St. Johns, Michigan

St. Johns, Michigan
City
Location of St. Johns, Michigan
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Clinton
Area
• Total	3.87 sq mi (10.02 km2)
• Land	3.87 sq mi (10.02 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	791 ft (241 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	7,865
• Estimate  (2012)	7,896
• Density	2,032.3/sq mi (784.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code	26-70940Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	0636718Template:GR

St. Johns is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,865 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Clinton CountyTemplate:GR.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.87 square miles (10.02 km²), all of it land. The city is situated in Bingham Township, but is administratively autonomous.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1980	7,376		—
1990	7,284		−1.2%
2000	7,458		2.4%
2010	7,865		5.5%

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $41,713, and the median income for a family was $52,391. Males had a median income of $39,289 versus $27,940 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,611. About 4.9% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,865 people, 3,147 households, and 2,011 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,032.3 inhabitants per square mile (784.7/km²). There were 3,451 housing units at an average density of 891.7 per square mile (344.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.9% White, 1.4% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.6% of the population.

There were 3,147 households of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age in the city was 37.2 years. 25.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

Culture

Saint Johns celebrates the Mint Festival on the second weekend of each August, during the approximate time that mint farms surrounding the city harvest their mint. Saint Johns is the mint capital of the world. The mint festival is a weekend long event that brings in vendors that sell goods. The homemade crafts available in the past have included toys, clothing, jewelry, home decor, candles/incense, games, and personalized trinkets. There are also various food vendors and a large area of tents and tables set up for a flea market. The mint festival also features family friendly entertainment such as concerts, laser tag, wagon rides through the mint fields and volleyball games. In past years the St. Johns public library has had a donation-based book sale, consisting of redundant and/or rarely checked out titles. The Mint Pageant is held at the St. Johns High School Auditorium two weeks before the festival. Sources: St. Johns is the Mint Capital of the World

A recent addition to the city park is the Music Performance Shell. The completion of this modern facility has allowed a variety of acts, including military bands, dance troups, and drama presentations, as well as musical performances of all genres, from country to classical to rock to perform for the community. This Performance Shell was funded by donations from the local businesses and citizens and replaced an aged and outdated much smaller shell.

We Hear You America contest

St. Johns Michigan received national attention in 2011 for its rank as one of the top cities receiving votes in a national contest sponsored by Reader's Digest. St. Johns stands to receive $10,000 for its current 4th place in the contest, and will be featured in the May 2011 issue of Reader's Digest. The city plans to use the winnings to restore an old pool into a splash park for city youth and families to enjoy. Three of the top four cities in this contest were from Michigan. As of February 6, 2001, Grand Marais, Michigan is in first place and in 3rd place is Albion, Michigan. Bill Schafer, Recreation Director, states in the Lansing State Journal it will take $300,000.00 to $400,000.00 to build the spray park.

Transportation

Highways

• US 127 connects north to Mt. Pleasant, and Grayling. Southward, it passes through Lansing and Jackson en route to Ohio. It provides a direct connection to I-69 and I-96.
• 
  Bus. US 127 is a business loop traveling through the city.
• M-21 is an east-west highway passing through the city, connecting to Grand Rapids, approximately 66 miles (106 km) to the west, and Flint, about 45 miles (72 km) to the east.

Airports

• Scheduled passenger air carrier flights are available from Capital Region International Airport, in south-central Clinton County.

Notable Residents

• Leo Burnett - Advertising Executive, Founder of Chicago-based Advertising Company Leo Burnett Worldwide
• Voltairine de Cleyre - Prominent Anarchist Writer and Feminist
• Philip Orin Parmelee - American Aviation Pioneer
• Lee Upton - Poet, Fiction Writer, and Literary Critic

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, St. Johns has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

External links

• City of St. Johns
• Clinton County Arts Council
• Paine-Gillam-Scott Museum
• Clinton Northern Railway