Kent County | |
|---|---|
 Kent County Courthouse | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Michigan | |
 Michigan's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 43°02′N 85°33′W / 43.03°N 85.55°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | March 2, 1831 (created) 1836 (organized)[1] |
| Named for | James Kent |
| Seat | Grand Rapids |
| Largest city | Grand Rapids |
| Area | |
| • Total | 872 sq mi (2,260 km2) |
| • Land | 847 sq mi (2,190 km2) |
| • Water | 25 sq mi (60 km2) 2.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 657,974 |
| • Estimate (2023) | 661,354  |
| • Density | 766/sq mi (296/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 2nd, 3rd |
| Website | www |
Kent County is located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the county had a population of 657,974,[2] making it the fourth most populous county in Michigan, and the largest outside of the Detroit area. Its county seat is Grand Rapids.[3] The county was set off in 1831, and organized in 1836.[1] It is named for New York jurist and legal scholar James Kent,[4] who represented the Michigan Territory in its dispute with Ohio over the Toledo Strip.
Kent County is part of the Grand Rapids–Kentwood Metropolitan Statistical Area and is West Michigan's economic and manufacturing center. It is home of the Frederik Meijer Gardens, a significant cultural landmark of the Midwest. The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is the county's primary location for regional and international airline traffic.
- ^ a b Clarke Historical Library. "Bibliography on Kent County". Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. pp. 173.