Holland is a city in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

and Allegan counties in 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 so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. Located 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 city 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 depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...

Lake Macatawa Lake Macatawa, historically known as Black Lake, 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 gener ...

, 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. Preluding the migration of Dutch Americans in M ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,378, with an

urbanized area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

population of 107,034. Holland was founded by

Dutch Americans Dutch Americans () are Americans of Dutch and Flemish descent whose ancestors came from the Low Countries in the distant past, or from the Netherlands as from 1830 when the Flemish became independent from the United Kingdom of the Netherla ...

and is in an area that has a large percentage of citizens of Dutch American heritage. It is home to

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

and

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 ...

, institutions of the

Reformed Church in America The Reformed Church in America (RCA) is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 82,865 members. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed ...

. Holland's economy includes manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, and higher education. It is home to a number of prominent companies, including Herman Miller, Haworth, and

Adient Adient plc is an American, Irish-domiciled company that operates as the largest manufacturer of Car seat, automotive seating for customers worldwide and is based in Plymouth, Michigan, United States. History Adient was founded as a Corporate ...

. The city also attracts thousands of visitors each year for its annual Tulip Time Festival, which celebrates the area's Dutch heritage and tulip fields. The city spans the

/ Allegan county line, with in Ottawa and the remaining in Allegan. Holland is the largest city in both Ottawa and Allegan counties. The Ottawa County portion is part of the

Grand Rapids metropolitan area The Grand Rapids metropolitan area is a triangular shaped Metro Triplex, in West Michigan, which fans out westward from the primary hub city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, to the other two metro hubs of Muskegon and Holland. The metropolitan are ...

, while the Allegan County portion anchors the Holland micropolitan statistical area, which is coextensive with Allegan County. The city is part of the larger Grand Rapids–Wyoming combined statistical area.

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 ...

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

Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

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

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

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

compelled them to emigrate. Van Raalte and his colony settled on land in the midst of the Ottawa (

Odawa The Odawa (also Ottawa or Odaawaa ) are an Indigenous North American people who primarily inhabit land in the Eastern Woodlands region, now in jurisdictions of the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. Their territory long prec ...

) people's Old Wing Mission Colony near the Macatawa River (also known as the Black River) where it streams into

(Called Black Lake prior to June 4, 1935) which, in turn, leads to Lake Michigan via a channel. 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, forming Grand Traverse Bay. It is often referred to as the "little finger" of ...

), 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

, 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 corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

October 1871 Fire

The city suffered a major fire on October 8–10, 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, Illinois during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left mor ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

and the very deadly

Peshtigo Fire The Peshtigo fire was a large forest fire on October 8, 1871, in northeastern Wisconsin, United States, including much of the southern half of the Door Peninsula and adjacent parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The largest community in ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. 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 The Port Huron Fire of October 8, 1871 (one of a series of fires known collectively as the Great Fire of 1871 or the Great Michigan Fire) burned a number of cities including White Rock and Port Huron, and much of the countryside in the "Thumb" ...

), Manistee and

Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in and seat of government of St. Clair County, Michigan, United States. The population was 28,983 at the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the west by Port Huron Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Po ...

, also burned at the same time. Also known as the Great Midwest fires, the series of fires across Michigan claimed approximately 500 lives, though the exact death toll remains unknown. The vast majority of downtown burned in the fire, claiming 1 life in the aftermath of the fire. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown. There are a number of theories about what caused the fire. The congruence with the Chicago fire has led to some claims of a link, such as embers floating over

to start the Holland Fire. However, one of the theories are rather fantastical and fairly unlikely, that burning methane gas from a passing comet led to the fires. The most likely explanation remains that strong winds strengthened a small brush fire, first igniting the nearby forests before burning the town itself. However, no definitive explanation for the fires have ever been given, and the exact cause remains unknown. Hollandmichigan

Geography

Holland is located at 42.7875235, -86.1089301. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Neighborhoods

* Holland Heights * Westside * Washington Square * Historic District * Hope * Rosa Parks * Maplewood * South End * Downtown

Climate

Holland has a Midwestern

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Dfb/Dfa'') that is influenced by the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

, and is part of USDA

Hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

5b.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 34,378 people, 12,747 households, and 7,880 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 13,512 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 71.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 4.2%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.8% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 9.4% from some other races and 11.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.4% of the population. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.1% were under 5 years of age, and 16.9% were 65 and older.

2010 census

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

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 80.0% White alone, 3.6% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.1%

, 9.2% from some other races and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.7% of the population. 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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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.

Economy

Holland is home to the world's largest pickle factory. The H.J. Heinz Company opened the factory at the same location in 1897, and processes over 1 million lbs. of pickles per day during the green season. *

– automotive seating * Haworth – office furniture * Herman Miller – home and office furniture * Johnson Controls –

lithium-ion A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses the reversible Intercalation (chemistry), intercalation of Li+ ions into electronically Electrical conductor, conducting solids to store energy. Li-ion batteries are c ...

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 9th largest chemical company in the world by sales in 2021. It was first established ...

–

batteries * Tiara Yachts – 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 Group, Inc. and the H.J. Heinz Company co-headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh. Kraft Heinz is t ...

– pickles, sauces, mustards * Magna – engineered glass and mirrors * Boxed Water is Better – a packaged water beverage

Arts and 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 is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

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's downtown is listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. 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 (; ) is an annual celebration held on May 5 to celebrate Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza. Zaragoza died months after the battle from an illness, ho ...

). Holland is also host to the annual Tulipanes Latino Art & Film Festival, which is held to celebrate the Latino contribution to the culture.

Religion

Holland is known as the "City of Churches". There are around 140 churches in the greater Holland area, many of which are with the

and Christian Reformed Church in North America denominations. The city is the home to the church that started the trend of the " What Would Jesus Do?" bracelets in 1989.

Tourism

Each May, Holland hosts an annual Tulip Time Festival.

Tulip Tulips are spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes in the ''Tulipa'' genus. Their flowers are usually large, showy, and brightly coloured, generally red, orange, pink, yellow, or white. They often have a different colour ...

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 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. 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. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...

in 2000, O-Town in 2001,

the Verve Pipe The Verve Pipe is an American Rock music, rock band from Michigan. They were formed in 1992 in East Lansing, Michigan, East Lansing by Brian Vander Ark (vocals, guitar), Brad Vander Ark (bass), Brian Stout (guitar), and Donny Brown (drums). They ...

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 American Bro ...

visited Tulip Time in 2007 along with

Bobby Vinton Stanley Robert Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is an American singer and actor, who 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 tribute to his Polish heritage. One ...

. Comedian

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...

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 Holland State Park is a public recreation area covering in Park Township, Ottawa County, four miles (6 km) west of the city of Holland, Michigan. The state park consists of separate Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan units on the northern ...

. Across the channel from the State Park is the

Holland Harbor Light The Holland Harbor Light, known as Big Red, is located in Park Township, Ottawa County, Michigan, Park Township, Michigan at the entrance of a channel connecting Lake Michigan with Lake Macatawa, and which gives access to the city of Holland, M ...

, 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°.

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.

Sports

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. Wolff 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 December 2023 are: **Ward 1 - Tim Vreeman **Ward 2 - Lyn Raymond **Ward 3 - Bylnda Sól **Ward 4 - Kim Rowan **Ward 5 - Scott Corbin **Ward 6 - Devin Shea **At-Large - Michael Schultheis **At-Large - Quincy Byrd The Holland Board of Public Works was created in 1883. It provides electricity, water and sewer services. 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 inte ...

relationship between Santiago de Querétaro,

Querétaro Querétaro, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Querétaro, 18 municipalities. Its capital city is Querétaro Cit ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, and the City of Holland.

Education

Higher level academic institutions

, a private four-year liberal arts college *

, a graduate and professional school *

Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State University (GVSU, GV, or Grand Valley) is a public university in Allendale Charter Township, Michigan, Allendale, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. Its main campus is situated on ...

, 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 prog ...

, with a regional campus in Holland * Grand Rapids Community College, Lakeshore Campus

Public schools

* Holland Public Schools * 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 (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 (includes Holland Christian High School) * Corpus Christi Catholic School * Calvary Schools of Holland * Holland Seventh-day Adventist School

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, Michigan, Holland, a city in Ottawa County, Michigan, Ottawa Cou ...

, 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 Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford International Airport is a commercial airport in Cascade Township, approximately southeast of Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. The facility is owned by the Kent County Board of Commissioners and managed by ...

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

, 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) 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'', Holland's local daily newspaper/online edition *'' Grand Rapids Press'', formerly maintained a Holland newsroom and circulation office

Radio

* WHTC, 1450 WHTC and The New 99.7 FM * WYVN, classic Hits for Holland and the Lakeshore, 92.7 FM *

WTHS WTHS-FM (89.9 FM broadcasting, FM) is a Campus radio, college radio Radio station, station Broadcast license, licensed to Hope College in Holland, Michigan. History Carrier current era The station began as WTAS in 1956, when students Richard ...

radio station, 89.9 FM

Television

*HCTV, Holland local television station

Notable people

Holland is the hometown of four

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipients (tied with

Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat of and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality in Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The ...

, both more than any other municipality in the United States): John Essebagger Jr., Paul Ronald Lambers, Matt Urban, and Gordon Douglas Yntema. * Harry Bannister, actor * L. Frank Baum (d. 1919), author of ''

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is a 1900 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 ma ...

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

and Princeton * Charles F. Conrad, founder of Lake Michigan Carferry Service *

Kirk Cousins Kirk Daniel Cousins (born August 19, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans football, Mi ...

, quarterback for

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

and NFL's

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

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 to ...

, 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, United States secretary of education from 2017 to 2021 ...

(born 1958), U.S. Secretary of Education, 2017–2021 *

Max DePree Max De Pree (October 28, 1924 – August 8, 2017) was an American businessman and writer. A son of D. J. De Pree, founder of Herman Miller (office equipment), Herman Miller office furniture company, he and his brother Hugh De Pree assumed leadersh ...

, writer; industrialist; former CEO of Herman Miller, Inc. * John Essebagger Jr. (d. 1951), U.S. Army Corporal, Korean War; Medal of Honor * Kevin Haverdink, NFL player * Gerrard Wendell Haworth (d. 2006), founded office furniture manufacturer Haworth Company *

Pete Hoekstra Cornelis Piet Hoekstra (; born October 30, 1953) is a Dutch-American politician who is serving as Ambassador to Canada. Hoekstra had served as the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands from January 10, 2018, to January 17, 2021. A member ...

, 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 Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...

, born in Holland * Alex Koroknay-Palicz,

youth rights The youth rights movement (also known as youth liberation) seeks to grant the rights to Youth, young people that are traditionally reserved for adults. This is closely akin to the notion of evolving capacities within the children's rights mov ...

advocate *

Paul de Kruif Paul Henry de Kruif (, rhyming with "life") (March 2, 1890 – February 28, 1971) was an American microbiologist and writer. Publishing as Paul de Kruif, he is known for his 1926 book, ''Microbe Hunters''. This book was not only a bestseller for a ...

(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 an ...

, founder of

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

* Lisa McMann, young-adult fiction writer * Kennedy McMann, actress * James Michael, lead singer ( Sixx:A.M.) and producer; co-wrote " Rest in Pieces" by

Saliva Saliva (commonly referred as spit or drool) 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 ...

* A. J. Muste, Dutch-born American clergyman and political activist who attended Hope College * David Myers, psychologist, author * Milton J. Nieuwsma, author,

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

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

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

and former Great Lakes project director for Bluewater Wind * Nathan Oostendorp, founder of

Everything2 Everything2 (styled Everything2 or E2 for short) is a collaborative online 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 E ...

* Edgar Prince, engineer and father to Erik * Erik Prince, founded Blackwater USA * Nicolas Rashevsky (1899–1972), theoretical physicist, died in Holland * Ron Schipper (d. 2006), football coach; member of College Football Hall of Fame * Willie Snead, NFL wide receiver * Herman Stegeman (d. 1939), varsity coach and athletics director at the University of Georgia at Athens (UGA) *

Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released ten solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nomina ...

, singer-songwriter; attended Hope College, details the city in the song "Holland" on his 2003 concept album, ''

'' * Charles Symmonds, U.S. Army general * Matt Urban (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

The Verve Pipe The Verve Pipe is an American Rock music, rock band from Michigan. They were formed in 1992 in East Lansing, Michigan, East Lansing by Brian Vander Ark (vocals, guitar), Brad Vander Ark (bass), Brian Stout (guitar), and Donny Brown (drums). They ...

* Luke Witkowski, former 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, author, explorer, and museum designer, serving on the board of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association. * Jake Van Tubbergen (born 1998), basketball player in the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

* William C. Vandenberg (1884–1971), 49th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan * Gordon Douglas Yntema (d. 1968), U.S. Army Sergeant, Vietnam War; Medal of Honor

References

External links

City of Holland – Official Website

Holland Visitors site
{{authority control Cities in Allegan County, Michigan Cities in Ottawa County, Michigan Michigan Neighborhood Enterprise Zone 1847 establishments in Michigan Populated places established in 1847