Everything about Kalamazoo Michigan totally explained
Kalamazoo is the largest city in the southwest region of the
U.S. state of
Michigan. It is the
county seat of
Kalamazoo County. As of the
2000 census, the city had a total population of 77,145. The 2006 Census Bureau estimate placed the city at a total population of 72,161. It is the major city of the
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI MSA, which had an estimated population of 323,264 as of
2007.
Kalamazoo is home to
Western Michigan University, a nationally recognized research institution that has benefited from the local presence of
Pfizer,
Eaton Corporation and
Stryker Corporation. This has enabled the school to offer strong programs in both its College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and
Haworth College of Business.
The city is also home to
Kalamazoo College (often referred to as "K College"), a liberal arts school located adjacent to WMU's campus.
Name origin
The city is named for the
Kalamazoo River, but there's debate as to where the name Kalamazoo actually comes from. It is generally thought the name originates in the language of either the
Potawatomi or
Odawa peoples who were native to the area at the time of European settlement.
The common phrase "from
Timbuktu to Kalamazoo" resulted from the strange name, and has served to enter it into pop culture. Today, t-shirts are sold in Kalamazoo with the phrase "Yes, there really is a Kalamazoo".
There are numerous songs that reference the city name in lyrics and title, including: "All Over The World" by Rascalz, "Down on the Corner" by
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "
I've Been Everywhere" by
Johnny Cash; "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" by
Glenn Miller; "Kalamazoo" by
Ben Folds Five; "Kalamazoo" by
Primus; "Kalamazoo" by Dr. Freeman and the Defenders of the Universe; "Kalamazoo" by
Luna; and
Kalamazoo by Mike Craver on his album "Shining Down". The word also features in the opera
Einstein on the Beach by
Philip Glass. An
indie film,
Kalamazoo?, features the city as a backdrop.
History
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to
Native Americans of the
Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the
first millennium. Evidence of their early residency still remains in the form of a small
mound downtown in Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to decline at some point after the
eighth century and was replaced by other groups. The
Pottawatomi culture was resident in the area at the time the first European explorers arrived.
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle is recorded as having passed through the area, just southeast of the present city, in late March, 1680. The first Europeans to reside in the area were itinerant
fur traders in the late 18th and early 19th century. There are records of several traders wintering in the area, and by the 1820s at least one trading post had been established.
During the
War of 1812, the British established a smithy and a prison camp in the area.
The 1821
Treaty of Chicago ceded all the territory south of the
Grand River to the United States federal government. However, the area around present-day Kalamazoo was reserved as the village of Chief
Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish. Six years later, as a result of the 1827
Treaty of St. Joseph, the tract that became the city was also ceded.
In 1829,
Titus Bronson, originally from
Connecticut, was the first white settler to build a cabin within the present city limits. He
platted the town in 1831 and named it the village of Bronson (not to be confused with the much-smaller
Bronson, Michigan about fifty
miles (80
km) to the south-southeast).
Bronson was frequently described as "eccentric" and argumentative and was later run out of town. The village of Bronson was renamed Kalamazoo in 1836 (due in part to an incident resulting in Bronson's being fined for stealing a cherry tree). Today, a hospital and a park, among other things, are named after Titus Bronson.
Kalamazoo legally incorporated as a village in 1838 and as a city in 1883.
On
August 27,
1856,
Abraham Lincoln spoke at a rally in Kalamazoo's Bronson Park, promoting the presidential candidacy of
John C. Fremont, who was running on the ticket of the newly formed
Republican Party. The occasion marks Lincoln's only visit or public address within the State.
The Kalamazoo Mall, the first outdoor pedestrian shopping mall in the United States, began with the closing of Burdick Street to auto traffic in 1959. The four block long mall, stretching from Lovell Street on the South to Eleanor Street on the north, has been restyled to match the attributes of the Arcadia Commons development, where the new Kalamazoo Public Museum anchors the north end of the mall. In 1999, however, two blocks of the mall were modified to accommodate auto traffic after a period of political debates on the issue. The creation of the mall gave Kalamazoo the name of "Mall City."
In the Fall of 1971, the
Kalamazoo Public Schools system was ordered by a Federal Judge to be integrated after he found the school system to be unlawfully segregated. The judge's determination was the culmination of nearly a decade of racially charged incidents and protests, included several city-wide school closures. A program of two-way bussing was implemented in September 1971, in which the city's black students were transported from downtown Kalamazoo in the north and east sections of the city to predominantly white neighborhoods on the west side, and vice versa. The program was closely watched by education experts as the city's population more closely mirrored the demographic make up of the United States as a whole than any other jurisdiction. The bussing program continued through the late 1990s.
Beginning in 1971, numerous white families moved from the Kalamazoo Public Schools to adjacent districts, particularly
Portage Public Schools to the south and
Mattawan Consolidated School to the west. Despite a nearly 10 percent population reduction over the next two decades, the integration plan was more successful than in other large
Michigan districts where "white flight" was more severe.
Downtown Kalamazoo was
struck by an F3 tornado on
May 13,
1980, killing 5 and injuring 79.
Geography
The city is situated mainly on the southwest bank of a major bend in the
Kalamazoo River, with a small portion, approximately 7.3 km² (2.8 sq mi), on the opposite bank. Several small tributaries of the river, including Arcadia Creek and Portage Creek, wind through the city. The northeastern portion of the city sits in the broad, flat Kalamazoo Valley, whilst in the western portions the terrain becomes a series of low hills spreading out to the west and south. Several small lakes are found throughout the area.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.2 square miles (65.2 km²), of which, 24.7 square miles (63.9 km²) of it's land and 1.3 km² (0.5 sq&nbs;mi) of it (1.99%) is water.
The city's suburban population is located primarily to the south, in the city of
Portage, and to the west in
Oshtemo Township.
Kalamazoo is located approximately halfway between Detroit and Chicago.
At least part of the municipal water supply for Kalamazoo is provided by the watershed contained within the
Al Sabo Preserve in
Texas Charter Township, Michigan, immediately southwest of Kalamazoo.
Another watershed, Kleinstuck Marsh, is very popular with hikers and birdwatchers. Kleinstuck Marsh is located south of Maple Street, between Westnedge Avenue (Kalamazoo's major north-south artery) and Oakland Drive.
Kalamazoo is situated in
West Michigan.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 77,145 people, 29,413 households, and 14,353 families residing in the city. The
population density was 3,125.4 per square mile (1,206.9/km²). There were 31,798 housing units at an average density of 1,288.2/sq mi (497.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.77%
White, 20.64%
Black or
African American, 0.58%
Native American, 2.39%
Asian, 0.06%
Pacific Islander, 2.38% from
other races, and 3.18% from two or more races. 4.28% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 29,413 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.6% were
married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.2% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 27.6% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 15.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,189, and the median income for a family was $42,438. Males had a median income of $32,160 versus $25,532 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $16,897. About 13.6% of families and 24.3% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 26.0% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Kalamazoo government is administered under a
Commission-Manager style of government. The
City Commission is the representative body of the city, and consists of seven members, elected on a
non-partisan basis every two years. Whomever receives the most number of votes during an election becomes the council president and ceremonial
mayor of the city. The member that receives the second highest number of votes becomes vice mayor. The current mayor,
Bobby J. Hopewell, was elected
November 13,
2007, beating
Hannah McKinney, who automatically became vice mayor.
The
City Manager is the city's chief administrative officer. The manager is hired by, and answers to, the
City Commission.
Neighborhoods
The city of Kalamazoo is commonly divided into twenty-two neighborhoods, many of which are served by a
neighborhood association. The Neighborhood Development Division of the city's government works with these associations to invest federal, state, and local funds, including those from the
Community Development Block Grant program, in community improvements and economic growth.
There is a great diversity in the character of the neighborhoods. Closer to the city center are historical residential areas such as Stuart, full of Victorian and Queen Anne homes. Neighborhoods in the south west corner of the city are home to the wealthier inhabitants and contain modern developments with more open spaces. The Central Business District and the neighborhoods to the south along Westnedge Avenue (Westnedge Hill, Southside, Vine, and South Westnedge) contain much of the area's retail shopping, mixed with a residential populace. Just west of downtown are the campuses of
Kalamazoo College and
Western Michigan University, surrounded by several blocks of student housing. Neighborhoods north and east of the city center tend to be lower income. The city's Hispanic population is focused on the south and east side, in the Edison neighborhood. The Edison neighborhood is also becoming a center for the city's gay and lesbian community.
Education
Kalamazoo is home to
Western Michigan University. The college has four campuses in Kalamazoo, (
West Campus,
East Campus,
Parkview Campus and
Oakland Drive Campus) as well as several satellite campuses throughout Michigan. West Campus, located just west of downtown, has by far the largest concentration of university students, programs and school services. The school is one of the 50 largest universities in the nation, and one of the top 100 public universities in the country. In 2005, the university had over 26,000 students and employed over 1,200 faculty. Also in 2005, Western Michigan ranked #2 Wireless Campus in the U.S. in a national survey done by the
Intel Corporation.
Western Michigan University is also the home of the
International Congress on Medieval Studies, held each year in May, and organized by the Medieval Institute. The Congress brings some 3,000 professors and students from around the globe to present and discuss a variety of topics on the
Middle Ages. Graduate students play an important role in its organization.
Kalamazoo College, one of the first educational institutions in the state of Michigan and a pioneer in the field of
coeducation, resides next door to WMU. The school was ranked #1 in Study Abroad programs by
US News & World Report 2003 Edition
America's Best Colleges, with 80% of students spending at least one term abroad. It was also the #1 school in 2005 for recruitment into the
Peace Corps (per capita).
Kalamazoo is home to
Kalamazoo Valley Community College and
Davenport University. It had also been the home of
Nazareth College, which closed in 1992.
Because of very generous private donations from several anonymous individuals, every resident graduate of the
Kalamazoo Public Schools is provided with a scholarship for up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fee costs for four years at any public university or community college in Michigan, starting with the class of 2006. This program is known as the
Kalamazoo Promise. Books and room and board are not included.
Economy
Breweries
Kalamazoo has four popular local
breweries and
brewpubs producing a variety of
beer styles, from light bodied wheat
ales to
stouts and
barley wines.
The most well known is
Bell's, originally established as the Kalamazoo Brewing Company in 1985 by its founder, Larry Bell. The brewery has expanded from its original Kalamazoo location, which houses the Eccentric Cafe, to a modern, state-of–the-art brewery located in nearby Comstock. Bell's beer can now be found at retailers in many parts of the country. In Illinois, however, beers from this brewery are sold under another brand name because of a dispute between Larry Bell and his former distributor, when the distributor sold the distribution rights to another distributor without Bell's consent. The new beers for Illinois distribution are sold as "Kalamazoo" and the label notes that they're "Brewed especially for the people of the great state of Illinois."
Kraftbräu Brewery, was across the street and a few feet east from Bell's Eccentric Cafe. Another local entertainment venue in a brewery atmosphere, it's now unfortunately closed and looking for another location.
Olde Peninsula is another downtown brewpub featuring a small selection of craft beers to accompany its diverse menu.
Bilbo's Pizza, located near Western Michigan's campus, also features a
microbrewery.
Flavorings
The
A.M. Todd Company, one of the lead producers of
peppermint oil and other flavorings, is headquartered in Kalamazoo. At one point it supplied 90% of the world's peppermint oil. Many mint plantations once littered the County as part of its operations. Its founder,
Albert M. Todd, was elected to the
United States House of Representatives for the
55th Congress.
Kalamazoo is also home to
Kalsec, another flavorings company, which was founded by
Paul H. Todd, Jr., Albert Todd's grandson and U.S. Representative in the
89th Congress. Founded as the Kalamazoo Spice Extraction Company, Kalsec is owned and managed by Todd family descendants.
Historical
In the past, Kalamazoo was known for its production of
windmills,
mandolins,
buggies,
automobiles,
cigars,
stoves,
paper, and paper products. Agriculturally, it once was noted for
celery and bedding plants. Although much has become suburbanized, the countryside still continues to produce significant quantities of farm crops.
One notable business founded in Kalamazoo was the
Gibson Guitar Corporation (which spawned the still-local
Heritage Guitars).
The company was incorporated originally as "Gibson Mandolin - Guitar Co., Ltd" on
October 11,
1902, by the craftsman
Orville Gibson. Gibson originally produced some of the finest hand-crafted mandolins. This quality and attention to detail followed into the guitars the company began making later. The Gibson guitar is known for its quality and sought after world-wide by professional musicians and collectors alike. Operations were moved gradually from Kalamazoo to
Nashville, Tennessee, (Electric Division) and
Bozeman,
Montana, (Acoustic Division) in the 1980s. Some workers from the original factory stayed in Kalamazoo to create the
Heritage Guitar company.
Other notable businesses founded in the city include the Shakespeare Company, a fishing and tackle manufacturer. Early in the 20th Century, Kalamazoo was home to the pioneering
brass era automobile company
Barley.
Kalamazoo is also headquarters of the
Checker Motors Company, the manufacturer of the
Checker Cab, which now stamps sheet metal parts for other auto manufacturers.
The eponymous
Kalamazoo Stove Company used to have such slogans as "A Kalamazoo direct to you."
Kalamazoo is the birthplace of the
Moped Army.
Life Sciences
Kalamazoo is home to the
Pfizer Corporation, formerly
Pharmacia, Pharmacia Upjohn and
The Upjohn Company, all pharmaceutical manufacturers. Most of Upjohn's original facilities remain, many have been renovated and some new buildings have been constructed. The presence of these corporations has helped the diversification of the chemistry and biotechnology sector of the area's economy. The bulk of the facilities exist in
Portage,
Michigan, but many also exist in Downtown Kalamazoo.
Among others, Kalamazoo is home to
Kalexsyn, PharmOptima, Ceetox, Metabolic Solutions Development, KAR Labs, Jasper Clinical Research and Development, Innovative Analytics and NephRx corporation. Other related businesses within the Kalamazoo metropolitan area include Eurofins AvTech Laboratories (
Portage, Michigan),
Bridge Organics (
Vicksburg, Michigan), AureoGen Biosciences (
Oshtemo Township, Michigan), and MPI Research (
Mattawan, Michigan). These firms primarily focus on drug discovery and synthesis, clinical support, and finished pharmaceutical testing. KAR Labs also specializes in environmental testing, in addition to bioanalysis. Many of these companies were founded by alumni of Upjohn and its successors, especially after Pfizer eliminated thousands of jobs at its Kalamazoo and Portage facilities. The presence of these smaller
biotechnology firms has helped mitigate the economic effects of Pfizer's downsizing. Several have received startup support from Southwest Michigan First's Innovation Center and grants from the State of Michigan through its Technology Tri-Corridor program.
Michigan State University has a branch of its medical school and several post-doctoral residency training programs in Kalamazoo. Resident training programs in
Pediatrics,
Internal Medicine, Combined
Internal Medicine/
Pediatrics,
General Surgery,
Family Medicine,
Orthopedic surgery,
Emergency Medicine,
Psychiatry, and sports medicine are centered at The Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies (KCMS) founded by Michigan State University.
The city is also home to the
Stryker Corporation, a surgical and medical devices manufacturer.
Kalamazoo has two hospitals,
Bronson Methodist Hospital, and Borgess Medical Center.
Research
The
W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit research organization, has operated in Kalamazoo since its establishment in 1945. The Institute conducts research into the causes and effects of unemployment and measures for the alleviation of unemployment. The Institute also publishes
Business Outlook for West Michigan, a quarterly journal that provides economic analysis and forecasts on the West Michigan
economy.
Other
Other notable Kalamazoo businesses include:
- The Farmers' Market, located on Bank Street, is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays, May through November. A wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and flowers are sold from stalls by area growers.
- National City (Kalamazoo was formerly the corporate HQ of First of America Bank, which merged with National City Bank in 1997), National City still maintains a large corporate building in Oshtemo Township, and several downtown along with branches in the area.
Culture
Largely due to its college-town influence, Kalamazoo has always been notable as a center for the arts. Celebrating local artists, the city's Arts Council holds an Art Hop every first Friday of the month, circulating among many local businesses in the downtown area. Big-name stars and groups often perform at the State Theatre, Miller Auditorium at
Western Michigan University, and
Wings Stadium.
An annual event is "Eccentric Day" at Bell's Eccentric Cafe which celebrates the brewery's Eccentric Ale. The celebration is in December on the Friday marking the end of finals at
Western Michigan University.
Despite the name and a
Woody Woodpecker cartoon, there's no
zoo in Kalamazoo, besides the mentioned aviation museum called the
Kalamazoo Air Zoo. The city closed its only zoo in 1974 when the
Milham Park Zoo
, located within the large city-owned park of the same name, was closed.
Adjacent to Milham Park is the Milham Park Golf Course, which is rated among the best municipal golf courses in the country. Completed in 1936, the 18-hole, par 72 course features a pro-shop and restaurant, and is located entirely within the city limits of Kalamazoo.
In 2002, the
Kalamazoo Public Library was awarded "Library of the Year" by
Library Journal. The city's library system comprises four branch libraries in addition to its central location, as well as the
bookmobile system.
(External Link)
Museums
The city is home to a number of art galleries, with the largest and most prominent being the
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, which houses over 3,600 works with a focus on 20th-century American art. The KIA regularly houses temporary exhibitions, some of which have drawn tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world.
The Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, generally called the
Air Zoo, is just down the street from the
airport. It is the first museum of its kind in the world with its "museum-meets-indoor-amusement-park" theme. It boasts many historical and rare aircraft, including the world's only remaining
SR-71B Blackbird. Many of its antique planes are airworthy.
Downtown is the
Kalamazoo Valley Museum, a "hands-on" museum aimed largely at children which also has a
planetarium and a nationally recognized
Challenger Learning Center. It also features a mural painted by renowned artist James "Jungle" Powell.
Northeast of town is the
Gilmore Car Museum, which includes cars used in
Walt Disney movies.
Theater
Kalamazoo is home to a number of local theater groups, including the
Kalamazoo Civic Players, New Vic Theatre
(External Link), The Whole Art Theatre
(External Link), and the Barn Theatre
(External Link) in nearby
Augusta. Plays are also performed at
Kalamazoo College and
Western Michigan University.
There is a small local
improv scene, centered mainly around the group Crawlspace Eviction
(External Link) and its sibling production, Bed, Breakfast, and Beyond.
Monkapult, a student improv group at Kalamazoo College, also has regular performances which are widely attended. Members of Monkapult later formed a small improv troupe called
Just panda, which gained recognition throughout the community and held performances in Milwaukee and Chicago.
The All Ears Theatre
(External Link), which invites listeners to return to "the thrilling days of live radio," performs a mix of new and classic works before a live audience. Twelve performances are recorded per year, all of which are later broadcast locally on
WMUK.
Music
Kalamazoo has always had a diverse and vibrant music scene. The
Gibson Guitar Corporation, originally founded in Kalamazoo in 1902, spurred the musical interests of many local musicians specializing in everything from classical genera, to folk, to modern-rock. The
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra,
(External Link) founded in 1921, is now a well known world-class orchestra under the direction of Raymond Harvey. The city also plays host to the renowned
Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, as well as a
Bach Festival.
The local and
indie music scene has produced pop stars such as RCA recording artists
The Verve Pipe, Metal Blade recording artists
Thought Industry, Grass Records/RCA recording artists
Twitch, Grass Records recording artists
Doxie, unsigned heros
Rollinghead,
Hell or Highwater, and
Knee Deep Shag, among others. The bluegrass and folk scene has developed a great following partly influenced by local bands like Who Hit John?
(External Link),Sweet Corn, folk stars like Joel Mabus
(External Link), and the local NPR show Grassroots. Recent manifestations of this interest in
acoustic,
folk, and
bluegrass is the recent success of groups like Greensky Bluegrass
(External Link), and individuals like
Seth Bernard and Daisy May. The Coopers Glen Music Festival
(External Link) is also a popular music event held annually, previously at the
Kalamazoo Nature Center (External Link) and now temporarily at The Radison Plaza Hotel. The Fretboard Festival, a celebration of Kalamazoo's music scene and it's musical heritage, is held annually at The Kalamazoo Valley Museum
The city, with its diverse and multi-ethnic population also has burgeoning world music, hip hop, punk, celtic and blues scenes. Local musicians proud of their city have also written tributes featuring the name Kalamazoo, bringing about greater national recognition of the city, such as "Kalamazoo #12 & 35" by
The Corn Fed Girls, "Flypaper" by Micaela Kingslight
(External Link) and "Wanderin" by The Red Sea Pedestrians
(External Link).
Dance
Kalamazoo is home to Boheme, the area's premiere Tribal Style belly dance troupe. The troupe is under the direction of Sarah Schneider and performs throughout the midwest. Their repertoire includes ATS, Tribal Fusion, folkloric dances, and tribaret.
(External Link)
Sports
Kalamazoo plays host to four non-collegiate teams:
The Kalamazoo Kings minor-league baseball team plays games at Homer Stryker Field and is a member of the independent Frontier League.
The Kalamazoo Wings (aka K-Wings) minor-league hockey team plays games in Wings Stadium and is a member of the newly revived International Hockey League (2007-).
The Kalamazoo Xplosion indoor football team plays games in Wings Stadium and is a member of the Continental Indoor Football League.
The Kalamazoo Outrage is a soccer club and has mens, womens and junior teams and is a member of United Soccer League, due to play in the Premier Development League as an expansion team in the . On November 14th 2007, the club announced a player development deal with one of England's oldest soccer teams, Sheffield Wednesday a.k.a 'The Owls'. Former USA international team player John Harkes played successfully with the Owls in the 1990s, and current international youngster Frank Simek from St Louis, MO is their current first-choice right-back. In April 2008, Wednesday released youngster Scott Elise to play for the Outrage after the 20yr old graduated from the Owls Academy, further cementing links between the two clubs.
The Western Michigan University Broncos, who compete in the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference, play at the following on-campus venues:
Waldo Stadium (football)
Lawson Arena (hockey)
University Arena (basketball and Volleyball)
Hyames Field (baseball)
Ebert Field (softball)
Kanley Track (outdoor track and field)
Hyames Field played host to the first two College World Series held in 1947 and 1948. Future U. S. President George H. W. Bush was a first baseman for Yale in the 1947 series.
The Kalamazoo College Hornets and Kalamazoo Valley Community College Cougars also have several collegiate athletic teams.
Kalamazoo is the hometown of New York Yankees all-star shortstop Derek Jeter, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings, and Seattle Seahawks running back T.J. Duckett. Florida Marlins pitcher Scott Olsen was born in Kalamazoo.
The United States Tennis Association Boys 18 and 16 National Tennis Championships are hosted every summer by Kalamazoo College. The event, organized completely by local volunteers from Kalamazoo's vibrant tennis community, has seen some of tennis' great stars in years just before they became pro including Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Michael Chang, James Blake and Andy Roddick.
Local Media
Newspapers
Kalamazoo is served by one daily newspaper, the Kalamazoo Gazette.
The main office of Business Review Western Michigan, a business-to-business publication, is located in Kalamazoo.
Western Michigan University's school paper, the Western Herald is distributed on-campus and around the greater Kalamazoo area.
Television
WWMT, West Michigan's CBS affiliate, is licensed and operates out of Kalamazoo but serves the entire West Michigan region from the Indiana border, west to the lakeshore, and all the way up to Muskegon and Big Rapids. Currently the station advertises itself as NEWSCHANNEL 3 with the slogan "Live, Local, Breaking News". Former slogans include "News 3, Where News Comes First" and "News Active 3". WWMT formerly used the call letters WKZO, and was originally owned and operated by the famous broadcasting pioneer John Fetzer. Fetzer, along with television, also introduced Kalamazoo to radio for the first time in 1931, when AM 590 WKZO signed on the air.
The Community Access Center located in downtown Kalamazoo hosts a multitude of media outlets including cable channels 19, 20, 21, 22, and 95 where daily media programs are produced and aired to the public.
Local television stations which serve Kalamazoo include:
WWMT CH 3 - Kalamazoo - CBS
WWMT CH 3.2 - Kalamazoo - CW- also known as Channel 7, or "CW7."
WOOD CH 8 - Grand Rapids - NBC
WZZM CH 13 - Grand Rapids - ABC
WXMI CH 17 - Grand Rapids - FOX
WOTV CH 41 - Battle Creek - ABC
WZPX CH 43 - Battle Creek - ION
WXSP CH 50 - Grand Rapids - MNT
WGVU CH 52 - Grand Rapids - PBS
WLLA CH 64 - Kalamazoo - Religious
Radio
WIDR is operated at Western Michigan University. Located at 89.1 on the FM dial, the college student-run radio station is located on the campus and is known for playing obscure and rarely heard underground music.
WMUK is also on Western Michigan University's campus. Located at 102.1 FM, the station hosts many local music programs inlcuding Jazz and Classical performances as well as programming from NPR.
WKDS is West Michigan's only high school student-run radio station. The station signed on in 1983 at 89.9 on the FM dial, broadcasting from Loy Norrix High School. The call letters stood for Kalamazoo District Schools (now Kalamazoo Public Schools). For most of its history, WKDS broadcasted only during daytime hours and not at all on the weekend. In Fall of 2004, the station began broadcasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in an attempt to prevent an outside organization to take over the time WKDS was off the air. WKDS was part of a county wide Education For Employment program for years. The radio station is still owned by Kalamazoo Public Schools although the EFE program has been discontinued. High School students from around the area continue to operate the station.
FM radio stations which serve Kalamazoo include:
WAYK 88.3 - Kalamazoo - Christian Top 40
WIDR 89.1 - Kalamazoo - College/Variety
WKDS 89.9 - Kalamazoo - High School/Variety
WCSG 91.3 - Grand Rapids - Christian AC
WZUU 92.5 - Mattawan/Kalamazoo - Classic Rock
WBCT 93.7 - Grand Rapids - Country
WLKM 95.9 - Three Rivers - Classic Hits
WYZO 96.5 - Portage/Kalamazoo - Country
WGRD 97.9 - Grand Rapids - Alternative Rock
WNWN 98.5 - Battle Creek - Country
WBCH 100.1 - Hastings - Country
WQXC 100.9 - Otsego/Kalamazoo - Oldies
WMUK 102.1 - Kalamazoo - NPR/Classical/Jazz
WKFR 103.3 - Battle Creek/Kalamazoo - CHR Top 40
WBXX 104.9 - Battle Creek - Adult Contemporary
WOOD 105.7 - Grand Rapids - Adult Contemporary
WJXQ 106.1 - Jackson/Lansing - Active Rock
WVFM 106.5 - Kalamazoo - Adult Contemporary
WRKR 107.7 - Portage/Kalamazoo - Classic Rock
AM radio stations which serve Kalamazoo include:
WKZO 590 - Kalamazoo - News/Talk
WAKV 980 - Allegan/Otsego - Adult Standards
WKMI 1360 - Kalamazoo - News/Talk
WKPR 1420 - Kalamazoo - Religious
WNWN 1560 - Portage/Kalamazoo - Urban Adult Contemporary
WQLR 1660 - Kalamazoo - Sports
Transportation
Highways
Interstates
I-94
I-94 Business Loop.
US highways
US 131
BUS US 131
Michigan Highways
M-43
M-96
County Highways
A-45
Kalamazoo is served by highways I-94, US 131, M-43 and M-96. It was on the original Territorial Road in Michigan of the 1800s, which started in Detroit and ran to Lake Michigan. Much of that, but not all, later became Old U.S. 12—the "old" designation came about when I-94 was built parallel to it—and also was called Red Arrow Highway after a World War I army division. The name "U.S. 12" was shifted south to what once was U.S. 112 between Detroit and Chicago. Some parts of Old U.S. 12 outside of town, especially in Van Buren County and Berrien County to the west, are still called Red Arrow Highway. The term "Old U.S. 12" has faded from use.
Rail, bus, and air
and Michigan Services
Kalamazoo has rail service provided by Amtrak, with the station located downtown and combined with a newly renovated bus terminal.
Bus service to and through the city is provided by Greyhound and Indian Trails. Public bus services within the city are provided by Kalamazoo Metro Transit.
On the southern end of the city is the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport, where flights on American Eagle, Northwest Airlines, Delta Connection (Comair, Atlantic Southeast Airlines), Northwest Airlink (Mesaba Airlines, Pinnacle Airlines), and United Express connect people to Detroit, Cincinnati, Chicago, and Minneapolis.
Other
The Kal-Haven Trail, heavily used by bicyclists and snowmobilers, extends nearly to downtown Kalamazoo. It runs 34 miles (55 km) between South Haven, Michigan, to a point just west of Kalamazoo, though there are plans to extend it into the city.
Sister cities
The city of Kalamazoo, Michigan has three sister cities.
Kingston, Jamaica
Numazu, Japan
Pushkin, RussiaFurther Information
Get more info on 'Kalamazoo Michigan'.
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