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is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River (also known locally as the Black River). The city spans the Ottawa/Allegan county line, with in Ottawa and the remaining in Allegan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 35,048. As of the 2007 Census estimates, the population of the city was 34,339 with an Urbanized Area population of 95,394. The city is the largest municipality of the Holland-Grand Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has an estimated population of 261,854 as of July 1,2007.Holland was founded by Dutch Americans, and is in an area that has a large percentage of citizens of Dutch American heritage who live in communities with such Dutch names as Harlem, Zeeland, Vriesland, and Graafschap. It is home to Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, institutions of the Reformed Church in America.
Holland was settled in 1847 by Dutch Calvinist separatists, under the leadership of Dr. Albertus van Raalte, who were escaping from persecution in The Netherlands. Van Raalte took the land due to its proximity to the Black River where it streamed to Black Lake (now Lake Macatawa) which, in turn, led to Lake Michigan.
The land was inhabited by the Ottawa who had been on the lake for hundreds of years and welcomed the new Dutch settlers with open arms and assistance. After a cultural clash with the new Dutch, settlers relocated to Northport, Michigan. In Holland's early history, Van Raalte was a spiritual leader, as well as overseeing political, educational and financial matters. In 1847 Van Raalte established a congregation of the Reformed Church in America, which would later be called the First Reformed Church of Holland. In 1867, Holland was incorporated as a city with Isaac Cappon being the city's first mayor. The city suffered a major fire on October 8–9, 1871, the same time as the Great Chicago Fire in Illinois and the very deadly Peshtigo Fire in Wisconsin. Manistee and Port Huron, Michigan also burned.
Holland was known as the "City of Churches." There are 170 churches in Holland, many of which are with the Reformed Church in America and Christian Reformed Church in North America denominations. The city is the home to the church that kicked off the trend of the What Would Jesus Do? bracelets in 1989. In 1987, 23-year-old recent Hope College graduate and City Council member Phil Tanis was elected mayor of Holland, becoming its youngest mayor.