Wyoming (Michigan)

Wyoming
	Location in Michigan
Basic data
Foundation :	1959
State :	United States
State :	Michigan
County :	Kent County
Coordinates :	42 ° 55 ′ N , 85 ° 42 ′ W Coordinates: 42 ° 55 ′ N , 85 ° 42 ′ W
Time zone :	Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 )
Residents :	69,368 (as of: 2000)
Population density :	1,097.6 inhabitants per km 2
Area :	63.5 km 2 (approx. 25 mi 2 ) of; which 63.2 km 2 (approx. 24 mi 2 ) is land
Height :	196 m
Postcodes :	49509, 49519, 49418, 49503, 49508, 49548
Area code :	+1 616
FIPS :	26-88940
GNIS ID :	1616863
Website :	www.ci.wyoming.mi.us
Mayor :	Carol Sheets

Wyoming is a city in Kent County in the US state of Michigan . The city is the largest suburb of Grand Rapids . In 1832 the area of Wyoming was settled and initially organized as a township , the city of Wyoming was founded in 1959. Wyoming ranks 20th in Michigan in terms of population.

geography

Wyoming is southwest of Grand Rapids and south of the Grand River . To the west of the city are Grandville and Georgetown Township in Ottawa County , Byron Township to the south and Kentwood to the east. Hudsonville joins in the southwest, Gaines Township in the southeast and Walker in the northwest .

The US Highway 131 runs east of the city, and the Interstate 196 follows the Grand River in southwest-northeast direction. The connection between I-196 and US-131 as well as Interstate 96 is made by the Paul B. Henry Freeway on the south side of the city, as well as the east-west running Michigan Highway 11 in the north.

Even if Wyoming is to be regarded as a suburban area of Grand Rapids and was laid out in the typical pattern of a post-war suburb, it still has the characteristics of a city with several commercial distribution centers and a not small number of commercial offices and manufacturing plants.

climate

West Michigan, in which Wyoming is located, is no longer under the influence of the usually copious snowfalls caused by the proximity of Lake Michigan . The temperatures in eastern Wyoming, which are above the average for the region, are also due to the lake. The highest temperature ever reached was 102 ° F (39 ° C) in June and the lowest -22 ° F (-30 ° C) in January. The proportion of sunny days is 46%.

population

The city's residents are a mix of working class / blue collar and suburban middle class residents. At the 2000 census , Wyoming had 69,368 residents in 26,536 households and 17,540 families. The population density was 1,096.8 inhabitants / km², the area density of the 27,506 residential units was 434.9 per km². The population was 84.32% white ; 4.85% African American and 2.92% Asian , the remaining proportion divided among different population groups. The per capita income was $ 19,287, with about 7% of the population living below the poverty line .

history

The first permanent white settlers arrived in the area in 1832, making it one of the earliest populated areas in the county, as well as in all of western Michigan. Initially, the area was part of Byron Township, from which it was spun off in 1848.

In 1933, Grandville was established in part of Wyoming Township. The northwestern part of the township had already been spun off to Grand Rapids. Grandville incorporated further parts of Wyoming Township in 1947, 1948 and in the 1950s, other parts went to Walker.

The remainder of the township was included in the founding of the city of Wyoming in 1959 to prevent further losses of township area at Grand Rapids and Grandville. Wyoming was named after Wyoming County (New York) , from which many of the first settlers came. The eastern part of Wyoming originally belonged to Paris Township, the part of which outside Wyoming was later merged into Kentwood.

Leisure and culture

The city has 21 parks spanning 665 acres that offer a range of recreational opportunities. The Kent Trails system is a network of disused railway lines that have been converted into cycle paths.

In 2002, the new Wyoming Public Library was built, owned by the city but operated by the Kent County Library System . The library also houses the Wyoming Historical Commission , which deals with the city's history.

administration

Wyoming is administered by a city council that has both an elected mayor and a city manager . These are supported, among other things, by a city council with six members.

Economy and Infrastructure

Educational institutions

The city currently has five school districts with 13 elementary schools, four middle schools and four high schools . The closest colleges are Grand Rapids Community College in downtown Grand Rapids and Grand Valley State University in Allendale . Other nearby universities are in Lansing , Big Rapids , Kalamazoo , Holland and Caledonia Township .

Public transport

The city is part of the Interurban Transit Partnership (The Rapid), based in Grand Rapids. Eight of the company's 26 lines serve the Wyoming metropolitan area. The network is to be expanded with a new express bus line.

economy

Of the ten different industries counted in the Wyoming 2000 census, manufacturing accounted for a third of sales, making it the largest in that business in West Michigan. It manufactures auto parts, industrial machines, printing accessories, plastics, electronics, tools and raw forms, concreting accessories and fire fighting vehicles. Other important economic sectors in the city are trade, as well as education, health and social services.

The largest employers (as of 2007) are General Motors , Gordon Food Service , United Parcel Service , Consumers Energy , Delphi Automotive , Hope Network , Benteler Automotive , Michigan Turkey Producers , Gainey Transportation , Country Fresh and the city of Wyoming.