Kent County, Michigan
Kent County | |
|---|---|
Kent County Courthouse | |
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan | |
Michigan's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 43°02′N 85°33′W / 43.03°N 85.55°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| Founded | March 2, 1831 (created) 1836 (organized) |
| Named after | James Kent |
| Seat | Grand Rapids |
| Largest city | Grand Rapids |
| Area | |
• Total | 872 sq mi (2,260 km2) |
| • Land | 847 sq mi (2,190 km2) |
| • Water | 25 sq mi (60 km2) 2.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 657,974 |
• Estimate (2023) | 661,354 |
| • Density | 766/sq mi (296/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 2nd, 3rd |
| Website | www |
Kent County is located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the county had a population of 657,974, making it the fourth most populous county in Michigan, and the largest outside of the Detroit area. Its county seat is Grand Rapids. The county was set off in 1831, and organized in 1836. It is named for New York jurist and legal scholar James Kent, who represented the Michigan Territory in its dispute with Ohio over the Toledo Strip.
Kent County is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is West Michigan's economic and manufacturing center. It is home of the Frederik Meijer Gardens, a significant cultural landmark of the Midwest. The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is the county's primary location for regional and international airline traffic.