Grand Rapids Fact Sheet

Grand Rapids is the second largest city in Michigan with a population of about 199,000 in the city and a bit more than one million in the Metro Grand Rapids area.

Grand Rapids is located on the banks of the Grand River that winds its way through downtown. Grand Rapids gets its name from the Grand River and the rapids that used to help the local furniture industry with the transport of logs. In the early 1900s flood walls were installed in the river to remove the rapids in order to help manage flooding. The Grand Rapids WhiteWater Project is now in the works to restore the river and the rapids.

Grand Rapids is only 25 miles east of Lake Michigan and a 30-40 minute drive from the vibrant lakeshore communities of Grand Haven, Holland, Muskegon and Saugatuck/Douglas.

Originally occupied 2,000 years ago by Hopewell Indians, the Grand River Valley also was inhabited by Ottawa Indians in the early 1700s. Later, Kent County was settled by European immigrants (beginning with fur traders, who set up trading posts along the Grand River) in the 1820s and became self-governing in 1836. The county is named after James Kent, attorney and author of "Commentaries on American Law." Grand Rapids became a village in 1838 and a city in 1850. Grand Rapids was a center for craftsmen, carpenters and woodworkers during the lumber boom of the 1880s, and became known as "America's Furniture Capital." At the height of the lumber boom, Grand Rapids was home to 44 furniture companies.

Gerald R. Ford, 38th president of the United States, was raised in Grand Rapids and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum is located here. The burial site for Gerald and Betty Ford is located on the Museum grounds. The Ford Museum was most recently updated in 2016 with the addition of an education center and renovation of the exhibits.  

West Michigan's major employment industries are Life Sciences, Food Manufacturing, Retail Trade, Construction, Professional/Scientific/Technical Services, Manufacturing, and Health Care and Social Assistance.

Grand Rapids' top employers include Spectrum Health, Meijer Inc., Mercy Health and Amway Corporation.

Total hotel rooms: 10,300

Downtown total hotel rooms – 2,566

Grand Rapids is one of the Midwest’s hottest convention cities, hosting groups of all kinds from all areas of the country. Grand Rapids has an infrastructure of a much larger city, offering a convention campus just 20 minutes from Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

The campus includes a state-of-the-art convention center located in the heart of downtown, DeVos Place Convention Center, which offers over 250,000 square feet of space on a 13-acre riverfront site. There is a 162,000 square foot “Class A” exhibition hall, 40,000 square foot ballroom, 35,000 square feet of sub-dividable meeting space and 75-foot high Grand Gallery pre-function space.

Also included in the campus is Van Andel Arena, a $75 million entertainment venue downtown Grand Rapids which is home to the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team and seats 12,000 for events, concerts, family shows, ice performances, seminars and conferences.

These two facilities are connected via climate-controlled skywalk to three excellent hotels: the Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton, JW Marriott Grand Rapids and Downtown Courtyard by Marriott, which together offer 78,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 1,210 guest rooms. Eleven additional downtown hotels (1,300+ rooms) – including such brands as AC by Marriott, Canopy by Hilton, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Hyatt Place and Residence Inn – are located within an easy walk (or free bus ride) of the convention center.

Gerald R. Ford International Airport, (616) 233-6000 or www.grr.org, is the second largest airport in Michigan. The airport offers more than 140 daily nonstop flights to and from 37 major market destinations: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago-O’Hare, Chicago-Midway, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Destin/Fort Walton, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale (seasonal), Fort Meyers (seasonal), Houston, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, New Orleans, New York-LaGuardia, New York-Newark, Orlando International, Orlando-Sanford, Philadelphia, Phoenix-Mesa, Phoenix- Sky Harbor International (seasonal), Portland, Punta Gorda, Rapid City, Sarasota/Bradenton (seasonal), Savannah/Hilton Head (seasonal), St. Petersburg-Clearwater International, Tampa International, Washington-Dulles, Washington-Reagan.

Airlines include Allegiant, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.

Grand Rapids holds the title Beer City USA, awarded by a national vote, and it’s a three-time winner in USA Today’s best beer city poll. Our Beer City Ale Trail boasts more than 40 breweries, with several hailed among the world’s finest. USA Today also named our city the Craft Beverage Capital of the US, thanks to the quality and ever-increasing number of our cideries, distilleries, meaderies, wineries and coffee roasters.

Discover the art of dining in Grand Rapids. Two unique factors help distinguish the culinary scene in Grand Rapids: we’re located in the middle of one of the world’s best growing regions and we’re home to one of America’s finest culinary schools, the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education at Grand Rapids Community College. Visitors can choose from hundreds of restaurants to fit any taste and budget.

• ArtPrize: The world’s most attended public art event launched in Grand Rapids in 2009 and continues to bring upwards of 500,000 visitors to see hundreds of global artists display their work all over downtown each fall. This “radically open” art competition is always innovating new ways to connect people with art.
• LaughFest: A community-wide festival of stand-up comedy, improv, live shows, films, authors, community showcases and a variety of other seriously funny stuff. All proceeds will benefit the cancer, grief and support programs offered through Gilda's Club Grand Rapids.
• Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum: Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States wasn't born in Grand Rapids - but he was raised here and represented the city in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949-1973. The President and Mrs. Ford are buried on the grounds of the Museum.
• Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park: Michigan's second most popular tourist attraction ... one of the world's 100 most visited art museums ... one of the Top 30 Must-See Museums on the planet. Combination of a sculpture park and botanical garden.
• Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM): Collections range from Renaissance to Modern Art, with a special focus on 19th and 20th century European and American art.
• Grand Rapids Public Museum:  Michigan’s oldest museum tells the tale of our region and our world through interactive exhibits focusing on science, history and culture. Drawing on a collection of 250,000+ artifacts and specimens, the museum transports visitors from ancient Egypt to the area’s early Native American communities to the natural habitats of contemporary West Michigan. The in-house Chaffee Planetarium immerses visitors in space exploration.  
• Heritage Hill Historic District: One of the nation's top old-house neighborhoods is just a five-minute walk from downtown Grand Rapids. Heritage Hill boasts Michigan's largest and finest collection of 19th and early 20th century houses. Nearly every style of American architecture, from Greek Revival to Prairie, is represented in the 1,300 buildings that date back to 1844.
• Frank Lloyd Wright Meyer May House: Presented by Steelcase, as a meticulous restoration complete with original furnishings and faithfully executed reproductions, the Meyer May House provides the rare opportunity to experience a Prairie house exactly as Frank Lloyd Wright intended.
• Grand Rapids Children's Museum: The Children's Museum is located in downtown Grand Rapids, just a short walk from hotels. Eighteen permanent exhibits include Aunt Daisy's Farm, Mom & Pop Store, Treehouse, Giant Lite Brite, Wee Discover, Wee Bank, Puppet Stage, Buzzy Buzzy Bees and Bubbles, Bubbles, Bubbles!
• Urban Institute for Contemporary Art (UICA): UICA exhibits contemporary artwork from regional, national and international artists throughout the year, and hosts a range of events including docent-led tours, performance art, artist receptions and gallery talks.
• John Ball Zoo: This classic urban zoo is located two miles west of downtown Grand Rapids. John Ball Zoo is home to more than 2,200 animals from five continents.
• Robinette's Apple Haus: Century-old family farm offers apples and other fresh fruits in season, plus a cider mill, wine tasting, bakery, lunch counter, dining area, hayrides, mountain bike trails and more.
• Blandford Nature Center: Your premier nature getaway! 143 acres of woods, streams and meadows, 4 miles of trails open dawn to dusk daily.  
• Grand Rapids Downtown Market: With 24 retail shops and 25,000 sq. ft. of market space, Downtown Market offers something to satisfy every appetite. It's the first LEED-certified market in the country.

• Grand Rapids Symphony
• Circle Theatre
• Grand Rapids Ballet Company
• Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
• Broadway Grand Rapids
• Opera Grand Rapids

• Grand Rapids Griffins - AHL primary affiliate of the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings; playing in Van Andel Arena.
• West Michigan Whitecaps - Class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers; playing at LMCU Ballpark.
• Grand Rapids Gold - NBA G-League affiliate of the Denver Nuggets; playing at the DeltaPlex Arena.

15 colleges and affiliate colleges located in Grand Rapids:

1. Aquinas College
2. Calvin University
3. Central Michigan University
4. Compass College of Cinematic Arts
5. Cornerstone University
6. Davenport University
7. Ferris State University
8. Grace Christian University
9. Grand Rapids Community College
10. Grand Valley State University
11. Kendall College of Art & Design
12. Kuyper College
13. Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
14. Secchia Institute for Culinary Education
15. Western Michigan University