Holland is a city in the western region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the Black River a few miles from Lake Michigan. Most of Holland is located in Ottawa County although the city boundaries extend into Allegan County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 35,048.
Holland has a large percentage of citizens of Dutch American heritage, many who still practice forms of the Dutch Reformed faith brought by the original settlers. It is home to Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, institutions of the Reformed Church in America. The city is best known for its Tulip Time Festival, the nationally-recognized downtown, and its rich Dutch history. The city is serviced by two airports, the public Park Township Airport (IATA: HLM, ICAO: KHLM), and the larger, private Tulip City Airport. Neither facility is served by commercial passenger lines.
Holland is on the shores of Lake Macatawa and is near the shore of Lake Michigan.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.5 km2 (17.2 mi2). 42.9 km2 (16.6 mi2) of it is land and 1.6 km2 (0.6 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 3.61% water.
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 35,048 people, 11,971 households, and 7,924 families residing in the city. The population density is 816.7/km2 (2,115.3/mi2). There are 12,533 housing units at an average density of 292.0/km2 (756.4/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 78.18% White, 2.53% African American, 0.58% Native American, 3.56% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 12.41% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. 22.21% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 11,971 households out of which 34.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% are married couples living together, 10.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% are non-families. 26.8% of all households are made up of individuals, and 11.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.67 and the average family size is 3.24.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 29 years. For every 100 females there are 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $42,291, and the median income for a family is $50,316. Males have a median income of $36,339 versus $26,481 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,823. 10.6% of the population and 6.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.8% of those under the age of 18 and 6.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Holland was settled in 1847 by Dutch Calvinist separatists, under the leadership of Dr. Albertus van Raalte, who were escaping from persecution in the Netherlands. Van Raalte chose the land due to its proximity to the Black River where it streamed to Black Lake (now Lake Macatawa) which, in turn, led to Lake Michigan. The land was inhabited by the Ottawa, which after a cultural clash with the new Dutch settlers relocated to Northport, Michigan. In Holland's early history, Van Raalte was a spiritual leader, as well as overseeing political, educational and financial matters. In 1847 Van Raalte established a congregation of the Reformed Church in America, which would later be called the First Reformed Church of Holland. In 1867, Holland was incorporated as a city with Isaac Cappon being the city's first mayor.
The city suffered a major fire on October 8-9, 1871, the same time as the Great Chicago Fire in Illinois and the very deadly Peshtigo Fire in Wisconsin, leading some to believe there was a common cause--possibly fragments of Comet Biela striking the area, though there is no direct evidence for such a hypothesis.
Source:
HollandMI.com
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