Outdoor Advertising Billboards for Rent in Traverse City, MI

Traverse City (IPA: /ˈtrævərs ˈsɪti/) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,532 at the 2000 census. In 2007, the Traverse City micropolitan area was estimated to have a population of 142,075. Despite its modest population, Traverse City functions as the major commercial nexus for a seven-county area totaling over 2,700 square miles (7,000 km) and, along with cross-peninsula counterpart Alpena, is one of Northern Lower Michigan's two anchor cities.

Traverse City is the self-proclaimed "Cherry Capital of the World," holding an annual week-long Cherry Festival the first full week in July to celebrate. Besides cherries, the surrounding Tuscany-like countryside produces grapes, and is one of the centers of wine production in the Midwest. Tourism, both summer and winter, is another key industry. Freshwater beaches, a mild summer climate, upscale golf resorts, vineyards, a nearby National Lakeshore, prodigious snowfall, nearby ski resorts and thousands of square miles of surrounding forests make Traverse City (based on AAA's 2005 TripTik requests) the second most popular tourist destination in the state behind Mackinaw City. In addition, the historic downtown area of Traverse City is the home of many shops, restaurants, and offices. Traverse City is a home rule charter city under the Home Rule Cities Act, incorporated on May 18, 1895. The city is governed by six commissioners and a mayor, elected at-large. Together they comprise a seven-member legislative body. An appointed city manager serves as chief executive for city operations.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,532 people, 6,443 households, and 3,485 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,728.7 per square mile (667.2/km²). There were 6,842 housing units at an average density of 813.9/sq mi (314.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.00% White, 0.65% African American, 0.98% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.67% of the population.

White	Black	Other
96.00%	0.65%	3.35%

There were 6,443 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.9% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,330, and the median income for a family was $46,912. Males had a median income of $31,587 versus $22,512 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,247. About 4.8% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Planes

• With a new terminal completed in 2004, Cherry Capital Airport provides regularly scheduled passenger airline service to Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis and seasonally to New York, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Denver as well as to smaller Michigan destinations to the north.
• Other airports with scheduled passenger service are in Pellston Regional Airport, and Alpena County Regional Airport in the Lower peninsula and Chippewa County International Airport in Sault Ste. Marie, in the eastern Upper peninsula.

Ships and boats

• Adjacent to the airport is Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City , responsible for both maritime and land-based search and rescue operations in the northern Great Lakes region.
• Located in the harbor of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy is the T/S State of Michigan, a 224' former Navy submarine surveillance vessel. The vessel is used as a classroom and laboratory while cadets of the Academy are underway and shore side.
• A tall ship, the Schooner Manitou is berthed at Traverse City, and offers passages to the public.
• Near Traverse City are two other tall ships, the Schooner Madeline and the 55-foot (17 m) long replica of the sloop Welcome, an 18th century British warship) sloop, which was built for the 1976 Bicentennial of the American Revolution. They are the only two boats recognized by the State of Michigan for their Historic Significance. From May through October, trained volunteers conduct tours (when in port), and give a history of the boats and Great Lakes sailing. The Madeline is berthed at Elmwood Township "Coal Dock" (Heritage Harbor) - West Bayshore, just south of the Elmwood Township Marina Both are maintained by the Maritime Heritage Alliance.
• The Nauticat, a 43 passenger catamaran books passages on Grand Traverse bay.

Public transportation

Traverse City also has a public transportation system, the Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) which serves most of the Grand Traverse region with dial-a-ride services and a bus service, called the Cherriot, serves Traverse City and the urbanized areas of Garfield Township. BATA recently revealed its first hybrid bus in December, 2005. BATA recently completed a downtown bus transfer terminal on Hall St. , which opened July 21, 2006. The terminal is used to transfer riders to different buses on different routes.BATA Cherriot Bus System Map

Major highways

	US-31 runs for 356 miles (573 km) in a northerly direction from the Indiana-Michigan state line southwest of Niles to its terminus at I-75 south of Mackinaw City. From Traverse City, it runs west across the base of the Leelanau peninsula to Benzonia before continuing south to Muskegon and other points on the Lake Michigan shore. Northwards, it continues along the east shore of Grand Traverse Bay to Charlevoix and Petoskey, ending just before reaching Mackinaw City and the Mackinac Bridge.
	M-22 follows the Lake Michigan shoreline around the Leelanau Peninsula, providing a scenic drive.
	M-37 runs almost due south through the Manistee National Forest to Grand Rapids. It continues north up Old Mission Peninsula to end at Old Mission Point in the middle of Grand Traverse Bay.
	M-72 passes east-west through the city and is one of three true highways that crosses the lower peninsula from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron. M-72 connects with Empire and the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore 22 miles (35 km) west and with US-131, 25 miles (40 km) east in Kalkaska.

Railroads

The Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway (TSBY) provides freight rail service to the Traverse City area on track owned by the state of Michigan. The tracks were once owned by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (ex-Pere Marquette Railway) and the Pennsylvania Railroad (ex-Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad) but were purchased by the state in the late 1970s and early 1980s to preserve rail service in the area. Current freight traffic includes fruit/perishables, scrap metal, and lumber.

Regular intercity passenger train service ended on October 29, 1966, after the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) discontinued Grand Rapids - Traverse City - Bay View service. Since then, excursion passengers trains have operated in and out of Traverse City on an irregular basis. Recently, Lake Central Rail Tours has operated a summer excursion during the Cherry Festival. On May 11, 1996, the Grand Traverse Dinner Train began year round service from the Traverse City depot to Williamsburg and to Walton Junction. Unfortunately, dinner train service was suspended in 2004 after a derailment and the company entered into a bitter contract dispute with the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway. The train itself was removed to Owosso in mid-July 2006.