Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City (/ˈtrævərs/ TRAV-ərs) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 15,678 at the 2020 census, with 153,448 in the four-county Traverse City micropolitan area. Traverse City is also the second-largest city in Michigan north of the Tri-Cities, behind Marquette.
Traverse City, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| City of Traverse City | |
Downtown Traverse City Grand Traverse County Courthouse | |
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Flag Seal | |
| Etymology: French: la grande traverse (the long crossing) | |
| Nickname(s): "Traverse", "T.C.", "The Cherry Capital (of the World)", "Cherryland", "Queen City of the North", "Coast Guard City", "Hockeytown North" | |
| Coordinates: 44°46′05″N 85°37′20″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| Counties | Grand Traverse Leelanau |
| Settled | June 13, 1847 |
| Incorporated | April 18, 1881 (village) May 18, 1895 (city) |
| Founded by | Perry Hannah, Albert Lay, Horace Boardman |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | Amy Shamroe (D) |
| • City manager | Liz Vogel |
| Area | |
| • City | 8.61 sq mi (22.30 km2) |
| • Land | 8.28 sq mi (21.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.34 sq mi (0.87 km2) |
| Elevation | 626 ft (191 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • City | 15,678 |
| • Density | 1,894.39/sq mi (731.43/km2) |
| • Metro | 153,448 (Traverse City micropolitan area) |
| Demonym | "Traverse Citian(s)" |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | 49684, 49685, 49686, 49696 |
| Area code | 231 |
| FIPS code | 26-80340 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1615042 |
| Website | www |
Traverse City is located at the head of the East and West arms of Grand Traverse Bay, a 32-mile-long (51 km) bay of Lake Michigan. Grand Traverse Bay is divided into arms by the 17-mile-long (27 km) Old Mission Peninsula, which is attached at its base to Traverse City. The city borders four townships–East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield, and Peninsula–all of which contain substantial suburban sprawl.
Farms near Traverse City produce tart cherries, and the city hosts the National Cherry Festival, attracting approximately 500,000 visitors annually. The former Traverse City State Hospital, and the Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, are located here.