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Michigan Guides

Washtenaw County · Southeast Michigan

Ann Arbor city guide hub

A college town with a real downtown, river parks and a research economy.

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Local listings, businesses and events live on annarborguides.com.

About Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor is built around the University of Michigan, and the university shapes nearly everything: the population, the calendar, the restaurant scene and the traffic on football Saturdays. Michigan Stadium regularly holds more than 100,000 people, which is more than the city's non-student population.

The downtown is genuinely urban for a city this size. Main Street handles restaurants and bars, State Street runs along the campus edge, and Kerrytown's market building and shops anchor the north side of downtown. The summer art fair takes over several districts at once.

Outside the center, Ann Arbor is green. The Huron River runs through the city with a chain of parks, the Nichols Arboretum and Matthaei Botanical Gardens are university-run public spaces, and a research, tech and biotech economy has grown up alongside the university.

What Ann Arbor is known for

  • The University of Michigan
  • Michigan Stadium, 'The Big House'
  • Kerrytown Market & Shops
  • The Ann Arbor Art Fair
  • Huron River parks, the Arb and the botanical gardens
  • A research, tech and biotech employment base

Neighborhoods and areas

  • Downtown / Main Street
  • Kerrytown
  • State Street & Central Campus
  • Old West Side
  • Burns Park

Ann Arbor questions, answered

How far is Ann Arbor from Detroit?
About 40 miles west of downtown Detroit, roughly 45 minutes via I-94 outside of peak traffic.
Is downtown Ann Arbor walkable?
Yes. Main Street, State Street, Kerrytown and Central Campus all connect on foot, and the city is well set up for cycling.
When is Ann Arbor busiest?
Home football Saturdays in the fall, graduation weekend, and the July art fair are the busiest times of year.

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