Pontiac, Michigan

Pontiac, Michigan
City
Downtown Pontiac
Seal
Nickname(s):  The Yak, Yaktown
Location within Oakland County
Pontiac Location within the state of Michigan Show map of Michigan Pontiac Location within the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 42°38′46″N 83°17′33″W / 42.64611°N 83.29250°W / 42.64611; -83.29250
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Oakland
Settled	1818
Incorporated	1837 (village) 1861 (city)
Named for	Pontiac
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
• Mayor	Tim Greimel (D)
• Clerk	Garland Doyle
Area [1]
• City	20.25 sq mi (52.46 km2)
• Land	19.89 sq mi (51.50 km2)
• Water	0.37 sq mi (0.95 km2)
Elevation	922 ft (281 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	61,606
• Density	3,098.11/sq mi (1,196.16/km2)
• Metro	4,296,250 (Metro Detroit)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	48302 (Bloomfield Hills) 48320 (Keego Harbor) 48321, 48326 (Auburn Hills) 48340–48343
Area codes	248 and 947
FIPS code	26-65440
GNIS feature ID	0635224[2]
Website	Official website

Pontiac (/ˈpɒn(t)iæk/ POHN-(t)ee-ack) is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan.^[3] Located roughly 26 miles (41.8 km) northwest of downtown Detroit, Pontiac is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, and is variously described as a satellite city or suburb of Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 61,606.^[4]

Founded in 1818, Pontiac was the second European-American organized settlement in Michigan near Detroit, after Dearborn. It was named after Pontiac, a war chief of the Ottawa Tribe, who occupied the area before the European settlers. The city was best known for its General Motors automobile manufacturing plants of the 20th century, which were the basis of its economy and contributed to the wealth of the region. These included Fisher Body, Pontiac East Assembly (a.k.a. Truck & Coach/Bus), which manufactured GMC products, and the Pontiac Motor Division. In the city's heyday, it was the site of the primary automobile assembly plant for the production of the famed Pontiac cars, a brand that was named after the city. The Pontiac brand itself was discontinued in 2010 by General Motors. The City of Pontiac also was home to Oakland Motor Car Company, which was acquired by General Motors in 1909.

In 1975, the city built the Pontiac Silverdome, the stadium that hosted the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from 1975 to 2001, when the team returned to Downtown Detroit at Ford Field. Super Bowl XVI was played at the Silverdome in 1982. After 2001, the stadium continued to be used for concerts and other events until it was demolished in 2018. It is now the site of an Amazon Fulfillment and Distribution facility.