Portage, Michigan
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Portage 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. The population was 48,891 at the 2020 census. It is the smaller of the two main cities included in the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 261,670 in 2020.


History

Portage was settled in 1830, and incorporated as a city in 1963. On May 7, 2024, the city was struck by a high-end EF2 tornado, causing significant damage to homes and properties. A FedEx distribution center was severely damaged after the tornado caused part of the roof to collapse. Over 500 buildings were damaged, with 60 being destroyed, including a strip mall.


Geography

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. Austin Lake is in the southeast part of the city and was named for Moses Austin, who had emigrated to Portage Township from
Genesee County, New York Genesee County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,388. Its county seat is Batavia. Its name is from the Seneca word Gen-nis'-hee-yo, meaning "the Beautiful Valley".THE AMERICAN REVIEW; ...
, in 1833. A settlement grew on the north shore of the lake, known as Austin or Austin Lake. A post office named "Austin's Lake" was established on May 18, 1850, with Austin as postmaster, and operated until August 15, 1853. The place was also a station on the
Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad at its height provided passenger and freight railroad services between Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, USA. The company was formed on January 18, 1854. Beginnings After grapp ...
in 1867. West Lake is adjacent to Austin Lake with Portage Road running between the two lakes.


Demographics


2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 46,292 people, 19,199 households, and 12,426 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 20,559 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.9% White, 4.9% African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.8% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1%. Of the 19,199 households 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.3% were non-families. 29.1% of households were one person and 10.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 38.1 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.9% were from 45 to 64; and 13.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 44,897 people, 18,138 households, and 12,134 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 18,880 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.75% White, 3.73% African American, 0.30% Native American, 2.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.93% of the population. Of the 18,138 households 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.2% of households were one person and 8.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.01. The age distribution was 26.4% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males. The median household income was $49,410 and the median family income was $61,285. Males had a median income of $42,377 versus $29,399 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,414. About 3.1% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

Portage is the site of
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 ...
's largest manufacturing facility, at 1,300 acres. The U.S. government prepped millions of doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's
COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Knowledge about the structure and fun ...
on December 13, 2020, for shipment to sites across the nation, a mammoth logistical undertaking in support of the most complex immunization program in history.


Education

Most of Portage is in the Portage Public Schools
school district A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public Primary school, primary or Secondary school, secondary schools or both in various countries. It is not to be confused with an attendance zone, which is within a school dis ...
. Some of Portage is in Comstock Public Schools, some is in Vicksburg Community Schools, and some is in Schoolcraft Community Schools.


Notable people

* Eric Alexander (born 1988) – soccer player * Phil Bozell (born 1983) – stock car racer *
Robert P. Burke Robert Peter Burke (born 1962) is a retired United States Navy Admiral (United States), admiral who served as the commander of United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa and Allied Joint Force Command Naples from 17 July 2020 to 27 June 2022. He wa ...
(born 1962) –
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
* Lisa Byington (born 1976) – sports announcer * Jeff Criswell (born 1999) –
Major League Baseball 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 ...
(MLB) player * Andrew Evans (born 1991) – discus thrower *
Timothy Granaderos Timothy Granaderos (born September 9, 1986) is an American actor and model. He is known for his portrayals of Ash Franklin in the thriller web series '' Tagged'' (2016–18), Taylor Price in the TV series ''In the Vault'' (2017), and Montgomery ...
(born 1986) – actor and model * Tommy Henry (born 1997) – MLB player * Carson Hocevar (born 2003) – stock car racer * Pete Metzelaars (born 1960) –
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) player *
Margaret O'Brien Angela Maxine O'Brien (born January 15, 1937), known professionally as Margaret O'Brien, is an American actress. Beginning a career in feature films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at age four, O'Brien became a child star and received a Juvenile Acade ...
(born 1973) – Michigan state politician * Scott Parse (born 1984) –
National Hockey League 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 ...
(NHL) player * Jacob Peterson (born 1986) – soccer player * B. J. Snow (born 1977) – soccer coach * Ronda Stryker (born 1954) – director at
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 ...
* Lindsay Tarpley (born 1983) – soccer player and two-time Olympic gold medalist


References


External links


City of Portage
{{Authority control Cities in Kalamazoo County, Michigan Populated places established in 1830 1830 establishments in Michigan Territory