Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the
U.S. state of
Michigan named after the
Ottawa Chief Pontiac. As of the
2000 census, the city had a total population of 66,337. It is the
county seat of
Oakland County6. Considered a
satellite city of
Detroit, it is surrounded by affluent
Metro Detroit suburbs. Although in the midst of these suburbs, Pontiac itself is an urban center with a significant manufacturing sector.
The city is probably best known for the prominent
General Motors manufacturing plants and the GM automobile make,
Pontiac, which was first produced in (and named after) the city. Also of note in the city is the
Pontiac Silverdome, the stadium in which the
Detroit Lions played until 2002.
Super Bowl XVI also was held there.
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Location of Pontiac, Michigan |
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 52.3
km² (20.2
mi²). 51.8 km² (20.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (1.09%) is water.
The city is bounded by the City of
Auburn Hills to the east and north, the City of
Lake Angelus to the north,
Waterford Township to the west, and
Bloomfield Township to the south.
The defunct
civil township, which was known as
Pontiac Township, initially included what are now the cities of Pontiac, Lake Angelus, and Auburn Hills. The township incorporated as the City of Auburn Hills in 1983. Although the township no longer exists as a civil entity, it is still used as a
survey township for land use purposes.
As of the
census² of 2000, there were 66,337 people, 24,234 households, and 15,267 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,281.3/km² (3,318.2/mi²). There were 26,336 housing units at an average density of 508.7/km² (1,317.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 39.09%
White, 47.92%
African American, 0.58%
Native American, 2.40%
Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander, 6.47% from
other races, and 3.50% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 12.76% of the population.
There were 24,234 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.5% were
married couples living together, 25.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,207, and the median income for a family was $36,391. Males had a median income of $31,961 versus $24,765 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $15,842. About 18.0% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 29.3% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.
Regionally, the city is known for the
Arts, Beats and Eats Festival, a widely attended summer festival featuring an art show, musical concert venues, and a sampling of food from numerous regional restaurants.
The city is at the north end of the famous
Woodward Avenue, known in the
1950s and
1960s as being popular with young people who would "cruise" and drag-race their
hot-rods in the area. Pontiac participates in the annual
Woodward Dream Cruise, an event celebrating Woodward's hot-rod history, stretching from Pontiac to Detroit.
The city is sometimes referred to as "the Yak" by locals and "the 248" (to help distinguish it from any other suburb of Detroit). Many younger residents are proud to claim the side of the city they hail from (generally south, north, or west). The 300 and 400 address blocks are also other ways in which locals claim homestead in Pontiac. Numerous Hispanic immigrants also live in Pontiac, comprising an additional level of cultural diversity.
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, operates its
Wolverine from Pontiac to
Chicago, Illinois via
Detroit and
Battle Creek, Michigan. Service is three times daily, both arriving and departing.
Commuter rail service was once provided by
Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW) and later
Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority (SEMTA) from Pontiac to downtown
Detroit. This service ended on
October 17,
1983, after subsidies were discontinued. Efforts continue to this day to restore such commuter service.
Class one freight rail service is provided by
Canadian National Railway (CN) and they operate a large clasification yard in Pontiac which serve the local auto industry.
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) operates local and regional bus transit.
The major thoroughfares in the city are:
Woodward Avenue (M-1), Huron Street (
M-59), and Telegraph Road (
US 24). Portions of Woodward Avenue were once known as "Saginaw Street" and "Wide Track Drive" (the portion of Saginaw Street that runs through the downtown business district remains under that name).
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Official City Website*
History of the City
