Economic Development

Regional Setting

The City of Hastings is located in the center north of Barry County in the southwestern lower peninsula of Michigan, centrally positioned between the metropolitan areas of Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Grand Rapids and Lansing. The City of Hastings is the only city and the most urbanized area of Barry County and serves as the County Seat. The City is bordered by Hastings Township to the north, east and south, and by Rutland Township to the west. The following Location Map shows the relationship of the City of Hastings to neighboring communities. The City of Hastings includes a hilly, wooded countryside dotted with spring-fed lakes and is described as “one of the 100 Best Small Towns in America”. The city covers approximately 5.28 square miles in area and has a population of 7,350 according to the 2010 U.S. Census. The City of Hastings is served by two major highways, M-43 running from Lansing (northeast) to Kalamazoo (southwest) and M-37 running from Grand Rapids (northwest) to Battle Creek (southeast). M-79 runs due east from the City, linking to M-66 and I-69 and M-179 links to US 131 to the west. The distance from major highways has helped the City maintain its rural small town identity, but transportation links are sufficient to encourage continuing commercial and residential development.