Pontiac is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Pontiac is about 20 miles northwest of Detroit.
Founded in 1818, Pontiac is notably the second European-American organized settlement in Michigan in close proximity to Detroit, second only to Dearborn. It was named after Pontiac, a war chief of the Ottawa people, who had occupied the area before the European-American settlers. The city was best known for its General Motors automobile manufacturing plants of the 20th century, which were the basis of its economy and contributed to the wealth of the region. These included Fisher Body, Pontiac East Assembly, which manufactured GMC products, and the Pontiac Motor Division. In the city's heyday, it was the site of the primary automobile assembly plant for the production of the famed Pontiac cars, a brand that was named after the city. The Pontiac brand itself was discontinued in 2010 by General Motors. The City of Pontiac also was home to Oakland Motor Car Company, which was acquired by General Motors in 1909.