| Pontiac, Michigan |
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Information AboutPontiac, Michigan |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PONTIAC, MICHIGAN | |
| settlements established in 1818 | |
| cities in michigan | |
| county seats in michigan | |
| oakland county, michigan | |
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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. GEOGRAPHY According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 52.3 Km&2 (20.2 Mi&2 ). 51.8 km&2 (20.0 mi&2) of it is land and 0.6 km&2 (0.2 mi&2) of it is water. The total area is 1.09% 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. DEMOGRAPHICS As of the Census 2 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/km&2 (3,318.2/mi&2). There were 26,336 housing units at an average density of 508.7/km&2 (1,317.3/mi&2). 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. 12.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 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. 22.1% of the population and 18.0% of families were below the Poverty Line . 29.3% of those under the age of 18 and 15.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. 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. TRANSPORTATION 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 (state route 1, or M-1), state route 59 ("M-59", or Huron Street), and Telegraph Road (U.S. 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). EXTERNAL LINKS |
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