Monroe is the largest city in Monroe County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 20,462 at the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Monroe is the core city in the Monroe metropolitan area, which is coterminous with Monroe County and had a population of 154,809 in 2020. On the western shores of Lake Erie about northeast of Toledo, Ohio, and southwest of Detroit, the city is part of the Detroit–Ann Arbor–Flint combined statistical area.

The Monroe area was the scene of several military conflicts during the War of 1812 against the United Kingdom and is known for the Battle of Frenchtown. In 1817, parts of the Frenchtown settlement along the River Raisin were platted and renamed "Monroe" after then-president James Monroe. When Michigan became a state in 1837, Monroe was incorporated as a city.

Monroe is known as the childhood residence of George Armstrong Custer and other members of his family, including his brother Boston Custer and wife Elizabeth Bacon. Several structures are named after Custer, including Custer Airport. Founded in 1928, La-Z-Boy's world headquarters are in Monroe.

History

Long occupied by varying cultures of indigenous peoples, the area around the River Raisin was settled by the Potawatomi hundreds of years before French explorers and colonists reached it in the late 17th century. Robert de LaSalle claimed the area for New France after his 1679 expedition on the Griffon.

In 1784, after the American Revolutionary War, the Potawatomi gave Francis Navarre of Canada some land south of the River Raisin. Shortly thereafter, Colonists settled Frenchtown, the third European community in what became the state of Michigan. Around the same time, French-Canadian Joseph Porlier Benec established the Sandy Creek Settlement just north of Frenchtown.

Because of its proximity to Detroit, the area was of strategic importance during the War of 1812, especially after Fort Detroit surrendered to the British in August 1812. American forces en route to retake Detroit camped in the River Raisin area in the winter of 1812–13. On January 18, 1813, 600 Kentucky militiamen and 100 French under the command of James Winchester forced 200 Native Americans and 63 Canadian militia to retreat north away from the river. This skirmish was later called the "First Battle of the River Raisin".

On January 22, 1813, a force of 800 Native Americans and 597 British, under Henry Proctor, surprised the force of 1,000 Americans and captured Frenchtown. Many of the American militia were inexperienced, ill-trained, and badly equipped. They suffered 397 killed and 547 captured. The British and their allies had only slight losses.

When the British left with their captives for Detroit, they left those Americans too wounded to walk in the homes of Frenchtown inhabitants under the guard of a small British detachment and Native American allies, including Potawatomi. The morning after the battle, other Native Americans returned to Frenchtown. They plundered and burned homes and killed and ritually scalped many of the remaining American captives, taking others as slaves. The official U.S. estimate of casualties in this aftermath include a dozen named individuals killed and up to 30 more who were likely killed. The British estimated six Americans were killed.

This event became known as the "River Raisin Massacre". It was also known as the Battle of Frenchtown (or the Second Battle of the River Raisin). Today, the site of the battle is preserved as River Raisin National Battlefield Park, authorized in 2009. It is the first and so far only national battlefield established for a solely War of 1812 site. It has a small visitor center.

Frenchtown was renamed after the War of 1812 and incorporated as the village of Monroe in honor of President James Monroe, who visited Michigan Territory in 1817. The same year, the city of Monroe was named the county seat of the newly created Monroe County. Monroe was reincorporated as a city in 1837.

Settled mostly by American migrants from New York and New England, Monroe became associated with events in the West in the later 19th century, particularly the Indian Wars. It was the childhood home of George Armstrong Custer, who had a military career in which he reached the rank of major general. His family moved there when he was young, and he lived in Monroe for much of his childhood. There he met and in 1864 married Elizabeth Bacon. In the later 19th century, he led troops in the Indian Wars and died at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, in which his forces were killed by the Lakota, who call it the Battle of the Greasy Grass.

In 1910, President William Howard Taft and Elizabeth Bacon Custer unveiled an equestrian statue of Custer, which now stands at the corner of Elm Avenue and Monroe Street. Custer is also honored in street names, various historic markers, buildings, schools, and the regional Custer Airport. City limit signs for Monroe call it "the home of General Custer."

The La-Z-Boy furniture company, known for its recliners, was founded in Monroe in 1927. Its world headquarters is in Monroe, south of the intersection of La-Z-Boy Boulevard and Stewart Road. The facility is roughly half a mile east of the original location on Telegraph Road; the old building was demolished in 2021, and the site is being redeveloped.

The Monroe Power Plant opened in 1974. It is the third largest coal-fired plant in the United States, with a capacity of 3,280 megawatts. At tall, the dual smokestacks are visible from more than away and are among the state's tallest structures.

In December 1989, a combination of zebra mussels and ice clogged the sole intake pipe of the Monroe water treatment plant, forcing a two-day shutdown of the city's schools, industries, and businesses.

Geography Monroe is in eastern Monroe County, with its city limits extending southeast from downtown to Lake Erie. The city's average elevation is ,http://michigan.hometownlocator.com/mi/monroe/monroe.cfm Elevation of Monroe, MI decreasing to https://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest USGS Elevations and Distances in the United States at Lake Erie, which has the lowest elevation in Michigan. The Port of Monroe is the only Michigan port on Lake Erie,http://www.portofmonroe.com/ Port of Monroe and Sterling State Park, partially within the city limits, is the only one of Michigan's 103 state parks on or near Lake Erie.http://www.michigandnr.com/ParksandTrails/Details.aspx?id=497&type=SPRK Sterling State Park

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which are land and , or 11.44%, are water. The River Raisin travels through the city; it is non-navigable because of several dams and other obstructions.

Climate Monroe lies in the humid continental climate zone. It receives an average of of snow a year — the lowest average snowfall for any large city in the state. July is the warmest month, with an average high temperature of , and January is the coldest, with an average low temperature of . Monroe does not normally have extremely hot or cold temperatures, as its climate is moderated by the lake. On average, the temperature drops below only a couple of times per winter, and it is even rarer for the temperature to rise above in the summer. The coldest recorded temperature was on February 5, 1918. The highest recorded temperature was on July 24, 1934, with an equal temperature once recorded many years earlier. Climate of Monroe

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Monroe had a population of 20,462. The median age was 38.1 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.5 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 8,410 households in Monroe, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.9% were married-couple households, 21.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 8,999 housing units, of which 6.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percentage White 16,488 80.6% Black or African American 1,604 7.8% American Indian and Alaska Native 115 0.6% Asian 164 0.8% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 5 0.0% Some other race 380 1.9% Two or more races 1,706 8.3% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 1,120 5.5% 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 20,733 people, 8,238 households, and 5,277 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,158 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.4% White, 6.2% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 1.2% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population.

There were 8,238 households, of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.9% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.05.

The median age in the city was 36.3 years. 26.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.4% were from 45 to 64; and 13.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.0% male and 53.0% female.

2000 census In the census of 2000, there were 22,076 people, 8,594 households, and 5,586 families in the city. The population density was . There were 9,107 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 90.87% White, 5.07% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 2.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.76% of the population.

There were 8,594 households, of which 33.6% had children under 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size 3.10.

In the city, the population was 26.9% under 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,810, and the median income for a family $51,442. Males had a median income of $42,881 versus $25,816 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,948. 9.0% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under 18 and 16.1% of those 65 or over.

Economy Top employers According to the city's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, its top employers are:

# Employer # of Employees1ProMedica Regional Hospital Monroe (formerly Mercy Memorial Hospital)1,6002County of Monroe1,0623DTE Energy5304La-Z-Boy5225Gerdau Macsteel4506Monroe Bank & Trust4017Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary2658City of Monroe2059Monroe Publishing Company20010SYGMA Network162

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