Welcome to Ann Arbor!
Ann Arbor, often abbreviated as AA or A2, is a picturesque city surrounding the University of Michigan. It has a strong bent toward the arts and an attractive and pedestrian-friendly downtown. Visitors enjoy the city's wonderful sidewalk cafe dining, unique shops, lots of bookstores, and abundant cultural opportunities.
Ann Arbor is in Michigan 35 miles (56 km) north of the Ohio border and 45 miles (72 km) west of Detroit, near where the furthest exurban fringes give way to the country and small towns. In 2019, the city had a population of about 120,000 people, and thousands of visitors come to town for football games and various festivals.
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the fifth-largest city in Michigan. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Washtenaw County. Ann Arbor is also included in the larger Greater Detroit Combined Statistical Area.
Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan. The university significantly shapes Ann Arbor's economy as it employs about 30,000 workers, including about 12,000 in the medical center. The city's economy is also centered on high technology, with several companies drawn to the area by the university's research and development infrastructure. Ann Arbor was founded in 1825, named after the wives of the village's founders, both named Ann, and the stands of bur oak trees. The University of Michigan moved from Detroit to Ann Arbor in 1837, and the city grew at a rapid rate in the early to the mid-20th century.