Howell, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Howell, Michigan
City
Facing east along Grand River Avenue (BL I-96)
Location within Livingston County
Howell, Michigan Location in Michigan
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Livingston
Platted	1835
Incorporated	1863
Area
• City	5.19 sq mi (13.46 km2)
• Land	4.99 sq mi (12.93 km2)
• Water	0.20 sq mi (0.53 km2)
Elevation	935 ft (285 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	10,068
• Density	2,017.23/sq mi (778.80/km2)
• Metro	4,296,250 (Metro Detroit)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	48843, 48844
Area code(s)	517
FIPS code	26-39540
GNIS feature ID	0628717

Howell is a city in Livingston County, Michigan, United States. It is the largest city in the county and also its county seat, meaning it's where the main government offices are located. In 2020, about 10,068 people lived there. Howell is mostly surrounded by Howell Township, but they are separate towns. The city is part of a larger urban area that connects to Metro Detroit. In 2022, the biggest jobs in Howell were in manufacturing, healthcare, and food services.

History of Howell

The first post office in Howell opened in January 1836. Flavius J. B. Crane was the first postmaster. A mail route started that same year, connecting Howell to other towns like Kensington and Grand Rapids.

Howell's first factory was a saw mill built in 1836. Soon after, a blacksmith shop opened.

Becoming the County Seat

Howell became the county seat of Livingston County on March 24, 1836. This meant it was chosen as the main town for the county's government. For 12 years, the nearby town of Brighton also wanted to be the county seat. But once a County Office building was built in Howell, the debate ended.

The town was first called Livingston Center. It officially became a village on March 14, 1863.

Howell in the 20th Century

Howell adopted its own city rules, called the Home Rule City Charter, in 1955.

During the 1970s, Howell gained a national reputation because of its connection to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The KKK is a group known for promoting hate and discrimination. A KKK leader named Robert E. Miles held gatherings on his farm near Howell. Even after Miles died in 1992, these gatherings, which included burning crosses, continued for some time.

In response to these events, the Livingston Diversity Council was started. This group works to promote diversity and inclusion in the county. By 2011, Howell was not listed as a place where active hate groups were based.

On October 22, 1994, a small group of KKK members from outside Howell held a rally at the Livingston County Courthouse. Many people in the community were upset by this. Local police protected the courthouse, and a fence was put up to keep everyone safe. The day after the rally, citizens cleaned the courthouse steps to show they rejected the hate.

Howell in the 21st Century

The KKK's reputation continued to affect Howell in the 2000s. There were events like an auction of KKK items and incidents involving students showing symbols of hate.

On October 5, 2021, President Joe Biden visited Howell. He gave a speech to gather support for his "Build Back Better Plan."

On July 21, 2024, a group of white supremacists marched through downtown Howell. They carried signs with hateful messages. This happened at the same courthouse where the community had cleaned the steps in 1994. Some also displayed KKK and Nazi flags on an overpass nearby. One week later, on July 28, 2024, Howell residents held a counter-protest. They symbolically cleaned the sidewalk to show they were washing away racism. On August 20, 2024, Donald Trump also visited Howell for a campaign speech.

Geography

Howell covers an area of about 4.95 square miles (12.82 square kilometers). Most of this is land (4.75 square miles or 12.30 square kilometers), and a small part is water (0.20 square miles or 0.52 square kilometers).

Major Highways

Several important roads pass through or near Howell:

• I-96
• BL I-96
• M-59
• M-155 (This is an unsigned highway, meaning it's not marked with a state highway sign.)
• D-19

Demographics

Demographics tell us about the people who live in a place, like their age, race, and how many households there are.

2010 Census Information

In 2010, Howell had 9,489 people living in 4,028 households. About 30.4% of households had children under 18. Most people (94.8%) were White. About 3.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino. The average age in the city was 35.2 years old.

2022 Population Data

In 2022, about 87% of Howell's population was White. Other groups included African American (1.7%), Native American (0.7%), and Asian (0.6%). About 3.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Economy

In 2022, about 5,410 people worked in Howell. The biggest industries were:

• Manufacturing (making things)
• Health care & social assistance (hospitals, clinics, social work)
• Accommodation & food services (hotels, restaurants)

The jobs that paid the most were in transportation, warehousing, and information technology.

Education

Howell has many schools for students of all ages.

Carnegie District Library

Elementary Schools

• Challenger Elementary School (champions)
• Hutchings Elementary School (Huskies)
• Northwest Elementary School (Eagles)
• Southwest Elementary School (Coyotes)
• St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School
• Three Fires Elementary School (Timberwolves)
• Voyager Elementary School (Vikings)

Middle Schools

• Highlander Way Middle School (Hawks)
• Parker Middle School (Patriots)

High Schools

• Howell High School (grades 10-12) (Highlanders)
• Howell High School Freshman Campus (grade 9) (Highlanders)
• Kensington Woods High School (Bears)

Colleges and Universities

• Cleary University (Cougars)
• Lansing Community College

Other Schools

• Innovation Academy (Ravens)

Libraries

• The Carnegie District Library

Climate

Howell has a humid continental climate. This means it has big changes in temperature throughout the year. Summers are warm to hot and often humid. Winters are cold, and sometimes very cold.

Notable People

Many interesting people have connections to Howell:

• Heywood Banks – a musician and comedian.
• Bones – a rapper and singer.
• Donald Burgett – a World War II veteran and author.
• Timothy Busfield – an actor and director.
• Melissa Gilbert – an actress and author.
• T.J. Hensick – a former hockey player.
• Andy Hilbert – a hockey player.
• William Mather Lewis – a former president of George Washington University.
• Robert E. Miles – a pastor and former KKK member.
• Mike Rogers – a former United States Congressman.
• Mark Schauer – a former United States Congressman.
• Bert Tooley – a baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
• Steve Lombardi - a former professional wrestler.

Images for kids

• 

  President Joe Biden speaks in Howell, Michigan, on October 5, 2021.

See also

In Spanish: Howell (Míchigan) para niños