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Flint, MI Overview
The city of Flint is located along Michigan's Flint River, about 68 miles northwest of Detroit. It is one of Michigan's largest cities and the county seat of Genesee County. Nearby large cities include the state capital of Lansing (47 miles to the southwest), Saginaw (36 miles to the north), and Ann Arbor (54 miles to the south). The city is serviced by Interstates I-69, I-75, and I-475; U.S. Route 23; and Michigan State Highways 13, 54, and 57.
Flint was founded in 1819 by Jacob Smith, a prominent Detroit fur trader. Due largely to its ideal location as a stopover on the overland route between Saginaw and Detroit, Flint began to prosper as a small but significant village. In 1855 the settlement became incorporated as the city of Flint, deriving its name from the river running through it. During the latter half of the nineteenth century, Flint established itself as a lumber center, and by the end of the century was able to leverage its lumbering infrastructure into a burgeoning carriage-manufacturing industry. As the world's largest carriage-making center, Flint soon became known as "Vehicle City". When horse-drawn carriages gave way to the advent of automobiles, Flint was in the forefront of the newly-formed auto industry. In 1908, William C. Durant founded the General Motors Corporation in the city and motor-vehicle manufacturing and assembly quickly prospered into a huge industry. Throughout the 20th century and beyond, Flint has continued to be closely tied to the auto industry, experiencing both the prosperity and hardships visited on the industry at various times in the nation's history.
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