Lansing, Michigan Totally Explained

Everything about Lansing Michigan totally explained

1825 – Lansing Township surveyed.
1836 – A group of New York speculators plot and market a non-existent city known as "Biddle City." The New Yorkers that bought into the idea arrive in Lansing to discover that the plots they'd bought are located in a marsh, and are underwater. Some of the pioneers stay, but develop a village in what is now Old Town Lansing a mile north of the non-existent "Biddle City."
1847 – The state capital moved from Detroit to Lansing Township.
1855 – Michigan State University is founded as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan.
1859 – The city of Lansing officially incorporated with about 3,000 citizens inside of 7.5 square miles.
1879 – New State Capitol dedicated. The structure cost $1,510,130.
1881 – Michigan Millers Insurance Company founded.
1897 – Ransom E. Olds drives his first car down a Lansing street. He would later found Oldsmobile, which became a General Motors division in 1908, and Diamond REO.
1904 – The "most extensive flood in 135 years of local history" causes the Grand River to overflow its banks in March 24-27, leading to major damage and one death. Bridges at Logan Street, Kalamazoo Street, Cedar Street and Mt. Hope Road are all washed away. The Kalamazoo St. bridge lodges against the Michigan Avenue bridge; it's later salvaged and re-erected at Kalamazoo Street.
1910 – The population of the city nearly doubles from the 1900 census to hit 31,229.
1912 – The Accident Fund Insurance Company of America founded.
1916 – Auto-Owners Insurance Company founded.
1929 – The Lansing Symphony Orchestra founded.
1940 – Lansing's population stagnates, only rising by 356 over the decade to 78,753.
1954 – Frandor Mall opens – first in the area, and 2nd in the state.
1956 – The city reaches in size.
1957 – Lansing Community College founded.
1960 – The city's population finally breaks the 100,000 mark at 107,807.
1961 – Jackson National Life Insurance Company founded.
1965 – The city reaches in size.
1970 – Lansing reaches its peak population of 131,546.
1972 – The Thomas M. Cooley Law School founded.
1980 – Lansing's population declines for the first time losing 989 to hit 130,414.
1989 – The Library of Michigan and Historical Center near the Capitol Complex dedicated.
1992 – The Michigan State Capitol completes an extensive renovation to restore it to its original grandeur.
1998 – Mayor David Hollister signs a 425 Agreement with Alaiedon Township in September to facilitate the development of the headquarters of Jackson National Life Insurance Company.
1999 – Mayor David Hollister signs a 425 Agreement with Meridian Township in November to facilitate the development of the Governor's Collection/College Fields upscale housing development and golf course.
2000 – Lansing's population experiences its greatest drop in its history, falling over 6% over the preceding decade to 119,128.
2001 – GM opens new assembly plant, Lansing Grand River Assembly. Builds the Cadillac CTS, STS, SRX and V-Series. The architecture of the assembly plant resembles a high-tech research facility instead of a traditional factory.
2002 – The Hall of Justice (Michigan Supreme Court building) at the West-end of the Capitol Complex is dedicated.
2004 – Last Oldsmobile rolls off the assembly line at Lansing Car Assembly on April 29. This same year the Thomas M. Cooley Law School becomes the largest law school in the nation.
2005 – Mayor Tony Benavides signs a series of three 425 Agreements with Delta Township and General Motors facilitating the development General Motors' Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant.
2006 – GM opens state of the art facility in nearby Delta Charter Township. As with the 2001 assembly plant built in Lansing, the Delta plant resembles a high-tech research facility and not a traditional factory.

Geography and climate

Lansing is the centerpiece of a region of Michigan known as Mid-Michigan or Central Michigan. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.2 square miles (91.3 km²), of which, 35.0 square miles (90.8 km²) of it's land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (0.57%) is water. This figure includes two 425 Agreements with Alaiedon Township and Meridian Township, but not the four 425 Agreements with Delta Township since 2000.
   Under Michigan law, 425 Agreements are only temporary land sharing agreements, and don't count as official annexations. The Census Bureau, however, for statistical purposes, does count these as annexations. Not counting the temporary 425 Agreements, though, Lansing administers 34.1 sq mi, total.
   Lansing is located in the south central part of the lower peninsula where the Grand River meets the Red Cedar River. The city occupies most of what had formerly been part of Lansing Charter Township. It has also annexed adjacent tracts of land in Delta Charter Township and Windsor Township in Eaton County to the west and Delhi Charter Township in Ingham County to the south. The city also controls three non-contiguous tracts of land through 425 Agreements (conditional land transfer agreements) with Meridian Charter Township, Delta Charter Township, and Alaiedon Township in Ingham County to the southeast.
   Lansing elevation ranges between above sea level on the far south side of Lansing along Northrup Street near the Cedar Street intersection, to above sea level along the Grand River.
   The Grand River, the largest river in Michigan, flows through downtown Lansing; and the Red Cedar River, a tributary of the Grand River, flows through the campus at Michigan State University. There are two lakes in the area, Park Lake and Lake Lansing, both northeast of the city. Lake Lansing is approximately 500 acres (2 km²) in size and is a summer favorite for swimmers, boaters, and fishermen. Michigan State University Sailing Club and the Lansing Sailing Club are located on Lake Lansing, where sailing regattas are hosted throughout the summer.
   The city of Lansing operates a total of 3.6 sq mi (9.3 km²) of parkland, of which 2.8 sq mi (7.2 km²) is parkland, 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²) are golflands, and 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²) are cemetery lands. This figure includes the Waverly Hills Golf Course and adjacent Michigan Avenue Park, which are part of Lansing Township, but operated by the City of Lansing. The figure, however, doesn't include the Ingham County parklands within the borders of Lansing.

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Rec High °F (°C)	66 (18.8)	69 (20.5)	79 (26.1)	86 (30)	94 (34.4)	99 (37.2)	100 (37.7)	100 (37.7)	97 (36.1)	89 (31.6)	77 (25)	69 (20.5)
Norm High °F (°C)	29.4 (-1.4)	32.6 (0.3)	43.5 (6.4)	56.6 (13.6)	69.4 (20.7)	78.1 (25.6)	82.1 (27.8)	79.7 (26.5)	72 (22.2)	59.8 (15.4)	46 (7.7)	34.1 (1.2)
Norm Low °F (°C)	13.9 (-10.05)	15.4 (-9.2)	24.3 (-4.3)	34.5 (1.4)	44.8 (7.1)	54.3 (12.4)	58.4 (14.6)	57 (13.4)	48.9 (9.4)	38.6 (3.6)	30.1 (-1.05)	19.7 (-6.8)
Rec Low °F (°C)	-29 (-33.8)	-25 (-31.6)	-15 (-26.1)	-2 (-18.8)	19 (-7.2)	30 (-1.1)	37 (2.7)	35 (1.6)	22 (-5.5)	15 (-9.4)	4 (-15.5)	-18 (-27.7)
Precip in (mm)	1.61 (40.9)	1.45 (36.8)	2.33 (59.2)	3.09 (78.5)	2.71 (68.8)	3.6 (91.4)	2.68 (67.1)	3.46 (87.9)	3.48 (88.4)	2.29 (58.2)	2.66 (67.6)	2.17 (55.1)
Source: USTravelWeather.com (External Link)

Neighborhoods

The city's downtown

is dominated by state government buildings, especially the State Capitol; but downtown has also experienced recent growth in new restaurants, retail stores and residential developments. Downtown Lansing has a historic city market

that's one of the oldest continuously operating farmers' markets in the United States. Upriver and north of downtown is historic Old Town Lansing

with many architecturally significant buildings dating to the mid-1800s. Directly south of downtown on the other side of I-496 along Washington Avenue lies "REO Town," the birthplace of the automobile in the United States, is where Ransom Eli Olds built factories along Washington Avenue. Ransom Eli Olds' home, which once overlooked the factories along Washington Ave., was displaced by I-496.
Lansing is generally divided into four sections: Eastside, Westside, Northwestside, and the Southside. Each section containins a diverse array of neighborhoods. The Eastside

, located east of the Grand River and north of the Red Cedar River, is the most ethnically diverse side of Lansing, with foreign-born citizens making up more of its population than any other side in the city. The Eastside's commercial districts are located mainly along Michigan Avenue, and to a lesser extent along Kalamazoo Street. It is anchored by Frandor Shopping Center on the very eastern edge of the eastside.
   The Westside, roughly located north, west, and south of the Grand River as it curves through the city, is sometimes regarded the city's most socio-economically diverse section. This side also contains Lansing's downtown area, though this neighborhood is often included as an area all its own. Outside downtown, this side is largely a collection of residential neighborhoods and is served by only one other commercial area along Saginaw Street. However, it also includes a small part of the Old Town Commercial Association.
   The Northwestside, generally located north of the Grand River, with the city limits defining its north and western borders, is physically the smallest side of the city. This part of the city includes suburban areas and some more rural areas. North of Grand River Avenue, the main street of the side, lie warehouses and light industrial areas served by a major rail line that runs through Lansing. The most notable landmark of this side is Lansing's airport: Lansing Capital City Airport.
   The Southside, usually described as the neighborhoods located south of the Grand and Red Cedar rivers and the I-496 freeway, is physically the largest and most populous side of the city, and contains some of the city's most healthy neighborhoods. The area is largely suburban in nature (south of Mount Hope Road near the northern edge), and is served by numerous commercial strips along Cedar Street, Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Waverly Road, which run north/south. The large Edgewood District is located in the southernmost part of the Southside and is sometimes referred to as South Lansing. Though it's the largest area of the city by both physical size and population, it has often been regarded by Southside citizens as Lansing's most overlooked and forgotten area, as most of Lansing's attention in recent decades has been put into the revitalization of the city's historic core located mostly on small parts of both the East and Westsides.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 119,128 people, 49,505 households, and 28,366 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,399.0 per square mile (1,312.3/km²). There were 53,159 housing units at an average density of 1,516.8/sq mi (585.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.28% White (61.4% non-Hispanic White), 21.91% African American, 0.80% Native American, 2.83% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.54% from other races, and 4.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.0% of the population. The city's foreign-born population stood at 5.9%.
   As of 2000, the city's population rose by 32,293 (27%) to 151,421 during the day due to the influx of workers.
   There were 49,505 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.08.
   In the city the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
   The median income for a household in the city was $34,833, and the median income for a family was $41,283. Males had a median income of $32,648 versus $27,051 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,924. About 13.2% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Municipal government

Lansing is administered under a mayor-council government, more specifically a "strong mayor" setup in which the mayor holds most of the city's administrative powers, such as appointment of department heads and drafting and administering a city budget, though the council must approve his actions. The mayor is elected at-large every four years. Lansing is different from most U.S. cities in that its eight-member city council includes four members each elected from one of four wards, as well as four "at-large" members elected citywide. The reasoning behind this system is that while each ward of the city gets its own representation, the at-large councilmembers serve as a voice for often- underrepresented neighborhoods in those wards.
The current mayor is Virgil Bernero, who took office on January 1, 2006. The city council members as of January 3, 2008 are: Eric Hewitt (1st Ward), Sandy Allen (2nd Ward), A'Lynne Robinson (3rd Ward), Tim Kaltenbach (4th Ward), Kathie Dunbar (at-large), Brian Jeffries (at-large and Council President), Derrick Quinney (at-large and Council Vice President) and Carol Wood (at-large).

List of Mayors of Lansing, Michigan

State and federal representation

Lansing currently lies mostly within the boundaries of Michigan's 8th congressional district, which has been represented by Republican congressman Mike J. Rogers since 2001. The small portion of the city that extends into Eaton County is located in Michigan's 7th congressional district, which has been represented by Republican congressman Tim Walberg since 2006.
At the state level, Lansing is located in the 23rd district of the Michigan Senate, which has been represented by Democratic state senator Gretchen Whitmer since January 1, 2007. The small portion of the city that extends into Eaton County is located in the 24th district of the Michigan Senate, which is currently represented by Republican state senator Patricia L. Birkholz

. The city lies in the 67th, 68th, 69th, and 71st districts of the Michigan State House of Representatives, represented by Democratic state representative Barb Byrum

, Democratic state representative Joan Bauer, Democratic state representative Mark Meadows, and Republican state representative Rick Jones

, respectively.
Despite Lansing not being a designated county seat, many county offices and courts are still located within downtown Lansing, including the county circuit court.

Economy

The Lansing metropolitan area's major industries are government, education, insurance, healthcare, and automobile manufacturing. Being the state capital, many state government workers reside in the area.
Michigan State University, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and Lansing Community College are significant employers in the region. General Motors has offices and a hi-tech manufacturing facility in Lansing and several manufacturing facilities immediately outside the city, as well, in nearby Lansing and Delta townships. The Lansing area is headquarters to four major national insurance companies: Auto-Owners Insurance Company, Jackson National Life, the Accident Fund

, and Michigan Millers Insurance Company

. The Lansing area is also home to rapidly growing financial companies such as Siena Capital Management

and Capitol Bancorp Limited

. Elderly Instruments, an internationally recognized music retailer, is located in Lansing.
The recent decline of the auto industry in the region has increased the region's awareness of the importance of a strategy to foster the high-technology sector.

An initiative called Prima Civitas

, created by Michigan State University, in cooperation with the cities of Lansing and East Lansing, under the direction of former Lansing mayor David Hollister, is spearheading focused economic development in the technology sector in the region.

Early availability of high-speed Internet in 1996, as well as the MSU, Cooley Law School, and LCC student population, fostered an intellectual environment for information technology companies to incubate. Lansing has a number of technology companies in the fields of information technology and Biotechnology.

Neogen Corporation is an international food and animal safety company headquartered in Lansing. Neogen develops and manufactures among other things, diagnostic kits, equine vaccines and culture media. (External Link

)

Emergent BioSolutions is an international biopharmaceutical company that maintains significant operations in Lansing. Emergent BioSolutions is developing an array of biodefense and commercial products and currently manufactures the only FDA approved anthrax vaccine at its Lansing operations. (External Link

)

TechSmith Corporation is located just outside Lansing and is the world’s leading provider of screen capture and recording software for individual and professional use. (External Link

)

Liquid Web, Inc. is a web hosting company located in neighboring Delta Township, and operates two datacenters there.(External Link

)

"Cool City" and downtown redevelopment

Several urban renewal projects by private developers are adding higher end apartments and condominiums to the Lansing market. The Arbaugh, a former department store across from Cooley Law School was converted into apartments in 2005. Motor Wheel Lofts (External Link

), an industrial site will be converted into loft-style living spaces in mid-2006 . The Stadium District (External Link

), a combination retail and residential complex that will be adjacent to the Oldsmobile Park baseball stadium, is scheduled to be completed in 2007. In May, 2006, the historically significant Mutual Building located on Capitol Avenue was purchased by The Christman Company to be renovated back to its original grandeur and used as the company's headquarters. Additional downtown developments include the renovation of the historic Hollister Building, and the expansion of the former Abrams Aerial Building. In addition, Lansing is home of the two Liquid Web, Inc.'s Datacenters.

List of largest metro Lansing employers – 2005

Source: Lansing Chamber of Commerce - Lansing Region's Largest Employers - 2005

Company/Organization	ector	ocal Full-time Employment
State of Michigan	Government	14,355
Michigan State University	Higher Education	10,500
General Motors Corporation	Automobile Manufacturing	6,300
Sparrow Health System	Healthcare	6,000
Lansing Community College	Higher Education	3,180
Ingham Regional Medical Center	Healthcare	2,500
Lansing Public School District	Primary Education	2,106
Meijer	Warehousing, Retailer, Grocer	2,000
Auto-Owners Insurance	Insurance	1,500
Peckham, Inc.	Manufacturing	1,400
Jackson National Life	Insurance	1,393
Ingham County	Government	1,258
City of Lansing	Government	1,240
United States Postal Service	Government	1,200
Wal-Mart	Retailer	1,185
Dart Container	Container Manufacturer	1,144

Education

Michigan State University, a member of the Big Ten Conference, is known as "the pioneer land grant college," located in neighboring East Lansing. MSU has the largest land campus in the United States and is home to several nationally and internationally recognized academic and research oriented programs. Michigan State offers over 200 programs of study and is home to fourteen different degree-granting schools and colleges including three medical schools, a law school, and numerous PhD programs. It is the only university in the nation with three medical schools. MSU is consistently one of the top three programs in the United States for study abroad programs. The MSU College of Education is also consistently rated as the top education program in the nation. Michigan State University is the oldest agricultural college in the United States. The MSU School of Criminal Justice

is the oldest continuous degree granting criminal justice program in the nation.
The Thomas M. Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the nation and is located in downtown Lansing. Cooley is fully accredited by the American Bar Association. A majority of Cooley students are from out-of-state. Lansing Community College offers more than 500 areas of study to over 18,000 students at its main facilities in Lansing, and another 5,000 students at twenty-nine extension centers and a site in Otsu, Japan. Lansing Community College recently demolished Old Central, which was the first building on LCC's campus. Old Central provided additional classrooms for the community college and also had the duty of serving as Lansing's first public high school (established in the late 1880s as Lansing Central High School). A new state of the art building is currently being erected in its place, known as the University Center. The University Center will allow LCC students to take courses and eventually earn an undergraduate or graduate degree from other Michigan institutions.
Other institutions of higher education include Western Michigan University (branch campus in Delta Township), Davenport University in Downtown Lansing, Central Michigan University (branch campus), and Great Lakes Christian College.

Public and private primary schools

Lansing School District

Lansing Public Schools: (Lansing Everett, JW Sexton High School, and Lansing Eastern)

Lansing Christian Schools

Lansing Catholic Central

Waverly School District

Mid-Michigan Public School Academy

El-Hajj Malik Shabazz Academy (named after Malcolm X)

Gada Masif Johnson School for the Arts

Our Savior Lutheran School

Culture

Music

The Lansing Symphony Orchestra has been entertaining generations of Lansing area residents since 1929. The current music director is Timothy Muffett.

The Lansing JazzFest and the Old Town BluesFest host leading musicians, and are two of the larger music festivals held each year in the state.

It was announced in May 2007 that the city would host a Thursday night, summertime blues concerts along Washington Square in downtown Lansing named "Blues on the Square" that will feature national acts.(External Link

)

The Common Ground Festival

is a musical event held over a week every July at the Adado Riverfront Park

in downtown Lansing. It began in 2000 and replaced the Michigan Festival that was held in nearby East Lansing. It has wide range of musical acts. In 2007, acts included Peter Frampton, The Romantics, Los Lonely Boys, The Guess Who, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Papa Roach, The New Cars, Montgomery Gentry (External Link

) and "Weird Al" Yankovic.

Theatre

The Riverwalk Theatre

(formerly the Okemos Barn Theatre), the Lansing Civic Players

, and the BoarsHead Theater

are all located in downtown.

Peppermint Creek Theatre Company

is a well established "new" award winning theater company.

The Greater Lansing Ballet Company is an award-winning ballet and dance company.

The Creole Gallery

brings in various musicians and hosts the Icarus Falling Theater

group.

Museums

Lansing is home to a number of small, specialized museums such as:

The Impression 5 Science Center

, a children's museum located in a historic wagon works factory on the Grand River.

The The Museum of Surveying

, the only museum in North America solely dedicated to surveying and mapping. It is located in a former steam plant constructed in 1923.

The R.E. Olds Transportation Museum

, a museum dedicated to the education of Lansing's role in the development of transportation, particularly the automobile.

The The Michigan Women's Historical Center & Hall of Fame

, a museum dedicated to the historical accomplishments and achievements of Michigan women. The house is located directly south of downtown in the 1903-built Cooley-Haze House. The museum is surrounded by Cooley Gardens

The Turner-Dodge House & Heritage Center

, a museum dedicated to Lansing's early pioneers. The museum sits in the Classical Revival-styled Turner-Dodge Mansion, built in 1858 for James and Marion Turner, and later by their daughter and her husband. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Farmers markets

The historic Lansing City Market

, one of the oldest city markets in the United States, has been completely renovated in recent years. It is located downtown along the Grand River. Also during the summer months, many neighborhood Farmers' markets open around town. (External Link

)

Potter Park Zoo

The historic Potter Park Zoo, located along the Red Cedar River in Lansing, has more than 400 animals, and numerous programs and events for children and families.

Libraries

The Library of Michigan and Historical Center is a highly regarded state library and research center. The library is one of the top five genealogical research facilities in the United States. The Capital Area District Library has three branches in the city: The Main library downtown, the Foster Library on the east side, and the South Lansing Library on the south side.

Other area destinations

The Wharton Center for Performing Arts, the Kresge Art Museum

, the MSU Museum

, and the Abrams Planetarium

are highly acclaimed cultural destinations located on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing.

Media

Newspapers

Lansing State Journal (External Link

)

Lansing City Pulse (External Link

)

The New Citizens Press (External Link

)

Television

WLNS 6 (CBS)(Cable 9)

WILX 10 (NBC)(Cable 4)

WHTV 18 (My Network TV)(Cable 8)

WBL-TV 30 (CW) (Cable 5 only)

WKAR 23 (PBS)(Cable 13)

WSYM 47 (FOX)(Cable 7)

WLAJ 53 (ABC)(Cable 3) The NBC affiliate maintains the FOX affiliate's News programming. Both affiliates broadcast their newscasts at the News 10 studios in Lansing. Often the same reporters are used on both broadcasts.

Radio

Lansing's radio dial has quite a few stations. Note: If the station has no city listed before the format, it's licensed to Lansing.

87.7 WLNS – (audio of CBS Affiliate channel 6)

88.1 WLGH – (Leroy Township, contemporary Christian) "Smile FM"

88.5 WJOM – (Eagle, contemporary Christian) "Smile FM"

88.9 WDBM – (East Lansing, college/Michigan State University) "The Impact"

89.7 WLNZ – (public radio/Lansing Community College)

90.5 WKAR – (East Lansing, public radio/Michigan State University)

Note: WKAR runs with 86,000 watts

91.3 WOES – (Ovid, polka/Ovid-Elsie

High School)

92.1 WQTX – (St. Johns, oldies)

92.9 WJZL – (Grand Ledge, smooth jazz)

93.7 WBCT – (Grand Rapids, country) "B93"

Note: WBCT runs with 320,000 watts

94.1 WVIC – (Jackson, soft rock)

94.9 WMMQ – (East Lansing, classic rock)

96.5 WQHH – (DeWitt, urban) "Power 96.5"

97.5 WJIM – (CHR)

99.1 WFMK – (East Lansing, adult contemporary)

100.7 WITL-FM – (country) "Whittle"

101.7 WHZZ – (adult hits) "Mike-FM"

105.7 WOOD – (Grand Rapids, adult contemporary) "Star 105.7"

106.1 WJXQ – (Charlotte, active rock) "Q106"

107.3 WKLQ – (Greenville/Grand Rapids, rock)

730 AM WVFN – (East Lansing, sports talk) "Spartan Radio"

870 AM WKAR – (East Lansing, NPR news/talk)

1110 AM WUNN – (Mason, religious/southern gospel)

1180 AM WXLA – (Dimondale, (adult standards) "Timeless Classics 1180"

1240 AM WJIM – (news/talk) "Big Talker"

1320 AM WILS – (news/talk) "More Compelling Talk"

1390 AM WLCM – (Charlotte, religious)

1580 AM WWSJ – (St. Johns, urban contemporary gospel) "Joy 1580"

162.400 WXK81 – NOAA Weather Radio (Onondaga, weather)

Sports

The Lansing Lugnuts are a Class A Midwest League, Minor League Baseball team, currently affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Lugnuts are one of the most popular franchises in Minor League Baseball, drawing 538,325 fans during the 1996 season, and in the process outdrawing many larger teams. Their logo is one of the most popular in the minors. The team plays its home games at Oldsmobile Park, which was built at a cost of $12.7 million and opened in 1996 in downtown Lansing. It was partially renovated in 2006. Oldsmobile Park has a seating capacity of 11,215 fans, and was built to accommodate additional expansion. The team has won two Midwest League championships, their first in 1997 and their second in 2003.
   The Lansing Capitals began play in the International Basketball League in 2006. Michigan State University sponsors both men's and women's sports, usually competing as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Spartans have won National Titles in Men's Basketball, Football, Men's Boxing, Men's Cross Country, Men's Gymnastics, Men's Ice Hockey, Men's Soccer, and Men's Wrestling. Lansing Community College also sponsors many sports, competing as members of the Michigan Community College Athletic Association. The Stars have won NJCAA titles in the following sports: Women's Softball, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Women's Marathon and Men's Marathon.
   The Lansing area is also known for its many golf courses, with two courses owned by Michigan State University, four municipal courses, and many additional public and private courses in the area. Walnut Hills Country Club in nearby East Lansing formerly hosted the LPGA's Oldsmobile Classic from 1992 – 2000. The Michigan PGA recently relocated from the Detroit area to Bath, Michigan, which is on the northern edge of Lansing.
   In the 1980s and 1990s Lansing was a major player in semi-pro football. The Lansing Crusaders won MFL/MCFL championships in 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, and 1990. The team finished second in 1984, 1986, and 1991. Other past sports teams include:

Lansing – Michigan State League (baseball) – 1889 to 1890

Lansing Senators – Michigan State League (baseball) – 1895 and 1902

Southern Michigan League – 1907 to 1914
Central League – 1921 to 1922
renamed the Lansing Lancers – Michigan State League – 1940
and then back as the Lansing Senators – Michigan State League – 1941

Lansing Capitals – North American Basketball League – 1966-67 to 1967-68

Lansing Lancers – International Hockey League – 1974 to 1975

Capital City Cardinals – Michigan Charity Football League – 1980

Lansing Crusaders – Michigan Charity Football League – 1980 to 1988

Michigan Football League – 1989 to 1994

Capital City Cowboys – Michigan Football League – 1992

Lansing Ice Nuts – International Independent Hockey League – 2003 to 2004

Transportation

Airports

Scheduled commercial airline service is offered from Capital Region International Airport (formerly known as Capital City Airport).

Portions of Central Michigan are near Midland and Flint. Scheduled airline service is also available from MBS International Airport near Midland, Michigan and Flint Bishop International Airport.

Other portions are proximate to Gerald R. Ford International Airport, which is east of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Michigan Flyer provides bus service between Lansing and Detroit Metro Airport eight times daily.

Major highways

Interstate highways

I-69, runs from Indianapolis north to Lansing and east to Port Huron, connecting to Canada.

I-96, runs through Muskegon, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit.

I-496 (R.E. Olds Freeway)

I-69 Business Loop or BL I-69 is a loop route running through Lansing & East Lansing.

I-96 Business Loop or BL I-96 is a loop route running through Lansing.

Capitol Loop, a unique loop off I-496 connection to the Capitol Complex.

US highways

US 127 comes from the South, through Lansing, and ends its 758 mile (1,220 km) journey at Grayling. It directly connects northern Michigan (and the Mackinac Bridge via I-75) to Lansing, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee (all the way down to Chatanooga)

Michigan highways

M-43 (Saginaw Highway)

M-99 (Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.).

Railways

Main article: Michigan Services

Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail service at a stop in nearby East Lansing, on the Blue Water line from Chicago to Port Huron.

Three freight railroads serve Lansing including Canadian National Railways (CN), CSX Transportation (CSXT), and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS).

Public transportation

Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) provides public transit bus service to the Lansing-East Lansing Metropolitan area, and boasts the second highest ridership in the state of Michigan.

Greyhound Lines provides inter-city bus service. CATA and Greyhound are both located in the CATA Transportation Center (CTC) in downtown Lansing.

Also, Lansing has several taxicab companies serving the area, including Spartan-Yellow Cab, Big Daddy Taxi, Jb's Country Club Transportation, S-cabs Taxi Service and L-town cab.

Bicycling

The eight mile (13 km), non-motorized Lansing River Trail runs along the Grand River and the Red Cedar River, running as far east as Michigan State University, and passes Potter Park Zoo, the Capitol Loop, and several other destinations of interest, and as far west as Moores Park.

Famous Lansing residents

Joel Bakan – Canadian law professor and documentary filmmaker

Martin Bertram (External Link

) – author of medieval novel Vanity of Vanities

Timothy Busfield – actor/director

Charles G. Callard – co-founder of Callard Madden & Associates and a pioneer developer of corporate valuation models

Jim Cash – Screenwriter of Top Gun and many other commercially successful films

Doc Corbin Dart – Singer of the controversial punk band The Crucifucks

Ed Emshwiller – visual artist & founder of CalArts Computer Animation Lab

David Fairchild, botanist

Chris Hansen – Dateline NBC correspondent

Thom Hartmann – radio talk-show host & author

Andy Hilbert – NHL hockey player

John Hughes – film director

Magic Johnson – NBA basketball star

Lisa Kron – theatre actress & playwright

Matthew Lillard – actor

Suzanne Malveaux – CNN television news reporter

Ryan Miller – NHL – hockey star

Muhsin Muhammad – NFL football star

Ransom E. Olds – Automobile Manufacturer; founded Olds Motor Vehicle Company

Larry Page – co-founder of Google.com

Greg Raymer – 2004 World Series of Poker champion

Burt Reynolds – actor

Steven Seagal – actor

John Smoltz – MLB star and 1996 Cy Young Award winner

Jim "Soni" Sonefeld – drummer & percussionist for Hootie & The Blowfish

Debbie Stabenow – U.S. Senator

Malcolm X – human rights activist

Sister cities

Lansing has six sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)

Akuapim, Ghana

Guadalajara, Mexico

Ōtsu, Japan

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Saltillo, Mexico

Sanming, China Lansing also has three "friendship cities" (External Link

Cosenza, Italy

Lanzhou, China

Sakaide, JapanFurther Information

Get more info on 'Lansing Michigan'.

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