decade of the 21st century, about two-thirds of the total black population in the metropolitan area resided within the city limits of Detroit.[182][183] The number of integrated neighborhoods increased from 100 in 2000 to 204 in 2010. Detroit also moved down the ranking from number one most segregated city to number four.[184] A 2011 op-ed in The New York Times attributed the decreased segregation rating to the overall exodus from the city, cautioning that these areas may soon become more segregated.
As of 2002, Detroit's percentage of Asians was 1%.[185] There are four areas in Detroit with significant Asian and Asian American populations. Northeast Detroit has a large population of Hmong[186] with a smaller group of Lao people. A portion of Detroit next to eastern Hamtramck includes Bangladeshi Americans, Indian Americans, and Pakistani Americans; nearly all of the Bangladeshi population in Detroit lives in that area. The area north of downtown has transient Asian national origin residents who are university students or hospital workers. Few of them have permanent residency after schooling ends. They are mostly Chinese and Indian but the population also includes Filipinos, Koreans, and Pakistanis. In Southwest Detroit and western Detroit there are smaller, scattered Asian communities.[185][187]
Economy
Top city employers Source: Crain's Detroit Business[188]
| ||
Rank | Company or organization | # |
---|---|---|
1 | Detroit Medical Center | 11,497 |
2 | City of Detroit | 9,591 |
3 | Quicken Loans
|
9,192 |
4 | Henry Ford Health System
|
8,807 |
5 | Detroit Public Schools
|
6,586 |
6 | U.S. Government | 6,308 |
7 | Wayne State University | 6,023 |
8 | Chrysler | 5,426 |
9 | Blue Cross Blue Shield | 5,415 |
10 | General Motors | 4,327 |
11 | State of Michigan | 3,911 |
12 | DTE Energy | 3,700 |
13 | St. John Providence Health System
|
3,566 |
14 | U.S. Postal Service | 2,643 |
15 | Wayne County | 2,566 |
16 | MGM Grand Detroit | 2,551 |
17 | MotorCity Casino
|
1,973 |
18 | Compuware | 1,912 |
19 | Detroit Diesel | 1,685 |
20 | Greektown Casino
|
1,521 |
21 | Comerica | 1,194 |
22 | Deloitte | 942 |
23 | Johnson Controls | 760 |
24 | PwC | 756 |
25 | Ally Financial | 715 |
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 most significant companies based in Detroit include
About 80,500 people work in downtown Detroit, comprising one-fifth of the city's employment base.
Thousands more employees work in Midtown, north of the central business district. Midtown's anchors are the city's largest single employer
Many downtown employers are relatively new, as there has been a marked trend of companies moving from satellite suburbs into the downtown core.
In April 2014, the United States Department of Labor reported the city's unemployment rate at 14.5%.[198]
The city of Detroit and other public–private partnerships have attempted to catalyze the region's growth by facilitating the building and historical rehabilitation of residential high-rises in the downtown, creating a zone that offers many business tax incentives, creating recreational spaces such as the Detroit RiverWalk, Campus Martius Park, Dequindre Cut Greenway, and Green Alleys in Midtown. The city has cleared sections of land while retaining some historically significant vacant buildings in order to spur redevelopment;[199] even though it has struggled with finances, the city issued bonds in 2008 to provide funding for ongoing work to demolish blighted properties.[150] Two years earlier, downtown reported $1.3 billion in restorations and new developments which increased the number of construction jobs in the city.[77] In the decade prior to 2006, downtown gained more than $15 billion in new investment from private and public sectors.[200]
Despite the city's recent financial issues, many developers remain unfazed by Detroit's problems.
Downtown's population of young professionals is growing, and retail is expanding.[204][205] 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 or professional degree),[189][204][206] a trend which has hastened over the last decade. Since 2006, $9 billion has been invested in downtown and surrounding neighborhoods; $5.2 billion of which has come in 2013 and 2014.[207] Construction activity, particularly rehabilitation of historic downtown buildings, has increased markedly. As of 2014, the number of vacant downtown buildings has dropped from nearly 50 to around 13.[208]
In 2013 Meijer, a midwestern retail chain, opened its first supercenter store in Detroit;[209] this was a $20 million, 190,000-square-foot store in the northern portion of the city and it also is the centerpiece of a new $72 million shopping center named Gateway Marketplace.[210] In 2015 Meijer opened its second supercenter store in the city.[211] In 2019 JPMorgan Chase announced plans to invest $50 million more in affordable housing, job training and entrepreneurship by the end of 2022, growing its investment to $200 million.[212]
Arts and culture
In the central portions of Detroit, the population of young professionals, artists, and other transplants is growing and retail is expanding.[204] 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.[189][204][206]
A desire to be closer to the urban scene has attracted some young professionals to reside in inner ring suburbs such as Ferndale and Royal Oak.[213] The proximity to Windsor provides for views and nightlife, along with Ontario's minimum drinking age of 19.[214] A 2011 study by Walk Score recognized Detroit for its above average walkability among large U.S. cities.[215] About two-thirds of suburban residents occasionally dine and attend cultural events or take in professional games in the city.[216]
Nicknames
Known as the world's automotive center,[217] "Detroit" is a metonym for that industry.[218] It is an important source of popular music legacies celebrated by the city's two familiar nicknames, the Motor City and Motown.[219] Other nicknames arose in the 20th century, including City of Champions, beginning in the 1930s for its successes in individual and team sport;[220] The D; Hockeytown (a trademark owned by the Detroit Red Wings); Rock City (after the Kiss song "Detroit Rock City"); and The 313 (its telephone area code).[d][221]
Music
Live music has been a prominent feature of Detroit's nightlife since the late 1940s, bringing the city recognition under the nickname "Motown".[222] The metropolitan area has many nationally prominent live music venues. Concerts hosted by Live Nation perform throughout the Detroit area. The theater venue circuit is the United States' second largest and hosts Broadway performances.[223][224]
The city has a rich musical heritage and has contributed to many genres over the decades.[221] Important music events include the Detroit International Jazz Festival, the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, the Motor City Music Conference (MC2), the Urban Organic Music Conference, the Concert of Colors, and the hip-hop Summer Jamz festival.[221]
In the 1940s,
Other prominent Motor City R&B stars in the 1950s and early 1960s were
"The Motown sound" played an important role in the crossover appeal with popular music, since it was the first African American–owned record label to primarily feature African-American artists. Gordy moved Motown to Los Angeles in 1972 to pursue film production, but the company has since returned to Detroit. Aretha Franklin, another Detroit R&B star, carried the Motown sound; however, she did not record with Berry's Motown label.[221]
Local artists and bands rose to prominence in the 1960s and 70s, including the
In the 1990s and 2000s, the city produced many influential
Performing arts
Major theaters in Detroit include the
Motown Motion Picture Studios with 535,000 square feet (49,700 m2) produces movies in Detroit and the surrounding area based at the Pontiac Centerpoint Business Campus for a film industry expected to employ over 4,000 people in the metro area.[229]
Tourism
Because of its unique culture, distinctive architecture, and revitalization and urban renewal efforts in the 21st century, Detroit has enjoyed increased prominence as a tourist destination in recent years. The New York Times listed Detroit as the ninth-best destination in its list of 52 Places to Go in 2017,[230] while travel guide publisher Lonely Planet named Detroit the second-best city in the world to visit in 2018.[231]Time named Detroit as one of the 50 World's Greatest Places of 2022 to explore.[18]
Many of the area's prominent museums are in the historic
In 2010, the G.R. N'Namdi Gallery opened in a 16,000-square-foot (1,500 m2) complex in Midtown. Important history of America and the Detroit area are exhibited at
Greektown and three downtown casino resort hotels serve as part of an entertainment hub. The Eastern Market farmer's distribution center is the largest open-air flowerbed market in the United States and has more than 150 foods and specialty businesses.[233] On Saturdays, about 45,000 people shop there.[234] The annual Detroit Festival of the Arts in Midtown draws about 350,000 people.[235]
Annual summer events include the Electronic Music Festival, International Jazz Festival, the Woodward Dream Cruise, the African World Festival, the country music Hoedown, Noel Night, and Dally in the Alley. Within downtown, Campus Martius Park hosts large events, including the annual Motown Winter Blast. As the world's traditional automotive center, the city hosts the North American International Auto Show. Held since 1924, America's Thanksgiving Parade is one of the nation's largest.[236] River Days, a five-day summer festival on the International Riverfront lead up to the Windsor–Detroit International Freedom Festival fireworks, which draw super sized-crowds ranging from hundreds of thousands to over three million people.[216][221][237]
An important civic sculpture is The Spirit of Detroit by Marshall Fredericks at the Coleman Young Municipal Center. The image is often used as a symbol of Detroit, and the statue is occasionally dressed in sports jerseys to celebrate when a Detroit team is doing well.[238] A memorial to Joe Louis is located at the intersection of Jefferson and Woodward Avenues. The sculpture, commissioned by Sports Illustrated and executed by Robert Graham, is a 24-foot (7.3 m) long arm with a fisted hand suspended by a pyramidal framework.
Sports
Detroit is one of four U.S. cities that have venues within the city representing the four major sports in North America. Detroit is the only city to have its four major sports teams play within its downtown district.[239] Venues include: Comerica Park (home of MLB's Detroit Tigers), Ford Field (home of the NFL's Detroit Lions), and Little Caesars Arena (home of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and the NBA's Detroit Pistons).
Detroit has won titles in all four of the major professional sports leagues. The Tigers have won four World Series titles (1935, 1945, 1968, and 1984). The Red Wings have won 11 Stanley Cups (1935–36, 1936–37, 1942–43, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2007–08) (the most by an American NHL franchise).[240] The Lions have won 4 NFL titles (1935, 1952, 1953, 1957). The Pistons have won three NBA titles (1989, 1990, 2004).[221] 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 (the Tigers won the World Series in October 1935; the Lions won the NFL championship in December 1935; the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in April 1936).[220]
Founded in 2012 as a semi-professional soccer club, Detroit City FC plays professional soccer in the USL Championship. Nicknamed, Le Rouge, the club are two-time champions of NISA since joining in 2020. They play their home matches in Keyworth Stadium, which is located in the enclave of Hamtramck.[241]
In college sports, Detroit's central location within the Mid-American Conference (MAC) has made it a frequent site for the league's championship events. While the MAC Basketball Tournament moved permanently to Cleveland starting in 2000, the MAC Football Championship Game has been played at Ford Field since 2004 and annually attracts 25,000 to 30,000 fans. The University of Detroit Mercy has an NCAA Division I program, and Wayne State University has both NCAA Division I and II programs. The NCAA football Quick Lane Bowl is held at Ford Field each December.
The city hosted the 2005
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. Joe Louis won the heavyweight championship of the world in 1937. 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.[221]
Government
The city is governed pursuant to the home rule Charter of the City of Detroit. The government 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. Detroit has a "strong mayoral" system, with the mayor approving departmental appointments. The council approves budgets, but the mayor is not obligated to adhere to any earmarking. The city clerk supervises elections and is formally charged with the maintenance of municipal records. City ordinances and substantially large contracts must be approved by the council.[243][244] The Detroit City Code is the codification of Detroit's local ordinances.
Presently three Community Advisory Councils advise City Council representatives. Residents of each of Detroit's seven districts have the option of electing Community Advisory Councils.[245] The city clerk supervises elections and is formally charged with the maintenance of municipal records. Municipal elections for mayor, city council and city clerk are held at four-year intervals, in the year after presidential elections.[244] Following a November 2009 referendum, seven council members will be elected from districts beginning in 2013 while two will continue to be elected at-large.[246]
Detroit's courts are state-administered and elections are nonpartisan. The Probate Court for Wayne County is in the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in downtown. The Circuit Court is across Gratiot Avenue in the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice. 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. The city provides law enforcement through the Detroit Police Department and emergency services through the Detroit Fire Department.[247][248]
Politics
Beginning with its incorporation in 1802, Detroit has had a total of 74 mayors. Detroit's last mayor from the Republican Party was Louis Miriani, who served from 1957 to 1962. In 1973, the city elected its first black mayor, Coleman Young. Despite development efforts, his combative style during his five terms in office was not well received by many suburban residents.[249] Mayor Dennis Archer, a former Michigan Supreme Court Justice, refocused the city's attention on redevelopment with a plan to permit three casinos downtown. By 2008, three major casino resort hotels established operations in the city.[250]
In 2000, the city requested an investigation by the
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".[257] The city in recent years has been a stronghold for the Democratic Party, with around 94% of votes in the city going to Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate in the 2020 Presidential election.
Education
Colleges and universities
Detroit is home to several institutions of higher learning including
Grand Valley State University's Detroit Center hosts workshops, seminars, professional development, and other large gatherings. Located in the heart of downtown next to Comerica Park and the Detroit Athletic Club, the center has become a key component for educational activity in the city.[259]
Primary and secondary schools
As of 2016[update] many K-12 students in Detroit frequently change schools, with some children having been enrolled in seven schools before finishing their K-12 careers. There is a concentration of senior high schools and
Public schools and charter schools
With about 66,000 public school students (2011–12), the
In 1999, the Michigan Legislature removed the locally elected board of education amid allegations of mismanagement and replaced it with a reform board appointed by the mayor and governor. The elected board of education was re-established following a city referendum in 2005. The first election of the new 11-member board of education occurred on November 8, 2005.[264]
With growing charter schools enrollment as well as a continued exodus of population, the city planned to close many public schools.[261] State officials report a 68% graduation rate for Detroit's public schools adjusted for those who change schools.[265][266] Traditional public and charter school students in the city have performed poorly on standardized tests. c. 2009 and 2011, while Detroit traditional public schools scored a record low on national tests, the publicly funded charter schools did even worse than the traditional public schools.[267][268] As of 2016[update] 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. In 2016, Kate Zernike of The New York Times stated school performance did not improve despite the proliferation of charters, describing the situation as "lots of choice, with no good choice".[260]
Detroit public schools students scored the lowest on tests of reading and writing of all major cities in the United States in 2015. Among eighth-graders, only 27% showed basic proficiency in math and 44% in reading.[269] Nearly half of Detroit's adults are functionally illiterate.[270]
Private schools
Detroit is served by various private schools, as well as parochial Roman Catholic schools operated by the Archdiocese of Detroit. As of 2013[update] there are four Catholic grade schools and three Catholic high schools in the City of Detroit, with all of them in the city's west side.[271] The Archdiocese of Detroit lists a number of primary and secondary schools in the metro area as Catholic education has emigrated to the suburbs.[272][273] Of the three Catholic high schools, two are operated by the Society of Jesus and the third is co-sponsored by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Congregation of St. Basil.[274][275]
Media
The
Founded in 1935 and based in Detroit, the Michigan Chronicle is one of the oldest and most respected African-American weekly newspapers in America, covering politics, entertainment, sports and community events.[279] The Detroit television market is the 11th largest in the United States;[280] according to estimates that do not include audiences in large areas of Ontario (Windsor and its surrounding area on broadcast and cable TV, as well as several other cable markets in Ontario, such as Ottawa) which receive and watch Detroit television stations.[280]
Detroit has the 11th largest
Crime
Detroit | |
---|---|
Crime rates* (2019) | |
Violent crimes | |
Larceny-theft | 2,235.5 |
Motor vehicle theft | 1,037.0 |
Total property crime | 4,299.7 |
Notes *Number of reported crimes per 100,000 population. Source: FBI 2019 UCR data |
Detroit has gained notoriety for its high amount of crime, having struggled with it for decades. The number of homicides in 1974 was 714.[283][284] The homicide rate in 2022 was the third highest in the nation at 50.0 per 100,000.[285] Downtown typically has lower crime than national and state averages.[286] According to a 2007 analysis, Detroit officials note about 65 to 70 percent of homicides in the city were drug related,[287] with the rate of unsolved murders roughly 70%.[161]
Although the rate of violent crime dropped 11% in 2008,[288] violent crime in Detroit has not declined as much as the national average from 2007 to 2011.[289] The violent crime rate is one of the highest in the United States. Neighborhoodscout.com reported a crime rate of 62.18 per 1,000 residents for property crimes, and 16.73 per 1,000 for violent crimes (compared to national figures of 32 per 1,000 for property crimes and 5 per 1,000 for violent crime in 2008).[290] In 2012, crime in the city was among the reasons for more expensive car insurance.[291]
Areas of the city adjacent to the Detroit River are also patrolled by the United States Border Patrol.[292]
Infrastructure
Health systems
There are over a dozen major hospitals, which include the
DMC formally became a part of
In 2011, DMC and Henry Ford Health System substantially increased investments in medical research facilities and hospitals in the city's Midtown and New Center.