About Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids is the second-largest city in Michigan and the largest city in West Michigan and located on the banks of the Grand River about 30 miles (48 km) east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. Grand Rapids is the county seat of Kent County.

A historic furniture-manufacturing center, Grand Rapids is home to five of the world's leading office furniture companies, and is nicknamed "Furniture City". Other nicknames include "River City" and more recently, "Beer City" (the latter given by USA Today and adopted by the city as a brand). The city and surrounding communities are economically diverse, based in the health care, information technology, automotive, aviation, and consumer goods manufacturing industries, among others.

Grand Rapids is the childhood home of U.S. President Gerald Ford, who is buried with his wife Betty on the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in the city.[8] The city's main airport and one of its freeways are also named after him.