Everything about Pontiac Michigan totally explained
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, and a 2006 census estimated population of 67,124. It is the
county seat of
Oakland County. Considered a
satellite city of
Detroit, it's surrounded by affluent
Metro Detroit suburbs.
The city is best-known for its
General Motors manufacturing plants (GM's primary truck plant is in Pontiac) and the GM automobile brand,
Pontiac, which was first produced in and named after the city. Also of note is the
Pontiac Silverdome, the stadium that hosted the
Detroit Lions from 1975 until 2002 when they moved back to Downtown Detroit.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.2
square miles (52.3
km²), of which, 20.0 square miles (51.8 km²) of it's land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) 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 Hills and 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's still used as a
survey township for land use purposes.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 66,337 people, 24,234 households, and 15,267 families residing in the city. The
population density was 3,318.2 per square mile (1,281.3/km²). There were 26,336 housing units at an average density of 1,317.3/sq mi (508.7/km²). 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.
Education
Pontiac, Michigan runs two main high schools being
Pontiac Central High School and
Pontiac Northern High School. In recent years, many residents of southern Pontiac have begun sending their kids to
Bloomfield Hills Schools causing a notable swell in the number of children attending those high schools, most notably
Lahser High School
There are four charter schools in Pontiac which offer a school choice to residents of Pontiac and the surrounding cities. The four charter schools are: Pontiac Academy for Excellence (K-12), Arts and Technology Academy, Walton Charter, and Great Lakes Academy.
Culture
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" or "Yak-Town" by locals. Many younger residents are proud to claim the side of the city they hail from. 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.
Transportation
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, operates its
Wolverine from Pontiac to
Chicago 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), which also operates a large classification yard in Pontiac serving 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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I-75 provides a quick connection northwest to nearby Flint. Detroit is to the south. |
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I-75 Business Loop routes through Pontiac. |
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US-24 ends north of Pontiac at I-75. Southbound, US 24 serves suburban Detroit and Monroe before crossing into Ohio. |
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BUS US 24 serves local business traffic through the city. |
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M-1 (Woodward Ave.) northbound ends in Pontiac. Southbound, the highway routes to directly to downtown Detroit. |
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M-24 (Telegraph Road) southbound ends in Pontiac at I-75. Northbound, the highway routes to Lapeer. Note: M-24 doesn't intersect with US 24. |
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M-59 routes west to Howell and east to Utica and several other Detroit suburbs. |
Public Safety
The City of Pontiac operates a police department and a fire department.
Pontiac Police Department: www.pontiacpolice.com
Pontiac Fire and Rescue Department: www.pontiac.mi.us/departments/fire.html
If needed for extra ambulances, psychological/behavorial patients, or for city coverage the city can and will contact Star EMS for their services. Star EMS is a private ambulance company located within the city.
Government
Federal officials
Notable residents
Geri Allen - jazz pianist
Jim Bates - NFL coach
Walter Beach - NFL safety 1960-66
Sven Birkerts - Essayist
Tim Birtsas - MLB pitcher 1985-90
Bruce Bromley - prominenet trial lawyer, Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
Kirk Gibson - Detroit Tiger's Legend and Michigan State University football great.
Gayl M. Godsell-Stytz - First doctor in the US to be sued for diagnosing and trying to prevent a planned school campus shooting.
Steve Howe - MLB pitcher 1980-96
Laura Innes - Actress
Brent W. Jett, Jr. - Astronaut
Hayes Jones - Olympic gold medalist
Thad Jones - Jazz musician
Jack Kevorkian - controversial doctor known as "Dr. Death" who has claimed to have assisted more than 100 suicides
Tony Lucca - Musician
Madonna (Ciccone)- singer/entertainer
Michael Mallory - Writer
Al Miller - Racecar driver
Donald R. Moyer - Medal of Honor recipient during the Korean War
Evaline Ness - Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator
Joseph R. Ouellette - Medal of Honor recipient during the Korean War
Howard 'Howdy' Quicksell - Musician
Israel B. Richardson - Major general during the American Civil War
Walker Russell - NBA player and assistant coach
Sicily Sewell - Actress
A. Alfred Taubman - Industrialist and Real Estate Developer
Jeff Webb - NFL wide receiver
Moses Wisner - Governor of Michigan 1859-61
One Be Lo - RapperFurther Information
Get more info on 'Pontiac Michigan'.
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