Traverse City, MI
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Traverse City ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
. It is the
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 ...
of Grand Traverse County, although it partly extends into Leelanau County. The city's population was 15,678 at the 2020 census, while the four-county Traverse City metropolitan area had 153,448 residents. Traverse City is the largest city in Northern Michigan. Traverse City is at the head of the East and West arms of
Grand Traverse Bay Grand Traverse Bay ( ) is an arm of Lake Michigan, located along the west coast of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The bay is separated from the rest of Lake Michigan by the Leelanau Peninsula. The bay is some long, ranges from wide, and up ...
, a bay of
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
. Grand Traverse Bay is divided into arms by the
Old Mission Peninsula Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, M ...
, which is attached at its base to Traverse City. The city borders four townships–
East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Wi ...
, Elmwood,
Garfield ''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis (cartoonist), Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976 (later changed to ''Garfield'' in 1977), then in nationwide Print syndication, syndication from 1978, it chro ...
, and
Peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
–all of which are primarily
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
an. Traverse City is nicknamed "the Cherry Capital of the World", as the area surrounding Grand Traverse Bay is a hotspot for cherry production. The city hosts the
National Cherry Festival The National Cherry Festival is a food festival held annually in Traverse City, Michigan, United States. The eight-day festival celebrates cherry production in the Grand Traverse Bay region surrounding Traverse City, which is nicknamed the ...
, attracting approximately 500,000 visitors annually. The Traverse City area is also known for its wine production. Two
American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...
s are adjacent to the city. Traverse City is home to the Traverse City State Hospital, a former state psychiatric institution, and Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City.


History


Early history

Prior to European settlement, what is now Traverse City was part of the territory of the
Council of Three Fires The Council of Three Fires (in , also known as the People of the Three Fires; the Three Fires Confederacy; or the United Nations of Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi Indians) is a long-standing Anishinaabe alliance of the Ojibwe (or Chippewa), O ...
, an alliance of three
Anishinaabe The Anishinaabe (alternatively spelled Anishinabe, Anicinape, Nishnaabe, Neshnabé, Anishinaabeg, Anishinabek, Aanishnaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples in the Great Lakes region of C ...
tribes, the
Odawa The Odawa (also Ottawa or Odaawaa ) are an Indigenous North American people who primarily inhabit land in the Eastern Woodlands region, now in jurisdictions of the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. Their territory long prec ...
,
Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...
, and
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, ...
. The Odawa, who were particularly prevalent in the area, called the area ''Kitchiwikwedongsing'', a name which was often shortened to ''Wequetong'', meaning "place at the head of the great bay". The area was the northern end of what is today known as the Old Indian Trail, a trail which serviced travel for the Hopewell, and later the Anishinaabe, coming to and from the
Cadillac Cadillac Motor Car Division, or simply Cadillac (), is the luxury vehicle division (business), division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Its major markets are the United States, Canada and China; Cadillac models are ...
area. Grand Traverse Bay was named by 18th-century French
voyageurs Voyageurs (; ) were 18th- and 19th-century French and later French Canadians and others who transported furs by canoe at the peak of the North American fur trade. The emblematic meaning of the term applies to places (New France, including the ...
who made ', or "the long crossing", across the mouth of the bay, from present-day Norwood to Northport. The area was French territory at first, and then part of the
Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain, also known as the Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in Western Europe from 1707 to the end of 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, which united the Kingd ...
as the
Province of Quebec Quebec is Canada's largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, New Brunswick to the southeast and a coastal border ...
. The area was ceded to the United States in 1783 following the Treaty of Paris, becoming part of the
Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...
. In 1847, Captain Horace Boardman of
Naperville, Illinois Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a southwestern suburb of Chicago located west of the city on the DuPage River. As of the 2020 United State ...
, purchased the land at the mouth of the Boardman River (then known as the Ottawa River) at the head of the west arm of the bay, which at the time was still inhabited by Native Americans. In 1847, the captain, his son, and their employees built a dwelling and
sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...
near the mouth of the river. In 1851, the Boardmans sold the sawmill to Hannah, Lay & Co (made up of Perry Hannah, Albert Tracy Lay and James Morgan), who improved the mill greatly. The increased investment in the mill attracted additional settlers to the new community. Perry Hannah today is known as the
founding father The following is a list of national founders of sovereign states who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e., political system ...
of Traverse City. Traverse City was originally part of Omeena County, which was originally set off in 1840 from Michilimackinac County. The county remained unorganized, lacking a central government until 1851, when it was reorganized as Grand Traverse County. The newly designated county government was assigned a
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 Boardman's Mills, a location in present-day downtown Traverse City.


Late 19th century

As of 1853, the only operating post office in the Grand Traverse Bay region was the one located at Old Mission, which was then known as "Grand Traverse". While in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
in 1852, Mr. Lay had succeeded in getting the U.S. Post Office to authorize a new
post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
at his newer settlement. As the newer settlement had become known as "Grand Traverse City", after the Grand Traverse Bay, Lay proposed this name for its post office, but the Post Office Department clerk suggested dropping the "Grand" from the name, to limit confusion between this new office and the one at nearby Old Mission. Mr. Lay agreed to the shortened name of Traverse City for the post office, and the village took on this name. Around this time, the first cherry trees were being planted on the Old Mission Peninsula, for which the peninsula is widely known today. In December 1872, rail service arrived in Traverse City via a Traverse City Railroad Company spur from 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 ...
line at Walton Junction. The railroad tracked along the Boardman River and along Boardman Lake into Traverse City, and ended at a station along the Grand Traverse Bay, at the corner of present-day Grandview Parkway and Park Street. This new line of transportation from Southern Michigan opened up the area to settlement and industrial development. Many more people started flocking to the small community, and in 1881, Traverse City was incorporated as a
village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
. This began the major commercial growth of the town. In 1890, another rail line was extended to Traverse City, this one from Baldwin via Copemish and Interlochen. This line primarily served lumber companies, such as the Buckley & Douglas Lumber Company, and was used to transport logs from the vast forest of Northwest Michigan to sawmills in Manistee and Traverse City. Two years later, new railroads were extended out of Traverse City. One line was extended along the bay into Leelanau County, and curved south to a preexisting spur at Lake Ann. Another line was extended east into present-day Williamsburg, and to
Charlevoix Charlevoix ( , ) is a cultural and natural region in Quebec, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River as well as in the Laurentian Mountains area of the Canadian Shield. This dramatic landscape includes rolling terrain, fjords, headlands ...
and Petoskey. This railroad was largely to serve tourists. In 1881, the Northern Michigan Asylum, later the
Traverse City State Hospital The Traverse City State Hospital, also known at various points as the Northern Michigan Asylum and the Traverse City Regional Psychiatric Hospital, is a decommissioned psychiatric hospital in Traverse City, Michigan. Established in 1881 by Jame ...
, was established as the demand for a third
psychiatric hospital A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe Mental disorder, mental disorders. These institutions cater t ...
in Michigan, in addition to those established in
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 ...
and Pontiac, began to grow. Perry Hannah, by then a prominent Michigan Republican, used his political influence to secure its location in Traverse City. Under the supervision of prominent architect Gordon W. Lloyd, the first building, known as Building 50, was constructed in Victorian-
Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...
style according to the
Kirkbride Plan The Kirkbride Plan was a system of mental asylum design advocated by American psychiatrist Thomas Story Kirkbride (1809–1883) in the mid-19th century. The asylums built in the Kirkbride design, often referred to as Kirkbride Buildings (or simp ...
. The hospital opened in 1885 with 43 residents. Under Dr. James Decker Munson, the first superintendent from 1885 to 1924, the institution expanded. Twelve housing cottages and two infirmaries were built between 1887 and 1903 to meet the specific needs of male and female patients. The institution became the city's largest employer and contributed to its growth. While the hospital was established for the care of the mentally ill, its use expanded during outbreaks of
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
,
typhoid Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often ther ...
,
diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...
,
influenza Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...
, and
polio Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...
. It also cared for the elderly, served as a rehab for drug addicts, and was used to train nurses. On May 18, 1895, Traverse City was incorporated as a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
. Perry Hannah served as the first
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of Traverse City, after also serving as first and third village president.


20th century

The first National Cherry Festival was held in Traverse City in 1925. It was first called "Blessing of the Blossoms" and held in the spring to attract people during the blooming season. With the exception of the years before and during World War II, this tradition has been carried on since in Traverse City. The legislature moved the date of the festival to the summer, and it attracts tourists from around the state and across the country. During the week the festival takes place, the population of Traverse City rises from about 15,000 to about 500,000. In 2004 the legislature added "Blossom Days", again as a spring festival. Also in 1925, Munson Medical Center opened, and has since grown to serve much of Northern Michigan and serves as one of Traverse City's largest employers. In 1929, Traverse City's first airport, Ransom Field, opened, offering flights to
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 ...
. It closed in 1936, when the new Traverse City Airport (now called
Cherry Capital Airport Cherry Capital Airport is a Commercial aviation, commercial and general aviation airport located in Traverse City, Michigan, United States. The airport is located southeast of the central business district of Traverse City. The airport is FAA ...
) was opened. In 1953 the grounds of Ransom Field were redeveloped as Memorial Gardens Cemetery. In 1934, the original Traverse City High School building burnt down, with no casualties. For three years, while the high school was being rebuilt, classes were moved to the Perry Hannah House, the former residence of the city's founder. Classes were moved back to the new school building in September 1937. In 1960, the high school was moved from downtown Traverse City to a new college-style campus on the grounds of
Northwestern Michigan College Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) is a Public college, public community college in Traverse City, Michigan. Established in 1951, the college enrolls more than 3,000 students. The college offers associate degrees and professional certificates, B ...
, which opened a few years prior in 1951. The former high school building was converted to Traverse City Junior High (now Central Grade School). In 1997, the high school split into Traverse City Central and Traverse City West High Schools due to extreme overcrowding at the 1960s building. In 1989, the Traverse City State Hospital closed, leaving hundreds without jobs, massive abandoned buildings, and many homeless former patients. Since 2000, the Minervini Group has undertaken the project of renovating the entire property into a social center, including many restaurants, retail spaces, office space, and residential space.


21st century

On November 3, 2015, Traverse City elected Jim Carruthers, its first openly gay mayor. After serving as mayor of Traverse City for six years, in June 2021 Jim Carruthers announced he would not run for his fourth mayoral term. May 18, 2020, served as the city's 125th anniversary of Traverse City's incorporation as a city in 1895, and was known as the "quarantine quasquicentennial". In April 2021, a group composed mostly of
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 ...
students from two Traverse City high schools held an online mock slave auction via social media app in a private group chat titled "Slave Trade", wherein they traded their
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
student peers for monetary amounts while using derogatory language. After the local community was made aware of this event, a coalition of community members and Traverse City Area Public School (TCAPS) Board of Education officials drafted in response a resolution which denounced the behavior. The draft of the resolution itself led to community backlash initiated largely by White
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
parents and community members who regarded the planned resolution to be "...interlaced with
critical race theory Critical race theory (CRT) is an academic field focused on the relationships between Social constructionism, social conceptions of Race and ethnicity in the United States census, race and ethnicity, Law in the United States, social and political ...
". In the aftermath of the backlash, the resolution was edited by TCAPS school board officials. No date for consideration of the revised resolution has been set.


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 ...
, Traverse City has a total area of , of which, are land and is water. Most of the city is located within Grand Traverse County, though a small portion of the city extends northwesterly into Leelanau County. This portion was annexed by the city in 1989. Traverse City is located in the northwest of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, and is located at the head of Grand Traverse Bay, a long, natural harbor separated from the waters of Lake Michigan by the Leelanau Peninsula. The bay is divided into an East Arm and West Arm by the
Old Mission Peninsula Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, M ...
, a thin strip of rolling hills and farmland known for its cherry crop and
viticulture Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...
industry. As Traverse City contains shores on both of Grand Traverse Bay's East and West Arms, one cannot access the Old Mission Peninsula without entering Traverse City. The Boardman River is a prominent river bisecting Traverse City from south to north. It also snakes through Traverse City's downtown district, effectively forming a peninsula, and dividing it from the Grandview Parkway. The river terminates at Grand Traverse Bay northeast of downtown Traverse City. The river's watershed contributes one-third of the water volume to the bay and is one of Michigan's top-ten fisheries, with more than of its designated as a Blue Ribbon
trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...
fishery. It is also a state-designated "Natural River". As of 2023, only one of the five dams constructed on the Boardman River remains. Traverse City is surrounded by a substantial suburban ring, especially within Garfield Township, to its southwest. Garfield Township is the largest municipality in Northern Michigan by population. Other adjacent townships,
East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Wi ...
, Elmwood, and
Peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
, and nearby Blair and Long Lake townships, boast significant suburban populations dependent upon Traverse City. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a federally protected
sand dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...
on Lake Michigan, is located about west-northwest of Traverse City, in the southwest of Leelanau County. Traverse City has one
superfund site Superfund sites are Pollution, polluted locations in the United States requiring a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations. Sites include landfills, mines, manufacturing facilities, processing plants where toxic waste h ...
, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This is the Avenue E Groundwater Contamination Site. At this location, toxic runoff from the Coast Guard Air Station contaminated the groundwater along Avenue E.


Neighborhoods

Traverse City is laid out in a
grid plan In urban planning, the grid plan, grid street plan, or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid. Two inherent characteristics of the grid plan, frequent intersections and orthogon ...
, with major streets running east–west and north–south. The tallest building, at 10 stories, is the Park Place Hotel. The city officially recognizes the following
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 ...
s: * Base of Old Mission (BOOM) Neighborhood * Boardman Neighborhood * Central Neighborhood * Fernwood Neighborhood * Indian Woods Neighborhood * Kids Creek Commons * Midtown Centre Condominium * Morgan Farms Neighborhood * Oak Park Neighborhood * Old Towne Neighborhood * Slabtown Neighborhood * Traverse Heights * Triangle Neighborhood The city also recognizes the following commercial districts: * East Side Social District * Front Street District * North Boardman Lake (NoBo) District * Old Town District * Warehouse District The city employs two
tax increment financing Tax increment financing (TIF) is a public financing method that is used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure, and other community-improvement projects in many countries, including the United States. The original intent of a TIF program i ...
(TIF) districts: TIF 97, overlapping with the Front Street District, and Old Town TIF in the Old Town District.


Climate

Traverse City has a warm-summer continental climate (Köppen Dfb) close to being a hot-summer continental climate (Dfa). Its location near the 45th parallel is tempered by the strong and moderating effects of Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay, which have a particularly noteworthy effect on the peninsulas that branch north of the city. As a result, they have
viticulture Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...
and
cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet '' Prunus avium'' and the sour '' Prunus cerasus''. The na ...
orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit tree, fruit- or nut (fruit), nut-producing trees that are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also so ...
s. Consequently, it generally experiences warm, mild summers and severe winters. Lake Michigan especially, but also Grand Traverse Bay, greatly impact the area's diverse coastal weather patterns, which occasionally consist of sudden and/or large amounts of precipitation during the seasonally active periods.
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 ...
fall constitutes a large percentage of the total annual snow accumulation, which averages around 80 inches (203 cm). Periods of snowfall typically last from November to April, although light snow as late as May or as early as late September sometimes occur. Traverse City's record high temperature is , recorded in 1936, and its low temperature is , recorded on February 17, 1979.


Demographics

Of Traverse City's 15,678 residents in 2020, 15,341 lived in Grand Traverse County, with 337 (about 2.1%) in Leelanau County.


Religion

Traverse City is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord. The city is part of the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes and is served by ''Grace Episcopal Church''.


Government

Traverse City is a
home rule Home rule is the government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governan ...
,
charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...
city under the Home Rule City Act, incorporated on May 18, 1895. The city is governed by six commissioners and a mayor, elected
at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...
. Together they compose a seven-member
legislative A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...
body. The commission appoints a
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 ...
who serves as chief executive for city operations. As of 2025, the city commission consists of mayor Amy Shamroe, mayor pro tem Mark Wilson, and commissioners Jackie Anderson, Heather Shaw, Mi Stanley, Mitch Treadwell, and Tim Werner. Traverse City is in Michigan's 1st congressional district, represented by
Jack Bergman John Warren Bergman (born February 2, 1947) is an American politician and retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant general serving as the U.S. representative from Michigan's 1st congressional district since 2017. He is a member of the Re ...
( RWatersmeet). Like the rest of Michigan, it is served by Elissa Slotkin and
Gary Peters Gary Charles Peters (born December 1, 1958) is an American lawyer, politician, and former military officer serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Michigan, a seat he has hel ...
(both Democratic) in the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
. It is represented in the
Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2020 ...
by Betsy Coffia (D–Traverse City), and is a part of the 103rd district. It is represented in the
Michigan Senate The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. Along with the Michigan House of Representatives, it composes the state legislature, which has powers, roles and duties defined by Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, ado ...
by John Damoose ( RHarbor Springs) and is a part of the 37th senate district.


Economy

Companies headquartered in Traverse City include Hagerty Insurance Agency and Oilgear. 20Fathoms, a technology incubator, is also located there.


Arts and culture

Most of Traverse City's economy is based on tourism. In November, Beer Week offers tours of breweries, samplings, and workshops. The National Cherry Festival, held annually in July, features parades, fireworks, an air show, carnival rides, election of festival royalty, music, a pie-eating contest, and cherries. The Traverse City Film Festival was held in July and August from 2005 to 2019. The Great Lakes Equestrian Festival features jumping, show hunting and equestrian competitions. Traverse City State Park, with about 250 campsites, is located east of the city, and features a beach on the East Bay arm of Grand Traverse Bay. The Boardman River Nature Center is the interpretive center and management headquarters for the Grand Traverse Natural Education Reserve, a 505-acre local park and natural area. Traverse City is located immediately adjacent to two
American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...
s, the Leelanau Peninsula AVA and the Old Mission Peninsula AVA. There are over 50 wineries near Traverse City. Located in the harbor of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy is the T/S ''State of Michigan'', a former Navy submarine surveillance vessel. The vessel is used as a classroom and laboratory while cadets of the academy are underway and shore side. A
tall ship A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigging, rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a r ...
, the schooner ''Manitou'', is berthed at Traverse City, and offers passages to the public. Excursion passenger trains from Traverse City have included a Cherry Festival train in 2008, and a "dinner train" from 1996 to 2004.


Performing arts and museum

The City Opera House features plays, movies, and performances. The Traverse Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1952. The Dennos Museum Center is located on the campus of
Northwestern Michigan College Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) is a Public college, public community college in Traverse City, Michigan. Established in 1951, the college enrolls more than 3,000 students. The college offers associate degrees and professional certificates, B ...
.


Historical markers

There are eleven recognized Michigan historical markers in the Traverse City area. They are: *Bingham District No. 5 Schoolhouse *City Opera House *Congregation Beth El *Grand Traverse Bay *Grand Traverse County Courthouse *Great Lakes Sport Fishery *Ladies Library Association *Novotny's Saloon *Park Place Hotel *Perry Hannah House *Traverse City State Hospital


Libraries

Traverse City is served by the Traverse Area District Library, which has six branch libraries in Grand Traverse County.


Sports

The Huntington Rink indoor arena is used primarily for ice hockey, and is the home of the Traverse City North Stars hockey team. During their annual offseason, the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
of the
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 ...
hold their training camp at Traverse City's Centre Ice Arena. In addition to training camp every September, the Red Wings host an NHL Prospect Tournament, consisting of prospects of participating teams around the league. In 2021, the Traverse City Prospect Tournament consisted of players from the Detroit Red Wings,
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...
,
Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern C ...
,
Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars ...
, and St. Louis Blues. For this reason, Traverse City is often referred to as Hockeytown North, in reference to Detroit's nickname, Hockeytown.


Parks and recreation

Traverse City has over 30 park and recreational properties. The Grand Traverse County Civic Center is a sports complex featuring seven baseball/softball fields, a skatepark, a walking trail, an amphitheater, sledding hill, pavilion, playground, an indoor pool, and an indoor hockey rink. The Grand Traverse Bay YMCA features four complexes with swimming, soccer, and tennis. The TART trail system is a series of non-motorized recreational trails in and around Traverse City.


Education


Public schools

Public education is administered by Traverse City Area Public Schools. The district includes 11 elementary schools, two middle schools, three high schools: Traverse City Central, Traverse City West, and Traverse City High School.


Private schools

Traverse City offers a number of private schools. Interlochen Center for the Arts, also home to the Interlochen Arts Academy, is a private fine arts boarding school. Founded in 1928, Interlochen Center for the Arts is one of the nation's first and foremost institutions dedicated to the development of young artists. The roots of Interlochen began with Joseph Maddy and his founding of the National Music Camp, now known as Interlochen Arts Camp and the Interlochen Summer Arts Festival, which bring student and professional artists from around the globe. For over 45 years, The Pathfinder has been teaching children to achieve their personal best as lifelong learners, young global citizens, creative thinkers, and stewards of the Earth. The Pathfinder School was officially founded in 1972 by Arthur and Nancy Baxter alongside a commitment of teachers from Interlochen, The Leelanau School, and Traverse City Area Public Schools. The Traverse Children's House emerged as a unified Montessori school when it opened its main campus in 2002 on North Long Lake Road. The building was intentionally designed to enhance the school’s Montessori philosophy and teaching method for infants through 6th grade. The Children’s House expanded to include 7th and 8th grade in 2014. In 2022, the growing young adolescent program became known as Compass Montessori Junior High and moved to its own campus in downtown Traverse City.


Religious schools

Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools administers Catholic schools, including St. Francis High School. Other religious schools include: * Traverse City Christian School * Trinity Lutheran School * Traverse Bay Mennonite School * Traverse City Adventist School


Higher education

Traverse City is home to Northwestern Michigan College, a two-year
community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...
. Its annual enrollment is around 5,100. One of its campuses is at the Cherry Capital Airport, and offers aviation and auto service classes. Another campus is at the Hagerty Center on Grand Traverse Bay, which is home to Great Lakes Maritime Academy, Great Lakes Culinary Institute, Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, and the Hagerty Conference Center.


Media


Print

The '' Traverse City Record-Eagle'' is a daily newspaper circulated in the 13 counties surrounding the city, and is the
newspaper of record A newspaper of record is a major national newspaper with large newspaper circulation, circulation whose editorial and news-gathering functions are considered authoritative and independent; they are thus "newspapers of record by reputation" and i ...
for Grand Traverse County. Daily editions of the ''
Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...
'', ''
The Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United S ...
'', and ''
The Grand Rapids Press ''The Grand Rapids Press'' is a daily newspaper published in Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 20 ...
'' are available. '' Traverse'' is a monthly regional magazine. Village Press, and Arbutus Press, are located in Traverse City.


Television

* Channel 7:
WPBN-TV WPBN-TV (channel 7) and WTOM-TV (channel 4) are television stations licensed respectively to Traverse City and Cheboygan, Michigan, United States, serving as the NBC affiliates for the northern Lower and eastern Upper peninsulas of Michigan ...
(
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 ...
) * Channel 29: WGTU (ABC)


Radio

There are 16 commercial radio stations in a variety of radio formats. Talk radio stations include WTCM, WWMN, WMKT, WSRT, and WLDR. AM 1310 broadcasts sports. WKLT broadcasts rock music, and WNMC is a community public radio station. There are three religious radio stations: W201CM (a translator at 88.1) and WLJN AM/FM 89.9 FM and 1400 AM. WLDR plays an adult contemporary format.
Interlochen Center for the Arts Interlochen Center for the Arts ( '; also known as I.C.A. or Inty) is a Nonprofit organization, non-profit corporation which operates Visual arts education, arts education institutions and Music venue, performance venues. Established in 1928 b ...
broadcasts the NPR member station called Interlochen Public Radio; it serves a large portion of Northwest Lower Michigan via two stations.


Infrastructure


Transportation


Airports

Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City is the fourth largest airport in Michigan.


Buses

Indian Trails offers intercity bus service to St. Ignace to the north and
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
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 ...
to the south. Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) offers local bus service, as well as to surrounding areas.


Major highways

* is a major north–south route running through the city. In Michigan, the highway largely parallels the shore of Lake Michigan. * is a scenic highway with a terminus in Traverse City. The highway loops around the Leelanau Peninsula, and follows the shore of Lake Michigan south to Manistee. * is a north–south route that passes through the city. The highway's northern terminus is at
Mission Point Light Mission Point Light is a lighthouse located in the U.S. state of Michigan at the end of Old Mission Point, a peninsula jutting into Grand Traverse Bay north of Traverse City, Michigan, Traverse City. When it was built in 1870, it was an exact co ...
, north of Traverse City. * is an east–west route that traverses the Lower Peninsula.


Coast Guard

The Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City is responsible for maritime and land-based search and rescue in the northern Great Lakes region. Traverse City is one of two designated Coast Guard cities in Michigan, the other being Grand Haven.


Health care

Munson Medical Center is located here.


Notable people


Sister cities

* Kōka, Japan.


See also

* Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay


Notes


References


Footnotes


Works cited

*


Further reading


Clarke Historical Library, Central, Michigan University, Bibliography for Leelanau County
* * * *


External links


City of Traverse City official website
{{Authority control Traverse City metropolitan area Cities in Grand Traverse County, Michigan County seats in Michigan Cities in Leelanau County, Michigan Michigan populated places on Lake Michigan Coastal resorts in Michigan Populated places established in 1847 1847 establishments in Michigan