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Alpena is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 11,304. It is the county seat of Alpena County6. The city is on the shore of Lake Huron's Thunder Bay, with Alpena Township surrounding it on land. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is located offshore near the city.
Despite its small population, it is by far the largest city in sparsely-populated Northeast Michigan, serving as its commercial and cultural hub. It is one of the two anchor cities of Northern Michigan, along with its cross-peninsula rival, Traverse City.
The region, known as the "Sunrise Side" from its location on the west shore of Lake Huron, was first a site of commercial fishing activity and is still home to extensive commercial fishing activities. Later the region, like much of Michigan, was shaped by the logging era of the 1800s. Today, Alpena is known for its limestone quarry owned and operated by the Lafarge corporation and is a major cement manufacturer and exporter. Alpena is also the world headquarters of Besser Company, a manufaturer of concrete block machines. Tourism (fishing, hunting, camping and a variety of water sports) is also important to Alpena's economy. Alpena is also now home to the NAHL's Alpena Ice Diggers.
Media
Radio
Alpena is home to several radio stations. Some of the most popular FM stations in and around Alpena include:- 98.1 WQLB "B-ROCK" (classic rock)
- 99.3 WATZ (hit country)
- 99.9 WCLS "The Wave" (oldies)
- 100.7 WWTH "Thunder Country" (modern country)
- 107.7 WHSB "The Bay" (mostly Popular music)
Television
Alpena is the third smallest(208) Nielsen Designated Market Area (DMA) in the United States.There is only one VHF television station located within the Alpena TV:
Rebroadcasts of other television stations include:
Northeast Michigan is also served by major network affiliates in the Northern Michigan TV and Flint-Saginaw-Bay City TV DMAs. Cable television service is provided within Alpena and many outlying communities by Charter Communications.
Transportation
U.S. Route 23 serves Alpena on its way along the Lake Huron shoreline, while M-32, the main east-west highway serving Northern Michigan, begins its cross-peninsula routing from downtown Alpena.
Alpena County Regional Airport (APN) is Northeast Michigan's main commercial airport and handles daily Northwest Airlink flights to Detroit and Sault Ste. Marie operated by Mesaba Airlines.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.5 km² (9.1 mi²). 21.7 km² (8.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.8 km² (0.7 mi²) of it (7.71%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 11,304 people, 4,874 households, and 2,865 families residing in the city. The population density was 520.8/km² (1,348.9/mi²). There were 5,200 housing units at an average density of 239.6/km² (620.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.66% White, 0.42% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.09% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.
There were 4,874 households out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.2% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,353, and the median income for a family was $40,056. Males had a median income of $34,534 versus $21,951 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,476. About 10.4% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
See also
External links
- City of Alpena's official website
- Website of Besser Co.
- Alpena Regional Medical Center
- Alpena Community College
- NAHL's Alpena Ice Diggers
Alpena County, Michigan | Cities in Michigan | County seats in Michigan | Northern Michigan
"Alpena, Michigan"