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

County 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

County Resources
Counties: US Map
The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of this 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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