Welcome To Ann Arbor
The Ann Arbor area is the state’s rare jewel: a small, friendly town with big city sophistication; a world-class educational and high-tech research center nestled in a peaceful rural setting; a close-knit community of charming neighborhoods with a rich mix of cultures.
Although geographically small, the area is perhaps most renowned for its cultural offerings. From exclusive art exhibits to performances by jazz legends, there are abundant opportunities to enjoy arts and culture. More than 30 independent bookstores, dozens of unique galleries, and a variety of top-notch museums - including the newly-renovated University of Michigan Museum of Art - are all within the downtown limits.
The Ann Arbor area also offers a bounty of recreational activities for those looking to golf, hike, or cycle, and three metroparks are within a short drive of the city center.
In the warmer months, the area offers an array of street festivals and outdoor fairs. The award-winning Ann Arbor Art Fairs draw an annual crowd of nearly 500,000 as the streets of downtown are transformed into an outdoor art gallery. In the fall, football Saturdays are more than just events - they are experiences, as more than 100,000 people fill “The Big House” to watch the Wolverines. In the winter, holiday light festivals and the Ann Arbor Folk Festival are always crowd pleasers.
Dining aficionados will appreciate the nearly 300 restaurants within a 20-mile radius of Ann Arbor. Options range from old-fashioned Italian bistros to trendy, contemporary American restaurants. Many offer alfresco dining in the warmer months, which, when combined with the array of jazz and dance clubs in the area, makes downtown Ann Arbor a vibrant destination for nightlife.
Fast Facts
Population - Ann Arbor: 114,024, including the student population of the University of Michigan.
Size - 28.2 square miles
Average Age - 27.3 years (almost 25% of Ann Arborites are between 18 and 24)
Education - 64.2 percent have four years of college or more
Weather - averages 31.25 inches of precipitation and 37.3 inches of snow
avg. high 58.1 degrees Fahrenheit / avg. low 39.4 degrees Fahrenheit
History Lesson
Ann Arbor was founded in 1824 when John Allen and Elisha Rumsey left Detroit on a one-horse sleigh and headed west to establish a new community. Originally registered as Annarbour, it is believed that the "Ann" honors their wives Ann and Mary Ann and "arbour" refers to a grove or shady opening found in the Michigan woods. Eventually the words were separated and the town became known as Ann Arbor - it remains the only city in the world with that name.
The University of Michigan
- Total Enrollment (Ann Arbor, Flint and Dearborn campuses) - 53,031, Ann Arbor Enrollment - 38,103
- Alumni Body - 439,239 living degree holders
- Ann Arbor campus size in acres: 3,177
- Employment - In Ann Arbor, UM employs more than 27,000 Washtenaw County residents, annual payroll $900 million
- Each home football game generates about $2.2 million for the local economy
- Cultural activities attract about 130,000 attendees each year
- U of M graduates include: Actor James Earle Jones, U.S. President Gerald Ford, Playwright Arthur Miller, Cartoonist Cathy Guisewite and Olympian Michael Phelps
Photos
Please feel free to use these images to complement your story. All photo credits should be given to "Ann Arbor Area CVB." If you don't see an image of what you are looking for here, or would like a high resolution version of any of these images, please email Marianne Gosz Klinker. You can also search our online image library here.
 Ann Arbor Art Center |
 University of Michigan Exhibit Museum |
 Ann Arbor Farmers Market |
 Ann Arbor Sign |
 Cyclists near The Michigan Theater |
 Burton Memorial Tower, U of M Campus |
 Ann Arbor Art Fairs |
 Gallup Park |
 University of Michigan Law Quad |
 Main Street Dining |
 Michigan Theater |
 Nickels Arcade |
.jpg) Zingerman's Deli |
 Outdoor Shopping |
 The Ann Arbor Farmers Market |
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Rankings
- Ann Arbor was named the third Best Midwest Food Town by Midwest Living magazine in 2009.
- Forbes named Ann Arbor the "Best College Sports Town" in 2009.
- Ann Arbor was named the "Best Place in Michigan to Raise Your Kids" by Business Week magazine in 2009.
- Ann Arbor is the third "Best Place to Retire" according to Black Enterprise Magazine
- Gaywired.com named Ann Arbor one if its "Top Five Surprisingly Gay-friendly Small Towns."
- Ann Arbor was named the "Healthiest Hometown in America " by AARP Magazine in 2008.
- Money Magazine ranked Ann Arbor #27 on their list of "America's Best Small Cities" in 2008.
- Ann Arbor was named 1st in the State of Michigan and 16th overall in Forbes 7th annual ranking of "Best Places for Business & Careers " in 2008.
- US News listed the City of Ann Arbor as one of the top 10 "Brainiest Places to Retire" in 2008.
- Prevention magazine and the American Podiatric Medical Association rated Ann Arbor as the third best walking city in America.
- Popular Science named Ann Arbor one of America's 50 Greenest Cities in 2008.
- Money magazine ranked Ann Arbor #42 on their "Best Cities to Live and Launch a Business" in 2008.
- Forbes.com named Ann Arbor 4th “Smartest City in the U.S.” in 2008.
- Sperling’s Best Places ranked Ann Arbor t “3rd Smartest City in America” in 2007.
- Sperling's Best Places rated Ann Arbor as the "5th Best City To Live in the U.S." in 2007.
- Expansion Management magazine rated Ann Arbor "#1 Knowledge Worker Metro in the Nation", and one of the "Top 10 Metros for College-Educated Workers" in 2007.
- Country Home magazine awarded Ann Arbor a #11 ranking on its “Greenest Places in America” list in 2007.
- Forbes.com ranked Ann Arbor as one of the “10 Smartest Cities in the U.S.” in 2006.
- Money magazine ranked Ann Arbor as one of the “Top 25 Places to Live in the U.S.” in 2006.
- American Style magazine ranked Ann Arbor “One of the Top 25 Arts Destinations in the U.S.” in 2006 and in 2009.