Saline, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saline, Michigan
City
City of Saline
Downtown Saline along Michigan Avenue
Seal
Location within Washtenaw County
Saline, Michigan Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Saline, Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Washtenaw
Incorporated	1966
Government
• Type	Council–manager
Area
• Total	4.42 sq mi (11.44 km2)
• Land	4.35 sq mi (11.26 km2)
• Water	0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2)
Elevation	820 ft (250 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,948
• Density	2,057.01/sq mi (794.67/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	48176
Area code(s)	734
FIPS code	26-71140
GNIS feature ID	0637119

Saline Farmers Market

Saline ( SUH-leen) is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, its population was 8,948.

History

Before the 18th century, Native Americans traveled to what is now Saline to hunt wildlife and gather salt from the salt springs they found nearby. In the 18th century, French explorers canoed up to the area and also harvested the salt. They named the local river Saline, which means "salty" in French. Europeans settled the area in the 19th century, most of them coming from England and Germany. Together with Orange Risdon, a government surveyor who is generally considered to be the city's founder, the residents named the town Saline, which was officially established in 1832. In 1870 railroad service, provided by the Detroit-Hillsdale-&-Indiana Railroad, first reached Saline. In 1875 Salinians built one of the city's most famous landmarks, the Second-Empire frame, 2+1⁄2-story residential building, the Davenport House, a.k.a. Curtis Mansion. The town continued to grow, and in 1931 the Village of Saline became the City of Saline. The Saline Fisheries Research Station was built on the site of a pioneer grist mill. The city of Saline has had its own newspaper since ca. 1874 and is currently served by the Saline Reporter, a weekly print publication, also providing current news on its website.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.33 square miles (11.21 km²), of which 4.26 square miles (11.03 km²) is land and 0.07 square miles (0.18 km²) is water.

The city is southwest of the City of Ann Arbor and northwest of the City of Milan, where U.S. 12 (Michigan Avenue) intersects the Saline River, a tributary of the River Raisin. The city is bounded on the southwest by Saline Township; on the southeast by York Charter Township; on the northeast by Pittsfield Charter Township; and on the northwest by Lodi Township.

Weather and climate

The weather in Saline is highly variable and is greatly influenced by the Great Lakes. Saline experiences a four-season climate, with summer temperatures reaching as high as 105°F and temperatures falling as low as -29°F in the winter. Average high temperatures in the summer range between 70°F and 85°F, with average high temperatures in the winter ranging from 15°F to 35°F. Precipitation falls year round, with snow being the main form of precipitation during the winter months. Saline experiences an average yearly snowfall of 53 inches (1.3 m), with most of that coming from "Snowstorms" and "Clippers". "Lake effect" is a common sight in Saline during the winter months; however, the snow is typically much lighter than the heavy accumulations that occur on the western side of the state, which is closer to Lake Michigan. The Great Lakes influence the weather in other ways in Saline, bringing constant clouds in the winter, even with dry air masses in place. Summers are cooler than those in surrounding states, with cool breezes off the Great Lakes when the water temperature is colder than the air temperature.

The main weather hazard in Saline—as well as in all of Southeast Michigan—is severe thunderstorms and snowstorms. Tornadoes, high winds, large hail, and lightning are the most frequent causes of death from weather in the area.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 8,810 people, 3,699 households, and 2,336 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,068.1 inhabitants per square mile (798.5/km²). There were 3,923 housing units at an average density of 920.9 per square mile (355.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.

There were 3,699 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.8% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median age in the city was 41.1. 24.5% of residents were under age 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.2% were from 25 to 44; 29.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.0% male and 53.0% female.

Transportation

• US 12 runs right through downtown Saline.
• US 23 is 4.25 miles east of town (along US 12), Ann Arbor–Saline Road also runs through the city's main intersection.

The Ann Arbor Railroad also operates as far as Maple Road in the north of the city, but this portion is only used as a siding for the Faurecia Plant and only freight service is offered.

Sister cities

Sister Cities sign, Michigan Ave.

• Brecon, Wales, United Kingdom since 1966
• Lindenberg im Allgäu, Germany since 2003

Education

Saline High School in nearby Pittsfield Charter Township

Saline Area Schools operates the public schools.

K–3 elementary schools operated by the district include Harvest, Woodland Meadows, and Pleasant Ridge. Heritage School (4–5), Saline Middle School, and Saline High School (in Pittsfield Charter Township) serve the city.

Notable people

• George Matthew Adams, newspaperman
• Jennifer Allison, writer
• Chris Baker, football player
• Lisa Bonder, professional tennis player and ex-wife of Kirk Kerkorian.
• Jeremy Kittel, musician
• Bobby Korecky, baseball player
• Ann Pellegreno, aviator
• Taybor Pepper, football player
• Charles Van Riper, pioneer in speech pathology
• Bryan Thao Worra, writer

See also

In Spanish: Saline (Míchigan) para niños