Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in
Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Kalamazoo County ( ) is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. , the population was 261,670. The county seat is Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo County is included in the Kalamazoo–Portage, Michigan, ...
, United States, and its
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
. At the
2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the
Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan area
The Kalamazoo–Portage Metropolitan Area comprises a region surrounding Kalamazoo. 2015 estimates placed it as the 151st largest among similarly designated areas in the United States. 2015 estimates place the combined statistical area 85th among ...
in southwestern Michigan, which had a population of 261,670 in 2020.
One of Kalamazoo's most notable features is the
Kalamazoo Mall
The Kalamazoo Mall, the first outdoor pedestrian shopping mall in the United States, is a section of Burdick Street in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Built for $60,000 and opened in 1959, the pedestrian mall became the first of several hundred ...
, an outdoor pedestrian shopping mall. The city created the mall in 1959 by closing part of Burdick Street to automobile traffic, although two of the mall's four blocks have been reopened to auto traffic since 1999.
Kalamazoo is home to
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...
, a large public university,
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1833 by American Baptist Churches USA, Baptist ministers as the Michigan and Huron Institute, K ...
, a private liberal arts college, and
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) is a public community college in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamaz ...
, a two-year community college.
Name origin
Originally known as Bronson (after founder
Titus Bronson) in the township of Arcadia, the names of both the city and the township were changed to "Kalamazoo" in 1836 and 1837, respectively. The name "Kalamazoo" comes from a
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi (), also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, upper Mississippi River, and western Great Lakes region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, ...
word, first found in a British report in 1772. The
Kalamazoo River
The Kalamazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river is long from the junction of its North and South branches to its mouth at Lake Michigan, with a total length extending to when one includes the South Branch.U.S. Geologic ...
, which passes through the modern city of Kalamazoo, was located on the route between
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
and
Fort Saint Joseph (nowadays
Niles, Michigan
Niles is a city in Berrien County, Michigan, Berrien and Cass County, Michigan, Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near the Indiana state line city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. The population was 11,988 according to the 2020 Unit ...
). French-Canadian traders, missionaries, and military personnel were quite familiar with this area during the French era and thereafter. The Kalamazoo River was then known by Canadians and French as ''La rivière Kikanamaso''. The name "Kikanamaso" was also recorded by Father
Pierre Potier, a Jesuit missionary for the Huron-Wendats at the Assumption mission (south shore of Detroit), while en route to Fort Saint Joseph during the fall of 1760. Legend has it that "Ki-ka-ma-sung", meaning "boiling water", referred to a footrace held each fall by local Native Americans, in which participants had to run to the river and back before a pot boiled. The word ''negikanamazo'', purported to mean "otter tail" or "stones like otters", has also been cited as a possible origin of the name.
Another theory is that it means "the mirage or reflecting river".
Another legend is that the image of "boiling water" referred to fog on the river as seen from the hills above the current downtown. The name was also given to the river that flows almost all the way across the state.
The name Kalamazoo, which sounds unusual to English speakers, has become a
metonym
Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something associated with that thing or concept. For example, the word "wikt:suit, suit" may refer to a person from groups commonly wearing business attire, such ...
for exotic places, as in the phrase "from
Timbuktu
Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census.
...
to Kalamazoo".
Today, T-shirts are sold in Kalamazoo with the phrase "Yes, there really is a Kalamazoo". For many years, this was even adopted as the city's main slogan.
History
The area on which the modern city of Kalamazoo stands was once home to
Native Americans of the
Hopewell tradition, who migrated into the area sometime before the
first millennium
File:1st millennium montage.png, From top left, clockwise: Depiction of Jesus, the central figure in Christianity; The Colosseum, a landmark of the once-mighty Roman Empire; Kaaba, the Great Mosque of Mecca, the holiest site of Islam; Chess, a ne ...
. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small
mound
A mound is a wikt:heaped, heaped pile of soil, earth, gravel, sand, rock (geology), rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded ...
in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to decline after the eighth century, and was replaced by other groups. The
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi (), also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, upper Mississippi River, and western Great Lakes region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, ...
culture lived in the area when the first European explorers arrived.
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (; November 22, 1643 – March 19, 1687), was a 17th-century French explorer and North American fur trade, fur trader in North America. He explored the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada ...
, passed just southeast of the present city of Kalamazoo in late March 1680. The first Europeans to reside in the area were itinerant
fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...
rs in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Records exist of several traders wintering in the area, and by the 1820s, at least one trading post had been established.
During the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
, the British established a smithy and a prison camp in the area.
The
1821 Treaty of Chicago ceded the territory south of the
Grand River to the United States federal government, but the area around present-day Kalamazoo was reserved as the village of Potawatomi Chief
Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish. Six years later, as a result of the 1827
Treaty of St. Joseph, the tract that became the city of Kalamazoo was also ceded.
In 1829, Titus Bronson, originally from
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
, became the first white settler to build a cabin within the present city limits of Kalamazoo.
He
plat
In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...
ted the town in 1831 and named it the village of Bronson—not to be confused with the much smaller
Bronson, Michigan, about to the south-southeast of Kalamazoo.
Bronson, frequently described as "eccentric" and argumentative, was later run out of town. The village was renamed Kalamazoo in 1836, due in part to Bronson's being fined for stealing a cherry tree.
Today, a hospital and a downtown park, among other things, are named for Bronson. Kalamazoo was legally incorporated as a village in 1838 and as a city in 1883.
The fertile farmlands attracted prosperous
Yankee
The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Their various meanings depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, the Northeastern United Stat ...
farmers who settled the surrounding area, and sent their sons to Kalamazoo to become businessmen, professionals, and entrepreneurs who started numerous factories. Most of the original settlers of Kalamazoo were New Englanders or from upstate New York.
On August 27, 1856,
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
gave a speech in Kalamazoo during a campaign rally for
John C. Fremont
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
, the first Republican presidential candidate. Th
text of the speechwas found by Lincoln historian Thomas I. Starr in a copy of the ''Detroit Daily Advertiser'' and published in a booklet. This was the only trip Lincoln ever made to Michigan. In July 2022, a local nonprofit, th
Kalamazoo Abraham Lincoln Institute was given permission by the city to place a statue of Lincoln in Bronson Park to commemorate the event.
In the 1940s, the city became the first to install
curb cuts.
In 1959, the city created the
Kalamazoo Mall
The Kalamazoo Mall, the first outdoor pedestrian shopping mall in the United States, is a section of Burdick Street in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Built for $60,000 and opened in 1959, the pedestrian mall became the first of several hundred ...
, the first outdoor pedestrian shopping mall in the United States, by closing part of Burdick Street to auto traffic. The mall was designed by
Victor Gruen, who also designed the country's first enclosed
shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...
, which had opened three years earlier.
Two of the mall's four blocks were reopened to auto traffic in 1999 after much debate.
An
F3 tornado struck downtown Kalamazoo on May 13, 1980, killing five and injuring 79.
On February 20, 2016, Kalamazoo became the site of
a random series of shootings in which six people were killed. A prime suspect was apprehended by police without incident.
File:North Burdick Street, Kalamazoo, MI.jpg, North Burdick St. in 1908
File:Academy Street, Kalamazoo, MI.jpg, Academy St. in 1908
File:Old Public Library, Kalamazoo, MI.jpg, Old public library in 1908
File:Kalamazoo Paper Mills, Kalamazoo, MI.jpg, Paper mills in 1908
Economic history

In the past, Kalamazoo was known for its production of
windmills,
mandolin
A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...
s,
buggies,
automobiles
A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...
,
cigars,
stove
A stove or range is a device that generates heat inside or on top of the device, for - local heating or cooking. Stoves can be powered with many fuels, such as natural gas, electricity, gasoline, wood, and coal.
Due to concerns about air pollu ...
s, and
paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...
and paper products. Agriculturally, it once was noted for
celery
Celery (''Apium graveolens'' Dulce Group or ''Apium graveolens'' var. ''dulce'') is a cultivated plant belonging to the species ''Apium graveolens'' in the family Apiaceae that has been used as a vegetable since ancient times.
The original wild ...
. Although much of it has become suburbanized, the surrounding area still produces farm crops, primarily corn and soybeans. Many landmarks and hiking trails are still based around the past celery industry.
Kalamazoo was the original home of Gibson Guitar Corporation, which spawned the still-local
Heritage Guitars. The company was incorporated as "Gibson Mandolin - Guitar Co., Ltd" on October 11, 1902, by craftsman
Orville Gibson
Orville H. Gibson (May 8, 1856 – August 19, 1918) was an American luthier who founded the Gibson (guitar company), Gibson Guitar Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1902, makers of guitars, mandolins and other instruments.
His earliest known ins ...
. One budget model was named the
Gibson Kalamazoo "Melody Maker" Electric Guitar. Operations were moved gradually from Kalamazoo to
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
(Electric Division) and
Bozeman,
Montana
Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
(Acoustic Division) in the 1980s. Some workers from the original factory stayed in Kalamazoo to create the Heritage Guitars company.
Kalamazoo was once known as the "Paper City" because of the paper mills in and near the city. The
Allied Paper Corporation The Allied Paper Corporation was created in 1921 by a merger of three paper mills in Kalamazoo and Otsego, both in South-West Michigan, USA. The company grew steadily over the next 40 years but when local forests had been logged off and when profits ...
operated several mills and employed 1,300 people in Kalamazoo during the late 1960s. As the forests of West Michigan were logged, paper mills closed.
Early in the 20th century, Kalamazoo was home to the
Brass Era car
The Brass Era is an American term for the early period of automotive manufacturing, named for the prominent brass fittings used during this time for such features as lights and radiators. It is generally considered to encompass 1896 through 19 ...
company
Barley
Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...
.
Kalamazoo was also headquarters of the
Checker Motors Company, the former manufacturer of the
Checker Cab, which also stamped sheet-metal parts for other auto manufacturers. Checker closed on June 25, 2009, a victim of the
Late-2000s recession
The Great Recession was a period of market decline in economies around the world that occurred from late 2007 to mid-2009. .
Geography
Most of Kalamazoo is on the southwest bank of a major bend in the
Kalamazoo River
The Kalamazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river is long from the junction of its North and South branches to its mouth at Lake Michigan, with a total length extending to when one includes the South Branch.U.S. Geologic ...
, with a small portion, about , on the opposite bank. Several small
tributaries
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ('' main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which the ...
of the Kalamazoo River, including Arcadia Creek and Portage Creek, wind through the city. The northeastern portion of Kalamazoo sits in the broad, flat Kalamazoo Valley, while the western portions of Kalamazoo climb into low hills to the west and south. Several small lakes are found throughout the area. It is halfway between
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
and
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
along
I-94. In addition, it is south of
Grand Rapids
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 ...
and southwest of
Lansing.
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 ...
, Kalamazoo has a total area of , of which is covered by water.
Kalamazoo's suburban population is located primarily to the south, in the city of
Portage
Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...
, and to the west in
Oshtemo and
Texas townships.
At least part of the municipal water supply for Kalamazoo is provided by the watershed contained within the
Al Sabo Preserve in
Texas Charter Township, Michigan, immediately southwest of Kalamazoo.
Another watershed, Kleinstuck Marsh, is popular with hikers and birdwatchers. Kleinstuck Marsh is south of Maple Street, between Oakland Drive and Westnedge Avenue, Kalamazoo's major north–south artery.
Climate
Kalamazoo has a
humid continental (
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 ...
''Dfa'') climate. Summers can be hot, humid, and relatively long, from May to September. Tornadoes are rare but possible in Kalamazoo. In fact, in 1980, a major tornado ripped through downtown Kalamazoo, causing extensive damage. In winter, temperatures occasionally plummet below 0°F (-18°). Kalamazoo has been known for brutal snowstorms as late as early April, but winter days have no snow on the ground at all.
Lake-effect snow
Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when a cold air mass moves across long expanses of warmer lake water. The lower layer of air, heated by the lake water, picks up water vapor from the lake and rises through colde ...
storms are commonplace in the winter.
Demographics
As of 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $31,189, and the median income for a family was $42,438. Males had a median income of $32,160 versus $25,532 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $16,897. About 13.6% of families and 24.3% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 26.0% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 74,262 people, 29,141 households, and 13,453 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 32,433 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 68.1%
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 ...
, 22.2%
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 ...
, 0.5%
Native American, 1.7%
Asian, 2.8% from
other races, and 4.6% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino residents of any race were 6.4% of the population.
There were 29,141 households, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.1% 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, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 53.8% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.04.
The median age in the city was 26.2 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 27% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 18.2% were from 45 to 64; and 9.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.
Neighborhoods

The city of Kalamazoo is commonly divided into 22 neighborhoods, many of which are served by a
neighborhood association
A neighborhood association (NA) is a group of residents or property owners who advocate to organize activities within a neighborhood. An association may have elected leaders and voluntary dues.
Some neighborhood associations in the United State ...
. The Neighborhood Development Division of the city's government works with these associations to invest federal, state, and local funds, including those from the
Community Development Block Grant
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), one of the longest-running programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, funds local community development activities with the stated goal of providing affordable housing, anti- ...
program, in community improvements and economic growth.
Economy

In 2007, Kalamazoo was named to
Fast Company
''Fast Company'' is an American business magazine published monthly in print and online, focusing on technology, business, and design. It releases six print issues annually.
History
''Fast Company'' was founded in November 1995 by Alan Webb ...
's 'Fast 50: Most Innovative Companies 2007', in recognition of the city's
community capitalism approach to revitalize the economy. In 2012
Kiplinger's Personal Finance
''Kiplinger Personal Finance'' ( ) is an American personal finance magazine published by Kiplinger since 1947. It claims to be the first American personal finance magazine and to deliver "sound, unbiased advice in clear, concise language". It off ...
ranked Kalamazoo fourth of the ''Ten Best Cities for Cheapskates''. The city was named in
NerdWallet.com's 2014 'Top 10 Best Cities for Work-Life Balance'.
Breweries
Kalamazoo has many local
breweries
A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of be ...
and
brewpub
Craft beer is beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, ne ...
s that produce a variety of
beer
Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...
styles.
Perhaps the best-known is
Bell's Brewery, established as the Kalamazoo Brewing Company in 1985 by Larry Bell. The brewery has expanded from its original Kalamazoo location, which houses the Eccentric Cafe, to another brewery in nearby
Comstock Charter Township. Bell's beer is distributed to 40 US states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico. Other local breweries include Tibb's Brewing Company, Rupert's Brewhouse , Boatyard Brewing Co. , One Well Brewing, and
Latitude 42 Brewing Company, the latter in the southern suburb of Portage. On a smaller scale, Olde Peninsula Brewpub, Bravo! restaurant, and Bilbo's Pizza and Brewing Company serve their own brews. The area is also a hotbed for home brewing and partners with neighboring
Grand Rapids
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 ...
to form what is widely considered one of America's more important regions in American craft beer explosion. In recent years, at least two community events have evolved from the growing craft beer industry in the Kalamazoo area (Kalamazoo Beer Week (annual), Kalamazoo Craft Beer Festival). In 2015, the Give a Craft beer trail and passport were introduced. A shuttle bus (''Kalamazoo Brew Bus'') service and party bike tour service became available in 2016.
Distilleries
In 2015, Rupert's Brew House entered the Kalamazoo craft spirits market. Two additional distilleries,
Green Door Distilling, formerly Revival Distilling and Kalamazoo Distilling Company, are in the licensing stage.
Flavorings
The
A.M. Todd Company, one of the lead producers of
peppermint
Peppermint (''Mentha'' × ''piperita'') is a Hybrid (biology), hybrid species of Mentha, mint, a cross between Mentha aquatica, watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in m ...
oil and other flavorings, is headquartered in Kalamazoo. Its founder,
Albert M. Todd, was elected to the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, 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 Artic ...
for the
55th Congress.
Kalamazoo is also home to
Kalsec, another flavorings company, which was founded by
Paul H. Todd Jr., Albert Todd's grandson and U.S. Representative in the
89th Congress. Founded as the Kalamazoo Spice Extraction Company, Kalsec is owned and managed by Todd family descendants.
Manufacturing
Stryker Corporation
Stryker Corporation is an American multinational Medical Technologies, medical technologies corporation based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Stryker's products include implants used in joint replacement and trauma surgeries; surgica ...
is Kalamazoo-based and makes medical equipment.
Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet designs and manufactures outdoor kitchen equipment.
Fabri-Kal, a supplier of food service and other containers produced from
thermoform plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...
or plant-based materials (Greenware product line), has operated corporate headquarters in Kalamazoo since the 1960s.
The company closed the Kalamazoo-based manufacturing facilities in 1991, but returned and expanded manufacturing capacity in 2008 with the opening of a
LEED-certified facility.
In recent years, the company's product lines have introduced
sustainable
Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...
and plant-based materials, and innovations to reduce the plastic content of consumer and other packaging.
Parker Hannifin Aerospace's Hydraulic Systems Division (HSD) is located at 2220 Palmer Ave in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The 170,000-square foot facility designs, manufactures, and services hydraulic components for both military and commercial aerospace sectors. It produces hydraulic axial piston pumps and motors, electric motor-driven pumps, hydraulic power transfer/supply units, electrohydraulic power modules, hydraulic thrust-reverser & landing gear actuators, accumulators, reservoirs, filter modules and valve packs.
Life sciences
The
Upjohn Company was a pharmaceutical research and manufacturing firm founded in 1886 in Kalamazoo; through a series of mergers and acquisitions that took place between 1995 and 2003, the Upjohn Company assets became a part of the
Pfizer
Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered at The Spiral (New York City), The Spiral in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 184 ...
Corporation.
Most of Upjohn's original facilities remain, many have been renovated and some new buildings have been constructed. The bulk of the former Upjohn Company facilities in the area exist in
Portage
Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...
, under Pfizer or Zoetis operation; others, located in downtown Kalamazoo, have been re-purposed as the campus of the
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, the research and development headquarters of
Zoetis, and office space for
Bronson Methodist Hospital.
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed) is a collaboration involving
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...
and Kalamazoo's two teaching hospitals
Ascension Borgess and
Bronson Methodist. The new medical school has been in planning since 2008, and was granted Preliminary Accreditation from the
Liaison Committee on Medical Education
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) is an accrediting body for educational programs at schools of medicine in the United States and Canada.''Glossary.'' ACGME website. The LCME is sponsored by the Association of American Medical ...
in October 2012. Welcoming its first class in August 2014, the school is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation supported by private gifts, clinical revenue, research activity, student tuition, and endowment income. In March 2011,
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...
received a gift of $100 million for the medical school from anonymous donors.
The global
Research and Development
Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in some countries as OKB, experiment and design, is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products. R&D constitutes the first stage ...
organization of
Zoetis, the world's largest producer of
medicine
Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
and
vaccinations
Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...
for
pets
A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive/ cute appearances, int ...
and
livestock
Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...
, is headquartered in downtown Kalamazoo.
The city is also home to the
Stryker Corporation
Stryker Corporation is an American multinational Medical Technologies, medical technologies corporation based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Stryker's products include implants used in joint replacement and trauma surgeries; surgica ...
, a surgical and medical devices manufacturer.
Kalamazoo hospitals include:
Kalamazoo Regional Psychiatric Hospital,
Bronson Methodist Hospital, and
Ascension Borgess Hospital.
Industrial design
In 2014,
Newell Rubbermaid established a global product design center in Kalamazoo, consolidating fifteen global design units at a single location within the
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...
Business Technology and Research Park. The Business Technology and Research Park is also home to design firm TEKNA Solutions. In 2015, Kalamazoo-based landscape design and manufacturing firm
Landscape Forms, Inc., received five National Design Awards.
Research and economic development
The
W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit research organization, has operated in Kalamazoo since its establishment in 1945. The institute conducts research into the causes and effects of unemployment, and measures for the alleviation of unemployment. The institute also publishes ''Business Outlook for West Michigan'', a quarterly journal that provides economic analysis and forecasts on the West Michigan
economy
An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...
.
The
Fetzer Institute promotes and funds
holistic solutions to everyday problems. It was founded by
John Fetzer, a broadcasting magnate and former owner of the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
and WKZO
radio
Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
and
television
Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
in Kalamazoo.
The economic development organization Southwest Michigan First was established in Kalamazoo in 1999, with a focus on
community capitalism. The organization was recognized as a Best and Brightest Company to Work For in 2013, and has received
Fast Company
''Fast Company'' is an American business magazine published monthly in print and online, focusing on technology, business, and design. It releases six print issues annually.
History
''Fast Company'' was founded in November 1995 by Alan Webb ...
commendations for innovative strategies to improve the economy. In 2015, two members of Southwest Michigan First were selected for Development Counsellors International's "2015 40 under 40," top 40 young economic developers in the United States.
Businesses
Other notable Kalamazoo businesses include:
*
PNC Bank—Kalamazoo was formerly the corporate HQ of First of America Bank, which merged with
National City Bank in 1997. National City has since been purchased and merged with
PNC Bank which still maintains a large corporate building in Texas Township, and several locations downtown, along with numerous branches in the region.
*
Henderson Castle, an 1895 Queen Anne-Style house that sits on West Main Hill across from Mountain Home cemetery, overlooking the city. It is privately owned but open to the public and currently functioning as a bed and breakfast, restaurant and spa.
Government

Kalamazoo government is administered under a
commission-manager style of government. The
city commission is the representative body of the city, and consists of seven members—six city commissioners and a separately elected mayor—elected on a staggered
non-partisan
Nonpartisanship, also known as nonpartisanism, is a lack of affiliation with a political party and a lack of political bias.
While an ''Oxford English Dictionary'' definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., ...
basis every four years. Whoever receives the most votes during an election becomes vice mayor of the city for the first two years of their term until a new vice mayor is selected. The current City Commission consists of Mayor David Anderson, Vice Mayor Don Cooney, and commissioners Jeanne Hess, Chris Praedel, Qianna Decker, Stephanie Hoffman, and Esteven Juarez. The current mayor, David F. Anderson, was elected to a second term on November 2, 2021, beating Ben Stanley with 78.7% of the vote.
The vice mayor of Kalamazoo is Don Cooney, who won election in 2021 with 69.37% of the vote.
The
city manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...
is the city's chief administrative officer. The manager is hired by, and answers to, the city commission.
Crime
Kalamazoo has a higher crime rate than the national average. Crime is spread throughout Kalamazoo and is especially high in the inner neighborhoods such as Edison, the Northside and Vine. Crime is lower in the downtown area and most of the southwest area. The aggravated assault rate in 2015 was 793.3 per 100,000—3.3 times the national average. The murder rate was 12.5 per 100,000 in 2010 and 7.9 in 2014. The
2016 Kalamazoo shootings by Uber driver Jason Dalton claimed 6 lives and caused 2 serious injuries in
Kalamazoo County. Between 2008 and 2013 firearms were involved in 61% of homicides in Kalamazoo county compared to 77% statewide.
Education

Kalamazoo is home to
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...
. The college has four campuses in Kalamazoo, (
West Campus,
East Campus,
Parkview Campus and
Oakland Drive Campus) as well as several regional locations throughout Michigan and two in Florida. West Campus, located just west of downtown, has the largest concentration of university students, programs and school services. In 2005, Western Michigan ranked as the no. 2 wireless campus in the United States, per a national survey done by the
Intel
Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and Delaware General Corporation Law, incorporated in Delaware. Intel designs, manufactures, and sells computer compo ...
Corporation.
In 2014, the
WMU Homer Stryker School of Medicine (WMed) opened, welcoming an inaugural class of 54 students.
Each May, WMU hosts the
International Congress on Medieval Studies. Organized by the Medieval Institute's faculty and graduate students, the Congress brings some 3,000 professors and students from around the globe to present and discuss a variety of topics related to the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
.
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1833 by American Baptist Churches USA, Baptist ministers as the Michigan and Huron Institute, K ...
, a private liberal arts college founded in 1833, is located on a hill opposite WMU's original campus.
Kalamazoo is home to
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) is a public community college in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamaz ...
,
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 ...
, and Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center (KAMSC). Construction of the new Kalamazoo Valley Community College Culinary and Allied Health campus began in August 2014. It had also been the home of
Nazareth College, which closed in 1992.
K-12 education
The public schools for the vast majority of Kalamazoo are managed by
Kalamazoo Public Schools.
Every resident graduate of the Kalamazoo Public Schools is provided with a scholarship for up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fee costs for four years at any public university or community college in Michigan, starting with the class of 2006. This program is known as the
Kalamazoo Promise.
Small sections of Kalamazoo are in other school districts:
Parchment School District,
Comstock Public Schools and
Portage Public Schools.
[
]
Culture
The city has an Arts Council. On the first Friday of each month, the council organizes the 'Art Hop'. Art Hop is a free event, during which downtown businesses and galleries display works by local artists, and patrons 'hop' from venue to venue, enjoying art, live music, and the chance to interact with local artists. A popular site during Art Hop is the Park Trades Center, which houses the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, Glass Art Kalamazoo, and many other studios.
On New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...
, downtown Kalamazoo is the site of an annual New Year's Fest celebration. This celebration is centered at Bronson Park and surrounding venues, allowing patrons to walk from venue to venue to enjoy an all ages showcase of performing arts and other activities (music, magic, comedy, exhibitions, fireworks, food). Initiated in 1985, the event has grown in scope and popularity.
Music groups and other performing artists perform at the downtown State Theatre, Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...
's Miller Auditorium, and Wings Event Center.
The annual "Eccentric Day" at Bell's Eccentric Cafe celebrates the brewery's Eccentric Ale on the December Friday that marks the end of finals at Western Michigan University.
The Moped Army was founded in Kalamazoo in 1997.
There is no longer a zoo in Kalamazoo. The Milham Park Zoo closed in 1974.
Next to Milham Park is the Milham Park Golf Course. Completed in 1936, the 18-hole, par-72 course is entirely within the city limits of Kalamazoo. During winter, sledding
Sledding, sledging or sleighing is a winter sport typically carried out in a prone or seated position on a vehicle generically known as a sled (North American), a sledge (British), or a sleigh. It is the basis of three Olympic sports: luge, Skel ...
and cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...
are popular activities at the golf course (free of charge). In recent years, the Kalamazoo Nordic Skiers club has groomed and maintained skate ski and classic ski trails for community use.
In 2002, the Kalamazoo Public Library was named "Library of the Year" by ''Library Journal''. The library includes a main location and four branch libraries, and until 2010, a bookmobile
A bookmobile, or mobile library, is a vehicle designed for use as a library. They have been known by many names throughout history, including traveling library, library wagon, book wagon, book truck, library-on-wheels, and book auto service. Boo ...
system. In 2014, the library opened 'The Hub', a digital lab open to the public for digitizing photos and video, producing podcasts, preserving old vinyl records, cassettes and VHS tapes, and other services.
Kalamazoo's theaters and performing groups include the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, The New Vic Theatre, Farmers Alley Theatre, Crawlspace Theatre Productions, The State Theater, and the Barn Theatre in nearby Augusta. Plays and musicals are also performed at Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University.
Animation festival
A project of Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) is a public community college in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamaz ...
, The Kalamazoo Animation Festival International (KAFI) encourages and educates animation
Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
artists, promotes Kalamazoo's animation industry, and provides community entertainment. In addition to a biannual festival, KAFI sponsors events such as film screenings and workshops throughout the year.
KAFI's first festival drew 235 submissions and nearly 1,000 attendees in 2002. A second festival was held in 2003. Since then, an every-other-year schedule has been adopted. The 2007 festival attracted more than 500 entries from 37 countries. In addition to an animated film competition with $15,000 in prizes awarded, the festival features events for students, artists, educators, filmmakers and the general public. Past KAFI award winners include Bill Plympton
Bill Plympton (born April 30, 1946) is an American animator, graphic designer, cartoonist, and filmmaker best known for his 1987 Academy Award–nominated animated short '' Your Face'' and his series of shorts featuring a dog character starting ...
, Chris Landreth and John Canemaker.
Museums
The city's most prominent art museum is the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, whose collection has more than 3,600 works and a focus on 20th-century American art. The KIA regularly mounts temporary exhibitions.
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum, established in 1881, is an American Association of Museums accredited museum operated by Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) is a public community college in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamaz ...
. The museum features "hands-on" exhibits aimed largely at children, and has a planetarium and a Challenger Learning Center.
Northeast of town, in Hickory Corners, is the Gilmore Car Museum
The Gilmore Car Museum is an automobile museum located in Hickory Corners, Michigan, United States. The museum exhibits over 400 vintage and collector vehicles and motorcycles from all eras in several vintage buildings located on a 90-acre camp ...
, which includes cars used in Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
movies.
The Kalamazoo Air Zoo, just south of town, in Portage
Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...
has several dozen aircraft on display, from biplanes to jets.
Music
The Gibson Guitar Corporation
Gibson, Inc. (formerly Gibson Guitar Corporation and Gibson Brands Inc.) is an American manufacturer of Guitar manufacturing, guitars, other musical instruments, and professional audio equipment from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and now based in Nashvi ...
, founded in Kalamazoo in 1902, spurred local musicians to play a wide variety of styles, from classical and folk to modern rock (the company relocated to Nashville in 1984). The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1921, is directed by Raymond Harvey. The city also hosts the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, a Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (German: �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
Festival, the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music, and the Stulberg International String Competition.
The local and indie music scene has produced pop stars such as RCA recording artists 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 ...
and Metal Blade recording artists Thought Industry. Kalamazoo is also host to the Kalamashoegazer music festival, held for the last 13 years and a showcase for both local and national shoegaze and dream pop bands.
Sports
Kalamazoo plays host to three non-collegiate teams:
* The Kalamazoo Growlers
The Kalamazoo Growlers are a baseball team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, that plays in the Northwoods League, a summer collegiate baseball league. The Growlers were founded in 2013 and played their first game on May 28, 2014, losing to the then ...
Summer Collegiate baseball team plays games in Homer Stryker Field. The team is currently a member of the Northwoods League
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league. All players in the league must have National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. The league is amateur, and players are not ...
.
* The Kalamazoo Wings (aka K-Wings) minor league hockey team play games in Wings Event Center and has played since 1974. The team is currently a member of the ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
, a development league for the NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
.
* The Kalamazoo FC, a National Premier Soccer League
The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's association football, soccer league. The league is officially affiliated to the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and has automatic qualification for the U.S. Open Cup. ...
team, was established in 2016.
The Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...
Broncos, who compete in the NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
Division I Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Its members co ...
, play at the following on-campus venues:
* Waldo Stadium
Waldo Stadium is a stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is primarily used for football, and has been the home of Western Michigan University Broncos football in rudimentary form since 1914, and as a complete stadium since 1939. It currently has ...
(football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
)
* Lawson Arena (hockey
''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...
)
* University Arena (basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
and Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
)
* Hyames Field (baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
)
* Ebert Field (softball
Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...
)
* Kanley Track (outdoor track and field
Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...
)
Hyames Field played host to the first two College World Series
The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is a baseball tournament held each June in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the culmination of the NCAA Division I baseball tournament—featuring 64 teams in the ...
held in 1947 and 1948. Future U. S. President George H. W. Bush was a first baseman for Yale in the 1947 series.
The Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1833 by American Baptist Churches USA, Baptist ministers as the Michigan and Huron Institute, K ...
Hornets and Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) is a public community college in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamaz ...
Cougars also have several collegiate athletic teams.
Kalamazoo is the hometown of former New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
shortstop Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974), nicknamed "the Captain", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) caree ...
, former NFL wide receiver Greg Jennings, former NFL running back T. J. Duckett, the world's number one prize money winning pro bass fisherman Kevin VanDam, former MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher Scott Olsen, former NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
player Adam Hall and former Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
first baseman Mike Squires. Kalamazoo was also the hometown of longtime Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
owner John Fetzer, who owned the American League team from 1961 through 1984, when he sold the franchise to Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc., commonly referred to as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware General Corporation Law, Delaware-domiciled and headquartered ...
founder Tom Monaghan
Thomas Stephen Monaghan (born March 25, 1937) is an American entrepreneur and Philanthropy, philanthropist who founded Domino's Pizza in 1960. He also owns the Domino's Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor Charter Township, Michigan, and owned the Det ...
.
The United States Tennis Association
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is the national governing body for tennis in the United States. A not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tenn ...
Boys 18 and 16 National Tennis Championships are hosted every summer by Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1833 by American Baptist Churches USA, Baptist ministers as the Michigan and Huron Institute, K ...
. The event has featured such players as Jimmy Connors
James Scott Connors (born September 2, 1952) is an American former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the List of ATP number 1 ranked singles players, world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 2 ...
, John McEnroe
John Patrick McEnroe Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in men's List of ATP number 1 ranked singles players, singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) ...
, Jim Courier
James Spencer Courier (born August 17, 1970) is an American former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the List of ATP number 1 ranked singles players, world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 58 ...
, Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi ( ; born April 29, 1970) is an American former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the List of ATP number 1 ranked singles players, world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 101 ...
, Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras (born August 12, 1971) is an American former professional tennis player. One of the most successful tennis players of all time, he was ranked as the List of ATP number 1 ranked singles players, world No. 1 in men's singles by the A ...
, Michael Chang
Michael Te-pei Chang (born February 22, 1972) is an American former professional tennis player and coach. He was ranked world No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in 1996. Chang is the youngest man in history to win a singl ...
, James Blake and Andy Roddick
Andrew Stephen Roddick (born August 30, 1982) is an American former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 13 weeks, including as the year-end No. 1 in ...
, before they turned professional.
The Kalamazoo Rugby Football Club, founded in 1988, competes in the Michigan Rugby Football Union.
Since 2006, Wings Event Center has been the home of the Kalamazoo Derby Darlins roller derby league teams. Following up on successful events in 2010 and 2015, Wings Event Center and the Kalamazoo Curling Club will host the 2019 U.S. National Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide #Curling stone, stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area that is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take t ...
Championship.
The annual Kalamazoo Marathon, a USA Track & Field
USA Track & Field (USATF) is a United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running, and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and 1 ...
-certified and Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by eight cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ins ...
-qualifying event, is part of a weekend of running and walking events.
In 1984–1986, the Kalamazoo Kangaroos, a Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) team, played in Kalamazoo.
In 2022-2023 The Kalamazoo Galaxy, a basketball team in The Basketball League (TBL) played at Wings Event Center.
Media
Newspapers
Kalamazoo is served by one daily newspaper, the ''Kalamazoo Gazette
The ''Kalamazoo Gazette'' is the daily newspaper in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and is part of MLive Media Group, Michigan's largest local media organization. The ''Gazette'' publishes seven days a week. Papers are available for home delivery on Thur ...
'', which now prints seven and delivers two editions weekly. ''Business Review Western Michigan'', a business-to-business
Business-to-business (B2B or, in some countries, BtoB) refers to trade and commercial activity where a business sees other businesses as its customer base. This typically occurs when:
* A business sources materials for its production process for ...
publication headquartered in Kalamazoo, covering Western Michigan news, was rolled into MLive
MLive Media Group, originally known as Booth Newspapers, or Booth Michigan, is a media group that produces newspapers from the state of Michigan in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded by George Gough Booth with his two brothers, Booth Newspapers was sold t ...
online coverage in late 2012. The ultimate parent company of both the ''Gazette'' and ''Business Review'' are Advance Publications, Inc.
Television
WWMT
WWMT (channel 3) is a television station licensed to Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States, serving West Michigan as an affiliate of CBS. The station is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, and maintains studios on West Maple Street in Kalamazoo ...
, West Michigan's CBS affiliate, is licensed and operates out of Kalamazoo, but serves the entire West Michigan region. The station was originally owned and operated by famous broadcasting pioneer (and former Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
owner) John Fetzer, as "WKZO-TV". Along with television, Fetzer introduced Kalamazoo to radio in 1931, when AM 590 WKZO signed on the air. Fetzer also created Kalamazoo's first cable television
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...
system, then known as Fetzer Cablevision; it is a predecessor of Kalamazoo's current cable franchise, Charter Communications.
Public Media Network, located in downtown Kalamazoo, hosts media outlets, including Charter cable channels 187-191 where daily public access programs are produced and aired to the public.
Kalamazoo is part of the West Michigan television market, which also includes Grand Rapids and Battle Creek. Most channels that serve the entire market are receivable in Kalamazoo, including WWMT, WOOD-TV
WOOD-TV (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for West Michigan. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Battle Creek–licensed dual American Broadcasting Compan ...
(NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
), WXMI ( Fox), WZPX ( Ion) and WLLA (religious). Some channels based in the northern part of the market reach Kalamazoo through a satellite or translator, such as WTLJ Muskegon (religious, through W26BX), WGVU-TV Grand Rapids ( PBS, through WGVK), and WXSP-CD Grand Rapids (MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV (stylized as mynetworkTV; unofficially abbreviated MNT or MNTV) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its Fox Television Stations ...
, through WOKZ-CA). WOTV in Battle Creek broadcasts ABC and CW programming for the southern part of the market, including Kalamazoo. Charter offers all West Michigan channels on its system to Kalamazoo subscribers, including WZZM, the ABC affiliate for Grand Rapids and the northern part of the market.
Radio
WIDR is the college student-run, commercial-free radio station at Western Michigan University. It is known for playing obscure and underground music of all genres, and some local news and talk. Broadcasting 100 watts on 89.1 FM, WIDR can be heard from about a 20-mile radius from campus.
WMUK is also on Western Michigan University's campus. It hosts many local music programs, including jazz and classical performances, as well as programming from NPR. WMUK broadcasts at 50,000 watts in high definition on 102.1 FM.
WKDS is West Michigan's only high-school student-run radio station. The station signed on in 1983 at 89.9 on the FM dial, broadcasting from Loy Norrix High School. The call letters stood for Kalamazoo District Schools (now Kalamazoo Public Schools). For most of its history, WKDS broadcast only during daytime hours and not at all on the weekend. In the fall of 2004, the station began broadcasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in an attempt to prevent an outside organization from taking over the time WKDS was off the air. WKDS was part of a county-wide Education for Employment program for years. The radio station is still owned by Kalamazoo Public Schools, although the EFE program has been discontinued. High-school students from around the area continue to operate the station.
FM radio stations that originate from or can be heard over the air in Kalamazoo include:
* WCXK 88.3 - Kalamazoo - Christian Adult Contemporary
* WIDR 89.1 - Kalamazoo - College/Variety
* WKDS 89.9 - Kalamazoo - High School/Variety
* WCSG 91.3 - Grand Rapids - Christian Adult Contemporary
* WZUU 92.5 - Mattawan/Kalamazoo - Classic Rock
* WBCT 93.7 - Grand Rapids - Country
* WWDK 94.1 - Jackson/Lansing/Battle Creek/Kalamazoo - Classic Country
* WKLQ 94.5 - Grand Rapids - Adult Album Alternative
* W238AL 95.5 - Kalamazoo - Urban Adult Contemporary (FM translator for AM 1560)
* WLKM-FM 95.9 - Three Rivers - Adult Contemporary
* WMAX-FM 96.1 - Holland/Grand Rapids - Sports
* WTOU 96.5 - Portage/Kalamazoo - Modern Adult Contemporary
* WGRD 97.9 - Grand Rapids - Mainstream Rock
* WNWN 98.5 - Coldwater/Battle Creek/Kalamazoo - Country
* WBCH-FM 100.1 - Hastings - Country
* WQXC 100.9 - Otsego/Kalamazoo - Oldies
* WMUK 102.1 - Kalamazoo - NPR/Talk/Classical/Jazz
* WKFR-HD2 102.5 - Kalamazoo - Urban Contemporary //WBXX 104.9
* WYHA 102.9 - Grand Rapids - Christian
* WKFR 103.3 - Battle Creek/Kalamazoo - CHR/Top 40
* WVGR 104.1 - Grand Rapids - NPR/Talk
* WBXX 104.9 - Marshall/Battle Creek- Urban Contemporary
* WSRW 105.7 - Grand Rapids - Adult Contemporary
* WJXQ 106.1 - Jackson/Lansing/Battle Creek - Mainstream Rock
* WVFM
WVFM (106.5 FM broadcasting, FM) is an alternative rock , alternative rock-leaning adult hits radio station serving the Kalamazoo, Michigan radio market. The station has an ERP of 33 kW. They are owned by Midwest Communications. WVFM 106.5 ...
106.5 - Kalamazoo - Variety Hits
* WKZO 106.9 - Kalamazoo - News/Talk (FM translator for AM 590)
* WTNR 107.3 - Greenville/Grand Rapids - Country
* WRKR 107.7 - Portage/Battle Creek/Kalamazoo - Classic Rock
AM radio stations that originate or can be heard over the air in Kalamazoo:
* WKZO 590 - Kalamazoo - News/Talk - (FM translator at 106.9)
* WAKV 980 - Allegan/Otsego - Adult Standards
* WKMI
WKMI (1360 AM) is a radio station licensed to Kalamazoo, Michigan broadcasting a talk format.
WKMI is an affiliate of the Grand Valley State Laker football radio network.
WKMI, which began broadcasting in 1947, was a highly rated Top 40 mus ...
1360 - Kalamazoo - Talk
* WZOX 1660 - Kalamazoo - Urban Adult Contemporary
Transportation
Highways
*
*
*
* north of downtown Kalamazoo
*
*
*
Kalamazoo is served by highways I-94, US 131, M-96 and M-343. It was on the original Territorial Road in Michigan of the 19th century, which started in Detroit and ran to Lake Michigan. Much of that, but not all, later became Old US 12—the "old" designation came about when I-94 was built parallel to it—and also was called ''Red Arrow Highway'' after a World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
army division. The name "US 12" was shifted south to what once was US 112 between Detroit and New Buffalo. Some parts of Old US 12 outside of town, especially in Van Buren and Berrien counties to the west, are still called Red Arrow Highway. The term "Old US 12" has faded from use.
Rail
* Kalamazoo has rail service provided by Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
, with the station located downtown and combined with a newly renovated bus terminal. Kalamazoo serves as the hub and largest city in Amtrak's only high-speed corridor outside the Northeast, with service between Porter, Indiana and Albion, Michigan
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,700 at the 2020 census. Albion is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The earliest ...
.
* Kalamazoo also has a freight service provided by Grand Elk Railroad running north to Grand Rapids, Michigan and south to Elkhart, Indiana. The line they lease was a former Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad mainline.
Bus
* Bus service to and through the city is provided by Greyhound
The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets.
Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...
, Indian Trails and the Kalamazoo trolley.
* Public bus services within the city are provided by Metro.
Air
* On the southern end of the city is the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO), which offers flights on various airlines to hubs and leisure destinations. Construction of a new $36 million terminal was completed in 2011.
Other
The Kal-Haven Trail, heavily used by cyclists, runners, walkers, and snowmobilers, extends to downtown Kalamazoo. It runs between South Haven, to a trailhead just west of Kalamazoo. Between that trailhead and South Haven the trail is run by Van Buren County, even the parts within Kalamazoo County. A trail pass is no longer required. The Kal-Haven is a rail trail
A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...
, built on the former right-of-way of the Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad.
The section east of the trailhead was opened in 2008 and extends to downtown Kalamazoo. It is known as the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail and is run by Kalamazoo County. No pass is required on that section.
In popular culture
Kalamazoo's name is a familiar reference in popular music, since its unique sound makes it a "great word for a lyric." Its use as metonym
Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something associated with that thing or concept. For example, the word "wikt:suit, suit" may refer to a person from groups commonly wearing business attire, such ...
for a remote place is discussed above—"although when it comes to both Timbuktu
Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census.
...
and Kalamazoo, most of that brag-worthy exotic allure is merely in their names." Nonetheless, numerous songs use the city's name in their song title or lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, ...
.
Probably the first and most famous was " (I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo" (1942) by the Glenn Miller Orchestra with Tex Beneke. The song was written by Mack Gordon
Mack Gordon (born Morris Gittler; June 21, 1904 – February 28, 1959) was an American lyricist for the stage and film. He was nominated for the best original song Oscar nine times in 11 years, including five consecutive years between 1940 and 1 ...
and Harry Warren. It was recreated by the fictional Gene Morrison Orchestra (performing as the Glenn Miller Orchestra) and the Nicholas Brothers (performing the song as part of a dance sequence) in the 1942 movie '' Orchestra Wives.''[Lyrics, Glenn Miller "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo".] It was nominated for Best Original Song at the 15th Academy Awards (music by Harry Warren; lyrics by Mack Gordon
Mack Gordon (born Morris Gittler; June 21, 1904 – February 28, 1959) was an American lyricist for the stage and film. He was nominated for the best original song Oscar nine times in 11 years, including five consecutive years between 1940 and 1 ...
).[ See also Boom Shot.]
At least a dozen (and many more versions) of "Kalamazoo" songs have been recorded. In chronological order, others include: " I've Been Everywhere" (1962) by Hank Snow
Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (May 9, 1914 – December 20, 1999) was a Canadian country music guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' country charts betw ...
(from the album of the same title) and the 1996 song "Unchained" (also from the album of the same name) by Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...
—reworked from the original 1959 Geoff Mack Australian-place-names version made popular by the singer Lucky Starr, " Down on the Corner" (1969) by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival, commonly abbreviated as CCR or simply Creedence, was an American Rock music, rock band formed in El Cerrito, California. The band consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty, h ...
on their fourth studio album, '' Willy and the Poor Boys''—covered by a dozen other groups—though the reference is not to the city but to the "Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...
" line of budget priced guitars manufactured by Gibson, "Kalamazoo" (1995) by Luna
Luna commonly refers to:
* Earth's Moon, named "Luna" in Latin, Spanish and other languages
* Luna (goddess)
In Sabine and ancient Roman religion and myth, Luna is the divine embodiment of the Moon (Latin ''Lūna'' ). She is often presented as t ...
on '' Penthouse'', "Cold Rock a Party" (1996) by MC Lyte
Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, MC Lyte first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first female rapper to release a ...
on '' Bad as I Wanna B'', "Kalamazoo" (1997) by the rock trio Primus on '' Brown Album'', " Top of the World" (1999) by Rascalz on '' Global Warning'', "Isn't It Love" (2001) by Andrew Peterson on '' Clear to Venus'' (at one point, he sings that he lost his luggage in Kalamazoo), "Kalamazoo" (2002) by Mike Craver on ''Shining Down'', "Kalamazoo" (2004) by Ben Folds on the EP '' Super D'', and "Kalamazoo" (2017) by The Show Ponies on their album ''How It All Goes Down''.
The city was also mentioned in the opera ''Einstein on the Beach
''Einstein on the Beach'' is an opera in four acts composed by Philip Glass with libretto in collaboration with Robert Wilson (director), Robert Wilson, who also designed and directed early productions. The opera eschews traditional narrative in ...
'' by Philip Glass and in the chorus of the song " Gotta Get Away" by The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American Rock music, rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, Singing, vocals) and Patrick Carney (Drum kit, drums). The duo began as an Independent music, independent act, record ...
, from their album '' Turn Blue'' ("I went from San Berdoo to Kalamazoo/Just to get away from you..."). Like Miller, the Creedence and Axton lyrics probably use the word "Kalamazoo" as an oblique reference to Gibson, which made various models named "Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...
" that were all prominently adorned with the city's name as their origin. In 2011, rap artist Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music fo ...
mentioned the city in the song "Higher Learning" on his album ''TM:103 Hustlerz Ambition''. In 2014, Kalamazoo was mentioned again by Rittz in the song "Bounce" on his album '' Next to Nothing''.
The "Kalamazoo" was one of several names of a railroad handcar
A handcar (also known as a pump trolley, pump car, rail push trolley, push-trolley, jigger, Kalamazoo, velocipede, gandy dancer cart, platelayers' cart, draisine, or railbike) is a railroad car powered by its passengers or by people pushing t ...
that was produced by the Kalamazoo Manufacturing Company.
In Dr. Seuss's classic children's book '' Horton Hatches the Egg'', Horton the Elephant visits Kalamazoo while he is in the circus.
Notable people
Sister cities
The city of Kalamazoo, Michigan has three sister cities
A sister city or a twin town relationship is International relations, 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 ar ...
.
* Kingston, Jamaica
* Numazu, Shizuoka, Japan
* Pushkin, St. Petersburg, Russia
See also
* List of mayors of Kalamazoo, Michigan
* Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety
References
External links
*
Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce
Discover Kalamazoo Michigan
{{Authority control
Cities in Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Michigan placenames of Native American origin
County seats in Michigan
Populated places established in 1831
1831 establishments in Michigan Territory