Ann Arbor, MI Summary

photo by gusto

Ann Arbor (population 110,300), on the banks of the Huron River, is a major educational, medical, and research center, and a manufacturer of software and electronic equipment.

Although the University of Michigan defines Ann Arbor’s character, it is much more than a college town. Rolling hills, forests, and farms surround the community, and the locals are friendly Midwesterners. At the same time there is sophisticated urban culture.

Many inhabitants commute to Detroit.The first settlers were land speculators who in 1823 began selling lots along the thickly forested riverbanks. It was soon a thriving milling center, and in 1837 lured the University of Michigan from Detroit; the area has seen steady growth ever since.

Ann Arbor has two central areas: the university’s main campus, and the downtown shopping district. Public buses connect the two districts and also cover outlying areas, so a car is not necessary. Dining and lodging choices are plentiful in all categories.

Any itinerary should begin with a visit to the campus, where popular attractions include the Michigan Union, the Law Quadrangle, the Exhibit Museum, the Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History, the Kelsey Museum of Archeology, the Gerald R. Ford Library, the Matthei Botanical Gardens, Nichols Arboretum, and the Power Center for Performing Arts. Other attractions in the city include the Kempf House (an 1853 white-frame, Greek Revival structure with antique Victorian furnishings), the Ann Arbor Hands- On Museum, the National Center for the Study of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Waterloo Recreation Area, and Rolling Hills County Park.

I-94, which runs through Ann Arbor’s south side, links it to Detroit, 40 miles to the east, and to Chicago, all the way across the state to the west. From the north or south, take US-23. Detroit Metropolitan Airport is the nearest major air hub.