Lansing, MI

Lansing became Michigan’s capital in 1847, selected for its central location after the War of 1812 had raised concerns about Detroit’s exposure to British attack. Founded in 1835, the city later became an automobile-manufacturing center associated with Oldsmobile and the REO Motor Car Company, both founded by Ransom E. Olds. Lansing had 112,644 residents in 2020; most of the city is in Ingham County, with extensions into Eaton and Clinton counties. Downtown stands along the Grand River near its confluence with the Red Cedar, which flows through Michigan State University in neighboring East Lansing. In the late 1840s and early 1850s, Lansing was a secondary Underground Railroad stop on a route from Battle Creek, Schoolcraft, and Cassopolis toward Durand and then Port Huron or Detroit. The 102-acre Potter Park Zoo occupies land along the Red Cedar River.