Kent

Formed March 2, 1831 (31^st county)

Kent County (657,984), Grand Rapids (198,893)                

The Modern red brick and concrete courthouse built in 2001 is augmented by the previous 1969 courthouse which is now the Administration Building.  A classic 1892 courthouse preceded the 1969 one.  Tower, Finkster, Titus & Associates and Kellmuth, Grata & Kassabaum, Inc., are the architects of the new courthouse.  The courthouse features a clock.  Kent County was formed on March 2, 1831 from parts of Mackinac County and Native American Territory as the 31^st county with Grand Rapids as the only county seat.  The building sits on Ottawa Avenue at Lyon Street.  United States Highway 131 is two blocks to the east of the location.  Kent County is named for New York Chief Justice James Kent who represented Michigan Territory in its separation process.  The county seat is named for the rapids on the Grand River. 

Kent County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 21 Commissioners (legislative.)  Ten Circuit Court Judges, Twelve District Court Judges, Three Probate Court Judges and court clerk serve Kent County (judicial.) The county is in the southwest part of the southern peninsula.  The county center is 9.8 miles East-Northeast of Grand Rapids nearer Ada.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Montcalm, Ionia, Barry, Allegan, Ottawa, Muskegon, and Newaygo counties. 

The area of the county is 872 square miles.  It is 35 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 4 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 754.6 persons per square mile making it 4 out of 83 in the state.  Kent County has 61.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 96 crosses the county east to west from Ionia County to Ottawa County.  Interstate Highway 196 originates and goes southwest into Ottawa County.  United States Highway 131 travels north to south from Mecosta County to Allegan County.  Gerald R. Ford, the 38^th President, is buried in this county.  The county is a tall rectangle.  Grand Rapids is in the southwest quarter of the county.  Grand Rapids is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 30.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area.