Flint

Sister cities

• Tolyatti
• Hamilton
• Kielce
• Changchun

History

The region was home to several Ojibwe tribes at the start of the 19th century, with a particularly significant community established near present-day Montrose. The Flint River had several convenient fords which became points of contention among rival tribes, as attested by the presence of nearby arrowheads and burial mounds. Some of the city currently resides atop ancient Ojibwe burial grounds. In 1819, Jacob Smith, a fur trader on cordial terms with both the local Ojibwe and the territorial government, founded a trading post at the Grand Traverse of the Flint River. On several occasions, Smith negotiated land exchanges with the Ojibwe on behalf of the U.S. government, and he was highly regarded on both sides. Smith apportioned many of his holdings to his children. As the ideal stopover on the overland route between Detroit and Saginaw, Flint grew into a small but prosperous village and incorporated in 1855. The 1860 U.S. census indicated that Genesee County had a population of 22,498 of Michigan's 750,000. In the latter half of the 19th century, Flint became a center of the Michigan lumber industry. Revenue from lumber funded the establishment of a local carriage-making industry. As horse-drawn carriages gave way to the automobiles, Flint then naturally grew into a major player in the nascent auto industry. Buick Motor Company, after a rudimentary start in Detroit, soon moved to Flint. AC Spark Plug originated in Flint. These were followed by several now-defunct automobile marques such as the Dort, Little, Flint, and Mason brands. Chevrolet's first (and for many years, main) manufacturing facility was also in Flint, although the Chevrolet headquarters were in Detroit. For a brief period, all Chevrolets and Buicks were built in Flint. The first Ladies' Library…

Geography

Flint lies in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan. Flint and Genesee County can be categorized as a subregion of Flint/Tri-Cities. It is located along the Flint River, which flows through Lapeer, Genesee, and Saginaw counties and is long. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Flint lies just to the northeast of the Flint hills. The terrain is low and rolling along the south and east sides, and flatter to the northwest. Flint has several neighborhoods grouped around the center of the city on the four cardinal sides. The downtown business district is centered on Saginaw Street south of the Flint River. Just west, on opposite sides of the river, are Carriage Town (north) and the Grand Traverse Street District (south). Both neighborhoods boast strong neighborhood associations. These neighborhoods were the center of manufacturing for and profits from the nation's carriage industry until the 1920s and are the site of many well-preserved Victorian homes and the setting of Atwood Stadium. The University Avenue corridor of Carriage Town is home to the largest concentration of Greek housing in the area. Many fraternity houses from Kettering University and the University of Michigan-Flint are located there. Just north of downtown is River Village, an example of gentrification via mixed-income public housing. To the east of I-475 is Central Park and Fairfield Village. These are the only two neighborhoods between UM-Flint and Mott Community College and enjoy strong neighborhood associations. Central Park piloted a project to convert street lights to LED and is defined by seven cul-de-sacs. The North Side and 5th Ward are predominantly African American, with such historic districts as Buick City and…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,168
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  4,948
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,903
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  4,809
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,751
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,239
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,978
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,928

Largest nearby schools

• Grand Blanc Community High School
  High · GRAND BLANC · 2,556 students · 21.5:1 ratio
• Davison High School
  High · DAVISON · 1,694 students
• Flushing High School
  High · FLUSHING · 1,278 students · 18.5:1 ratio
• Swartz Creek High School
  High · SWARTZ CREEK · 1,042 students · 22.7:1 ratio
• CarmanAinsworth High School
  High · FLINT · 1,033 students · 19.1:1 ratio
• International Academy of Flint K12
  Other · FLINT · 890 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• Kearsley High School
  High · FLINT · 887 students · 18.9:1 ratio
• Davison Middle School
  Middle · DAVISON · 880 students · 20.5:1 ratio