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Michigan Counties

The boundaries of the 83 counties in Michigan have not changed substantially since 1897.

Kent County, Michigan

Kent County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Grand Rapids
Year Organized: 1836
Square Miles: 856

Court House:

300 Monroe Avenue, NW
County Administration
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2206

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Kent County is named for New York jurist James Kent, who represented the Michigan Territory in its dispute with Ohio over the Toledo Strip.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Kent County is named for New York jurist James Kent, who represented the Michigan Territory in its dispute with Ohio over the Toledo Strip.

Set Off: 1831

Organized: 1836

The Grand River, the largest river in Michigan, runs through the county. On its west bank are burial mounds, remnants of the Hopewell Indians who once lived there. The valley of the river served as an important center for the fur trade in the early 1800s. In 1831, it was set off from Mackinac County. In 1838, Grand Rapids incorporated as the county's first village. By the end of the century, stimulated by the construction of several sawmills, the area was a significant center for agriculture, logging, and manufacturing furniture.

Kent County is the economic and manufacturing center of West Michigan, with the Steelcase corporation based in the county. It is also the home of the Frederik Meijer Gardens, a significant cultural landmark of the Midwest. The county is a traditional stronghold for the Republican Party, with a substantial conservative population. The area has strong religious ties, containing a substantial number of evangelical Christians. The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is located within the county.

Neighboring Counties:

Newaygo County, Michigan - north
Montcalm County, Michigan - northeast
Muskegon County, Michigan - northwest
Ionia County, Michigan - east
Ottawa County, Michigan - west
Allegan County, Michigan - southwest
Barry County, Michigan - southeast

Cities and Towns:

- Ada	township
- Algoma	township
- Alpine	township
- Bowne	township
- Caledonia	village	Incorporated Area
- Cannon	township
- Cascade	township
- Cedar Springs	city	Incorporated Area
- Courtland	township
- East Grand Rapids	city	Incorporated Area
- Gaines charter	township
- Grand Rapids (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Grand Rapids charter	township
- Grandville	city	Incorporated Area
- Grattan	township
- Kent City	village	Incorporated Area
- Kentwood	city	Incorporated Area
- Lowell	city	Incorporated Area
- Nelson	township
- Oakfield	township
- Plainfield	township
- Rockford	city	Incorporated Area
- Sand Lake	village	Incorporated Area
- Solon	township
- Sparta	village	Incorporated Area
- Spencer	township
- Tyrone	township
- Vergennes	township
- Walker	city	Incorporated Area
- Wyoming	city	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

Online High Schools

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

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