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Capital of Michigan · Ingham County · capital since 1847 · 42.7°N 84.6°W
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing was almost uninhabited when Michigan's legislature chose it as the new capital in 1847, wanting a site away from Detroit and the Canadian border. Detroit remains the state's largest city by a wide margin.
Where Lansing is
Lansing is in Ingham County, with parts extending into Eaton and Clinton counties, at 42.73°N, 84.56°W in the center of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The Grand River, Michigan's longest, flows north through downtown, and the Red Cedar River joins it from the east just south of the capitol. East Lansing, home of Michigan State University, is a separate city adjoining it. Elevation is about 860 ft. Interstates 96 and 69 meet on the edge of the city. Lansing is on Eastern Time; only four counties in the western Upper Peninsula, on the Wisconsin border, use Central Time.
How it became the capital
Detroit was the capital of Michigan Territory and of the state from admission in 1837. The 1835 constitution required the legislature to choose a permanent capital by 1847. Detroit was thought too exposed to attack from British Canada and too far from the interior, and after months of deadlock among Ann Arbor, Jackson, Marshall and other towns, Lansing Township, a forest clearing with a sawmill, was picked as a compromise. The town was laid out that year and the legislature met in a wooden capitol in January 1848.
Population
Lansing had 112,644 residents in 2020, sixth among Michigan cities. Detroit, the largest, had 639,111. Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights and Ann Arbor are also larger than the capital. The Lansing–East Lansing metropolitan area, covering Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties, has about 541,000 people, about 5 percent of the state's 10,077,331.
The capitol
The Michigan State Capitol was designed by Elijah E. Myers, whose success here won him the commissions for the Texas and Colorado capitols. It was built between 1872 and 1878 and dedicated in January 1879. The cast-iron dome, painted to look like stone, rises 267 ft, and the interior is decorated with painted wood grained to imitate walnut and marble. A full restoration was completed in 1992.
Distances to other cities
| City | Direction | Road distance |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit, MI | southeast | about 90 mi |
| Grand Rapids, MI | west | about 65 mi |
| Chicago, IL | southwest | about 215 mi |
Lake Michigan is about 90 miles west of Lansing and Lake Huron about 80 miles east. See the Great Lakes map.
Related maps
- Michigan map — the whole state with borders, cities and counties.
- Michigan county map · blank Michigan map · printable Michigan map.
- All 50 state capitals on one map, and the state capitals quiz.
- Midwest region · East North Central division · Eastern Time Zone.