Ypsilanti, or more generally known simply as Ypsi, is a city located in Washtenaw County in Michigan. Those moving to Ypsilanti will discover a land area of 4.2 square miles on which over 22,000 inhabitants (according to mid-2009 statistics) now reside. Detroit, the nearest major city to Ypsilanti, is just over 28 miles away, while Ann Arbor is almost seven miles distant. Towns close to the city are Belleville, Canton, Barton Hills, Saline, Milan, Plymouth Township and Plymouth and are all within a radius of around three miles.
Economy:
The economy of Ypsilanti is dominated by agriculture, although there is also a strong manufacturing sector which produces cars, car spare parts and machinery. In 2007 the Michigan State Housing Development Authority awarded the cities of Ypsilanti, Clio and Caro the facility to participate in a program geared towards the development of jobs and economic growth for their downtown areas.
Ypsilanti has a Living Wage Ordinance which was introduced in the 1990s, the first city in the State of Michigan to do so. The world famous Domino's Pizza chain was first established in 1960 close to Eastern Michigan University.
History:
From 1809 the area around where Ypsilanti is located today was a trading station on the eastern banks of the Huron River. By 1823 this trading station had grown into a settlement called Woodruff's Grove, which was incorporated into the Territory of Michigan. Another community which, in 1825, had been established on the western banks of the Huron River was named Ypsilanti and, by 1829, these two communities had merged to become the incorporated city of Ypsilanti.
Tourism:
The history of the production of cars in Ypsilanti is well documented in the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum where an original racing car built in the city, the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, is on show.
A number of summer festivals are held annually along the Huron River banks in the Depot Town neighborhood. These are the Heritage Festival, the Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival, the Orphan Car Festival, the Elvis Festival and the Latino Festival.