Illinois

Illinois is also home to 49 colleges in the Illinois community college system. Detroit has several sister cities, including. Notable Illinois institutions of higher education include Loyola University Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Chicago and the several branches of the University of Illinois. For a more extensive list see People from Detroit. While many students enter the military or join the workforce directly from high school, students have the option of applying to colleges and universities in Illinois. Detroit has been home to luminaries from virtually every major sport, including boxing Joe Louis, baseball (Ty Cobb and Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers), hockey (Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings), basketball Isiah Thomas of the Pistons) and football (Barry Sanders of the Lions). In some cases, elementary, middle and junior high schools of a single district feed into high schools in another district. Durant and the Dodge Brothers.

District territories are often complex in structure. The auto industry has spawned its own cast of significant names, particularly such pioneers as Henry Ford, William C. Education is compulsory from kindergarten through the twelfth grade in Illinois, commonly but not exclusively divided into three tiers of primary and secondary education: elementary school, middle school or junior high school and high school. Artists such as Eminem and Aaliyah are among the celebrities who have kept the musical pipeline flowing. Opponents to the proposal argue that local communities would lose control over what their children would learn in public schools and the means by which those public schools operate. Detroit's rich musical heritage has produced a vast roster of hit makers, from R&B artists such as Smokey Robinson and Aretha Franklin to rockers such as Bob Seger and Ted Nugent. The structure would mimic the system employed by the Hawaii State Department of Education, which has no local school districts. Detroit also has a light rail system known as the People Mover, providing a 2.9 mile loop in the downtown area. Although it has faced massive criticism for its lack of punctual service and high cost, the People Mover continues to operate daily.

However, direct control of the new department would fall under the state governor's jurisdiction. In recent years the Southeast Michigan Transportation Authority has been established with the goal of expanding and integrating the transit systems located in the Detroit Metro area. In 2002, the Office of the Governor proposed the creation of a monolithic statewide department of education to replace the ISBE. Service in the suburbs is provided by Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART). There is current debate as to the role of the ISBE and whether or not its autonomous relationship with the governor and the state legislature is appropriate. Transit services in the City of Detroit are provided by the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), they provide an extensive, if not erratic, bus service throughout the city and very near suburbs. The ISBE also makes recommendations to state leaders concerning education spending and policies. Also the city has two international border crossings, the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, both linking Detroit to Windsor, Ontario on the Canadian side by crossing the Detroit River.

Local municipalities and their respective school districts operate individual public schools but the ISBE audits performance of public schools with an annual school report card. Detroit is the crossroads for six major Interstate Highways, including I-75, I-94, I-96, I-696, I-275, and I-375. The Illinois State Board of Education or ISBE, autonomous of the governor and the state legislature, administers public education in the state. Because of its gateway between the United States and Canada and its major industrial status — along with its major highways, rail connections and international airport — Detroit has been an important transportation hub. See complete listing here... Comerica Park will host the 2005 MLB All Star Game in July 2005, and Ford Field will host Super Bowl XL in February 5, 2006. The three largest Protestant denominations in Illinois are: Baptist (15% of total state population), Lutheran (8%), Methodist (8%). CART continued downtown until 1992, when the race was moved to another temporary course on Belle Isle where the race remained through 2001.

The religious affiliations of the people of Illinois are:. Detroit was also the former home of a round of the Formula One World Championship, holding a race on the streets of downtown Detroit from 1982 until 1987, after which the sanction moved from Formula One to Indycars. Roman Catholics (who are predominant in and around Chicago) account for one-third of the population. It is the world's only cross-national marathon. Unlike the other Midwestern states, Illinois is not overwhelmingly Protestant--only about half of the people profess that faith. Detroit is home to the Detroit International Marathon, which crosses the border into Canada via the Ambassador Bridge and returns to the United States through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Females made up approximately 51% of the population. A world record was set on December 13, 2003, when the largest crowd in basketball history — 78,129 — packed Ford Field to watch the University of Kentucky defeat Michigan State University, 79–74.

7.1% of Illinois' population were reported as under 5, 26.1% under 18, and 12.1% were 65 or older. In college sports, the University of Detroit Mercy has a NCAA Division I program, and Wayne State University has both NCAA Division I and II programs. The top 5 ancestry groups in Illinois are German (19.6%), African American (15.1%), Irish (12.2%), Mexican (9.2%), Polish (7.5%). A Red Wings marketing campaign in the late 1990s launched the nickname Hockeytown, a city moniker subsequently embraced by local fans and national media. Racially, the state is:. Detroit is perhaps the most fervent hockey hotbed in the United States. The rest of the population lives in the smaller cities and on the farms that dot the state's gently rolling plains. Like many industrial cities, Detroit is known for its avid fans, particularly in such blue-collar sports as football (Detroit Lions) and hockey (Detroit Red Wings).

More than half of the population of Illinois lives in and around Chicago, the leading industrial and transportation center in the region. There are three active major sports venues in the city: Comerica Park for baseball, Ford Field for football and Joe Louis Arena for ice hockey. At the northern edge of the state on Lake Michigan lies Chicago, the nation's third largest city. cities with teams from four major sports.). Census Bureau, as of 2003, the population of Illinois was 12,653,544. All but one play within the city of Detroit (basketball's Detroit Pistons play in suburban Auburn Hills). (See also: U.S. According to the U.S. Detroit is home to professional teams representing the four major sports in North America.

Its industrial outputs are machinery, food processing, electrical equipment, chemical products, publishing, fabricated metal products, transportation equipment, petroleum and coal. Once the home of the University of Michigan, which was founded in Detroit in 1817 then later moved to Ann Arbor in 1837, Detroit has several universities and colleges within its borders, including:. Illinois' agricultural outputs are corn, soybeans, hogs, cattle, dairy products and wheat. In 2004, following numerous scandals and legal decisions, a court-ordered reorganization of the Detroit Police Department was underway with supervision of the FBI. The per capita income was $32,965. He has also been criticised for his lack in improving the city. The 2003 total gross state product for Illinois was $499 billion, placing it 5^th in the nation. Since taking office, however, the mayor and his administration have found themselves dogged by ongoing accusations of scandal and impropriety. Detroit's major media have relentlessly pursued the stories, including reports of wild parties involving strippers at the mayoral mansion [3] (http://www.freep.com/news/locway/probe15_20030515.htm), though the mayor has strongly denied accusations of wrongdoing.

In extreme northwestern Illinois the Driftless Area, a region of unglaciated and therefore comparatively higher and more rugged topography, occupies a small part of the state. Widely considered a hot rising political star when he won election in 2001, Democratic Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has been dubbed "America's hip-hop mayor" because of his fond appreciation for black youth culture. Both figures are as of 2004. No Republican has been elected mayor of Detroit in the past 40 years. while Cook County is the largest county in terms of population, at 5,327,777. Democratic Party. McLean County, is the largest county in terms of land area, at 1,184 sq mi. As with most large urban centers in the United States, Detroit consistently supports the U.S.

This division comprises the area generally along and south of Interstate 70. See also List of mayors of Detroit, Michigan. The combination of coal mining and industrialization, especially in the region around Saint Louis, Missouri, has caused the region to lean Democratic politically. The current mayor is Kwame Kilpatrick. The third division is Southern Illinois, or Little Egypt, distinguished from the other two by its warmer climate, different mix of crops (including some cotton farming in the past), more rugged unglaciated topography, coal mining, and proximity to the juncture of the Mississippi River and Ohio River. Municipal elections are held every year congruent to 1 modulo 4 (e.g., 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, ...). This region's largely rural character helps to sustain a heavily Republican voting pattern and widespread antipathy toward Chicago. The city is run by the mayor and a nine member city council, elected at large on a nonpartisan ballot.

Major cities include famously average Peoria, Springfield (the state capital), and Champaign-Urbana (home of the University of Illinois). Instead of just locking criminals behind prison bars, Detroit is beginning to realize that community ties, dealing with poverty and educating the youth are the most effective methods of prevention. Agriculture, particularly corn and soybeans, figures prominently. Despite its high crime rates, the local communities and the government are working together to curb the street crimes and are working into the local neighborhoods to provide better housing and economic conditions. Known as the Land of Lincoln, it is characterized by small towns and mid-sized cities. Most of the suburbs mentioned are predominantly white and have contrasting demographics. Southward and westward, the second major division is Central Illinois, an area of rolling hills and flat prairie. They include Farmington Hills, Troy, and Sterling Heights.

While this tendency has historically been balanced by Republican voters in the suburbs, Democrats have significantly increased their suburban support in the past decade. Sharply contrasting the dangerous streets of Detroit, many of the suburbs to the north of 8 Mile Road in Oakland and Macomb counties are among the 25 safest cities in the United States with a population of 75,000 or above. The city of Chicago is heavily Democratic. The various street gangs which patrol the streets have caused much of the violence and crime. This region is cosmopolitan, densely populated, industrialized, and settled by a variety of ethnic groups. Major crimes in Detroit include burglary, theft, carjacking, robbery, rape, assault, and homicide. This region includes a few counties in Indiana and Wisconsin and streches across much of the Northern Illinois toward the Iowa border, generally along and north of Interstate 80. Many of these problems can be blamed on the widespread urban decay, poverty, de facto segregation of African Americans, and unemployment that has struck Detroit.

The first is Chicagoland, including the city of Chicago, its suburbs, and the adjoining exurban area into which the metropolis is expanding. Listed as the second most dangerous city by the Morgan Quitno Corporation's statistics [2] (http://www.morganquitno.com/) (after Camden, New Jersey), Detroit has been one of the most crime-ridden cities in the United States. Illinois has three major geographical divisions. City has looming budget deficit estimated at $214 to $400 million, and default or rising of taxes is expected. Illinois also borders Michigan, but only via a water boundary in Lake Michigan. In addition to property tax, the city levies an income tax of 2.65% on residents, 1.325% on non-residents, and 1.6% on corporations. and borders on Lake Michigan. Surrounding states are Wisconsin to the north, Iowa and Missouri to the west, Kentucky to the south, and Indiana to the east. Other major industries include advertising, computer software and casino gambling.

It is in the north-central U.S. Metro Detroit is also home to the national pizza chains Domino's and Little Caesars. See List of Illinois counties. Including the Big Three, there are 17 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in metro Detroit, including Kmart Corporation, Borders Books and Music, Comerica Inc., Federal-Mogul, Kelly Services and Lear Corporation. The judiciary is comprised of the state supreme court, which oversees the lower appelate courts and circuit courts. According to one saying, "When the auto industry hiccups, Detroit coughs, and when the auto industry catches a cold, Detroit gets pneumonia.". Legislative functions are given to the Illinois General Assembly, comprised of the 118-member Illinois State House of Representatives and the 59-member Illinois State Senate. But there's a flip side to the automotive dominance: Because of its almost singular dependence on the auto industry, Detroit is more acutely vulnerable to economic cycles than most large cities.

The executive branch is led by the Governor of Illinois. It is not uncommon in Detroit to hear radio ads or to spy billboards in which multimillion-dollar auto corporations make insider sales pitches to one another. As codified in the state constitution, there are three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. Detroit and its suburbs constitute a manufacturing powerhouse, most notably as home to the American automobile industry and the Big Three auto companies. General Motors is based in Detroit, Ford Motor Company in nearby Dearborn, and one of the two world headquarters for DaimlerChrysler in Auburn Hills (the other is in Stuttgart, Germany). Dotting the Detroit landscape are countless offices and plants in the automotive support business: parts, supplies, electronics, and design. The state government of Illinois is modeled after the federal government with adaptations originating from traditions cultivated during the state's frontier era. In 2004, Men's Fitness magazine named Detroit the fattest city in the U.S. Seventeen cavalry regiments were also mustered, as well as two light artillery regiments. Out of the total population, 34.5% of those under the age of 18 and 18.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Beginning with President Lincoln's first call for troops and continuing throughout the war, Illinois mustered 150 infantry regiments (see Illinois in the Civil War), which were numbered from the 7th IL to the 156th IL. 26.1% of the population and 21.7% of families are below the poverty line. During the Civil War, over 250,000 Illinois men served in the Union Army, more than any other northern state except New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The per capita income for the city is $14,717. By 1857, Chicago was Illinois' largest city (see History of Chicago). Males have a median income of $33,381 versus $26,749 for females. Chicago gained prominence as a canal port after 1848, and as a rail hub soon afterward. The median income for a household in the city is $29,526, and the median income for a family is $33,853.

Illinois is known as the "Land of Lincoln" because it is here that the 16th President spent his formative years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.5 males. With the 1832 Black Hawk War, the last native tribes were driven out of northern Illinois. For every 100 females there are 89.1 males. settlement began in the south part of the state and quickly spread northward, driving out the native residents. The median age is 31 years. Early U.S. In the city the population is spread out with 31.1% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older.

state. The average household size is 2.77 and the average family size is 3.45. In 1818, Illinois became the 21st U.S. 29.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The Illinois Territory was created on February 3, 1809. There are 336,428 households out of which 33.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.7% are married couples living together, 31.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% are non-families. The Illinois-Wabash Company was an early claimant to much of Illinois. 4.96% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The area was ceded to the new United States in 1783 and became part of the Northwest Territory. The racial makeup of the city is 81.55% Black or African American, 12.26% White, 0.33% Native American, 0.97% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.54% from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. As a result of their exploration, Illinois was part of the French empire until 1763, when it passed to the British. There are 375,096 housing units at an average density of 2,703.0/mi² (1,043.6/km²). and Louis Joliet explored the Illinois River in 1673. The population density is 6,855.1/mi² (2,646.7/km²). French explorers Jacques Marquette,S.J. As of the census² of 2000, there are 951,270 people, 336,428 households, and 218,341 families residing in the city.

The Ilini were replaced in Illinois by the Potawatomi, Miami, Sauk, and other tribes. Some of the Current and historic neighborhoods in Detroit include: Black Bottom, Brush Park, Corktown, Chaldean Town, Cultural Center, Del Ray, East English Village, Eastern Market, Greektown, Indian Village, Mexicantown, New Center, Old Redford, Palmer Woods, Poletown, Rosedale Park, Springwells, and Warrendale. The Illini suffered in the seventeenth century as Iroquois expansion forced them to compete with several tribes for land. 100,545) has been described in news reports as "the whitest American city" as the 2000 census revealed that 97 percent of its population identified themselves as white. The Illiniwek gave Illinois its name. Detroit is more than four-fifths African-American, while nearby Livonia (pop. The next major power in the region was the Illiniwek Confederation, a political alliance among several tribes. On the east side, the aptly (although unintentionally) named Alter Road separates Detroit from affluent Grosse Pointe.

That civilization vanished circa 1400-1500 for unknown reasons. While less prevalent than in the 1970s and 1980s, perceptions of racial segregation continue to provoke criticism and soul-searching in the Detroit area. 8 Mile Road, the boundary between the city and suburban Oakland and Macomb counties, is more than a line on a map; it is often held up by politicians and sociologists as a symbolic dividing wall between blacks and whites. Cahokia, the urban center of the pre-Columbian Mississippian culture, was located near present-day Collinsville, Illinois. The Michigan Chronicle, the state's largest black-owned newspaper, is based in Detroit. The USS Illinois was named in honor of this state. Other communities with large black populations include Southfield, Pontiac and Oak Park, which are all north of the former segregation boundary 8 Mile Road. postal abbreviation for the state is IL. About three-fourths of them live within the city limits.

The U.S. African Americans are a major racial group in the area, numbering more than 1 million. Most of the state's population resides in Chicago and its suburbs. The southwest side of the city contains a large Mexican American community, while significant populations of Chinese, Indian, Korean and Filipino ancestry are found in Oakland County, notably in Troy. The capital of Illinois is Springfield while its largest city is Chicago, along the waterfront of Lake Michigan. Recently, the area has witnessed the growth of Asian American and Hispanic communities. The word Illiniwek means simply "the people". Detroit is also home to large Chaldean and Arab American populations, and suburban Dearborn is home to the country's largest concentration of Arab Americans.

Its name was given by the state's French explorers after the indigenous Illiniwek people, a consortium of Algonquin tribes that thrived in the area. Detroit's ethnic communities are largely the descendants of those Poles, Irish, Italians and Greeks who made their way to the city during its early 20th-century industrial boom. Illinois (pronounced [ˌɪləˈnɔɪ] or occasionally [ˌɪləˈnɔɪz]) constitutes the 21st state of the United States, located in the former Northwest Territory. Traces of the Southern accent can still be heard in these areas, mingling with the more nasal Midwest accent to create a distinctive pattern of speech. State tree: White oak (Quercus alba). Metro Detroit residents with Southern origin possibly comprise a majority of the region's population; they most certainly do in suburban sectors such as Downriver, where newcomers established communities upon their arrival. State snack: Popcorn. Detroit's population increased more than sixfold during the first half of the 20th century, thanks largely to a massive influx of Southern migrants—both white and black—who came to the area for the burgeoning automobile industry jobs.

State song: "Illinois". Throughout the city, French colonial influence is found prominently in place names (Gratiot Ave., Beaubien St., Cadieux Rd., Chene Park), though only a small percentage of area residents are descended from 18th-century French settlers. State slogan: "Land of Lincoln". In 2003, the three-day number was 117. State prairie grass: Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii). 29–31 period, according to city officials, representing a 30 percent decline in total fires and a 41 percent decline in suspicious fires. State motto: "State sovereignty, national union". The Angel's Night campaign, launched in the late 1990s, draws thousands of volunteers to patrol the streets during Halloween week. The effort has largely squelched Devil's Night arson: In 2002, there were just 110 fires during the Oct.

State mineral: Fluorite. The city faced hundreds of arsons, often in the city's many abandoned homes, each year on Devil's Night, the evening before Halloween. State insect: Monarch butterfly. For a more extensive list, see: Detroit in the movies. State fossil: Tully Monster (Tullimonstrum gregarium). Detroit is a setting and/or filming location for several Hollywood feature films including as well as some television series:. State flower: Purple violet (Viola sororia). Detroit (and its suburbs) is the setting for a number of novels and short story collections, including:.

State fish: Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus). Information on the Nain Rouge and other Detroit oddities has been compiled at the Web site Mythic Detroit (http://www.davidaspitzley.org/MythicDetroit). State dance: Square dance. Detroit is said to be home to the Nain Rouge, the red dwarf who is said to attack people and bring bad luck to the city. State capital: Springfield. The nearby city of Hamtramck is noted for its pączkis. State bird: Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). On the festival of Fat Tuesday (also known as Pączki Day, though traditionally celebrated by Poles on Fat Thursday), occurring on the last Tuesday before Lent, many metro Detroiters join in the festivity by indulging in jelly-filled donuts called pączkis.

State animal: White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Founded in 1907 by two Russian immigrant brothers in Detroit, Faygo soda remains a Detroit tradition, and is sold internationally. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, is buried in Springfield, Illinois. The sculpture, commissioned by Sports Illustrated magazine and executed by Robert Graham, is a 24-foot-long arm with a fisted hand suspended by a 24-foot-high pyramidal framework. Ronald Reagan, the 40th President, was born in Tampico, Illinois. A memorial to Joe Louis at the intersection of Jefferson and Woodward Avenues was dedicated on October 16, 1986. Non-Religious – 8%. Other cultural centers include the Motown Historical Museum, Detroit Historical Museum, Museum of African American History, Detroit Science Center, Tuskegee Airmen Museum, Historic Fort Wayne, Dossin Great Lakes Museum and the Belle Isle Conservatory.

Other Religions – 3%. Other city recreational facilities include municipal golf courses (William Rogell, Rouge, Belle Isle, Palmer Park), Northwest Activities Center, Detroit Zoo and the Belle Isle Aquarium (though unfortunately, the Belle Isle Aquarium and Zoo are closed as of April 2005, though there is a movement to reopen them). Other Christian – 1%. Major parks include Belle Isle, Palmer Park, River Rouge Park, Chene Park and Campus Martius Park. Roman Catholic – 33%. Major theaters include the Fox Theatre, Masonic Temple Theatre, Fisher Theatre, State Theatre, Music Hall, and the Detroit Repertory Theatre. Protestant – 51%. The city is home to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Opera House.

1.9% mixed race. The Detroit Institute of Arts houses what is considered to be one of the most prominent American collections outside New York City, and features showcase pieces by Diego Rivera, Picasso and Van Gogh along with such hometown artists as Charles McGee. 0.2% American Indian. Detroit is also considered the birthplace of techno music, and hosts a large electronic music festival in Hart Plaza each Spring. 3.4% Asian. In recent years, Detroit has assumed a kind of gritty, hip cachet around the world, thanks largely to such modern ambassadors as the White Stripes, Eminem, the Electric Six, and Kid Rock. 12.3% Hispanic. Notable 1970s and 1980s rock music performers hailing from the Detroit area include the Stooges, the MC5, and the Romantics.

15.1% Black. The city is also regarded as the quintessential Rock 'n Roll town, due to its receptive and enthusiastic rock music audiences. 67.8% White Non-Hispanic. until 1972, was home to some of the most popular recording acts in the world, including Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Detroit area natives Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Four Tops, and Martha Reeves & the Vandellas. The Junior United States Senator is Barack Obama (Democrat). The label, founded in Detroit by Berry Gordy, Jr., and housed at the "Hitsville U.S.A." building on West Grand Ave. Durbin (Democrat). One of the highlights of Detroit's musical history was the success of Motown Records during the 1960s and early 1970s.

The Senior United States Senator is Richard J. Music has been the dominant feature of Detroit's nightlife since the late 1940s, and both city and suburbs teem with live music venues. The Treasurer of Illinois is Judy Baar Topinka (Republican). Sister arena The Palace of Auburn Hills typically ranks in the top three, often ahead of such high-profile venues as New York's Madison Square Garden. The Secretary of State of Illinois is Jesse White (Democrat). 1 summer concert venue in the United States in both attendance and box office gross, according to Pollstar and Billboard magazines. The Lieutenant Governor of Illinois is Pat Quinn (Democrat). In 2004, as in most previous years, DTE Energy Music Theater in nearby Clarkston, Michigan was the No.

The Governor of Illinois is Rod Blagojevich (Democrat). Within the entertainment industry, Detroit is widely regarded as one the country's strongest markets—perhaps the strongest in per capita terms—particularly in live music and theater. Detroit is sometimes called Murda-Town or The D by locals, notably those within the hip-hop community. Detroit sits atop a large salt mine[1] (http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=17&category=business).
. Also notice the three systems of roads: the oldest French roads running perpendicular to the river, radial roads from a Washington, D.C.-inspired system and true north-south roads from the Northwest Ordinance township system.

Clair (northernmost) and Lake Erie. In the satellite photograph [left], the two large bodies of water are Lake St. The total area is 2.92% water. 359.4 km² (138.8 mi²) of it is land and 10.8 km² (4.2 mi²) of it is water.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 370.2 km² (142.9 mi²). Detroit completely encircles the cities of Hamtramck and Highland Park. It lies north of Windsor, Ontario—Detroiters sometimes quip that Canada is "our neighbor to the south." Detroit features two public border crossings, the Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, with a railroad tunnel also connecting the two countries. Clair, in southeastern Michigan.

Detroit is located on the north bank of the Detroit River, between Lake Erie and Lake St. Many downtown centers draw partons and host activities; Greektown, Eastern Market and the Michigan State Fairgrounds and the new Campus Martius Park. Significant landmarks such as the Fox Theater and the Gem Theater have been restored and now host concerts, musicals and plays. The 2004 opening of the Compuware Center gave downtown Detroit its first significant new office building in a decade.

In 2000, Comerica Park replaced historic Tiger Stadium as the home of the Detroit Tigers—a move that brought some controversy—and Ford Field (2002) brought football's Detroit Lions back into Detroit from suburban Pontiac. In 1996 a state referendum paved the way for three Detroit casinos—MGM Detroit, Motor City Casino and Greektown Casino—with the goal of increasing tourism and stemming the flow of gambling dollars to nearby Windsor, Ontario. "Renaissance" has been a perennial buzzword among generations of city leaders, particularly during the construction and completion of the Renaissance Center, but it was not until the 1990s that Detroit enjoyed something of a bona fide revival, much of it centered downtown. Though those figures have decreased in recent years, the crime rate remains high.

During the latter half of the twentieth century, Detroit's crime figures were often among the highest in the country. Recent urban renewal efforts have led to the demolition or renovation of several abandoned skyscrapers and large buildings, the razing of old houses for new housing developments, and an expedited process to remove abandoned homes near schools. Large numbers of buildings and homes were abandoned, with many remaining for years in states of decay. The city's population has plummeted since 1950 as residents have moved to the suburbs, particularly following the 12th Street Riot in 1967.

Detroit has endured a painful decline during the past several decades, and is often held up as a symbol of Rust Belt urban blight. The labor activism established during those years, which brought fame and notoriety to hometown union leaders such as Jimmy Hoffa and Walter Reuther, remains a key feature on the city's cultural and political landscape. With the factories came high-profile labor strife, climaxing in the 1930s as the United Auto Workers initiated bitter battles with Detroit's auto manufacturers. Durant, the Dodge brothers and Louis Chevrolet, solidified Detroit's status as the world's car capital, and the blossoming industry spurred the city's spectacular growth during the first half of the 20th century.

Ford's manufacturing innovations as well as significant contributions from many other automotive pioneers such as William C. A thriving carriage trade set the stage for the work of Henry Ford, who in 1899 built his first automobile factory in Highland Park, an independent city within Detroit. The city grew steadily during the 1830s, and subsequent decades saw substantial growth in the shipping, shipbuilding and manufacturing industries. Situated strategically on a strait along the Great Lakes waterway, Detroit emerged as a key transportation center.

Detroit was incorporated as a city in 1815. William Henry Harrison in 1813. Though Detroit fell to the British for a short time during the War of 1812 (see: Battle of Detroit), it was recaptured by Gen. In 1796 Detroit and its surrounding areas passed to the United States, and from 1805 to 1847 the town was the territorial and state capitol of Michigan.

The British gained control of the area in 1760 and thwarted an Indian attack three years later during Pontiac's Rebellion. Clair and Erie. Originally the settlement was called Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit after the comte de Pontchartrain, minister of marine under Louis XIV and for the river that connects Lakes St. French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded a fort and settlement at the site of Detroit in 1701.

"Detroit" is sometimes used as shorthand for the Metro Detroit region, which is also unofficially referred to as "Southeast Michigan." Residents are generally known as "Detroiters.". Detroit is the United States' 10th most populous city, with 951,000 residents in 2000, according to United States Census Bureau. The Interstate 75 corridor running through Oakland County has been nicknamed by civic leaders as Automation Alley. "River of the Strait" — and across from the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario, the city is the seat of Wayne County and the center of a tri-county industrial zone (including Oakland and Macomb counties) that is among the most significant in the American Rust Belt.

Located along the Detroit River — French: Rivière du Détroit, i.e. Established in 1701 by French fur traders, today it is best known as the world's automotive center and an important music capital — legacies celebrated by the city's two familiar nicknames, Motor City and Motown.
Detroit (IPA: /dɪˈtʰɹɔɪt/; French: Détroit, pronounced /detʀwa/) is a city in Wayne County in the state of Michigan, in the Midwest region of the United States. Turin, Italy.

Toyota, Japan. Nassau, Bahamas. Minsk, Belarus. Kitwe, Zambia.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Chongqing, People's Republic of China. Willow Run Airport (YIP). Young International Airport (DET), no current commercial passenger service, also formerly known as Detroit City Airport.

Coleman A. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County International Airport (DTW), the Detroit area's principal airport is located in nearby Romulus, Michigan and is a hub for Northwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines. 2006 MISL expansion franchise. Detroit Demolition, National Women's Football Association.

Detroit Shock, Women's National Basketball Association. Detroit Red Wings, National Hockey League. Detroit Pistons, NBA (although the name holds, the Pistons play in suburban Auburn Hills). Detroit Lions, National Football League.

Detroit Tigers, Major League Baseball. Wayne County Community College. Sacred Heart Major Seminary. College for Creative Studies.

Lewis College of Business. Marygrove College. Wayne State University. University of Detroit Mercy.

Assult on Precinct 13 (2004). Home Improvement (TV) (1991-99). Tiger Town (TV) (1983). Scarecrow (1973).

RoboCop (1987) and sequels. Presumed Innocent (1990). Hoffa, (1992). The Crow (1994).

Beverly Hills Cop (1984). 8 Mile (2002). Harold Robbins, The Betsy 1971. Joyce Carol Oates, Them 1968.

Elmore Leonard, City Primeval: Detroit at High Noon 1980. Kienzle, The Rosary Murders 1979. William X. Arthur Hailey, Wheels 1971.

Jeffrey Eugenides, The Virgin Suicides 1993 and Middlesex 2002. Jim Ray Daniels, Detroit Tales 2003. Harriette Arnow, The Dollmaker 1954. America's Thanksgiving Parade (Thanksgiving).

Woodward Dream Cruise (August). Concert of Colors diverse music festival (Summer). Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival (September). Detroit Thunder Fest hydroplane race (July).

Comerica Tastefest (July). Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival (June–July). DEMF/Movement/Fuse-In electronic music festival (May). Downtown Hoedown country music festival (May).

North American International Auto Show (January).