Cascade is an unincorporated community within the township at the intersection of 28th Street and Cascade Road. Cascade was initially platted in 1845 by D. S. T. Weller. It had a post office from 1854 until 1910.[5]
Forest Hills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place that occupies the northern half of the township. The CDP consists of 17.81 square miles (46.13 km2) (51.09%) of the township's area and 12,917 township residents (75.39%) at the 2010 census. Forest Hills is organized for statistical purposes only and also contains a large area of Ada Township to the north. It is the largest CDP in the state of Michigan in both area and population.
History
The township was originally a part of Ada Township and was separately organized in 1848.[6]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 34.86 square miles (90.29 km2), of which 33.88 square miles (87.75 km2) is land and 0.98 square miles (2.54 km2) (2.81%) is water.[7]
The township is situated in the southeastern section of Kent County, approximately 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Grand Rapids. A defining feature of the township is the Thornapple River, which divides the township into east and west halves. The township is bordered to the west by the city of Kentwood, to the north by Ada Township, to the east by Lowell Charter Township, and to the south by Caledonia Charter Township.
Transportation
Airport
Gerald R. Ford International Airport is a commercial airport that occupies 4.89 square miles (12.67 km2) of the southwestern portion of the township.
Major highways
I-96 runs east–west through the center of the township.
M-6 enters at the southern portion of the township and has its eastern terminus at I-96.
M-37 (Broadmoor Avenue) enters briefly at the southwestern corner of the township.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 15,107 people, 5,394 households, and 4,374 families residing in the township. The population density was 445.7 inhabitants per square mile (172.1/km2). There were 5,638 housing units at an average density of 166.3 per square mile (64.2/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 94.55% White, 1.00% African American, 0.28% Native American, 3.06% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.
There were 5,394 households, out of which 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.1% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the township the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 30.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $87,290, and the median income for a family was $98,013. Males had a median income of $71,960 versus $37,234 for females. The per capita income for the township was $39,470. About 1.5% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
^Romig, Walter (October 1, 1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities (Paperback). Great Lakes Books Series. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. p. 101. ISBN0-8143-1838-X.
^Ashlee, Laura (2005). Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. p. 222. ISBN9780472030668.
^Michigan Geographic Framework (15 November 2013). "Kent County School Districts"(PDF). Archived(PDF) from the original on 2014-08-20. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
^"Home". West Michigan Aviation Academy. Retrieved 2019-08-17. 5363 44th Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512