517 Area Code 🌍☎️

Lansing is Michigan's state capital and the sixth-most populous city in the state with 112,644 residents at the 2020 census, serving as the economic and cultural hub of the Lansing-East Lansing metropolitan area of 473,000 people. Founded in 1835 and designated the state capital in 1847 for its central location away from British attack vulnerabilities, Lansing became a prominent automobile manufacturing center in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, home to Oldsmobile and REO Motor Car Company founded by Ransom E. Olds. The city's diverse economy is anchored by state government operations, higher education through nearby Michigan State University, and major companies including Jackson National Life and Auto-Owners Insurance. Key cultural attractions include the Michigan State Capitol building, Impression 5 Science Center, and Library of Michigan, reflecting its role as a regional hub for government, education, insurance, and commerce in Mid-Michigan. Uniquely, Lansing is the only U.S. state capital among the 47 located in counties that is not also a county seat, with Mason serving as Ingham County's seat of government. Jackson, Michigan is a city in Jackson County and the county seat, located approximately 65 miles east of Kalamazoo, 35 miles west of Ann Arbor, and 75 miles west of Detroit, with a 2020 population of 31,309 and a metropolitan area population of 160,248. Founded in 1829 by Horace Blackman and named after President Andrew Jackson, the city is historically significant as the birthplace of the Republican Party, where a pivotal anti-slavery convention was held on July 6, 1854, at a site known as "Under the Oaks." Michigan State Prison, the state's first prison, opened in Jackson in 1838 and remains operational today. In the early twentieth century, Jackson became a major automotive manufacturing hub where more than 20 different car brands were produced before Detroit's assembly line dominance, with the auto parts industry continuing as a major employer in the region. The city is served by Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127, making it an accessible regional hub. Howell is the county seat and largest city in Livingston County, Michigan, with a 2020 population of 10,068, located within the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metropolitan area. Originally called Livingston Center when incorporated as a village on March 14, 1863, Howell was established as the county seat following Livingston County's organization on March 24, 1836, though Brighton held the seat for the first 12 years. The city played a significant role in the Underground Railroad, with the Historic Howell Opera House serving as a refuge station, and became known in the late 19th century for welcoming Black families, including pioneering resident Abraham Losford and athlete George Jewett, the first person of color to play in the Big Ten Conference and the first Black coach of a Michigan high school. As of 2022, Howell's economy is driven by manufacturing, health care and social assistance, and accommodation and food services. The city adopted its Home Rule Charter in 1955 and has grown as a suburban community with rural character, benefiting from its proximity to Interstate 96 and the Detroit metropolitan area.