File:Monroe_from_the_River_Raisin.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Monroe
city in and county seat of Monroe County, Michigan, United States
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- State
- Michigan
- County
- Monroe
- Type
- Council–manager
- Mayor
- Robert Clark
- Manager
- Vince Pastue
- Clerk
- Michelle LaVoy
- City
- 10.22 sq mi (26.46 km )
- Land
- 9.05 sq mi (23.43 km )
- Water
- 1.17 sq mi (3.03 km )
- Elevation
- 597 ft (182 m)
- Density
- 2,261.9/sq mi (873.34/km )
- Urban
- 51,240 (US: 490th )
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Article
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 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Toledo, Ohio, and 40 miles (64 km) 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.