Holland is a city in the

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

region of the

Lower Peninsula The Lower Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Lower Michigan – is the larger, southern and less elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; the other being the Upper Peninsula, which is separated by the S ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. It is situated near the eastern shore of

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

Lake Macatawa Lake Macatawa is a lake in Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Geography The lake is about long with a maximum width of and a surface area of . The average depth of the lake is variable but generally less than , excluding a naviga ...

, which is fed by the

Macatawa River The Macatawa River, also known as the Black River, is located in the lower part of Ottawa County, Michigan, which drains into Lake Macatawa and eventually into Lake Michigan. The main stream is long. The name Macatawa is a mis-phoneticization of ...

(formerly known locally as the Black River). The city spans the

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

/ Allegan county line, with in Ottawa and the remaining in Allegan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 33,051, with an

urbanized area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...

population of 113,164, . Holland is the largest city in both Ottawa and Allegan counties. The Ottawa County portion is part of the

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

- Kentwood Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Allegan County is part of the Holland Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is coextensive with Allegan County. As of 2013, both areas are part of the Grand Rapids–Kentwood–Muskegon Combined Statistical Area. Holland was founded by Dutch Americans, and is in an area that has a large percentage of citizens of Dutch American heritage. It is home to Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, institutions of the Reformed Church in America. In February 1996, the Holland City Council approved a

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

relationship between

Santiago de Querétaro Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

Querétaro Querétaro (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro, links=no; Otomi language, Otomi: ''Hyodi Ndämxei''), is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. I ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, and the City of Holland.

History

Ottawa County was originally populated by

Indians. In 1846, Reverend George Smith established the

Old Wing Mission Old Wing Mission (also known as Old Wing Inn) is a historic building at 5298 147th Ave. in Holland, Michigan. It is the oldest surviving house in the township. History In 1839, Rev. George Smith, a Vermont native, established Christian mission t ...

as an outreach to the native population. The Ottawa living here were primarily practicing Catholics, but Smith tried converting them to Protestantism. While generally unsuccessful in converting the Native population, the two groups worked together relatively closely for a short time. This attempt to work and live together was not valued by the next group who arrived. Holland was settled in 1847 by

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

separatists Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seeking greate ...

, under the leadership of Dr. Albertus van Raalte. Dire economic conditions in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

compelled them to emigrate, while their desire for religious freedom led them to unite and settle together as a group. Van Raalte and his colony settled on land in the midst of the Ottawa ( Odawa) people's Old Wing Mission Colony near the Black River where it streamed to Black Lake (now

) which, in turn, led to Lake Michigan. The Dutch settlers and the Ottawa people never got along. Dutch settlers began stealing sugar and venison from the Ottawa. The Dutch were unwilling to accept the Ottawa people's mix of Catholic and Native culture. Soon, Dutch leaders tried to force the natives into wooded land in Allegan County. Eventually, the natives moved north to preserve their way of life and culture. Chief Peter Waukazoo and Reverend George Smith decided to move the community and the Ottawa Mission from Holland up to Northport (on the

Leelanau Peninsula The Leelanau Peninsula ( ) is a peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan that extends about from the western side of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Michigan. Leelanau County encompasses the entire peninsula. It is often referred to ...

), voyaging on boats and canoes. In Holland's early history, Van Raalte was a spiritual leader, as well as overseeing political, educational and financial matters. In 1847, Van Raalte established a congregation of the

Reformed Church in America The Reformed Church in America (RCA) is a Mainline Protestant, mainline Reformed tradition, Reformed Protestant Christian denomination, denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 152,317 members. From its beginning in 1628 unti ...

, which would later be called the First Reformed Church of Holland. On March 25, 1867, Holland was incorporated as a city with Isaac Cappon being the city's first

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

. The city suffered a major fire on October 8-9, 1871, at the same time as the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

and the very deadly Peshtigo Fire in

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. Due to the

Great Michigan Fire The Great Michigan Fire was a series of simultaneous forest fires in the state of Michigan in the United States in 1871. They were possibly caused (or at least reinforced) by the same winds that fanned the Great Chicago Fire, the Peshtigo Fire ...

(which included the Port Huron Fire of 1871), Manistee and

Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administered separately. Located along the St. Clair ...

, also burned at the same time. Hollandmichigan

In 1987, a 23-year-old City Council member, Phil Tanis, was elected mayor of Holland while he was still a Hope College student, becoming its youngest

Culture

The city is perhaps best known for its Dutch heritage, which serves not only as a part of the city's cultural identity, but the local economy as well: the Tulip Time Festival in May and various Dutch-themed attractions augment the nearby Lake Michigan shoreline in attracting thousands of tourists annually. Over 28% of the population identified as being of Dutch descent. The Holland Museum contains exhibits about the city's history. Another, the Cappon House Museum, was built in 1874 and is a historic

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

that once housed the first mayor of Holland, Dutch immigrant Isaac Cappon. The Settlers House Museum, a building that survived the great fire, contains furnishings and relics from the 19th century. Holland Harbor Lighthouse

Holland's downtown is listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The "Snowmelt Project" established pipes transporting warm water from the nearby power plant to travel underneath downtown with the purpose of clearing the streets and sidewalks in the downtown area of any snow. De Zwaan, an original 250-year-old Dutch windmill, is situated on Windmill Island, a municipal park. Its height is with sails. Holland boasts an annual Fiesta, organized by Latin Americans United for Progress, usually on the Saturday closest to May 5 (

Cinco de Mayo Cinco de Mayo ( in Mexico, Spanish for "Fifth of May") is a yearly celebration held on May 5, which commemorates the anniversary of Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, led by General Ignacio Zaragoz ...

). Holland is also host to the annual Tulipanes Latino Art & Film Festival, which is held to celebrate the Latino contribution to the culture. In 2013, Farmer's Insurance named the Holland/

Grand Haven Grand Haven is a city within the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Ottawa County. Grand Haven is located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Grand River, for which it is named. As of the 2010 census, Grand H ...

Area the most secure mid-sized city in the United States. In 2010, Holland was ranked the second healthiest/happiest town in the United States by the Well-being Index. In 2006, CNN Money named Holland as one of the top five places to retire.

Religion

Holland is known as the "City of Churches." There are 170 churches in the greater Holland area, many of which are with the

and

Christian Reformed Church in North America The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA or CRC) is a Protestant Calvinist Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed Church of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founde ...

denominations. The city is the home to the church that started the trend of the "

What Would Jesus Do? The phrase "What would Jesus do?", often abbreviated to WWJD, became popular particularly in the United States in the early 1900s after the widely read book by Charles Sheldon entitled, '' In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do''. The phrase had a r ...

" bracelets in 1989.

Tourism

Each May, Holland hosts an annual

Tulip Time Festival Tulip Time Festival is an annual festival held in Holland, Michigan. Tulip festivals are held in many cities around the United States of America that were founded or largely inhabited by Dutch settlers. It has been held every year (except 2020) i ...

Tulip Tulips (''Tulipa'') are a genus of spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes (having bulbs as storage organs). The flowers are usually large, showy and brightly coloured, generally red, pink, yellow, or white (usually in warm ...

planting and the festival began in 1930 when 250,000 tulips were planted for the event. Currently six million tulips are used throughout the city. Tulips are planted along many city streets, in city parks and outside municipal buildings as well as at

tourist attractions A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural b ...

like Dutch Village, the city-owned Windmill Island Gardens, and at a large tulip

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

named Veldheer Tulip Gardens. It is normally held the second week of May, during the tulip blooming season. Cruise ships such as the Yorktown from the Great Lakes Cruising Company make Holland a port of call. About one million tourists visit Tulip Time each year, for which the community finds innovative ways to enhance self-funded projects. It has been ranked as America's third largest town festival and was named ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

s best small town

festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...

. The Tulip Time Festival has attracted big-name acts in recent years such as:

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...

in 2000,

O-Town O-Town (also known as OTWN or OTOWN) is an American boy band formed from the first season of the reality television series ''Making the Band'' in 2000. As of 2015, the group consists of Erik-Michael Estrada, Trevor Penick, Jacob Underwood, and ...

in 2001,

The Verve Pipe The Verve Pipe is an American rock band from Michigan. It was formed in 1992 in East Lansing by Brian Vander Ark, Brian Stout and Donny Brown. History In November 1992, Brian Vander Ark of the band "Johnny with an Eye" signed a production dea ...

in 2004, and Jars of Clay in 2006.

Ed McMahon Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. McMahon and Johnny Carson began their association in their first TV series, the ABC game sh ...

visited Tulip Time in 2007 along with

Bobby Vinton Stanley Robert "Bobby" Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is a American former singer and occasional actor, who also hosted his own self-titled TV show in the late 1970s. As a teen idol, he became known as "The Polish Prince", as his music paid trib ...

. Comedian

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

headlined the 2014 Tulip Time Festival. Holland is located on

, near the shores of

. Scattered along the shoreline are many public beach accesses including Tunnel Park and the widely popular Holland State Park. Across the channel from the State Park is the Holland Harbor Light, known as "Big Red." Smaller beaches along Lake Michigan are present but not well marked. Public accesses are frequent along dead-end streets bordering the shoreline. The city's primary shopping district is centered along 8th Street, the city's main street downtown. The 8th Street business district features a thermal snow-melting system which uses cooling water from the local electric plant. In 1988, the city rebuilt the entire street and sidewalk system, installing the thermal pipes underneath. The system will melt up to an inch an hour down to 15°.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Neighborhoods

* Holland Heights

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 33,051 people, 12,021 households, and 7,593 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 13,212 housing units at an average density of . Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin: The racial makeup of the city was 85.2% White alone, 4.0% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.9%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 5.0% from

two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 22.7% of the population, and White not Hispanic or Latino were 70.0%. There were 12,021 households, of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.8% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.13. The median age in the city was 31.7 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 16.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 21% were from 45 to 64; and 13.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

Government

The City of Holland uses a council/manager form of government. The day-to-day operations of the city are under the supervision of the city manager and their staff. The city manager is responsible for selecting all department heads, preparation of the budget and supervision of all employees through their appointments. The city manager serves at the direction of the mayor and city council which are elected positions. The current city manager is Keith Van Beek, former Ottawa County deputy county administrator, who was appointed in February 2018 by the city council. Soren Wolff served as the city manager from 1988 until his retirement in the Fall 2011. Soren previously served the city as assistant city manager in the mid-1970s and had a street named after him near Fairbanks Avenue and 13th Street, which is the main entrance to Smallenburg Park and many of Hope College's athletic facilities. The current assistant city manager is Matt VanDyken, the former IT director for the city. Holland's city charter requires a mayor and eight city council members. The mayor serves a two-year term, and two at-large council members and six ward council members each serve four-year terms. The current mayor is Nathan Bocks, a local attorney elected in November 2019. *City council members as of September 2022 are: **Ward 1 - Tim Vreeman **Ward 2 - Jay Peters **Ward 3 - Belinda Coronado **Ward 4 - Nicki Arendshorst **Ward 5 - Scott Corbin **Ward 6 - David Hoekstra **At-Large - Lyn Raymond **At-Large - Quincy Byrd The

Holland Board of Public Works The Holland Board of Public Works is a municipal utility in Holland, Michigan. It provides electrical power, drinking water, and wastewater treatment. Its service area includes the city of Holland and parts of Park Township, Holland Charter Tow ...

was created in 1883. It provides electricity, water and sewer services.

Education

Higher level academic institutions

Hope College Hope College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Holland, Michigan. It was originally opened in 1851 as the Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants four years after the community was first settled. The first freshman college class matricul ...

, a private four-year liberal arts college *

Western Theological Seminary Western Theological Seminary (WTS) is a private seminary located in Holland, Michigan. Established in 1866, it is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. ...

, a graduate and professional school *

Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State University (GVSU, GV, or Grand Valley) is a public university in Allendale, Michigan. It was established in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. Its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids. The universit ...

, with a campus in Holland (land donated to GVSU by the Meijer family) *

Davenport University Davenport University is a private university with campuses throughout Michigan and online. It was founded in 1866 by Conrad Swensburg and currently offers associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees; diplomas; and post-grad certification progra ...

, with a regional campus in Holland

Charter schools

Holland Public Schools Holland Public Schools is a school district in Holland, Michigan Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, whic ...

* West Ottawa Public Schools, which serve the townships that comprise Holland's suburban and rural north side * Black River Public School, a charter school with kindergarten, elementary, secondary, and high school students *

Vanderbilt Charter Academy Vanderbilt may refer to: People *Vanderbilt (surname) *Vanderbilt family Places In the United States: *Vanderbilt, California, a former gold-mining town *Vanderbilt, Michigan, a village *Vanderbilt, Nevada, a ghost town * Vanderbilt Mansion Nati ...

(K-8) * Thompson M-TEC (Adult Training), a partnership between the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District and Grand Rapids Community College *Eagle Crest Charter Academy

Private schools

Holland Christian Schools Holland Christian Schools is a private Calvinist school system located in Holland, Michigan. The Holland Christian Schools educate students ranging in age from Pre-K through 12th grade. The school system was established by members of the Chris ...

(includes

Holland Christian High School Holland Christian High School is a private, Calvinist high school in the city of Holland, Michigan. Holland Christian's colors are maroon and white, and their nickname is "The Maroons". Holland Christian High School is the only grade 9–12 buil ...

) *Corpus Christi Catholic School *

Calvary Schools of Holland Calvary Schools of Holland (CSH) is a private Christian school located in Holland, Michigan Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan ...

*Holland Seventh-day Adventist School

Industry

Holland is home to the world's largest pickle factory. The

H.J. Heinz Company The H. J. Heinz Company is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Henry J. Heinz in 1869. Heinz manufactures thousands of food products in plants on six conti ...

opened the factory at the same location in 1897, and currently processes over 1 million lbs. of pickles per day during the green season. *

Adient Adient plc is an American Irish-domiciled company that manufactures automotive seating for customers worldwide and is based in Plymouth, Michigan, United States. , Adient was the world's largest auto seat manufacturer, accounting for one-thir ...

- automotive seating *

Haworth Haworth () is a village in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, in the Pennines, south-west of Keighley, west of Bradford and east of Colne in Lancashire. The surrounding areas include Oakworth and Oxenhope. Nearby villages includ ...

- office furniture *

Herman Miller Herman Miller, officially MillerKnoll, Inc., is an American company that produces office furniture, equipment, and home furnishings, including the Aeron chair, Noguchi table, Marshmallow sofa, and the Eames Lounge Chair. Herman Miller is al ...

- home & office furniture *

Johnson Controls Johnson Controls International is an American Irish-domiciled multinational conglomerate headquartered in Cork, Ireland, that produces fire, HVAC, and security equipment for buildings. As of mid-2019, it employed 105,000 people in around 2,0 ...

lithium-ion A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also sees ...

batteries *

LG Chem LG Chem Ltd. (Korean: LG화학), often referred to as LG Chemical, is the largest Korean chemical company and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It was the 10th largest chemical company in the world by sales in 2017. It was first established ...

batteries *

Tiara Yachts Tiara Yachts is a boat manufacturer based in Holland, Michigan. Its models include both fishing and cruising yachts ranging from 34–53 feet. The company is most famous for coining the term "open" to describe its Tiara 3100. Tiara had a sister ...

- luxury yachts/wind turbines *

Kraft Heinz The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC), commonly known as Kraft Heinz, is an American multinational food company formed by the merger of Kraft Foods and Heinz co-headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh. Kraft Heinz is the third-largest food and beverage ...

- pickles, sauces, mustards * Magna - engineered glass and mirrors

Transportation

The city is serviced by

West Michigan Regional Airport West Michigan Regional Airport , formerly ''Tulip City Airport'', is a public-use airport located two nautical miles (3.7 km) south of the central business district of Holland, a city in Ottawa County and Allegan County, Michigan, United S ...

, the Park Township Airport having closed on August 15, 2020. The airport is not served by regularly scheduled commercial carriers; the nearest airport with airline service is Gerald R. Ford International Airport in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...

, about northeast. The city also is served by regularly scheduled Amtrak service (the '' Pere Marquette'') east to Grand Rapids and west to Chicago with connections to all points east and west. The city and surrounding area is served by the MAX (

Macatawa Area Express Macatawa Area Express (MAX) is the public transit operator serving Holland, Michigan, providing the area with fixed-route buses and paratransit services. Founded in 2000, the system takes its name from the Macatawa River and Lake Macatawa. Hist ...

) transportation system, which offers both on-demand and high-speed bus service, linking different parts of the city as well as commercial, medical and government locations outside the city. This service evolved from the former "Dial-A-Ride Transportation" (DART) system. The city is served by the following highways: * * * * * The channel between Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan allows pleasure craft and commercial boats, even bulk freighters, to access Holland's docks to unload coal, salt and iron scrap.

Media

Newspapers

*''

Holland Sentinel ''The Holland Sentinel'' is a newspaper published seven days a week in Holland, Michigan, United States, founded in 1896. It is published by Gannett. The newspaper covers most of Ottawa County, including Holland, Beechwood and Zeeland, as wel ...

'', Holland's local daily newspaper/online edition *''

Grand Rapids Press ''The Grand Rapids Press'' is a daily newspaper published in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is the largest of the eight Booth newspapers. It is sold for $1.50 daily and $7.99 on Sunday. AccuWeather provides weather content to the ''Grand Rapids ...

'', formerly maintained a Holland newsroom and circulation office

Radio

WHTC WHTC (1450 AM) is a news/talk radio station in Holland, Michigan. History The station signed on July 31, 1948 at 6:00 p.m. and originally was owned by six Holland-area businessmen: I.H Marsilje, Nelson Bosman (who served as mayor of Holl ...

, 1450 WHTC and The New 99.7 FM *

WYVN WYVN (92.7 FM, "The Van") is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format licensed to Saugatuck, Michigan, with studios in Holland, Michigan and is owned along with WHTC by Midwest Communications. The station began operations on July 4, 1 ...

, classic Hits for Holland and the Lakeshore, 92.7 FM *

WTHS WTHS-FM (89.9 FM) is a non-commercial student-operated radio station licensed to Hope College in Holland, Michigan. History Carrier current era The station began as WTAS in 1956, when students Richard Brockmeier and Jack Hellriegel transmitte ...

radio station, 89.9 FM

Television

*HCTV, Holland local television station

Fine arts

Art

*Holland Area Arts Council

Music

*Holland Chorale, Holland's auditioned chorus, presenting a full concert season of fine choral music *Holland Symphony Orchestra, professional symphony orchestra conducted by Maestro Johannes Müller-Stosch

Athletics

Notable people

Holland is the hometown of four

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

recipients (only tying with Pueblo, CO also with four, both more than any other municipality in the United States) - John Essebagger Jr., Paul Ronald Lambers,

Matt Urban Matt Louis Urban (August 25, 1919 – March 4, 1995) was a United States Army lieutenant colonel and one of the most decorated American soldiers of World War II. Urban performed valiantly in combat on many occasions despite being wounded in ...

, and

Gordon Douglas Yntema Gordon Douglas Yntema (June 26, 1945 – January 18, 1968) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War. Biography Gordon Yntema grad ...

. *

Harry Bannister Harry Bannister (September 29, 1889 – February 26, 1961) was an American stage, film and television actor, and theater producer and director. Biography Born in Holland, Michigan, Bannister began acting in movies and on Broadway in the 1920s ...

, actor *

L. Frank Baum Lyman Frank Baum (; May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author best known for his children's books, particularly ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and its sequels. He wrote 14 novels in the ''Oz'' series, plus 41 other novels (not includ ...

(d. 1919), author of ''

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is a children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the magical Land of Oz after s ...

'', had a holiday home named ''The Sign of the Goose'' in the resort community of Macatawa *

Franklin Cappon Franklin C. "Cappy" Cappon (October 17, 1900 – November 29, 1961) was an American college football and college basketball player and coach. He played football and basketball at Phillips University and the University of Michigan and coached at Lu ...

, basketball coach,

and

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...

* Charles F. Conrad, founder of

Lake Michigan Carferry Service SS ''Badger'' is a passenger and vehicle ferry in the United States that has been in service on Lake Michigan since 1953. Currently, the ship shuttles between Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a distance of , connecting U.S. Highway ...

Kirk Cousins Kirk Daniel Cousins (born August 19, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan State and was drafted by the team then known as the Washingto ...

, quarterback for

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

and NFL's

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

Brian D'Amato Brian D'Amato is an American author and sculptor. Biography When he was young, his father taught at Wellesley College. During this time, Hillary Clinton (at the time, named Hillary Rodham), a student at the college, babysat him. D'Amato went ...

, author (''Beauty'', ''In the Courts of the Sun'' and its sequel ''The Sacrifice Game'') and sculptor * Robert Danhof, jurist * Hopwood DePree, film producer, co-founder of Waterfront Film Festival *

Betsy DeVos Elisabeth Dee DeVos ( ; ' Prince; born January 8, 1958) is an American politician, philanthropist, and former government official who served as the 11th United States secretary of education from 2017 to 2021. DeVos is known for her support for ...

, U. S. Secretary of Education, 2017 - 2021 * Max DePree, writer; industrialist; former CEO of Herman Miller, Inc. * John Essebagger Jr. (d. 1951), U.S. Army Corporal, Korean War; Medal of Honor *

Kevin Haverdink Kevin Dean Haverdink (born October 20, 1965) is a former American football offensive tackle who played three seasons with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 19 ...

, NFL player *

Gerrard Wendell Haworth Gerrard Wendell Haworth (October 11, 1911 – October 25, 2006) was the founder of office furniture manufacturer Haworth. Early life and education Born in Nebraska, he moved to Benton Harbor, Michigan in 1926, where he attended high school ...

(d. 2006), founded office furniture manufacturer Haworth Company *

Pete Hoekstra Cornelis Piet "Pete" Hoekstra (; born October 30, 1953) is a Dutch-American politician who served as the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands from January 10, 2018, to January 17, 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously ser ...

, U.S. Congressman from Michigan's 2nd Congressional District, 1993-2011; chairman of House Intelligence Committee, 2004-2007; ambassador to the Netherlands * Rhoda Janzen, Hope College professor, author of ''Mennonite in a Little Black Dress'' * Morley Jennings, player and Baylor coach in

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...

, born in Holland * Alex Koroknay-Palicz,

youth rights The youth rights movement (also known as youth liberation) seeks to grant the rights to young people that are traditionally reserved for adults, due to having reached a specific age or sufficient maturity. This is closely akin to the notion ...

advocate *

Paul de Kruif Paul Henry de Kruif (, rhyming with "life") (1890–1971) was an American microbiologist and author of Dutch descent. Publishing as Paul de Kruif, he is most noted for his 1926 book, ''Microbe Hunters''. This book was not only a bestseller for a le ...

(d. 1971), science writer (''Microbe Hunters'', etc.) retired to Holland, where he died * Paul Ronald Lambers (d. 1970), U.S. Army Staff sergeant, Vietnam War; Medal of Honor *

Rob Malda Rob Malda (born May 10, 1976), also known as CmdrTaco, is an American Internet content author, and former editor-in-chief of the website Slashdot. Career Malda is an alumnus of Hope College and Holland Christian High School. In 1997, Malda and ...

, founder of

Slashdot ''Slashdot'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''/.'') is a social news website that originally advertised itself as "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters". It features news stories concerning science, technology, and politics that are submitted and evalu ...

Lisa McMann Lisa McMann (born February 27, 1968) is an American author and the creator of The Unwanteds and The Unwanteds Quests series for young readers and the ''WAKE'' trilogy for young adults. McMann was born in Holland, Michigan and now lives in Temp ...

, young-adult fiction writer *

James Michael James Andrew Michael is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, singer, sound engineer and mixer. He is currently the lead singer of the rock band Sixx:A.M. Early life He took piano lessons while growing up and sang in Holland High ...

, lead singer ( Sixx:A.M.) and producer; co-wrote " Rest in Pieces" by

Saliva Saliva (commonly referred to as spit) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which DNA can be ...

A. J. Muste Abraham Johannes Muste ( ; January 8, 1885 – February 11, 1967) was a Dutch-born American clergyman and political activist. He is best remembered for his work in the labor movement, pacifist movement, antiwar movement, and civil rights movemen ...

, a Dutch-born American clergyman and political activist who attended Hope College * David Myers, psychologist, author *

Milton J. Nieuwsma Milton John Nieuwsma (pronounced "news-ma") (born September 5 1941) is an American writer, journalist and filmmaker noted for his work on the Holocaust. His 1998 book ''Kinderlager'', about three young concentration camp survivors, was the basis f ...

, author,

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

-winning screenwriter and producer * Mike O'Brien, candidate for the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

and former Great Lakes project director for Bluewater Wind *

Nathan Oostendorp Nathan Oostendorp is an American technologist, author, and entrepreneur. He is from Holland, Michigan and is a co-founder of the technology news website and community Slashdot and founder of the online community Everything2. Biography Oostendor ...

, founder of

Everything2 Everything2 (styled Everything2 or E2 for short) is a collaborative Web-based community consisting of a database of interlinked user-submitted written material. E2 is moderated for quality, but has no formal policy on subject matter. Writing on ...

Erik Prince Erik Dean Prince (born June 6, 1969) is an American businessman, former United States Navy SEALs, U.S. Navy SEAL Officer (armed forces), officer, and the founder of the private military company Blackwater USA, Blackwater. He served as Blackwat ...

, founded

Blackwater USA Blackwater was an American private military company founded on December 26, 1996 by former Navy SEAL officer Erik Prince. It was renamed Xe Services in 2009 and known as Academi since 2011 after it was acquired by a group of private investors ...

Ron Schipper Ronald Maurice "Skip" Schipper (August 7, 1928 – March 27, 2006) was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. Career Schipper coached high school football for Northville High School in Northville, Michigan from 1952 ...

(d. 2006), football coach; member of College Football Hall of Fame *

Willie Snead Willie Lee Snead IV (born October 17, 1992) is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and has been a member o ...

, NFL wide receiver *

Herman Stegeman Herman James Stegeman (January 21, 1891 – October 22, 1939) was a player and coach of American football, basketball, baseball, and track and field athletics, and a college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Beloit C ...

(d. 1939), varsity coach and

athletics director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and university, universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of c ...

at the University of Georgia at Athens (UGA) * Sufjan Stevens, singer-songwriter; attended Hope College, details the city in the song "Holland" on his 2003 concept album, ''

'' * Charles Symmonds,

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

general *

(d. 1995), U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, WWII; received 29 combat decorations and the Medal of Honor * Mary Jeanne van Appledorn, composer, pianist, and educator * Andy Van Hekken, professional baseball player * Brian Vander Ark, lead singer of

Luke Witkowski Luke Witkowski (born April 14, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Springfield Thunderbirds in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey Le ...

, Defenseman for NHL's

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

Valerie van Heest Valerie Olson van Heest is an American author, explorer, and museum exhibit designer. She is co-founder of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association. Early life Valerie was born in Wilmette, Illinois. She graduated from New Trier East High S ...

, author, explorer, and museum designer, serving on the board of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association. * William C. Vandenberg (1884–1971), 49th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan *

(d. 1968), U.S. Army Sergeant, Vietnam War; Medal of Honor *Benjamin Herrera, founder of Black River Studios Film Production company

Notes

External links

*
Holland Visitors site

Holland Area Chamber of Commerce