Grand Rapids is the second-largest city in Michigan and the county seat of Kent County. Situated along the Grand River approximately 30 miles east of Lake Michigan, it is the economic and cultural hub of West Michigan, and one of the fastest growing cities in the Midwest. According to the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 198,917. The 2020 decennial census indicated that the greater metropolitan area had a population of 1,087,592, and a combined statistical area population of 1,383,918.
A historic furniture manufacturing center, Grand Rapids is home to five of the world's leading office furniture companies and is nicknamed "Furniture City." Other nicknames include "River City" and more recently, "Beer City". The city and surrounding communities are economically diverse, based in the health care, information technology, automotive, aviation, and consumer goods manufacturing industries, among others.
Grand Rapids is the childhood home of U.S. President Gerald Ford, who is buried with his wife Betty on the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in the city. The city's main airport and one of its freeways are named after him.