17 Facts About Muskegon

Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port.

Human occupation of the Muskegon area goes back seven or eight thousand years to the nomadic Paleo-Indian hunters who occupied the area following the retreat of the Wisconsonian glaciations.

Muskegon area was previously inhabited by various bands of the Odawa and Pottawatomi Indian tribes, but by 1830 Muskegon was solely an Ottawa village.

Name "Muskegon" is derived from the Ottawa tribe term mashkiigong, meaning "marshy river or swamp".

Euro-American settlement of Muskegon began in earnest in 1837, which coincided with the beginning of the exploitation of the area's extensive timber resources.

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Muskegon has a humid continental climate with hot summers and cold winters.

Muskegon receives heavy lake-effect snow from Lake Michigan during winter time.

In May 2022, local environmental groups announced cleanup efforts along Muskegon Lake have officially been completed, leading the Environmental Protection Agency to begin its study to remove Muskegon Lake from the EPA's list of "Areas of Concern", which is expected to be finalized by the end of 2022 and brings the promise of additional new economic activity in the downtown and nearby lakefront neighborhoods.

Muskegon has a well-respected private collection of fine art at the Muskegon Museum of Art.

Muskegon has a growing collection of publicly owned and displayed art pieces.

Notable pieces include Muskegon, Together Rising, The Arch, A City Built on Timbers, and various civil war statues in Hackley Park that date back to 1900 .

Many years, Muskegon was home to a 10-day music festival known as Muskegon Summer Celebration.

Muskegon is home to Muskegon Museum of Art and West Michigan Symphony Orchestra.

Muskegon is a historical port for commerce and lake travel.

Muskegon Lake is a first-class walleye fishery and has many other freshwater species, including lake perch.

Muskegon is served by these private K-12 schools: Muskegon Catholic Central, Fruitport Calvary Christian, and Western Michigan Christian.

Muskegon is the eastern port of the Lake Express High Speed Car Ferry that crosses Lake Michigan to Milwaukee, Wisconsin offering three roundtrips a day in the summer, and two roundtrips in the fall.