East Lansing is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. Most of the city lies within

Ingham County Ingham County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 284,900. The county seat is Mason. Lansing, the state capital of Michigan, is largely located within the county. Lansing is the onl ...

, although a small portion extends north into

Clinton County Clinton County may refer to: *Counties named for George Clinton, first and third Governor of New York, and later the fourth Vice President of the United States: **Clinton County, New York ** Clinton County, Ohio *Counties named for DeWitt Clinton, ...

. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 47,741. The city is located immediately east of

Lansing Lansing () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. It is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a popul ...

, Michigan's

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

and sixth most populous city. Both cities are part of the

Lansing–East Lansing metropolitan area The Lansing–East Lansing Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area located in Central Michigan defined by the Office of Management and Budget, and encompassing the counties of Eaton, Clinton, and Ingham. The region is colloquial ...

. East Lansing is a

college town A college town or university town is a town or city whose character is dominated by a college or university and their associated culture, often characterised by the student population making up 20 percent of the population of the community, bu ...

, and is home to

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

(MSU), one of the largest public universities in the United States. The city is economically and demographically dominated by MSU.

History

East Lansing is located on land that was an important junction of two major

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

groups: the Potawatomi and the Fox. By 1850, the Lansing and Howell Plank Road Company was established to connect a toll road to the Detroit and Howell Plank Road, improving travel between

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

and

, which cut right through what is now East Lansing. The toll road was finished in 1853, and included seven toll houses between Lansing and

Howell Howell may refer to: Places In the United States * Howell, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Howell, Evansville, a neighborhood in Indiana * Howell, Michigan, a city in Livingston County * Howell County, Missouri * Howell, Missouri, a ...

was founded in 1855 and established in what is now East Lansing in 1857. For the first four decades, the students and faculty lived almost entirely on the college campus. A few commuted from Lansing, and that number increased when a streetcar line was built in the 1890s, but there were few places to live in the then-rural area surrounding the campus. That started to change in 1887, when professors William J. Beal and Rolla C. Carpenter created Collegeville, along what is now Harrison Road and Center and Beal Streets, north of Michigan Avenue. Few faculty were attracted to the location, and the first residents were "teamsters and laborers". In 1898, the College Delta subdivision (including what is now Delta Street) had the support of the college itself, which provided utilities, and several professors built homes there (one of which survives today at 243 W. Grand River Ave.). Other subdivisions followed. At that time, the post office address was "Agricultural College, Michigan". A school district encompassing the nascent community was created in 1900. In 1907, incorporation as a city was proposed under the name "College Park"; the legislature approved the charter but changed the name to "East Lansing". The first seven mayors, starting with Clinton D. Smith in 1907 and Warren Babcock in 1908, were professors or employees of the college. The city charter in 1907 prohibited the possession, sale, or consumption of alcoholic beverages, and East Lansing was a "dry" city until voters modified the charter provision in 1968. In the 21st century, downtown East Lansing has enjoyed a construction boom. Multiple city center complexes have resulted in the redevelopment of large parts of the historic downtown area, at a greatly increased population density.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Since 1998, East Lansing has expanded its borders through the use of

425 Agreement The legislature of the State of Michigan enacted Public Act 425 of 1984 which is also known by the title ''Intergovernmental Conditional Transfer Of Property By Contract Act''. It became effective March 29, 1985, and was subsequently amended in ...

s. The city is currently in three 425 Agreements with Bath Township, DeWitt Township, and Meridian Township, and has effectively added thousands of acres of land to its border. * East Lansing and DeWitt Township entered into two 425s in 1998 and 2001, which involved nearly of land. The agreement stipulates that East Lansing gains full control of the land after 33 years. * East Lansing and Bath Township entered into a 425 Agreement in June 2002 involving of land. The agreement stipulates that East Lansing gains full control of the land after 100 years. * East Lansing and Meridian Township entered into a 425 in November 2002 involving of land. The agreement stipulates that the Meridian Township residents get to decide the fate of the land after 100 years. The city has also made use of annexation of surrounding township lands in recent years. It annexed the of the Four Winds Golf Course in Meridian Township in 2001, and another of the township in 2006. The city also annexed from DeWitt Township the land that is currently the East Lansing Soccer Complex.

Description

The city's downtown area is centered around

Grand River Avenue Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation) ...

, a wide, tree-lined boulevard that evolved out of the 19th-century

plank road A plank road is a road composed of Plank (wood), wooden planks or wikt:puncheon#Noun, puncheon logs, as an efficient technology for traversing soft, marshy, or otherwise difficult ground. Plank roads have been built since antiquity, and were comm ...

that connected

. Grand River Avenue and Michigan Avenue serve as a dividing line between the

campus and the rest of the city. Immediately north of downtown are college town neighborhoods, where students and year-round residents can live close to the city's downtown and MSU's campus.

Neighborhoods

East Lansing has more than 25 neighborhoods. Many of these have neighborhood associations that sponsor social events, attend to neighborhood issues and often advocate for neighborhood interests in meetings of the city council and city commissions. A section of the city has been designated a Historic District, and a Historic District Commission has been established by the city council. In addition, many landmark structures in the older neighborhoods have been identified within a Landmark Structures Historic District of the Historic Preservation Code.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 48,579 people, 14,774 households, and 4,811 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 15,787 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 78.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 10.6% Asian, 6.8%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3%

, 1.0% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), ...

, and 2.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino people of any race were 3.4% of the population. There were 14,774 households, of which 13.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 67.4% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age in the city was 21.6 years. 7.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 62.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.6% were from 25 to 44; 9.2% were from 45 to 64; and 6.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 46,525 people, 14,390 households, and 5,094 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 15,321 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 80.91%

, 8.21% Asian, 7.40%

, 0.33%

, 0.08%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.95% from

, and 2.12% from two or more races.

or Latino people of any race were 2.69% of the population. There were 14,390 households, out of which 16.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.6% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.6% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.82. In the city, the population was spread out, with 9.0% under the age of 18, 58.6% from 18 to 24, 16.4% from 25 to 44, 9.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,217, and the median income for a family was $61,985 (these figures had risen to $29,885 and $81,941 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $43,767 versus $30,556 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $16,333. About 11.0% of families and 34.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

East Lansing has a council-manager government, in which the city council appoints one of its members as mayor and another as mayor pro tem – a city council member with extra ceremonial duties who chairs council meetings in the mayor's absence. The city council consists of 5

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

council members who are elected in

non-partisan Nonpartisanship, also known as nonpartisanism, is a lack of affiliation with a political party and a lack of political bias. While an ''Oxford English Dictionary'' definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., ...

elections to 4-year terms in November of odd-numbered years. The city council chooses the

city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...

, the city's chief administrative officer. The manager is appointed by and answers to the council. The current mayor is George Brookover, who was elected to the city council in 2021. Kerry Ebersole Singh is the current mayor pro tem and was elected to city council in 2023. The other members of the city council are Dana Watson, elected in 2021; Erik Altmann, elected in 2023; and Mark Meadows, elected in 2023. An important aspect of East Lansing's government is its system of commissions. The commission members are ordinary East Lansing citizens appointed by the city council and advised by members of the city staff. Commissions may propose or review policies in their bailiwicks and make recommendations to the council. Major East Lansing commissions and boards include those for Planning, Zoning, Housing, Transportation, and Parks and Recreation. Other commissions and boards that also involve active engagement of ordinary citizens play a role in East Lansing's governance. East Lansing Government founded the Technology Innovation Center, an incubator for technology start-ups.

Education

Higher education

, a member of the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...

, is the largest education institution in the State of Michigan (9th largest in the United States), reflecting East Lansing's history as a college town. MSU has more than 200 programs of study. It has two medical schools, the allopathic College of Human Medicine issuing the MD degree, and the osteopathic College of Osteopathic Medicine issuing the DO degree. It has a School of Veterinary Medicine issuing the DVM degree. It has a College of Law issuing three degrees: the

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

(J.D.), the

Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject. In many jurisdi ...

(LL.M.), and the

Master of Jurisprudence Master of Jurisprudence can go by several names including a Master in Law Master of Science in Law, Master's in Legal Studies, Master of Science in Legal Studies, Juris Master, or Master of Studies in Law. Offered within United States The ...

(M.J.). There are numerous

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...

(Ph.D.) programs. There is also a Master of Arts in Technology (MAET) program. Nearby Lansing is home to several other colleges, including Thomas M. Cooley Law School which is the largest law school in the United States (by attendees),

Davenport University Davenport University is a private university with campuses throughout Michigan and online. It was founded in 1866 by Conrad Swensburg and currently offers associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees; diplomas; and post-grad certification prog ...

, and

Lansing Community College Lansing Community College is a public community college with its main campus in Lansing, Michigan. Founded in 1957, the college's main campus is located on an urban, site in downtown Lansing spanning seven city blocks approximately two blocks ...

Public primary and secondary schools

Most of the city is covered by the East Lansing Public Schools

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

. Within Ingham County, portions of East Lansing are within the East Lansing school district, the

Lansing School District The Lansing Public School District is the urban public school district covering 52 square miles including most of the city of Lansing, Michigan, part of the city of East Lansing, and parts of the townships of Delta, DeWitt, Lansing, and Water ...

Okemos Public Schools Okemos Public Schools is a public school district in Ingham County, Michigan. It serves the census-designated place of Okemos, part of the city of East Lansing East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies with ...

, and Haslett Public Schools. Within Clinton County, portions of East Lansing are within the Lansing School District, the East Lansing School District, and

Bath Community Schools Bath Community Schools is a public school district in Clinton County, Michigan. It serves parts of Bath Township, DeWitt Township, East Lansing, the part of Olive Township southeast of the Looking Glass River, Victor Township, and Woodhul ...

. The East Lansing district has an enrollment of just over 3,400 students in grades K-12. The district also includes small portions of neighboring Lansing, Lansing Township, and Meridian Township. The district consists of six

elementary schools A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

, one

middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...

(MacDonald Middle School), and

East Lansing High School East Lansing High School is a public high school in the city of East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It is managed by the East Lansing Public Schools district. The school is located about a mile north of the Michigan State University campu ...

. One fifth of the district's students come from outside of East Lansing through Michigan's Schools of Choice program.

Private schools

* St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School, 915 Alton Road * Stepping Stones Montessori School, 1370 Beech Street

Transportation

Local transportation

Capital Area Transportation Authority The Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) is the public transit operator serving the Lansing, Michigan area, including service on the campus of Michigan State University. In , the system had a ridership of . History CATA began service ...

(CATA) provides public bus transit throughout East Lansing,

, and surrounding areas. The Northern Tier Trail is a shared-use pedestrian and bicycle path system connecting some parts of the northern half of the city; the

Lansing River Trail Lansing River Trail is a multiple use trail approximately long. It runs along the Grand River and the Red Cedar River between Michigan State University and Dietrich Park in northern Lansing. The first segment of trail opened in 1975. It was ...

begins on the campus of

and extends west into downtown Lansing and then north towards the airport.

Intercity transportation

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

and Indian Trails provide intercity rail and bus services at the

Capital Area Multimodal Gateway Capital Area Multimodal Gateway, also known as East Lansing station, is an intermodal transit station in East Lansing, Michigan. Operated by the Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA), it is served by Amtrak's passenger train, local bus ...

, which is located at 1240 South Harrison Road, within walking distance of the

main campus. CATA transportation is also based out of the CAMG. Amtrak offers daily service to East Lansing on its

Port Huron Port Huron is a city in and seat of government of St. Clair County, Michigan, United States. The population was 28,983 at the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the west by Port Huron Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Por ...

to Union Station, Chicago train, the

Blue Water Maritime geography is a collection of terms used by naval military units to loosely define three maritime regions: brown water, green water, and blue water. Definitions The elements of maritime geography are loosely defined and their meanings hav ...

. Two class one freight railroads serve the city including

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...

(CN) and

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...

(CSXT). Bus transportation is offered between East Lansing and

Detroit Metro Airport Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is the primary international airport serving Detroit and its surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Romulus, a Detroit suburb. It is by far Michigan's busiest ...

twelve times daily by

Michigan Flyer Indian Trails is an intercity bus operator primarily serving the U.S. state of Michigan, with routes also serving Wisconsin and Minnesota. Indian Trails is based in Owosso, Michigan, with offices in Romulus, East Lansing, and Kalamazoo. Hist ...

. The

Capital Region International Airport Capital Region International Airport , formerly Lansing Capital City Airport, is a public, Class C airport located northwest of downtown Lansing in a portion of DeWitt Township, Michigan that has been annexed to the City of Lansing via P ...

in nearby Lansing offers regional non-stop domestic flights; connections between East Lansing and the airport are offered by CATA (with a transfer in

downtown Lansing Downtown Lansing is the central business district of Lansing, the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in the west-central part of the city along the banks of the Grand River, downtown Lansing is the primary home of the state's gover ...

); rental cars are also available at the airport. Three major

interstates The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National H ...

and one U.S. Highway serve the East Lansing area including

Interstate 96 Interstate 96 (I-96) is an east–west Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway that runs for approximately entirely within the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The western terminus is at an i ...

(I-96),

I-69 Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of eight unconnected segments. The longest segment runs from Evansville, Indiana, northeast to the Canada–United States border, Canadian border in Po ...

, I-496, and

U.S. Highway 127 U.S. Route 127 (US 127) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the eastern half of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at US 27 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The northern terminus is at Interstate 75 (I-75) near ...

(US 127).

Major highways

* runs from

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, along the northern boundary of East Lansing, and east to

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...

and

, connecting to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. * is a loop route running through

and East Lansing. * is a north–south highway passing between Lansing and East Lansing, continuing northerly toward

Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

and

Grayling Grayling or Greyling may refer to: Animals Fish * Grayling, generically, any fish of the genus ''Thymallus'' in the family Salmonidae ** European grayling (''Thymallus thymallus''), the type species of the genus ''Thymallus'' ** Arctic grayling ( ...

and southerly toward

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 31,309 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along Interstate 94 in Michigan, Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127 in Michigan, U.S ...

and into

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

. * serves as a major east–west thoroughfare through the city. In downtown East Lansing, the route separates the central business district of the city from the campus of Michigan State University. * is a route between M-43 and the Lansing city limit.

Culture

The city has several neighborhoods of detached, single-family houses within a mile of the Michigan State University campus. Under a 2004 city zoning ordinance, several of those neighborhoods have used a petition process to establish zones that prohibit or severely restrict renting. The net size of the area where renting is prohibited has increased since 2004. East Lansing has a very large student population; in 2006 the city's population was about 45,931, while the university's 2006–07 enrollment was 45,520. Granted, not all students enrolled live in East Lansing or on campus.

Centennial

In 2007, the City of East Lansing celebrated its Centennial. The celebration began in January 2007 with a kick-off press conference at the Marriott Hotel in downtown East Lansing. Events throughout the year included an old fashion concert, a birthday party, and a historic homes tour. A fireworks show took place in August, along with many more events throughout the year.

Sites of interest

On campus

* W. J. Beal Botanical Garden, is the oldest botanical garden in the United States * Michigan State University Horticulture Gardens * Beaumont Tower * Red Cedar River * Wharton Center for the Performing Arts (Great Hall and Pasant Theatre), the Fairchild Theatre, and the MSU Auditorium (Main Stage and Arena Theater) *

Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum (MSU Broad or BAM) is a nonprofit, contemporary art museum designed by Zaha Hadid located on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It opened on November 10, 2012. ...

* Abrams Planetarium and the MSU Observatory * Spartan Stadium *

Breslin Center The Jack Breslin Student Events Center is a multi-purpose arena at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. The arena opened in 1989, and is named for Jack Breslin, MSU alumnus, former athlete and administrator, who first began pus ...

* MSU Forest Akers Golf Courses * MSU Pavilion * MSU Federal Credit Union, the largest university-based credit union in the world * CATA Bus Station * ''

Sparty Sparty is the mascot of Michigan State University. Sparty is usually depicted as a muscular male Spartan warrior/athlete dressed in stylized Greek costume. After changing the team name from "Aggies" to "Spartans" in 1925, various incarnations o ...

'' is the nickname of ''The Spartan'', a large statue representing the MSU mascot, a Spartan warrior. "Sparty" is frequently used as a landmark when giving directions on campus. * '' The Rock'' is a large boulder, approximately five feet high, originally placed near Beaumont Tower by the Class of 1873, since relocated to a site northeast of the Farm Lane Bridge. It serves as a venue for student groups and is routinely

graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...

ed by those groups. *

Facility for Rare Isotope Beams The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) is a scientific user facility for nuclear science, funded by the U.S. Office of Science, Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC), Michigan State University (MSU), and the State of Michigan. Mi ...

, formerly the

National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory The National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL), located on the campus of Michigan State University was a rare isotope research facility in the United States.Bruns, Adam (January 2009How Are You Helping Companies Grow?''Site Selection ...

Off campus

* Hannah Community Center (originally built as East Lansing High School, and later used as the junior high school, and then a middle school) featuring the Albert A. White Performing Arts Theatre * East Lansing Public Library * The "Habitrail", Hamster Cage, or Gerbil Cage, is a large multicolored

parking structure A multistorey car park (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistorey, parking building, parking structure, parkade (Canadian English, Canadian), parking ramp, ...

near campus that resembles a

Habitrail Habitrail is a brand name for a hamster cage made by the Hagen corporation. It is a series of translucent plastic tubes and "houses" for use in home terrariums, designed specially for hamsters. The design of the Habitrail is modular and can be ...

home for pet rodents. The controversial design resulted from the city's instructions to the architect that the building be "festive" and have "no brick". * Saper Galleries, an award-winning art gallery serving clients internationally since 1978, is in a contemporary gallery building in downtown East Lansing on Albert Avenue. * Scene metrospace, the city sponsored art gallery located in the ground floor of the multicolored parking structure * East Lansing Family Aquatic Center * Trowbridge railroad junction (located near Trowbridge Road) and the nearby

depot are popular spots with

railfans A railfan, train fan, rail buff or train buff (American English), railway enthusiast, railway buff, anorak (British English), gunzel (Australian English), trainspotter (British English) or ferroequinologist is a person who is recreationally in ...

for train watching. At Trowbridge, the busy

Grand Trunk Western Railroad The Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company was an American subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway, later of the Canadian National Railway operating in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Since a corporate restructuring in 1971, the railroad ha ...

line connecting

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

intersects the former Pere Marquette Railroad (now

Conrail Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busine ...

line from

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

). * ''Coral Gables'' has undergone significant transformations throughout its rich history. It transitioned from a roadhouse in the 1920s, to a square-dance hall in the 1930s, to a big band showcase in the 1940s that attracted well-known musicians such as

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombone, trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-to ...

Sam Donahue Samuel Koontz Donahue (March 18, 1918 – March 22, 1974) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, and musical arranger. He performed with Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Billy May, Woody Herman, and Stan Kenton. Biography Donahue ...

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though ...

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roo ...

and

The Ink Spots The Ink Spots were an American vocal pop group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. Their unique musical style predated the rhythm and blues and rock and roll musical genres, and the subgenre doo-wop. The Ink Spots were widely ...

, to a rock ‘n’ roll diner in the late 1950s, and then to a family-owned restaurant in the late 1960s.

Outside East Lansing

* The city of

is adjacent to East Lansing. Lansing has, among other things, the State Capitol, Hall of Justice (Supreme Court), and Michigan Library and Historical Center. Thomas M. Cooley Law School, the nation's largest law school, is located in

. Lansing also is the home of the

Lansing Lugnuts The Lansing Lugnuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Athletics (baseball), Athletics. They are located in Lansing, Michigan, and play their home games at Jackson Field (Lansing), Jackson Fie ...

minor league baseball team. There is a City Market in downtown Lansing, next to the Grand River. *

Lake Lansing Lake Lansing is a lake in Haslett, Michigan, just a few miles northeast of the state's capital city of Lansing. Overview Lake Lansing was originally known as Pine Lake, and was a highly popular recreation site in the early 1900s. The name was ...

is nearby and is approximately in size. The lake has an outstanding beach, and is a summer favorite of swimmers, sunbathers, boaters and fishermen. The Lansing Sailing Club and Michigan State University Sailing Club have facilities on Lake Lansing where sailing regattas are held throughout the summer months. *

Meridian Mall Meridian Mall is a super-regional shopping mall located in Okemos, Meridian Township, a suburb of Lansing, Michigan, United States. It opened in 1969, the same year as its main competitor, Lansing Mall, on the other end of the Lansing metro ...

is located in the suburb of

Okemos Okemos ( ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population of the CDP was 25,121 at the 2020 census. Okemos is part of the urban area of Lansing–East Lansing, and is located nearby the campus ...

, and

Eastwood Towne Center Eastwood Towne Center is an open-air shopping mall and lifestyle center located in Lansing Charter Township, Michigan, United States at the northwest corner of the intersection of Lake Lansing Road and U.S. 127. Its anchor stores include NCG C ...

in Lansing Township.

Newspapers

* ''

The State News ''The State News'' is the student newspaper of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. It is supported by a combination of advertising revenue and a $7.50 refundable tax that students pay at each semester's matriculation. Though ' ...

'' *
East Lansing Info (ELi)
' * ''

Lansing State Journal The ''Lansing State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Lansing, Michigan, owned by Gannett. It is the sole daily newspaper published in Greater Lansing. History The paper was started as the ''Lansing Republican'' on April 28, 1855, ...

'' * ''

City Pulse ''City Pulse'' is a free, alternative weekly newspaper in Lansing, Michigan. It was founded by Berl Schwartz, a veteran journalist. History ''City Pulse'' was founded in August 2001. The editors consider the paper "alternative media" and ofte ...

'' * ''Spartan Edge''

Local events

* The

East Lansing Film Festival The East Lansing Film Festival is the large film festival and second oldest in the state of Michigan. It screens over 100 films in 9 days, including several shorts programs. It is held yearly, usually in early November. The focus is to present a d ...

is the largest festival of its kind in Michigan. * East Lansing Art Festival is a juried art show held each spring on the weekend before Memorial Day. In 2009 it received a national ranking in the Art Fair Sourcebook Top 200 for its fine art and craft sales. "With its 117th fine art ranking and 153rd fine craft ranking, the festival was included among a list of the top 200 best-selling art fairs and festivals in the country. These rankings are based on the festival's gross average sales for 2009, which totaled $2,857 per artist exhibitor". * Great Lakes Folk Festival originated after The National Folk Festival, which made East Lansing its home for three years, moved to a new city for another three years. The festival is usually held during the second weekend of August. * The Michigan High School Boys State Basketball Championship tournament is typically held at Michigan State University's

each March. * The 2007 and 2023 Odyssey of the Mind World Finals occurred at Michigan State University. * The 2009 Future Problem Solvers International Conference was held in East Lansing. * The Children's Concerts held at East Lansing Hannah Community Center, is an annual series of live music geared for young audiences and their families. * The Crystal Awards honors the extraordinary accomplishments of individuals, businesses and organizations that have impacted the quality of life in East Lansing. * The Summer Solstice Jazz Festival is a two-day festival that salutes jazz music with local and national jazz performers and celebrates the longest day of the year. * The Summer Concert Series features live local music each Friday and Saturday in Downtown East Lansing. * The Moonlight Film Festival offers free movies on an outdoor big screen in Valley Court Park in downtown East Lansing. * One Book One Community is a unique program that brings the city-university community together to read the same book and come together to discuss it in a variety of settings. * The Winter GlowWinter Soup & Chili Cookoff
/ features holiday activities, musical entertainment and merchant activities. The Festival is usually takes place at the Ann Street Plaza, Parking Lot 1 and the East Lansing Marriott. *

Cedar Fest Cedar Fest was an annual festival held in East Lansing, Michigan, between 1983 and 1987. Early History The event, which started in the 1970s, was started by Paul Stanley who was the head of pop entertainment which was Michigan State University ...

was an annual festival held in the 1970s and 1980s.

Notable people

Spencer Abraham Edward Spencer Abraham (born June 12, 1952) is an American attorney, author, and politician who served as the 10th United States secretary of energy from 2001 to 2005, under President George W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party, he previousl ...

: former US senator and

Secretary of Energy The United States secretary of energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States and fifteenth in the presidential line of succession. The position was created on October 1, 1977, when P ...

Rosemarie Aquilina Rosemarie Elizabeth Aquilina (born April 25, 1958) is an American judge. She is a judge of the 30th circuit court in Ingham County, Michigan. Previously, Aquilina was the 55th District Court Judge, where she served as both a Sobriety Court Judg ...

: Judge of the 30th circuit court in

Ingham County, Michigan Ingham County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 284,900. The county seat is Mason. Lansing, the state capital of Michigan, is largely located within the county. Lansing is the o ...

* Chuck Bullough: former NFL player for

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

* Jim Cash: screenwriter, long-time resident of East Lansing and a professor at MSU *

Harry A. DeMaso Harry A. DeMaso (February 24, 1921 – January 9, 2015) was an American politician who was a Michigan Republican State Senator from the 20th district, which comprised the counties of Calhoun and Eaton, and one township in Ingham ( Delhi Townsh ...

: Michigan state legislator *

Kevin DeYoung Kevin Lee DeYoung (born June 23, 1977) is an American Reformed church, Reformed pastor, Church history, historian and author. He is currently the senior pastor at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina, Matthews, North Carolina. Th ...

: pastor, author *

Rachael Eubanks Rachael Anne Eubanks (born September 30, 1981) is an American financial advisor and civil servant serving as the 47th Michigan State Treasurer since 2019. Appointed by Gretchen Whitmer, she is the first woman to hold the position. Early life and ...

: 47th Michigan State Treasurer *

Richard Lenski Richard E. Lenski (born 1956) is an American evolutionary biologist who is the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor of Microbial Ecology at Michigan State University. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a MacArthur Fellow. ...

: evolutionary biologist at MSU *

Todd Martin Todd Martin (born July 8, 1970) is an American retired tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players ea ...

: tennis pro; 1988 graduate of ELHS *

Julie Mehretu Julie Mehretu (born November 28, 1970) is an Ethiopian American contemporary visual artist, known for her multi-layered paintings of abstracted landscapes on a large scale. Her paintings, drawings, and prints depict the cumulative effects of urba ...

: graduate of ELHS, artist *

Drew Miller Drew Miller (born February 17, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey winger. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings. Miller was drafted in the sixth round ...

: wing player for the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

; brother of Ryan Miller *

Ryan Miller Ryan Dean Miller (born July 17, 1980) is an American former ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) mostly for the Buffalo Sabres. Miller was drafted 138th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 NHL E ...

Hobey Baker Hobart Amory Hare "Hobey" Baker (January 15, 1892 – December 21, 1918) was an American amateur athlete of the early twentieth century. Considered the first American star in ice hockey by the Hockey Hall of Fame, he was also an accomplished Am ...

winner at MSU, NHL goalie * General Robert Neller,

commandant of the Marine Corps Commandant of the Marine Corps may refer to: * Commandant of the Marine Corps (Indonesia) * Commandant of the Netherlands Marine Corps * Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps * Commandant of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps * Commandant of th ...

Larry Page Lawrence Edward Page (born March 26, 1973) is an American businessman, computer engineer and computer scientist best known for co-founding Google with Sergey Brin. Page was chief executive officer of Google from 1997 until August 2001 when ...

: 1991 graduate of ELHS, Google founder *

Wally Pleasant Wally Pleasant is an American musician from Michigan. He plays humorous songs based on folk music and 1950s–60s rock and roll influences. Throughout the 1990s he was a fixture in the East Lansing indie-rock scene, alongside fellow local acts like ...

: comedic

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

singer *

Ben Poquette Benedict Jay Poquette (born May 7, 1955) is an American former basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he graduated from East Lansing High School and Central Michigan University. He was drafted ...

: NBA basketball player * Susan May Pratt: actress *

Nate Silver Nathaniel Read Silver (born January 13, 1978) is an American statistician, political analyst, author, sports gambler, and poker player who Sabermetrics, analyzes baseball, basketball and Psephology, elections. He is the founder of ''FiveThirty ...

: statistician-journalist *

Gretchen Whitmer Gretchen Esther Whitmer (; born August 23, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 49th governor of Michigan since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she served in the Michigan House of R ...

: 49th and current

governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of government of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the state's 49th governor. She was re-ele ...

Notes

External links

"A Brief History of East Lansing, Michigan"

City of East Lansing

{{authority control Cities in Ingham County, Michigan Cities in Clinton County, Michigan * Michigan State University Populated places established in 1847 1847 establishments in Michigan