Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor
City
Ann Arbor skyline University of Michigan Michigan Theater Huron River National Water Trail Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Flag Seal
Nicknames: A 2, A2, Tree Town, People's Republic of Ann Arbor
Interactive map of Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor Show map of Michigan Ann Arbor Show map of the United States
Coordinates:42°16′53″N83°44′54″W / 42.28139°N 83.74833°W /42.28139; -83.74833
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Washtenaw
Founded	1824
Incorporated	1833 (village) 1851 (city)
Founded by	John AllenandElisha Rumsey
Named for	The wives of the city's founders (both named Ann) and thebur oakin the area
Government [1]
• Type	Council–manager
• Mayor	Christopher Taylor(D)
• Administrator	Milton Dohoney
• Clerk	Jacqueline Beaudry
• City council	Members Christopher Taylor Cynthia Harrison Linh Song Christopher Watson Travis Radina Ayesha Ghazi Edwin Jen Eyer Dharma Akmon Jenn Cornell Erica Briggs Lisa Disch
Area [2]
•City	29.09 sq mi (75.35 km2)
• Land	28.22 sq mi (73.10 km2)
• Water	0.87 sq mi (2.25 km2)
• Urban	159.57 sq mi (413.46 km2)
• Metro	722 sq mi (1,870 km2)
Elevation	840 ft (256 m)
Population ( 2020)
•City	123,851
• Estimate (2021) [4]	121,536
• Rank	231stin the United States 5thin Michigan
• Density	4,388.14/sq mi (1,694.28/km2)
•Urban	317,689 (US: 129th)[3]
• Urban density	2,214.6/sq mi (855.0/km2)
•Metro [5]	372,258 (US: 148th)
Demonym	Ann Arborite
Time zone	UTC−5(Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4(EDT)
ZIP code(s)	48103–48109, 48113
Area code	734
FIPS code	26-03000[6]
GNISfeature ID	0620133[6]
Website	a2gov.org

Ann Arboris acollege townand thecounty seatofWashtenaw County, Michigan, United States.^[7]The2020 censusrecorded its population to be 123,851, making it thefifth-most populouscity in Michigan.^[8]It is the principal city of the Ann Arbormetropolitan area, which encompasses all of Washtenaw County and had 372,258 residents in 2020. Ann Arbor is also included in theDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor combined statistical areaand theGreat Lakes megalopolis.

Ann Arbor was founded in 1824 by John Allen and Elisha Rumsey.^[9][10]It was named after the wives of the village's founders, both named Ann, and the stands ofbur oaktrees they found at the site of the town.^[11]TheUniversity of Michiganwas established in Ann Arbor in 1837,^[12]and the city's population grew at a rapid rate in the early to mid-20th century.^[13]

The city is currently home to the University of Michigan which significantly shapes the city's economy, employing about 30,000 workers which includes about 12,000 in itsmedical center.^[14]Ann Arbor's economy is also centered on high technology, with several companies drawn to the area by the university's research and development infrastructure.^[15]The city has been a center for progressive politics as well as several social and religious movements.^[16]

The lands of present-day Ann Arbor were part ofMassachusetts'swestern claimafter theFrench and Indian War(1754–1763), bounded by the latitudes ofMassachusetts Bay Colony's original charter, to which it was entitled by its interpretation of its originalsea-to-sea grantfrom TheBritish Crown.Massachusettsceded the claim to thefederal governmentas part of theNorthwest Territoryafter April 19, 1785.^[17][18]

In about 1774, thePotawatomifounded two villages in the area of what is now Ann Arbor.^[19]

Ann Arbor was founded in 1824 by land speculatorsJohn AllenandElisha Walker Rumsey. On May 25, 1824, the townplatwas registered withWayne Countyas the Village of Annarbour, the earliest known use of the town's name.^[20][21]Allen and Rumsey decided to name it for their wives, both named Ann, and for the stands ofbur oakin the 640 acres (260 ha) of land they purchased for $800 from the federal government at $1.25 per acre.^[11]The localOjibwanamed the settlementkaw-goosh-kaw-nick, after the sound of Allen'ssawmill.^[22]

Ann Arbor became the seat of Washtenaw County in 1827^[23]and was incorporated as a village in 1833.^[24]The Ann Arbor Land Company, a group of speculators, set aside 40 acres (16 ha) of undeveloped land and offered it to the state of Michigan as the site of the state capitol, but lost the bid toLansing. In 1837, the property was accepted instead as the site of theUniversity of Michigan.^[25]

Since the university's establishment in the city in 1837, the histories of the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor have been closely linked.^[26]The town became a regional transportation hub in 1839 with the arrival of theMichigan Central Railroad, and a north–south railway connecting Ann Arbor toToledoand other markets to the south was established in 1878.^[27]Throughout the 1840s and the 1850s settlers continued to come to Ann Arbor. While the earlier settlers were primarily of British ancestry, the newer settlers also consisted of Germans, Irish,^[28]and Black people.^[29]In 1851, Ann Arbor was chartered as a city,^[30]though the city showed a drop in population during theDepression of 1873.^[27]It was not until the early 1880s that Ann Arbor again saw robust growth,^[31]with new immigrants from Greece, Italy, Russia, and Poland.^[32]

Ann Arbor saw increased growth in manufacturing, particularly inmilling.^[32]Ann Arbor'sJewishcommunity also grew after the turn of the 20th century, and its first and oldest synagogue,Beth Israel Congregation, was established in 1916.^[33]

In 1960, Ann Arbor voters approved a $2.3 millionbond issueto build the current city hall, which was designed by architectAlden B. Dow. The City Hall opened in 1963. In 1995, the building was renamed the Guy C. Larcom, Jr. Municipal Building in honor of the longtime city administrator who championed the building's construction.^[34]

During the 1960s and 1970s, the city gained a reputation as an important center for liberal politics. Ann Arbor also became a locus for left-wing activism andanti-Vietnam War movement, as well as the student movement. The first major meetings of the national left-wing campus groupStudents for a Democratic Societytook place in Ann Arbor in 1960; in 1965, the city was home to the first U.S.teach-inagainst theVietnam War.^[35]During the ensuing 15 years, manycounterculturalandNew Leftenterprises sprang up and developed large constituencies within the city.^[36]These influences washed into municipal politics during the early and mid-1970s when three members of theHuman Rights Party(HRP) won city council seats on the strength of the student vote. During their time on the council, HRP representatives fought for measures including pioneeringantidiscriminationordinances,measures decriminalizing marijuana possession, and arent-controlordinance.^[37]

Two religious-conservative institutions were created in Ann Arbor; theWord of God(established in 1967), acharismaticinter-denominational movement;^[33]and theThomas More Law Center(established in 1999).^[38]Since 1998, Ann Arbor is also the home office of theAnthroposophical Society in the United States, an organization dedicated to supporting the community of those interested in the inner path of schooling known asanthroposophy, developed byRudolf Steiner.^[39]

Following a 1956 vote, the city of East Ann Arbor merged with Ann Arbor to encompass the eastern sections of the city.^[40]

In the past several decades, Ann Arbor has grappled with the effects of sharply rising land values,gentrification, andurban sprawlstretching into outlying countryside.^[41]On November 4, 2003, voters approved agreenbeltplan under which the city government bought development rights on agricultural parcels of land adjacent to Ann Arbor to preserve them from sprawling development.^[42]Since then, a vociferous local debate has hinged on how and whether to accommodate and guide development within city limits.^[43]Ann Arbor consistently ranks in the "top places to live" lists published by various mainstream media outlets every year.^[44]

In 2016, the city changed mayoral terms from two years to four.^[45]Until 2017, City Council held annual elections in which half of the seats (one from each ward) were elected to 2-year terms. These elections were staggered, with each ward having one of its seats up for election in odd years and its other seat up for election in even years. Beginning in 2018 the city council has had staggered elections to 4-year terms in even years. This means that half of the members (one from each ward) are elected in presidential election years, while the other half are elected in mid-term election years. To facilitate this change in scheduling, the 2017 election elected members to terms that lasted 3-years.^[46]

In 2020, partly as a response to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the city government opened several downtown streets to pedestrians, limiting their use by motor vehicles toemergency vehiclesduring summertime weekends. In addition to providing a largepedestrian mall, these changes allow restaurants to use more of the sidewalks and part of the street for outdoor seating.^[47]These changes were popular enough that in 2021 the city council extended the dates from March to November, continuing the schedule of cordoning off cars from Thursday evening until Monday morning.^[48][49]

Ann Arbor is located along theHuron River, which flows southeast through the city on its way toLake Erie. It is the central core of theAnn Arbor, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of the whole of Washtenaw County, but is also a part of theMetro DetroitCombined Statistical Areadesignated by theU.S. Census Bureau.^[50]While it borders onlyTownships, the built-up nature of the sections ofPittsfieldandYpsilantitownships between Ann Arbor and the city ofYpsilantimake the two effectively a singleurban area.^[51][52]

The landscape of Ann Arbor consists of hills and valleys, with the terrain becoming steeper near the Huron River. The elevation ranges from about 750 feet (230 m) along the Huron River to 1,015 feet (309 m) on the city's west side, near the intersection of Maple Road and Pauline Blvd.^[53]Ann Arbor Municipal Airport, which is south of the city at42°13.38′N83°44.74′W / 42.22300°N 83.74567°W /42.22300; -83.74567, has an elevation of 839 feet (256 m).^[54]

Ann Arbor is nicknamed "Tree Town", both due to its name and to the dense forestation of its parks and residential areas. The city contains more than 50,000 trees along its streets and an equal number in parks.^[55]In recent years, theemerald ash borerhas destroyed many of the city's approximately 10,500ash trees.^[56]The city contains 157 municipal parks ranging from small neighborhood green spots to large recreation areas. Several large city parks and a university park border sections of the Huron River.^[57]Fuller Recreation Area, near theUniversity Hospitalcomplex, contains sports fields, pedestrian andbike paths, and swimming pools. TheNichols Arboretum, owned by theUniversity of Michigan, is a 123-acre (50 ha)arboretumthat contains hundreds of plant and tree species. It is on the city's east side, near the university's Central Campus.^[58]Located across theHuron Riverjust beyond the university's North Campus is the university'sMatthaei Botanical Gardens, which contains 300 acres of gardens and a large tropical conservatory.^[59]

The cityscape of Ann Arbor is heavily influenced by theUniversity of Michigan, with 22% of downtown and 9.4% of the total land owned by the university.^[60][61]The downtown Central Campus contains some of the oldest extant structures in the city — including the President's House, built in 1840 — and separates the South University District from the other three downtown commercial districts.^[62][63]These other three districts,Kerrytown, State Street, and Main Street are contiguous near the northwestern corner of the university.^[64]

Major landmarks in downtown Ann Arbor include theMichigan Theater,The Diag, andTower Plaza, a 26-story condominium building that is the city's tallest building.^[65]Downtown is also home to severalFairy Doorsand other public art installations.^[66]

Three commercial areas south of downtown include the areas near I-94 and Ann Arbor-Saline Road,Briarwood Mall, and the South Industrial area. Other commercial areas include the Arborland/Washtenaw Avenue and Packard Road merchants on the east side, the Plymouth Road area in the northeast, and the Westgate/West Stadium areas on the west side.^[67]Downtown contains a mix of 19th- and early-20th-century structures and modern-style buildings, as well as afarmers' marketin the Kerrytown district.^[68]The city's commercial districts are composed mostly of two- to four-story structures, although downtown and the area near Briarwood Mall contain a small number of high-rise buildings.^[69]

Ann Arbor's residential neighborhoods contain architectural styles ranging from classic 19th- and early 20th-century designs toranch-style houses. Among these homes are a number ofkit housesbuilt in the early 20th century. Contemporary-style houses are farther from the downtown district.^[67]Surrounding the University of Michigan campus are houses and apartment complexes occupied primarily by student renters. The 19th-century buildings and streetscape of the Old West Side neighborhood have been preserved virtually intact; in 1972, the district was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places(NRHP), and it is further protected by city ordinances and a nonprofit preservation group.^[70]

Ann Arbor has a typicallyMidwesternhumid continental climate(KöppenDfa), which is influenced by theGreat Lakes. There are four distinct seasons: winters are cold and snowy, with average highs around 34 °F (1 °C). Summers are warm to hot and humid, with average highs around 81 °F (27 °C) and with slightly more precipitation. Spring and autumn are transitional between the two. The area experienceslake effectweather, primarily in the form of increased cloudiness during late fall and early winter.^[71]The monthly daily average temperature in July is 72.6 °F (22.6 °C), while the same figure for January is 24.5 °F (−4.2 °C). Temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on 10 days, and drop to or below 0 °F (−18 °C) on 4.6 nights. Precipitation tends to be the heaviest during the summer months, but most frequent during winter. Snowfall, which normally occurs from November to April but occasionally starts in October, averages 58 inches (147 cm) per season. The lowest recorded temperature was −23 °F (−31 °C) on February 11, 1885, and the highest recorded temperature was 105 °F (41 °C) on July 24, 1934.^[72]

Historical racial composition	2020[75]	2010[76]	1990[77]	1970[77]	1940[77]
White	67.6%	73.0%	82.0%	91%	95.5%
—Non-Hispanic	65.9%	70.4%	80.4%	-	-
Black or African American	6.8%	7.7%	9.0%	6.7%	4.1%
Hispanic or Latino(of any race)	5.5%	4.1%	2.6%	1.3%[note 1]	-
Asian	15.7%	14.4%	7.7%	1.5%	0.3%

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	5,097		—
1870	7,363		44.5%
1880	8,061		9.5%
1890	9,431		17.0%
1900	14,509		53.8%
1910	14,817		2.1%
1920	19,516		31.7%
1930	26,944		38.1%
1940	29,815		10.7%
1950	48,251		61.8%
1960	67,340		39.6%
1970	100,035		48.6%
1980	107,969		7.9%
1990	109,592		1.5%
2000	114,024		4.0%
2010	113,934		−0.1%
2020	123,851		8.7%
2023 (est.)	119,381		−3.6%
Before 1860[78] 1900–2000[79] U.S. Census Bureau[80][81]

As of the 2020 U.S. Census, there were 123,851 people and 49,948 households residing in the city.^[75]The population density was 4,435.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,712.7/km²),^[8]making it less densely populated than Detroit proper and its inner-ring suburbs likeOak ParkandFerndale, but more densely populated than outer-ring suburbs likeLivoniaandTroy.^[82]The racial makeup of the city including Hispanics in the racial categories was 67.6%White, 6.8%Black, 0.2%Native American, 15.7%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 1.8% fromother races, and 7.9% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoresidents of any race made up 5.5% of the population.^[75]Ann Arbor has a small population ofArab Americans, including students as well as localLebaneseandPalestinians.^[83]

Ann Arbor, Michigan – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[84]	Pop 2010[85]	Pop 2020[86]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
Whitealone (NH)	82,975	80,158	81,565	72.77%	70.35%	65.86%
Black or African Americanalone (NH)	9,906	8,658	8,236	8.69%	7.60%	6.65%
Native AmericanorAlaska Nativealone (NH)	287	224	130	0.25%	0.20%	0.10%
Asianalone (NH)	13,532	16,293	19,372	11.87%	14.30%	15.64%
Pacific Islanderalone (NH)	34	34	72	0.03%	0.03%	0.06%
Other racealone (NH)	386	296	807	0.34%	0.26%	0.65%
Mixed race or Multiracial(NH)	3,090	3,605	6,876	2.71%	3.16%	5.55%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)	3,814	4,666	6,793	3.34%	4.10%	5.48%
Total	114,024	113,934	123,851	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

In 2013, Ann Arbor had the second-largest community ofJapanesecitizens in the state of Michigan, at 1,541; this figure trailed only that ofNovi, which had 2,666 Japanese nationals.^[87]

In 2010, out of 47,060 households, 43.6% were family households, 20.1% had individuals under the age of 18 living in them, and 17.0% had individuals over age 65 living in them. Of the 20,502 family households, 19.2% included children under age 18, 34.2% were husband-wife families (estimates did not include same-sex married couples), and 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present. The average household size was 2.17 people, and the average family size was 2.85 people. The median age was 27.8; 14.4% of the population was under age 18, and 9.3% was age 65 or older.^[88]By the 2022 American Community Survey, the percentage of married couple households was 33.8%, while male householders with no spouse present (family households) were 26.1%, and female householders with no spouse present (family households) were 30.4%.^[89]

According to the 2012–2016American Community Surveyestimates, the median household income was $57,697, and the median family income was $95,528.^[90]Males over age 25 and with earnings had a median income of $51,682, versus $39,203 for females.^[91]The per capita income for the city was $37,158.^[92]Nearly a quarter (23.4%) of people and 6.7% of families had incomes below the poverty level.^[93]

In 2015, Ann Arbor was ranked 11th safest among cities in Michigan with a population of over 50,000.^[94]It ranked safer than cities such as Royal Oak, Livonia, Canton and Clinton Township. The level of most crimes in Ann Arbor has fallen significantly in the past 20 years. In 1995 there were 294 aggravated assaults, 132 robberies and 43 rapes while in 2015 there were 128 aggravated assaults, 42 robberies and 58 rapes (under the revised definition).^[95][96]

Ann Arbor's crime rate was below the national average in 2000. The violent crime rate was further below the national average than the property crime rate; the two rates were 48% and 11% lower than the U.S. average, respectively.^[97][98]

The University of Michigan shapes Ann Arbor's economy significantly. It employs about 30,000 workers which includes about 12,000 in the medical center. Other employers are drawn to the area by the university's research and development money, and by its graduates.High tech, health services andbiotechnologyare other major components of the city's economy; numerous medical offices, laboratories, and associated companies are located in the city.^[14]Automobile manufacturers, such asGeneral MotorsandVisteon, also employ residents.^[99]

High tech companies have located in the area since the 1930s, whenInternational Radio Corporationintroduced the first mass-produced AC/DC radio (the Kadette, in 1931) as well as the first pocket radio (the Kadette Jr., in 1933).^[100]Current firms includeArbor Networks(provider of Internet traffic engineering and security systems),Arbortext(provider of XML-based publishing software),JSTOR(the digital scholarly journal archive),Truven Health Analytics, andProQuest, which includesUMI.^[101]Duo Security, a cloud-based access security provider of two-factor authentication, is headquartered in Ann Arbor.^[102]It was formerly aunicornand continues to be headquartered in Ann Arbor after its acquisition byCisco Systems.^[103]In November 2021, semiconductor test equipment companyKLA Corporationopened a new North American headquarters in Ann Arbor.^[104]

Ann Arbor is the home toInternet2and theMerit Network, a not-for-profit research and education computer network. Both are located in the South State Commons 2 building on South State Street.^[105]The city is also home to a secondary office of Google'sAdWordsprogram—the company's primary revenue stream.^[106]As of 2022, Ann Arbor is home to more than twenty video game and XR studios of varying sizes.^[107]The city plays host to a regional chapter of theInternational Game Developers Association (IGDA)which hosts monthly meetups, presentations, and educational events.^[108]

The University of Michigan operates the North Campus Research Complex, a formerPfizerpharmaceutical research facility on the northeast side of Ann Arbor.^[109]The city is the home of other research and engineering centers, including theGreat Lakes Environmental Research Laboratorythat is operated byNOAAand theMichigan Tech Research Institute. Other research centers sited in the city are theUnited States Environmental Protection Agency's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory^[110]and theToyota Technical Center.^[111]The city is also home to National Sanitation Foundation International (NSF International), the nonprofit non-governmental organization that develops generally accepted standards for a variety of public health related industries and subject areas.^[112]

Non-high tech companies in Ann Arbor includeDomino's Pizza, headquartered onDomino's Farms, a 271-acre (110 ha)Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired complex just northeast of the city.^[113]Another Ann Arbor-based company isZingerman's Delicatessen, which serves sandwiches and has developed businesses under a variety of brand names.^[114]Avfuel, a global supplier of aviation fuels and services, is headquartered in Ann Arbor^[115]as isPinkerton, a detective and private security firm.^[116]Manycooperativeenterprises were founded in the city; among those that remain are the People's Food Co-op and theInter-Cooperative Council at the University of Michigan, astudent housing cooperativefounded in 1937.^[117]There are also threecohousingcommunities—Sunward, Great Oak, and Touchstone—located immediately to the west of the city limits.^[118]

Several performing arts groups and facilities are on the University of Michigan's campus, as aremuseumsdedicated to art,archaeology, and natural history and sciences. Founded in 1879, theUniversity Musical Societyis an independent performing arts organization that presents over 60 events each year, bringing international artists in music, dance, and theater. Since 2001Shakespeare in the Arbhas presented one play by Shakespeare each June, in a large park near downtown.^[119]Regional and local performing arts groups not associated with the university include the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, the Arbor Opera Theater, theAnn Arbor Symphony Orchestra, the Ann Arbor Ballet Theater, the Ann Arbor Civic Ballet (established in 1954 as Michigan's first chartered ballet company),^[120]The Ark, andPerformance Network Theatre.^[121]Another unique piece of artistic expression in Ann Arbor is thefairy doors. These small portals are examples ofinstallation artand can be found throughout the downtown area.^[122]

TheAnn Arbor Hands-On Museumis located in a renovated and expanded historic downtown fire station. Multiple art galleries exist in the city, notably in the downtown area and around the University of Michigan campus. Aside from a large restaurant scene in the Main Street, South State Street, and South University Avenue areas, Ann Arbor ranks first among U.S. cities in the number of booksellers and books sold per capita.^[123]TheAnn Arbor District Librarymaintains four branch outlets in addition to its main downtown building. The city is also home to theGerald R. Ford Presidential Library.^[124]

Several annual events—many of them centered on performing and visual arts—draw visitors to Ann Arbor. One such event is theAnn Arbor Art Fairs, a set of four concurrent juried fairs held on downtown streets. Scheduled on Thursday through Sunday of the third week of July, the fairs draw upward of half a million visitors.^[125]Another is theAnn Arbor Film Festival, held during the third week of March, which receives more than 2,500 submissions annually from more than 40 countries and serves as one of a handful of Academy Award–qualifying festivals in the United States.^[126]

Ann Arbor has a long history of openness to marijuana, given Ann Arbor's decriminalization ofcannabis, the large number ofmedical marijuanadispensaries in the city (one dispensary, called People's Co-op, was directly across the street fromMichigan Stadiumuntil zoning forced it to move one mile to the west), the large number of pro-marijuana residents, and the annualHash Bash: an event that is held on the first Saturday of April. Until (at least) the successful passage of Michigan's medical marijuana law, the event had arguably strayed from its initial intent, although for years, a number of attendees have received serious legal responses due to marijuana use on University of Michigan property, which does not fall under the city's progressive and compassionate ticketing program.^[127]

Ann Arbor is a major center for college sports, most notably at the University of Michigan. Several well-known college sports facilities exist in the city, includingMichigan Stadium, the largestAmerican footballstadium and thethird-largest stadiumof any kind in the world with a capacity of 107,601.^[128][129]The stadium is colloquially known as "The Big House" due to its status as the largest American football stadium.^[130]Crisler CenterandYost Ice Arenaplay host to the school's basketball (bothmen'sandwomen's) andice hockeyteams, respectively.^[131]Concordia University, a member of theNAIA, also fields sports teams.^[132]In semi-professional sports Ann Arbor is represented in theNPSLbyAFC Ann Arbor, a soccer club founded in 2014 who call themselves The Mighty Oak.^[133]

A person from Ann Arbor is called an "Ann Arborite", and many long-time residents call themselves "townies". The city itself is often called "A²" ("A-squared") or "A2" ("A two") or "AA", "The Deuce" (mainly by Chicagoans), and "Tree Town".^[134]Withtongue-in-cheekreference to the city's liberal political leanings, some occasionally refer to Ann Arbor as "The People's Republic of Ann Arbor"^[135]or "25 square miles surrounded by reality",^[136]the latter phrase being adapted from Wisconsin GovernorLee Dreyfus's description ofMadison, Wisconsin. InA Prairie Home Companionbroadcast from Ann Arbor,Garrison Keillordescribed Ann Arbor as "a city where people discuss socialism, but only in the fanciest restaurants." Ann Arbor sometimes appears oncitation indexesas an author, instead of a location, often with theacademic degreeMI, a misunderstanding of the abbreviation for Michigan.^[137]

The Ann Arbor department of Parks and Recreation manages over 160 parks within the city limits, such asBuhr Park.^[138]In addition, the University of Michigan operates several public green spaces, such asThe DiagandNichols Arboretum, and the county operatesCounty Farm Park. Several other green spaces around Ann Arbor are privately owned or owned by government agencies such asAnn Arbor Public Schools.^[139][140]The Federal building includes a public plaza on Liberty St.^[141]

As thecounty seatofWashtenaw County, the Washtenaw County Trial Court (22nd Circuit Court) is located in Ann Arbor at the Washtenaw County Courthouse on Main Street. Seven judges serve on the court.^[142]The 15thMichigan district court, which serves only the city itself, is located within the Ann Arbor Justice Center, immediately next to city hall. TheU.S. District Court for the Eastern District of MichiganandCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuitare also located in downtown Ann Arbor, at the federal building on Liberty Street.^{[143][144][145][146]}

Ann Arbor has acouncil-managerform of government, with 11 voting members: the mayor and 10 city council members. Each of the city's five wards are represented by two council members, with the mayor electedat-largeduringmidtermyears. Half of the council members are elected in midterm years, with the other in general election years.^[147]The mayor is the presiding officer of the city council and has the power to appoint all council committee members as well as board and commission members, with the approval of the city council. The current mayor of Ann Arbor isChristopher Taylor, aDemocratwho was elected as mayor in 2014.^[148]Day-to-day city operations are managed by acity administratorchosen by the city council.^[149]WhileDemocrats, as of 2024, hold the mayorship and all ten council seats,^[150]Ann Arbor has two major political factions.^[151]A major source of this local divide is differences in views on the city's growth.^[152]

Public schoolsare part of theAnn Arbor Public Schools(AAPS) district. AAPS has one of the country's leading music programs. In September 2008, 16,539 students had been enrolled in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Notable schools includePioneer,Huron,Skyline,Communityhigh schools,Pathways to Success Academic Campus, andAnn Arbor Open School.^[153]The district has a preschool center with both free and tuition-based programs for preschoolers in the district.^[154]The University High School, a "demonstration school" with teachers drawn from the University of Michigan's education program, was part of the school system from 1924 to 1968.^[155]

Ann Arbor is home to several private schools,^[156]including Emerson School, theFather Gabriel Richard High School, Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor (a PreK-12Waldorf school),Clonlara School,Michigan Islamic Academy, andGreenhills School, a prep school. The city is also home to severalcharter schoolssuch as Central Academy (Michigan) (PreK-12) of theGlobal Educational Excellence(GEE) charter school company,^[157]Washtenaw Technical Middle College, and Honey Creek Community School.^[158]

TheUniversity of Michigandominates the city of Ann Arbor, providing the city with its distinctivecollege-towncharacter. University buildings are located in the center of the city and the campus is directly adjacent to the State Street and South University downtown areas.^[159]

Other local colleges and universities includeConcordia University Ann Arbor, aLutheranliberal-arts institution, andCleary University, a private business school.Washtenaw Community Collegeis located in neighboringAnn Arbor Township. In 2000, theAve Maria School of Law, a Roman Catholic law school established byDomino's PizzafounderTom Monaghan, opened in northeastern Ann Arbor, but the school moved toAve Maria, Floridain 2009,^[160]and theThomas M. Cooley Law Schoolacquired the former Ave Maria buildings for use as a branch campus.^{[161][162][163]}

The Ann Arbor News, owned by the Michigan-basedBooth Newspaperschain, was the major newspaper serving Ann Arbor and the rest of Washtenaw County. The newspaper ended its 174-year daily print run in 2009 due to economic difficulties, and began producing two printed editions a week under the name AnnArbor.com.^[164]Ann Arbor has been said to be the first significant city to lose its only daily paper.^[165]The publication resumed using its former name in 2013, and also produces a daily digital edition named MLive.com.^[166]Another Ann Arbor-based publication that has ceased production was theAnn Arbor Paper, a free monthly.^[167]TheAnn Arbor Chronicle, an online newspaper, covered local news, including meetings of the library board, county commission, and DDA until September 3, 2014.^[168]

Current publications in the city include theAnn Arbor Journal(A2 Journal), a weeklycommunity newspaper;^[169]theAnn Arbor Observer, a free monthly local magazine; andCurrent, a free entertainment-focusedalt-weekly.^[170]TheAnn Arbor Business Reviewcovers local business in the area.Car and Driver^[171]magazine andAutomobile Magazine^[172]are also based in Ann Arbor. The University of Michigan is served by many student publications, including the independentMichigan Dailystudent newspaper, which reports on local, state, and regional issues in addition to campus news.^[173]

Four majorAMradio stations based in or near Ann Arbor areWAAM1600, a conservative news and talk station;WLBY1290, a business news and talk station;WDEO990, Catholic radio; andWTKA1050, which is primarily a sports station. The city'sFMstations includeNPRaffiliateWUOM91.7; country stationWWWW102.9; and adult-alternative stationWQKL107.1. Freeform stationWCBN-FM88.3 is a local community radio/college radiostation operated by the students of the University of Michigan featuring noncommercial, eclectic music and public-affairs programming.^[174]The city is also served by public and commercial radio broadcasters in Ypsilanti, the Lansing/Jackson area, Detroit, Windsor, and Toledo.^[175]

Ann Arbor is part of the Detroit television market.WPXDchannel 31, the owned-and-operated Detroit outlet of theION Television network, is licensed to the city. Until its sign-off on August 31, 2017,WHTVchannel 18, aMyNetworkTV-affiliated station for theLansingmarket, was broadcast from a transmitter inLyndon Township, west of Ann Arbor. Community Television Network (CTN) is a city-provided cable television channel with production facilities open to city residents and nonprofit organizations.^[176]Detroit and Toledo-area radio and television stations also serve Ann Arbor, and stations from Lansing and Windsor, Ontario, can be seen in parts of the area.^[175]

TheUniversity of Michigan Health System(UMHS) includes University Hospital, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Women's Hospital in its core complex. UMHS also operates out-patient clinics and facilities throughout the city. The area's other major medical centers include a large facility operated by theDepartment of Veterans Affairsin Ann Arbor,^[177]and Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital in nearbySuperior Township.^[178]

The city provides sewage disposal and water supply services, with water coming from theHuron Riverand groundwater sources. There are twowater-treatmentplants, one main and three outlying reservoirs, fourpump stations, and twowater towers. These facilities serve the city, which is divided into five water districts. The city's water department also operates four dams along the Huron River—Argo,Barton,Geddes, andSuperior—of which Barton and Superior providehydroelectric power.^[179][180]

The city also offers waste management services, withRecycle Ann Arborhandling recycling service.^[181]Other utilities are provided by private entities.Electrical powerandgasare provided byDTE Energy.AT&T Inc.is the primary wired telephone service provider for the area.Cable TVservice is primarily provided byComcast.^[182]

The streets in downtown Ann Arbor conform to agrid pattern, though this pattern is less common in the surrounding areas. Major roads branch out from the downtown district to the highways surrounding the city. The city is belted by three freeways:I-94, which runs along the southern and western portion of the city;U.S. Highway 23(US 23), which primarily runs along the eastern edge of Ann Arbor; andM-14, which runs along the northern edge of the city. Other nearby highways includeUS 12(Michigan Ave.),M-17(Washtenaw Ave.), andM-153(Ford Rd.). Several of the major surface arteries lead to the I-94/M-14 interchange in the west, US 23 in the east, and the city's southern areas.^[183]The Washtenaw CountyBorder-to-Border Trailconnects Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti, mostly along the Huron River, for pedestrians, bicycles and other non-motorized transportation.^[184][185]

TheAnn Arbor Area Transportation Authority(AAATA), which brands itself as "TheRide", operates publicbusservices throughout the city and nearbyYpsilanti. The AAATA operates theBlake Transit Centeron Fourth Ave. in downtown Ann Arbor, and the Ypsilanti Transit Center. A separatezero-farebus service operates within and between the University of Michigan campuses. In 2019, 36% of trips in Ann Arbor were taken by walking, biking or transit.^[186]

Since April 2012, the "AirRide" connects toDetroit Metro Airporta dozen times a day.^[187]Greyhound Linesprovidesintercity bus service.^[188]TheMichigan Flyer, a service operated by Indian Trails, cooperates with AAATA for their AirRide and additionally offers bus service to East Lansing.^[189]Megabushas direct service toChicago, Illinois,^[190]while a bus service is provided byAmtrak Thruwayfor rail passengers making connections to services inEast LansingandToledo, Ohio.^[191]

Amtrak, which provides service to the city at theAnn Arbor Train Station, operates theWolverinetrain between Chicago andPontiacvia Detroit. The present-day train station neighbors the city's old Michigan Central Depot, which was renovated as a restaurant in 1970.^[192]Ann Arbor Municipal Airportis a small, city-rungeneral aviationairport located south of I-94.^[193]

Ann Arbor has sevensister cities:^[194][195]

• Tübingen,Baden-Württemberg, Germany (since 1965) The schools in Ann Arbor and Tübingen have regular exchanges.^[196]
• Belize City, Belize (since 1967)
• Hikone, Shiga, Japan (since 1969) The schools in Ann Arbor and Hikone have regular exchanges.^[197][198]
• Peterborough, Ontario, Canada (since 1983)
• Juigalpa, Chontales, Nicaragua (since 1986)
• Dakar, Senegal (since 1997)
• Remedios, Cuba(since 2003)

• Ann Arbor staging
• Ardis Publishing
• List of people from Ann Arbor

• Marwil, Jonathan (1991).A History of Ann Arbor. University of Michigan Press.ISBN978-0-472-06463-2.
• "Pictorial History of Ann Arbor". Ann Arbor District Library. 2003. Archived fromthe originalon April 28, 2014. RetrievedNovember 8,2009.

• Fisher, Dale (1996).Ann Arbor: Visions of the Eagle. Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing.ISBN978-0-9615623-4-2.
• Schmittroth, Linda, ed. (1994).Cities of the United States(4th ed.). Detroit: Gale Group.
• Shackman, Grace (2006).Ann Arbor Observed. University of Michigan Press.ISBN978-0-472-03175-7.
• Brown, Bill (2010).You Should've Heard Just What I Seen: Collected Newspaper Articles, 1981–1984. Colossal Books.ISBN978-0-557-66844-1.
• Encyclopedia of Michigan. St. Clair Shores, MI: Somerset Publishers. 1981.ISBN978-0-403-09995-5.
• Michigan Gazetteer. Wilmington, DE: American Historical Publications. 1991.

• City's official website
• Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau
• Collection: "Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan"from theUniversity of Michigan Museum of Art
• Materials on Ann Arbor's historyfromHathiTrust