Traverse City, Michigan | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Traverse City  Grand Traverse County Courthouse | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Etymology:French:la grande traverse (the long crossing) | |
| Nicknames: "Traverse", "T.C.", "The Cherry Capital (of the World)", "Cherryland", "Queen City of the North", "Coast Guard City", "Hockeytown North" | |
 Show Traverse City Show Grand Traverse County Show Michigan Show the United States | |
  Traverse City  Traverse City | |
| Coordinates:44°46′05″N85°37′20″W / 44.76806°N 85.62222°W /44.76806; -85.62222 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| Counties | Grand Traverse Leelanau |
| Settled | June 13, 1847; 178 years ago (1847-06-13) |
| 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)[1] |
| • City manager | Benjamin Marentette (interim) |
| Area | |
• City | 8.61 sq mi (22.30 km2) |
| • Land | 8.27 sq mi (21.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.34 sq mi (0.87 km2) |
| Elevation | 627 ft (191 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 15,678 |
• Estimate (2023) | 15,707 |
| • Density | 1,894.4/sq mi (731.43/km2) |
| • Metro | 153,448 (Traverse City metropolitan area) |
| Demonym | "Traverse Citian(s)"[3] |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 49684, 49685, 49686, 49696 |
| Area code | 231 |
| FIPS code | 26-80340 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1615042[4] |
| Website | traversecitymi.gov |
Traverse City (/ˈtrævərs/TRAV-ərss) is a city in the U.S. state ofMichigan. It is thecounty seat ofGrand Traverse County,[5] although it partly extends intoLeelanau County. The city's population was 15,678 at the2020 census, while the four-countyTraverse City metropolitan area had 153,448 residents. Traverse City is the largest city inNorthern Michigan.
Traverse City is at the head of the East and West arms ofGrand Traverse Bay, a 32-mile-long (51 km) bay ofLake Michigan. Grand Traverse Bay is divided into arms by the 18-mile-long (29 km)Old Mission Peninsula, which is attached at its base to Traverse City. The city borders four townships–East Bay,Elmwood,Garfield, andPeninsula–all of which are primarilysuburban.
Traverse City is nicknamed "the Cherry Capital of the World", as the area surrounding Grand Traverse Bay is a hotspot forcherry production.[6][7] The city hosts theNational Cherry Festival, attracting approximately 500,000 visitors annually.[8] The Traverse City area is also known for itswine production.[9] TwoAmerican Viticultural Areas are adjacent to the city. Traverse City is home to the Traverse City State Hospital, a former statepsychiatric institution, andCoast Guard Air Station Traverse City.[10][11]
Prior to European settlement, what is now Traverse City was part of the territory of theCouncil of Three Fires, an alliance of threeAnishinaabe tribes, theOdawa,Ojibwe, andPotawatomi. The Odawa, who were particularly prevalent in the area, called the areaKitchiwikwedongsing,[a] a name which was often shortened toWequetong,[b] meaning "place at the head of the great bay".[12][13] The area was the northern end of what is today known as theOld Indian Trail, a trail which serviced travel for theHopewell, and later the Anishinaabe, coming to and from theCadillac area.[14]
Grand Traverse Bay was named by 18th-century Frenchvoyageurs who madela grande traverse,[c] or "the long crossing", across the mouth of the bay, from present-dayNorwood toNorthport. The area was French territory at first, and then part of theKingdom of Great Britain as theProvince of Quebec. The area was ceded to the United States in 1783 following theTreaty of Paris, becoming part of theNorthwest Territory.[16]
In 1847, Captain Horace Boardman ofNaperville, Illinois, purchased the land at the mouth of the Boardman River (then known as the Ottawa River) at the head of the west arm of the bay, which at the time was still inhabited by Native Americans. In 1847, the captain, his son, and their employees built a dwelling andsawmill near the mouth of the river. In 1851, the Boardmans sold the sawmill to Hannah, Lay & Co (made up ofPerry Hannah, Albert Tracy Lay and James Morgan), who improved the mill greatly. The increased investment in the mill attracted additional settlers to the new community. Perry Hannah today is known as thefounding father of Traverse City.
Traverse City was originally part of Omeena County, which was originally set off in 1840 fromMichilimackinac County.[17] The county remained unorganized, lacking a central government until 1851, when it was reorganized as Grand Traverse County. The newly designated county government was assigned acounty seat atBoardman's Mills, a location in present-day downtown Traverse City.[18]
As of 1853, the only operating post office in the Grand Traverse Bay region was the one located atOld Mission, which was then known as "Grand Traverse". While in Washington, D.C. in 1852, Mr. Lay had succeeded in getting the U.S. Post Office to authorize a newpost office at his newer settlement. As the newer settlement had become known as "Grand Traverse City", after the Grand Traverse Bay, Lay proposed this name for its post office, but thePost Office Department clerk suggested dropping the "Grand" from the name, to limit confusion between this new office and the one at nearby Old Mission. Mr. Lay agreed to the shortened name of Traverse City for the post office, and the village took on this name. Around this time, the first cherry trees were being planted on the Old Mission Peninsula, for which the peninsula is widely known today.
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In December 1872, rail service arrived in Traverse City via aTraverse City Railroad Company spur from theGrand Rapids and Indiana Railroad line atWalton Junction. The railroad tracked along the Boardman River and along Boardman Lake into Traverse City, and ended at a station along the Grand Traverse Bay, at the corner of present-day Grandview Parkway and Park Street. This new line of transportation from Southern Michigan opened up the area to settlement and industrial development. Many more people started flocking to the small community, and in 1881, Traverse City was incorporated as avillage. This began the major commercial growth of the town.
In 1890, another rail line was extended to Traverse City, this one fromBaldwin viaCopemish andInterlochen.[19] This line primarily served lumber companies, such as the Buckley & Douglas Lumber Company, and was used to transport logs from the vast forest of Northwest Michigan to sawmills inManistee and Traverse City. Two years later, new railroads were extended out of Traverse City.[20] One line was extended along the bay into Leelanau County, and curved south to a preexisting spur atLake Ann. Another line was extended east into present-dayWilliamsburg, and toCharlevoix andPetoskey. This railroad was largely to serve tourists.
In 1881, the Northern Michigan Asylum, later theTraverse City State Hospital, was established as the demand for a thirdpsychiatric hospital in Michigan, in addition to those established inKalamazoo andPontiac, began to grow.[21] Perry Hannah, by then a prominent MichiganRepublican, used his political influence to secure its location in Traverse City.[22] Under the supervision of prominent architectGordon W. Lloyd, the first building, known as Building 50, was constructed inVictorian–Italianate style according to theKirkbride Plan. The hospital opened in 1885 with 43 residents. Under Dr. James Decker Munson, the first superintendent from 1885 to 1924, the institution expanded.[23] Twelve housing cottages and two infirmaries were built between 1887 and 1903 to meet the specific needs of male and female patients. The institution became the city's largest employer and contributed to its growth. While the hospital was established for the care of the mentally ill, its use expanded during outbreaks oftuberculosis,typhoid,diphtheria,influenza, andpolio. It also cared for the elderly, served as a rehab for drug addicts, and was used to trainnurses.
On May 18, 1895, Traverse City was incorporated as a city. Perry Hannah served as the firstmayor of Traverse City, after also serving as first and third village president.[24]
The first National Cherry Festival was held in Traverse City in 1925. It was first called "Blessing of the Blossoms" and held in the spring to attract people during the blooming season. With the exception of the years before and during World War II, this tradition has been carried on since in Traverse City. The legislature moved the date of the festival to the summer, and it attracts tourists from around the state and across the country. During the week the festival takes place, the population of Traverse City rises from about 15,000 to about 500,000. In 2004 the legislature added "Blossom Days", again as a spring festival.
Also in 1925,Munson Medical Center opened, and has since grown to serve much of Northern Michigan and serves as one of Traverse City's largest employers.[25]
In 1929, Traverse City's first airport, Ransom Field, opened, offering flights toGrand Rapids. It closed in 1936, when the new Traverse City Airport (now calledCherry Capital Airport) was opened. In 1953 the grounds of Ransom Field were redeveloped as Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
In 1934, the original Traverse City High School building burnt down, with no casualties.[26] For three years, while the high school was being rebuilt, classes were moved to thePerry Hannah House, the former residence of the city's founder. Classes were moved back to the new school building in September 1937.[26] In 1960, the high school was moved from downtown Traverse City to a new college-style campus on the grounds ofNorthwestern Michigan College, which opened a few years prior in 1951. The former high school building was converted to Traverse City Junior High (now Central Grade School[27]). In 1997, the high school split intoTraverse City Central andTraverse City West High Schools due to extreme overcrowding at the 1960s building.[26]
In 1989, the Traverse City State Hospital closed, leaving hundreds without jobs, massive abandoned buildings, and many homeless former patients. Since 2000, the Minervini Group has undertaken the project of renovating the entire property into a social center, including many restaurants, retail spaces, office space, and residential space.[28][29]
On November 3, 2015, Traverse City elected Jim Carruthers,[30] itsfirst openly gay mayor.[31] After serving as mayor of Traverse City for six years, in June 2021 Jim Carruthers announced he would not run for his fourth mayoral term.[32]
May 18, 2020, served as the city's 125th anniversary of Traverse City's incorporation as a city in 1895, and was known as the "quarantine quasquicentennial".[12][33][34]
In April 2021, a group composed mostly ofWhite students from two Traverse City high schools held an online mockslave auction viasocial media app in aprivate group chat titled "Slave Trade", wherein they traded theirBlack student peers for monetary amounts while using derogatory language. After the local community was made aware of this event, a coalition of community members and Traverse City Area Public School (TCAPS) Board of Education officials drafted in response a resolution which denounced the behavior. The draft of the resolution itself led to community backlash initiated largely by Whiteconservative parents and community members who regarded the planned resolution to be "...interlaced withcritical race theory".[35] In the aftermath of the backlash, the resolution was edited by TCAPS school board officials. No date for consideration of the revised resolution has been set.[36][37][38]
On July 26, 2025, amass stabbing attack was committed at aWalmart store just south of Traverse City in Garfield Township, leaving eleven injured.[39]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Traverse City has a total area of 8.66 square miles (22.43 km2), of which, 8.33 square miles (21.57 km2) are land and 0.33 square miles (0.85 km2) is water.[40] Most of the city is located within Grand Traverse County, though a small portion of the city extends northwesterly into Leelanau County. This portion, the Morgan Farms neighborhood, was annexed by the city in 1989.[41]
Traverse City is located in the northwest of Michigan'sLower Peninsula, and is the core city of theTraverse City metropolitan area, the largest population center in Northern Michigan and the largeststatistical area in the state north of theTri-Cities.
The city is located at the head of Grand Traverse Bay, a long, natural harbor separated from the waters of Lake Michigan by theLeelanau Peninsula. The bay is divided into an East Arm and West Arm by theOld Mission Peninsula, a thin strip of rolling hills and farmland known for its cherry crop andviticulture industry. As Traverse City contains shores on both of Grand Traverse Bay's East and West Arms, one cannot access the Old Mission Peninsula without entering Traverse City.
TheBoardman River bisects Traverse City, flowing from south to north. It snakes through Traverse City's downtown district, effectively forming a peninsula, and dividing it from the Grandview Parkway. The river terminates at Grand Traverse Bay northeast of downtown Traverse City. The river's 287-square-mile (740 km2) watershed contributes one-third of the water volume to the bay and is one of Michigan's top-ten fisheries, with more than 36 miles (58 km) of its 179 miles (288 km) designated as a Blue Ribbontrout fishery.[42] It is also a state-designated "Natural River".[43] As of 2025, only one of the five dams constructed on the Boardman River remains; the last, the Union Street Dam, is, as of 2025, being converted into FishPass, a facility that will allow for native fish to move upstream while blocking invasives.[44]
Traverse City is surrounded by a substantial suburban ring, particularly withinGarfield Township, to its southwest. Garfield Township is the largest municipality in Northern Michigan by population. Other adjacent townships,East Bay,Elmwood, andPeninsula, and nearbyBlair andLong Lake townships, boast significant suburban populations dependent upon Traverse City.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a federally protectedsand dune on Lake Michigan, is located about 20 miles (32 km) west-northwest of Traverse City, in southwestern Leelanau County. Traverse City has onesuperfund site, according to theEnvironmental Protection Agency. This is the Avenue E Groundwater Contamination Site. At this location, toxic runoff from the Coast Guard Air Station contaminated the groundwater along Avenue E.[45]
Traverse City is laid out primarily in agrid plan, with major streets running east–west and north–south. The city's tallest building, at 10 stories, is thePark Place Hotel.
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The city officially recognizes the followingneighborhood associations:[46][47]
The city also recognizes the followingcommercial districts:
The city employs twotax increment financing (TIF) districts: TIF 97, overlapping with the Front Street District, and Old Town TIF in the Old Town District.[52]
Traverse City has a warm-summer continental climate (Köppen Dfb) close to being a hot-summer continental climate (Dfa).
Its location near the45th parallel is tempered by the strong and moderating effects of Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay, which have a particularly noteworthy effect on the peninsulas that branch north of the city. As a result, they haveviticulture andcherryorchards.[53]Consequently, it generally experiences warm, mild summers and severe winters. Lake Michigan especially, but also Grand Traverse Bay, greatly impact the area's diverse coastal weather patterns, which occasionally consist of sudden and/or large amounts of precipitation during the seasonally active periods.Lake-effect snowfall constitutes a large percentage of the total annual snow accumulation, which averages around 80 inches (203 cm).[54] Periods of snowfall typically last from November to April, although light snow as late as May or as early as late September sometimes occur.
Traverse City's record high temperature is 105 °F (41 °C), recorded in 1936, and its low temperature is −37 °F (−38 °C), recorded on February 17, 1979.
| Climate data for Traverse City, Michigan (Cherry Capital Airport) (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1896–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 59 (15) | 73 (23) | 87 (31) | 90 (32) | 96 (36) | 104 (40) | 105 (41) | 100 (38) | 96 (36) | 89 (32) | 78 (26) | 66 (19) | 105 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 46.4 (8.0) | 49.7 (9.8) | 63.7 (17.6) | 77.4 (25.2) | 87.2 (30.7) | 91.8 (33.2) | 92.5 (33.6) | 90.9 (32.7) | 86.8 (30.4) | 78.3 (25.7) | 63.2 (17.3) | 51.1 (10.6) | 94.6 (34.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 29.3 (−1.5) | 31.4 (−0.3) | 41.2 (5.1) | 53.9 (12.2) | 67.2 (19.6) | 77.1 (25.1) | 81.3 (27.4) | 79.6 (26.4) | 72.1 (22.3) | 58.7 (14.8) | 45.5 (7.5) | 34.6 (1.4) | 56.0 (13.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 23.1 (−4.9) | 23.8 (−4.6) | 32.2 (0.1) | 43.4 (6.3) | 55.3 (12.9) | 65.6 (18.7) | 70.3 (21.3) | 69.2 (20.7) | 61.9 (16.6) | 49.9 (9.9) | 38.7 (3.7) | 29.1 (−1.6) | 46.9 (8.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 17.0 (−8.3) | 16.3 (−8.7) | 23.2 (−4.9) | 32.8 (0.4) | 43.4 (6.3) | 54.1 (12.3) | 59.4 (15.2) | 58.7 (14.8) | 51.6 (10.9) | 41.1 (5.1) | 31.9 (−0.1) | 23.5 (−4.7) | 37.8 (3.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −2.8 (−19.3) | −3.6 (−19.8) | 1.2 (−17.1) | 18.6 (−7.4) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 38.8 (3.8) | 46.2 (7.9) | 46.1 (7.8) | 37.4 (3.0) | 27.5 (−2.5) | 18.0 (−7.8) | 6.3 (−14.3) | −6.7 (−21.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −21 (−29) | −37 (−38) | −30 (−34) | 1 (−17) | 17 (−8) | 28 (−2) | 31 (−1) | 32 (0) | 26 (−3) | 15 (−9) | −5 (−21) | −26 (−32) | −37 (−38) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.67 (42) | 1.02 (26) | 1.55 (39) | 2.79 (71) | 2.84 (72) | 2.57 (65) | 2.71 (69) | 2.98 (76) | 3.37 (86) | 3.60 (91) | 2.23 (57) | 1.79 (45) | 29.12 (740) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 33.2 (84) | 18.9 (48) | 10.7 (27) | 2.6 (6.6) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.51) | 9.0 (23) | 26.7 (68) | 101.4 (258) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 14.2 | 11.0 | 10.3 | 11.1 | 11.9 | 10.8 | 9.9 | 10.3 | 12.5 | 15.6 | 14.2 | 14.5 | 146.3 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 17.0 | 11.2 | 7.2 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 5.8 | 14.3 | 58.6 |
| Source:NOAA[55][56][57] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,897 | — | |
| 1890 | 4,353 | 129.5% | |
| 1900 | 9,407 | 116.1% | |
| 1910 | 12,115 | 28.8% | |
| 1920 | 10,925 | −9.8% | |
| 1930 | 12,539 | 14.8% | |
| 1940 | 14,455 | 15.3% | |
| 1950 | 16,974 | 17.4% | |
| 1960 | 18,432 | 8.6% | |
| 1970 | 18,048 | −2.1% | |
| 1980 | 15,516 | −14.0% | |
| 1990 | 15,155 | −2.3% | |
| 2000 | 14,532 | −4.1% | |
| 2010 | 14,674 | 1.0% | |
| 2020 | 15,678 | 6.8% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 15,707 | 0.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
| Census Data | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Measurement | 2000[58] | 2010[59] | 2020[60] |
| People | 14,532 | 14,674 | 15,263 |
| Population Density | 1,728.7/mi2 | 1,761.6/mi2 | 1,827.9/mi2 |
| Housing Units | 6,842 | 7,358 | 8,412 |
| Housing Density | 813.9/mi2 | 883.3/mi2 | 1007.4/mi2 |
| White | 96.0% | 94.4% | 92.3% |
| Black | 0.6% | 0.7% | 1.8% |
| Native | 1.0% | 1.8% | 0.5% |
| Asian | 0.5% | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Other | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Two or more | 1.4% | 1.9% | 3.8% |
| Hispanic | 1.7% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Households | 6,443 | 6,675 | 6,844 |
| Families | 3,485 | 3,369 | 3,507 |
| HH/children | 24.5% | 22.3% | 22.3% |
| Married couple | 39.7% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Female/no husband | 11.0% | 10.9% | 10.9% |
| Male/no wife | 3.9% | 4.0% | 4.0% |
| Non-family | 45.9% | 49.5% | 49.5% |
| Individual | 35.9% | 38.4% | 38.4% |
| Senior alone | 13.7% | 13.2% | 13.3% |
| Average household | 2.15 | 2.08 | 2.14 |
| Average family | 2.82 | 2.77 | 2.89 |
| Gender male | 47.5% | 47.4% | 47.8% |
| Gender female | 52.5% | 52.6% | 52.2% |
| UTL=Unable to locate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Measurement | 2000[58] | 2010[59] | 2020[60] |
| Age under 18 | 20.3% | 18.2% | 17.9% |
| Age 18–24 | 10.8% | 10.3% | 9.5% |
| Age 25–44 | 29.6% | 26.7% | 27.0% |
| Age 45–64 | 24.1% | 28.3% | 23.5% |
| Age 65+ | 15.2% | 16.7% | 22.0% |
| Median Age | 38.0 | 40.8 | 40.4 |
| Married | 48.7% | UTL | 41.8% |
| Never married | 28.2% | UTL | 35.5% |
| Divorced/separated | 16.0% | UTL | 16.2% |
| Widowed | 7.2% | UTL | 6.5% |
| Income under $10K | 8.3% | UTL | 13.0% |
| Income $10-$15K | 6.1% | UTL | 9.8% |
| Income $15-$25K | 15.6% | UTL | 11.2% |
| Income $25-$35K | 16.9% | UTL | 14.7% |
| Income $35-$50K | 19.8% | UTL | 12.8% |
| Income $50-$65K | 11.8% | UTL | 11.2% |
| Income $65-$75K | 7.1% | UTL | 5.0% |
| Income over $75K | 15.3% | UTL | 15.2% |
| Median income | $37,330 | UTL | $33,532 |
| Education not H.S. grad | 11.3% | UTL | 3.5% |
| H.S. grad or equivalent | 21.8% | UTL | 16.3% |
| Associate degree/college | 35.7% | UTL | 31.3% |
| Bachelor's degree | 19.6% | UTL | 28.4% |
| Graduate degree | 11.6% | UTL | 20.5% |
Of Traverse City's 15,678 residents in 2020, 15,341 lived in Grand Traverse County, with 337 (about 2.1%) in Leelanau County.[61]
Traverse City is part of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord.[62] The city is part of theEpiscopal Diocese of the Great Lakes and is served byGrace Episcopal Church.[63]
Traverse City is ahome rule,charter city under theHome Rule City Act, incorporated on May 18, 1895. The city is governed by six commissioners and a mayor, electedat-large. Together they compose a seven-memberlegislative body. The commission appoints acity manager who serves as chief executive for city operations. The current interim city manager is Benjamin Marentette, who has been serving since July 21, 2025.[64]
As of 2025, the city commission consists of mayor Amy Shamroe, mayor pro tempore Mark Wilson, and commissioners Jackie Anderson, Heather Shaw, Mi Stanley, Mitch Treadwell, and Tim Werner.[65][66]
Traverse City is inMichigan's 1st congressional district, represented byJack Bergman (R–Watersmeet). Like the rest of Michigan, it is served byElissa Slotkin andGary Peters (bothDemocratic) in theUnited States Senate. It is represented in theMichigan House of Representatives byBetsy Coffia (D–Traverse City),[67] and is a part of the103rd district. It is represented in theMichigan Senate byJohn Damoose (R–Harbor Springs)[68] and is a part of the37th senate district.
Companies headquartered in Traverse City includeHagerty Insurance Agency andOilgear. 20Fathoms, a technology incubator, is also located there.[69]
Most of Traverse City's economy is based on tourism.[70]
In November, Beer Week offers tours of breweries, samplings, and workshops.[71]
The National Cherry Festival, held annually in July, features parades, fireworks, an air show, carnival rides, election of festival royalty, music, a pie-eating contest, and cherries.
TheTraverse City Film Festival was held in July and August from 2005 to 2019.
The Great Lakes Equestrian Festival features jumping, show hunting and equestrian competitions.[72]
TheBoardman River Nature Center is the interpretive center and management headquarters for the Grand Traverse Natural Education Reserve, a 505-acre local park and natural area.
Traverse City is located immediately adjacent to twoAmerican Viticultural Areas, theLeelanau Peninsula AVA and theOld Mission Peninsula AVA. There are over 50 wineries near Traverse City.[73] Located in the harbor of theGreat Lakes Maritime Academy is the T/SState of Michigan, a 224-foot (68 m) former Navy submarine surveillance vessel. The vessel is used as a classroom and laboratory while cadets of the academy are underway and shore side.
Atall ship, the schoonerManitou, is berthed at Traverse City, and offers passages to the public.[74]
Excursion passenger trains from Traverse City have included a Cherry Festival train in 2008, and a "dinner train" from 1996 to 2004.[75][76]
TheCity Opera House features plays, movies, and performances.
TheTraverse Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1952.[77]
TheDennos Museum Center is located on the campus ofNorthwestern Michigan College.[78]
There are eleven recognized Michigan historical markers in the Traverse City area.[79] They are:
Traverse City is served by the Traverse Area District Library (TADL), which has six branch libraries in Grand Traverse County.[80]
TheHuntington Rink indoor arena is used primarily for ice hockey, and is the home of theTraverse City North Stars hockey team.
| Club | Sport | League | Venue | Founded | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traverse City Pit Spitters | Baseball | Northwoods League | Turtle Creek Stadium | 2019 | [81][82] |
| Traverse City Cohos | Hockey | Midwest Junior Hockey League | Centre Ice/Huntington Rink | 2012 | [83] |
| Traverse City Wolves | Football | Great Lakes Football Conference | Thirlby Field | 2007 | [84] |
| Traverse Bay Blues | Rugby | Michigan Rugby Football Union | N/A | 1973 | [85] |
During their annual offseason, theDetroit Red Wings of theNational Hockey League hold their training camp at Traverse City's Centre Ice Arena.[86][87] In addition to training camp every September, the Red Wings host an NHL Prospect Tournament, consisting of prospects of participating teams around the league. In 2021, the Traverse City Prospect Tournament consisted of players from the Detroit Red Wings,Toronto Maple Leafs,Columbus Blue Jackets,Dallas Stars, andSt. Louis Blues.[88] For this reason, Traverse City is often referred to as Hockeytown North, in reference to Detroit's nickname,Hockeytown.[89][90][91]
Traverse City has over 30 park and recreational properties.[92]
Traverse City State Park, with about 250 campsites, is located east of the city, and features a beach on the East Bay arm of Grand Traverse Bay.
The Grand Traverse County Civic Center is a sports complex featuring seven baseball/softball fields, a skatepark, a walking trail, an amphitheater, sledding hill, pavilion, playground, an indoor pool, and an indoor hockey rink.[93] The Grand Traverse Bay YMCA features four complexes with swimming, soccer, and tennis.[94]
TheTART trail system is a series of non-motorized recreational trails in and around Traverse City.[95]
Public education is administered byTraverse City Area Public Schools. The district includes 11 elementary schools, two middle schools, three high schools:Traverse City Central,Traverse City West, and Traverse City High School.[96]
Traverse City offers a number of private schools.[97]
Interlochen Center for the Arts, also home to the Interlochen Arts Academy, is a private fine arts boarding school. Founded in 1928, Interlochen Center for the Arts is one of the nation's first and foremost institutions dedicated to the development of young artists. The roots of Interlochen began with Joseph Maddy and his founding of the National Music Camp, now known as Interlochen Arts Camp and the Interlochen Summer Arts Festival, which bring student and professional artists from around the globe.
For over 45 years, The Pathfinder has been teaching children to achieve their personal best as lifelong learners, young global citizens, creative thinkers, and stewards of the Earth. The Pathfinder School was officially founded in 1972 by Arthur and Nancy Baxter alongside a commitment of teachers from Interlochen,The Leelanau School, and Traverse City Area Public Schools.
The Traverse Children's House emerged as a unifiedMontessori school when it opened its main campus in 2002 on North Long Lake Road. The building was intentionally designed to enhance the school's Montessori philosophy and teaching method for infants through 6th grade. The Children's House expanded to include 7th and 8th grade in 2014. In 2022, the growing young adolescent program became known as Compass Montessori Junior High and moved to its own campus in downtown Traverse City.
Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools administers Catholic schools, includingSt. Francis High School.[98]
Other religious schools include:
Traverse City is home toNorthwestern Michigan College, a two-yearcommunity college.[103] Its annual enrollment is around 5,100. One of its campuses is at the Cherry Capital Airport, and offers aviation and auto service classes. Another campus is at the Hagerty Center on Grand Traverse Bay, which is home toGreat Lakes Maritime Academy, Great Lakes Culinary Institute, Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, and the Hagerty Conference Center.
TheTraverse City Record-Eagle is a daily newspaper circulated in the 13 counties surrounding the city, and is thenewspaper of record for Grand Traverse County.[104] Daily editions of theDetroit Free Press,The Detroit News, andThe Grand Rapids Press are available.
Traverse is a monthly regional magazine.[105]
Village Press and Arbutus Press are located in Traverse City.
Additionally, Traverse City is served byCadillac stationsWWTV (Channel 9,CBS);WMNN (Channel 26,ShopHQ);WCMV (Channel 27,PBS), satellite of WCMU inMount Pleasant;WFQX (Channel 32,Fox); WFQX-DT2 (Channel 32.2,The CW Plus); andW23EB-D (Channels 23.1-23.7,3ABN,Amazing Facts TV,Strong Tower Radio).
There are 16 commercial radio stations in a variety of radio formats.[106] Talk radio stations includeWTCM,WWMN,WMKT,WSRT, andWLDR. AM 1310 broadcasts sports.WKLT broadcasts rock music, and WNMC is a community public radio station. There are three religious radio stations: W201CM (a translator at 88.1) and WLJN AM/FM 89.9 FM and 1400 AM. WLDR plays an adult contemporary format.Interlochen Center for the Arts broadcasts theNPR member station calledInterlochen Public Radio;[107] it serves a large portion of Northwest Lower Michigan via two stations.[108]
Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City is thefourth largest airport in Michigan.
Indian Trails offers intercity bus service toSt. Ignace to the north andGrand Rapids andKalamazoo to the south.
Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) offers local bus service, as well as to surrounding areas.[109]
US 31 is a major north–south route running through the city. In Michigan, the highway largely parallels the shore of Lake Michigan.
M-22 is a scenic highway with a terminus in Traverse City. The highway loops around theLeelanau Peninsula, and follows the shore of Lake Michigan south toManistee.
M-37 is a north–south route that passes through the city. The highway's northern terminus is atMission Point Light, north of Traverse City.
M-72 is an east–west route that traverses the Lower Peninsula.The Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City is responsible for maritime and land-based search and rescue in the northern Great Lakes region. Traverse City is one of two designated Coast Guard cities in Michigan, the other beingGrand Haven.[110]
Munson Medical Center is located here.
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Municipalities and communities ofLeelanau County, Michigan,United States | ||
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