St. Johns is the largest city and county seat of Clinton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,698 at the 2020 census. St. Johns is located in the north of Clinton County, surrounded by Bingham Township (although the two are administered independently). St. Johns is about north of

Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, maki ...

, Michigan's

capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the go ...

, and is part of the

Lansing–East Lansing metropolitan area The Lansing–East Lansing Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area located in Central Michigan defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and encompassing the counties of Eaton, Clinton, Ingham and Shiawassee. The region is ...

. St. Johns has been nicknamed the " Mint Capital of the World".

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. The city is situated in Bingham Township, but is administratively autonomous. A mixture of rich forests, plains and farmland (uniquely, mint fields) make up the St. Johns area, providing ample opportunity for outdoor sports and agriculture.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,865 people, 3,147 households, and 2,011 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,451 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.9% White, 1.4%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oce ...

, 1.2% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.6% of the population. There were 3,147 households, of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age in the city is 37.2. 25.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

Culture

The Wilson Center Auditorium on Cass Street puts on rock concerts and theatrical productions throughout the year. To date, they have brought in acts such as David Dondero, Hailey Wojcik, and Doug Mains and the City Folk.

Mint production

Near the turn of the century, high demand for mint oil in medicines and candy from companies like Wrigley caused a surge in demand for mint farming. The rich, organic, muck soil of Clinton County makes the area around St. Johns particularly well-suited for mint farming. As a result, many mint farmers cultivated mint. The Crosby Mint Farm, established by J.E. Crosby in 1912, claims to be the oldest continuously family-operated mint farm in the United States. Today Clinton County ranks first in Michigan in regards to total mint production.History of Crosby Farm
/ref> St. Johns is known as the Mint City and has been called "The Mint Capital of the World." Each year since 1985, St. Johns celebrates its mint farming heritage with the St. Johns Mint Festival. The festival typically takes place on the second weekend in August.

Transportation

Highways

* connects north to Mt. Pleasant, and Grayling. Southward, it passes through

and Jackson en route to Ohio. It provides a direct connection to

I-69 Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of 10 unconnected segments with an original continuous segment from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, ...

and

I-96 Interstate 96 (I-96) is an east–west Interstate Highway that runs for approximately entirely within the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The western terminus is at an interchange with US Highway 31 (US 31) and Bu ...

. * is a

business loop A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...

traveling through the city. * is an east-west highway passing through the city, connecting to Grand Rapids, approximately to the west, and Flint, about to the east.

Airports

* Scheduled passenger air carrier flights are available from

Capital Region International Airport Capital Region International Airport , formerly Lansing Capital City Airport, is a public, Class C airport located northwest of downtown Lansing in a portion of DeWitt Township, Michigan that has been annexed to the City of Lansing via Pub ...

, in south-central Clinton County.

Notable people

Robert Asprin Robert Lynn Asprin (June 28, 1946 – May 22, 2008) was an American science fiction and fantasy author and active fan, known best for his humorous series '' MythAdventures'' and '' Phule's Company''. Background Robert Asprin was born in St. ...

, science fiction and

fantasy author This is a list of fantasy authors, authors known for writing works of fantasy, fantasy literature, or related genres of magic realism, horror fiction, science fantasy. Many of the authors are known for work outside the fantasy genres. A ...

* Roy Beechler, football player and coach *

Leo Burnett Leo Burnett (October 21, 1891 – June 7, 1971) was an American advertising executive and the founder of Leo Burnett Company, Inc. He was responsible for creating some of advertising's most well-known characters and campaigns of the 20th cen ...

, advertising executive * Myrtelle Canavan, pathologist, discovered

Canavan Disease Canavan disease, or Canavan-Van Bogaert-Bertrand disease, is a rare and fatal autosomal recessive degenerative disease that causes progressive damage to nerve cells and loss of white matter in the brain. It is one of the most common degenerative ...

Voltairine de Cleyre Voltairine de Cleyre (November 17, 1866 – June 20, 1912) was an American anarchist known for being a prolific writer and speaker who opposed capitalism, marriage and the state as well as the domination of religion over sexuality and women's li ...

, anarchist writer and feminist * Eric Esch, commonly referred to as Butterbean, former fighter * The Houghton brothers, creators of '' Big City Greens'' *

Andrew Kehoe Andrew Philip Kehoe (February 1, 1872 – May 18, 1927) was an American mass murderer. Kehoe was a Michigan farmer who became disgruntled after losing reelection as treasurer of the Bath Township school board. He subsequently murdered his wife ...

, perpetrator of the

Bath School Disaster The Bath School disaster, also known as the Bath School massacre, was a series of violent attacks perpetrated by Andrew Kehoe on May18, 1927, in Bath Township, Michigan, United States. The attacks killed 38 elementary schoolchildren and 6 ...

Philip Orin Parmelee Philip Orin Parmelee (March 8, 1887 – June 1, 1912) was an American aviation pioneer trained by the Wright brothers and credited with several early world aviation records and "firsts" in flight. He turned a keen interest in small engines into ...

, aviator * Oliver L. Spaulding, Civil War general in the

23rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 23rd Michigan Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 23rd Michigan Infantry was mustered into Federal service at East Saginaw, Michigan, on September 13, 1862. The ...

, politician, and regent of the University of Michigan * Oliver Lyman Spaulding, U.S. Army brigadier general * Lee Upton, poet, fiction writer, and literary critic *

Lola Carrier Worrell Lola Carrier Worrell (1 July 1870 – 29 January 1929) was an American composer who wrote instrumental music, songs, and at least one piece for musical theatre. Born in St. Johns, Michigan, she studied music with Carlos Sobimo, Francis Hendricks and ...

, composer

Places of interest

*Paine-Gillam-Scott Museum – Home of the Clinton County Historical Society. Built in 1858, the house holds the distinction of being the oldest brick residence in the city of St. Johns. *Clinton Northern Railway Museum - Located in the former Grand Trunk Depot, the museum focuses on railroad history and its impact on small-town America. The museum features several restored railway cars. *IQhub at Agroliquid – Center for agricultural history, innovation and exploration. The IQhub is located inside AgroLiquid's world headquarters in St. Johns, Michigan. The 9,500 square foot agriculture education destination is home to exhibits chronicling the advancement of agriculture, from before the Europeans arrived in the Americas through the present day.

Registered Historic Buildings in St. Johns

Sites marked with a dagger (†) have been demolished.

Climate

This

climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorological ...

region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, St. Johns has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Crime rate

Crime in St. Johns is significantly lower when compared to the national average, and average-to-high when compared to surrounding cities. Violent Crime Rate in 2012 (higher number means more dangerous) *

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

Average: 214 * St. Johns: 95.5 * Laingsburg: 279.8 * Ovid: 58.9 * Elsie: 79.6 * Dewitt: ''N/A'' *

: 422.7 Reported Incidents from 2001–2012 in St. Johns, MI: * Rape: 35 *

Arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

: 9 *

Motor vehicle theft Motor vehicle theft (also known as a car theft and, in the United States, grand theft auto) is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle. Nationwide in the United States in 2020, there were 810,400 vehicles reported ...

: 70 *

Assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...

: 55 *

Burglaries Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murder ...

: 366

References

External links

*
Clinton County Arts CouncilClinton Northern Railway
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Johns, Michigan Cities in Clinton County, Michigan County seats in Michigan Lansing–East Lansing metropolitan area Populated places established in 1853 1853 establishments in Michigan