Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, the county seat of Muskegon County. Situated around a harbor of Lake Michigan, Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, and pleasure boating, and as a commercial- and cruise-ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expansive freshwater beaches, historic architecture, and public art collection. It is the most populous city along Lake Michigan's eastern shore. At the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 38,318. The city is administratively autonomous from adjacent Muskegon Township.
Grand Valley State University is a public university in Allendale, Michigan. It was established in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. Its main campus is situated on 1,322 acres (5.35 km2) approximately 12 miles (19 km) west of Grand Rapids. The university also features campuses in Grand Rapids and Holland and regional centers in Battle Creek, Detroit, Muskegon, and Traverse City.
West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for an arbitrary region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Generally, it refers to the Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Peninsula's Lake Michigan shoreline, but there is no official definition.
The Grand Rapids Press is a daily newspaper published in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is the largest of the eight Booth newspapers. It is sold for $1.50 daily and $7.99 on Sunday.
WZZM is a television station licensed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, serving West Michigan as an affiliate of ABC. Owned by Tegna Inc., the station has studios on 3 Mile Road NW in Walker, and its transmitter is located in Grant, Michigan.
Van Andel Arena is a multi-purpose arena situated in the Heartside district of Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. The arena attracted over five million patrons in its first 5 years, 1996–2001. It serves as the home of the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League and the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League. It will also be the home of the Grand Rapids Rise of the Pro Volleyball Federation starting in January 2024. Seating 10,834 for ice hockey and up to 13,184 for concerts, Van Andel Arena is the fourth-largest arena in Michigan, as well as West Michigan's largest; only Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, the Jack Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing, and Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, are larger.
Michigan's Adventure is a 250-acre (1.0 km2) amusement park in Muskegon County, Michigan, about halfway between Muskegon and Whitehall. It is the largest amusement park in the state and has been owned and operated by Cedar Fair since 2001. As of 2022, Michigan's Adventure has 37 rides, more than any other park in the state.
The Muskegon Chronicle is a daily newspaper in Muskegon, Michigan, owned by Booth newspapers. In May 2007, the paper celebrated 150 years.
The West Michigan ThunderHawks were an indoor football team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The team was most recently a member of the Indoor Football League. From their inception in 2007 until 2009, the ThunderHawks were known as the Muskegon Thunder and played at L.C. Walker Arena. In 2010, the team moved to Grand Rapids, MI. This is where the downfall of the team took place. The season started off hopeful with a 5–2 record. After week 7 the players were promised money at a later date as long as they played. Starting in 2010 the ThunderHawks played their home games at the DeltaPlex Arena, in nearby Walker, Michigan. The Thunderhawks did not field a team in 2011.
The Ottawa-Kent Conference is an athletic league located in West Michigan. Its current leader is David VanNoord. It has member schools from Allegan, Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, and Ottawa Counties. It has 48 member schools that partake in athletics. According to the MHSAA they have the main offices located at Grandville High School.
WOOD-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Muskegon, Michigan, serving West Michigan and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. It simulcasts a news/talk radio format with sister station WOOD 1300 AM. The studios and offices are at 77 Monroe Center in Downtown Grand Rapids. Following a local weekday drive time show, "West Michigan's Morning News", the station carries nationally syndicated talk shows from Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Dave Ramsey, Joe Pags, "The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show" and "Coast to Coast AM with George Noory". Most hours begin with an update from Fox News Radio.
The Grand Rapids Symphony is a professional orchestra located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1930, the Symphony celebrated its 90th anniversary season in 2019-20. In 2006, its recording Invention and Alchemy was nominated for Best Classical Crossover Album at the Grammy Awards. The Grands Rapids Symphony presents more than 400 performances throughout Michigan each year, reaching over 200,000 people, and is heard in West Michigan on broadcasts by WBLU-FM (88.9) and WBLV-FM (90.3). The organization also implements 18 educational and access programs that benefit over 80,000 Michigan residents.
The Grand Rapids metropolitan area is a triangular shaped Metro Triplex, in West Michigan, which fans out westward from the primary hub city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, to the other two metro hubs of Muskegon and Holland. The metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1,059,113 in 2017. The region, noted in particular for its western edge abutting the Lake Michigan shoreline and its beaches, is a popular tourist and vacation destination during the summer. Noted popular metro area beach towns include Grand Haven, Holland, Muskegon, and Saugatuck.
Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,893 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the central city of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area, which has a population of 1,087,592 and a combined statistical area population of 1,383,918.
The Frontier Boys is a 2011 independent action drama film written and directed by John Grooters, with appearances by Contemporary Christian music artist Rebecca St. James and country music singer Big Kenny.
Mercy Health is a not-for-profit, integrated, managed care health care organization based in West Michigan. On April 13, 2022, Mercy Health announced it was changing its name to Trinity Health Michigan. Facilities include hospitals, treatment facilities, urgent-care facilities, as well as physician practices that serve the western Michigan area. Mercy Health is a member of the Catholic Trinity Health system.
The Michigan Heritage Park was an open-air museum that spanned 10,000 years of Michigan history. It consisted of a half-mile trail loop that started with a pre-historic mastodon exhibit and ended at a Civilian Conservation Corps camp exhibit. The historical exhibits are recreations. The park was operated by Muskegon's Lakeshore Museum Center.
The West Michigan Ironmen are a professional indoor football team based in Muskegon, Michigan, the Ironmen play their home games at Trinity Health Arena. The team joined American Indoor Football (AIF) in 2016. The AIF ceased operations following the 2016 season, leaving the Ironmen without a league. They joined Champions Indoor Football for the 2017 season. For the 2018 season, the team was originally announced to have joined the Indoor Football League, however, the team was forced to sit out the 2018 Indoor Football League season. The team was then sold and played in the regional Midwest Professional Indoor Football for the 2018 season until they could rejoin the CIF in 2019. However, they were not among the list of members for the 2019 CIF season and instead joined the American Arena League.
Hillary Jeanne Scholten is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Michigan's 3rd congressional district since 2023. The district, which was once represented by late President Gerald Ford, is based in Grand Rapids and includes much of the urban core of West Michigan. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
