Zeeland, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zeeland, Michigan
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| City of Zeeland | |
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Downtown along E. Main Avenue
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| Motto(s):
Feel the Zeel
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Location within Ottawa County
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 Zeeland, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Zeeland, Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Ottawa |
| Settled | 1847 |
| Incorporated | 1875 (village) 1907 (city) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.01 sq mi (7.80 km2) |
| • Land | 2.99 sq mi (7.75 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 649 ft (198 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,719 |
| • Density | 1,912.71/sq mi (738.50/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) |
49464
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| Area code(s) | 616 |
| FIPS code | 26-89260 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1616917 |
Zeeland is a city located in Ottawa County, in the state of Michigan, United States. Its name comes from the Dutch province of Zeeland. In 2020, about 5,719 people lived there. The city is on the western edge of Zeeland Charter Township.
Contents
History of Zeeland
In 1847, almost 500 Dutch people traveled to America. They were looking for religious freedom. They also faced tough economic times in their home province of Zeeland, Netherlands. They were also against some new scientific and social ideas of that time.
A rich landowner named James Van de Luyster led these emigrants. He sold his land in the Netherlands to help people pay their debts. He also helped them buy tickets to America. Their new home was about 16,000 acres of land. This land was once used by the Odawa people. They named their new settlement Zeeland, after their home province.
Van de Luyster arranged for three ships to sail to the United States. He arrived on the first ship on June 27, 1847. The Steketee group arrived on July 4. Reverend Van Der Meulen's group arrived on August 1 of that year. In total, 457 settlers came to Zeeland.
The first building they built was a church. The town of Zeeland was officially planned in 1849. The school district was started the next year.
Within 25 years, Zeeland had grown a lot. It had a sawmill, a wagon factory, and blacksmith shops. There were also grocery stores and a post office.
Zeeland officially became a city in 1907. It had a two-story brick kindergarten and a grade school. There were also four furniture factories. Plus, there was one large manufacturing plant and several smaller industries.
Geography of Zeeland
Zeeland covers about 3.01 square miles (7.80 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 2.99 square miles (7.75 square kilometers). A small part, 0.02 square miles (0.05 square kilometers), is water. The city itself is built on a hill. This means it is higher than the land around it. Outside the city, you can find lots of farmland and forests.
Population of Zeeland
As of the 2020 census, there were 5,719 people living in Zeeland. There were 2,421 households. The city's population density was about 1,906 people per square mile. Most residents, about 88.4%, were White. About 7.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The average age of people in Zeeland was 39.2 years. About 21.9% of residents were under 18 years old. About 25.4% were 65 years or older.
Education in Zeeland
Zeeland has many schools for students from kindergarten to 12th grade.
- Public Schools (K-12)
- Roosevelt Elementary School
- New Groningen Elementary School
- Quincy Elementary School
- Adams Elementary School
- Woodbridge Elementary School
- Lincoln Elementary School
- Cityside Middle School
- Creekside Middle School
- Zeeland East High School
- Zeeland West High School
- Innocademy Charter School (K-8)
- iCademy Global (9-12)
- Ottawa Area Intermediate School District
- National Heritage Academies (Eagle Crest Charter Academy)
- Private Schools
- Zeeland Christian School
Industries in Zeeland
Zeeland is home to several well-known companies. These businesses make many different products.
- Plascore makes honeycomb materials.
- Herman Miller creates office furniture and modern home furniture.
- Howard Miller is known for clocks and other furniture.
- Gentex produces items for cars and airplanes.
- Mead Johnson makes baby formula.
- ITW Drawform is another important manufacturing company.
Transportation in Zeeland
Zeeland and the areas around it use the MAX (Macatawa Area Express) transportation system. This system offers both on-demand rides and bus services. It connects different parts of the city. It also links to important places like businesses, hospitals, and government offices outside the city. This system used to be called "Dial-A-Ride Transportation" (DART).
Media in Zeeland
Newspapers
- The Zeeland Record is the local newspaper for the city.
Radio
- WHTC - You can listen to news on 1450 WHTC and 99.7 FM.
- WYVN - This station, 92.7 FM, plays classic hits for Holland and the Lakeshore area.
- WTHS - This is the radio station for Hope College on 89.9 FM.
Sports Achievements in Zeeland
Zeeland schools have achieved many sports victories over the years:
- 1987, 1989–1991, 1994: Girl's Class B State Swimming and Diving Champions.
- 2003: Class C State Lacrosse Champions. Zeeland won against Plymouth-Canton Chiefs 12–9. Mike DeJonge was the MVP (Most Valuable Player).
- 2006: Division 4 State Football Champions. Zeeland West Dux defeated the Coopersville Broncos 22–0. Joe Leal was the MVP.
- 2006: Christopher Hodge became Zeeland's first male competitive cheerleader. He helped the Zeeland East Chix win their first Division 2 State Championship.
- 2011: Division 4 State Football Champions. Zeeland West Dux.
- 2013: Division 3 State Football Champions. Zeeland West Dux.
- 2015: Division 3 State Football Champions. Zeeland West Dux.
- 2024: Division 3 State Football Champions. Zeeland West Dux.
Notable People from Zeeland
Many interesting people have come from Zeeland:
- Kathy Arendsen: A talented softball player and coach.
- M. R. DeHaan: A Bible teacher who started the Radio Bible Class.
- Paul de Kruif: A microbiologist and author. He wrote the famous book Microbe Hunters.
- D. J. DePree: The first president of Herman Miller, a well-known furniture company.
- Willard Ames De Pree: A diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Bangladesh and Mozambique.
- Anthony Diekema: He was the President of Calvin College from 1976 to 1995.
- Ron Essink: A former football player for the Seattle Seahawks. He now works for the city of Zeeland.
- Renae Geerlings: An actress.
- Hans Andrew Hansen: An American plant breeder.
- Ed Hendricks: A pitcher in Major League Baseball.
- Bill Huizenga: A Congressman for Michigan's 2nd District.
- Jim Kaat: A retired Major League Baseball pitcher and a member of the baseball Hall of Fame.
- Chris Kapenga: A member of the Wisconsin State Senate.
- Donald Kroodsma: An author and expert on birdsong.
- Tom Meyer: A Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives.
- Thomas J. Plewes: A retired lieutenant general in the United States Army.
- Jay Riemersma: A former NFL tight end for the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers. He also coached the Zeeland Chix football team.
- Ron Schipper: An American football coach and college athletics administrator.
- George Van Peursem: An American politician from Michigan.
- Eugene van Tamelen: An organic chemist known for his work in bioorganic chemistry.
- Jan M. Van Tamelen: An American art director.
- Edward Wichers: A US chemist and former Associate Director of the National Bureau of Standards.
Images for kids
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A robot for kids.
See also
In Spanish: Zeeland (Míchigan) para niños
