Gaylord, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gaylord, Michigan
City
Looking east along Main Street (M-32)
Logo
Nickname(s):  The Alpine Village
Location within Otsego County
Gaylord, Michigan Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Gaylord, Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Otsego
Platted	1874
Incorporated	1881 (village) 1922 (city)
Government
• Type	Council–manager
Area
• Total	5.15 sq mi (13.33 km2)
• Land	5.12 sq mi (13.27 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation	1,348 ft (411 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,286
• Density	836.46/sq mi (322.98/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	49734, 49735
Area code(s)	989
FIPS code	26-31720
GNIS feature ID	0626696

Gaylord City Hall and Police Department

Gaylord (/ˈɡeɪlərd/ GAY-lərd) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Otsego County, and is the only city within the county. Gaylord had a population of 4,286 at the 2020 census, an increase from 3,645 at the 2010 census.

Gaylord styles itself as an "alpine village" and contains many buildings in the downtown area with Tyrolean style motifs. Receiving abundant snowfall and experiencing mild summer temperatures, the area around Gaylord has long been known for its many skiing and golf resorts, one of the largest such concentrations in the Midwestern United States.

History

Gaylord was named for an attorney employed with the Michigan Central Railroad.

Geography

• According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.83 square miles (12.51 km²), of which, 4.80 square miles (12.43 km²) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km²) is water.
• Gaylord experiences heavy lake effect snow during the winter and is in the middle of the Northern Michigan snowbelt.
• Highway signs denote that Gaylord rests on the 45th parallel line – halfway between the equator and the North Pole. This is one of 29 places (six are in Michigan) in the U.S.A. where such signs are known to exist.
• It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan.
• Hartwick Pines State Park is just 28 miles (45 km) to the south, and is one of the last remaining stands of old growth virgin Eastern white pine forest.
• The Huron-Manistee National Forests is nearby.

Climate

This climatic region has large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Gaylord has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

U.S. Post Office in Gaylord

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,645 people, 1,610 households, and 826 families residing in the city. The population density was 759.4 inhabitants per square mile (293.2/km²). There were 1,847 housing units at an average density of 384.8 per square mile (148.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.8% White, 0.9% African American, 0.8% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 1,610 households, of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.7% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 48.7% were non-families. 42.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age in the city was 39.3 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 23.2% were from 45 to 64; and 20% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.9% male and 54.1% female.

Transportation

• I-75 passes to the west of the city and connects with the Mackinac Bridge to the north and Saginaw and Detroit to the south
• BL I-75 is a loop route running through Gaylord. It follows the former route of US 27, in part, and was commissioned in 1986. The highway returns to I-75.
• M-32 passes east–west through the city. Although it is not a true 'cross-peninsular' highway—crosses the lower peninsula from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron—it is close.
• C-42 terminates at M-32 west of the city. It originates at US 131 in Alba.
• F-42 begins at BL I-75 (Old US 27) south of the city and proceeds easterly to M-32 southeast of Gaylord.
• F-44 begins at M-32 east of the city and continues easterly through Sparr to F-01.
• Old 27 is the former route of US 27 and is a major north–south local route through the city and the rest of Otsego County.
• Gaylord Regional Airport is located at 1100 Aero Drive, Gaylord, MI 49735. (989) 732-4218 Phone. It is owned and operated by the County of Otsego. The Airport is licensed by the Michigan Aeronautics Commission as a General Utility Airport. It is listed as a tier one airport in all categories of the Michigan Airport System Plan.
• Indian Trails provides daily intercity bus service between St. Ignace and East Lansing, Michigan.

Recreation

Otsego County Library in Gaylord

Gaylord sees significant snowfall during winter due to its elevation and its location in the path of lake-effect snow produced by Lake Michigan. Combined with local terrain and topography, many winter recreation opportunities abound.

• Much of the old train system has been converted to trails for biking or Snow Mobile riding. The North Central State Trail north to Mackinaw City is a Rails to trails converted remnant of a spur line of the Michigan Central Railroad that used to serve Gaylord.
• Fall colors and snowshoeing are highlights in several of the local parks.
• Cross country skiing is an important tourist activity near Gaylord. There are two venues Hartwick Pines State Park Trails and Mason Tract Pathway nearby.
• Downhill skiing and snowboarding are also highly accessible with several resorts operating in the area.
• Water skiing, wakeboarding, and jetskiing are also available on Otsego Lake.
• Otsego Lake State Park, swimming, boating, and camping.

An annual event in July, Alpenfest, encourages participants to dress in traditional Swiss fashions. This event brings in numerous people from all around and provides a vast array of activities. Some of these activities include carnival rides and games, music, shops, and a local 'Queen's Pageant'. A parade takes place on the final day.

Twin town

Gaylord is twinned with the Swiss town of Pontresina.

Media

• Local newspaper Gaylord Herald Times serves the area.
• Regionally available is the Weekly Choice Publication.
• WMJZ, "Eagle" 101.5 FM, features a classic hits format and is the primary local (Gaylord/Otsego County-focused) commercial radio station.
• Also licensed to Gaylord are WBLW 88.1 FM of Grace Baptist Church and WPHN 90.5 FM (The Promise FM), which both feature non-commercial Christian religious programming. Also, Charlevoix-based Catholic radio station WTCK operates a translator in Gaylord at 92.1 FM.
• WSRT 106.7 FM, a talk radio station (formerly WKPK "The Peak," a locally legendary top 40 station) which, although licensed to Gaylord, is based in Traverse City.
• WQON, Q100.3, The Only Place for Rock & Roll and play-by-play for Detroit Lions Football and University of Michigan Football/Basketball.
• WGRY AM/FM, Y101.1/AM1230, YOUR Sports Talk in Northern Michigan, CBS Sports Talk and home of Detroit Tiger Baseball, Detroit Red Wing Hockey, and Detroit Pistons Basketball.

Gaylord is also served by radio and TV broadcasts from Traverse City, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Cadillac, Grayling, Houghton Lake, Cheboygan, and Alpena.

Notable people

• Ken Borton, congressman
• Patrick R. Cooney (1934–2012), bishop
• Bob Davis (politician) (1932–2009), politician and lobbiyst
• Bernard Hebda (born 1959), archbishop
• Harry Melling (NASCAR owner) (1945–1999), NASCAR owner
• Steven J. Raica (born 1953), bishop
• Robert John Rose (1930–2022), bishop
• Claude Shannon (1916–2001), the "father of information theory"
• Edmund Szoka (1927–2014), priest and cardinal

See also

In Spanish: Gaylord (Míchigan) para niños