SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM IN Lansing

Lansing

Lansing is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a population of 112,644 at the 2020 census. The Lansing–East Lansing metropolitan area has an estimated 473,000 residents and is the third largest in the state after metropolitan Detroit and Grand Rapids. Lansing benefits from its central location within Mid-Michigan and serves as a regional hub for government, education, insurance and commerce. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 36.68 square miles. Lansing is located in the south-central part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, where the Grand River meets the Red Cedar River.

Founded in 1835 and designated as Michigan’s state capital in 1847, Lansing was selected for its more central location after concerns about Detroit’s vulnerability to British attack in the War of 1812. On February 15, 1859, the settlement, having grown to nearly 3,000 and encompassing about seven square miles in area, was incorporated as a city. The city’s history is closely tied to the rise of industry in Michigan. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Lansing became a prominent center in the automobile industry. Oldsmobile and REO Motor Car Company, both founded by Ransom E. Olds, were among its most prominent manufacturers.

For more than a century, Lansing’s economy and its overall character were powerfully shaped by its role as a major center for the US automobile manufacturing industry. The revolution that R. E. Olds set into motion with his ingenious moving assembly line — more than a decade before Henry Ford would adopt the same process — eventually transformed Lansing into the single biggest annual producer of cars in the country. General Motors, which eventually bought Olds’ company, constructed a huge state-of-the-art auto industry plant in Lansing in 2003.

Lansing’s economy is diverse, driven by state government operations, higher education, health care, and insurance. Neighboring East Lansing is home to Michigan State University, one of the largest and most prominent research universities in the U.S. Major companies based in the city include Jackson National Life and Auto-Owners Insurance. State government is the largest employer in the city. It’s also home to two General Motors assembly and stamping plants and a parts facility. Auto-Owners Insurance Group has its headquarters in Lansing, employing nearly 6,000 people.

Cultural attractions include the Michigan State Capitol building, the Impression 5 Science Center, and Library of Michigan. The R. E. Olds Transportation Museum is a treasured local attraction and a fascinating commemoration of the city’s history as an automobile town. Among other artifacts, the museum features the first Oldsmobile ever manufactured. The city’s other historic and cultural institutions include the Michigan Historical Museum, the Kresge Art Museum, the Abrams Planetarium, and the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame. The Michigan State Capitol building was officially dedicated in 1879. The building’s creator was prominent post–Civil War architect Elijah E. Myers, who was also responsible for designing the Texas and Colorado state capitol buildings.

Lansing is governed under a strong mayor–city council form of government. Lansing Mayor Andy Schor won his bid for a third term in November 2025, defeating his challenger with about two-thirds of the vote. Schor has served as mayor since 2018 and previously served as a state representative and as an Ingham County commissioner.

Among Lansing’s most famous residents was African American activist and Nation of Islam leader Malcolm X, who lived in Lansing for a brief period during the 1930s when he was a child. On this site, in 1930, Earl and Louise Little built the house that was home to Malcolm X and his siblings. The Littles were leaders of the Lansing chapter of Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association and advocates for Black economic self-sufficiency. A historical marker now commemorates the Little family homesite on South Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Other notable people associated with Lansing include Ransom E. Olds, automotive pioneer and founder of Oldsmobile and REO Motor Car Company; Magic Johnson, NBA legend and Michigan State University alumnus from neighboring East Lansing; and journalist Ray Stannard Baker. Exhibits at the Michigan History Museum include the piano from the Michigan School for the Blind on the north side of Lansing where Stevie Wonder attended school.

City of Lansing