Battle Creek is a city in Calhoun County, West Michigan. 2003 estimated population 53,827. The city annexed several nearby areas in the 1980s and 90s, and now has an area of 43 square miles, much of it sparsely-populated.
Well known for its breakfast cereal industry Kelloggs and Post both started here and not much else. The city was prosperous for much of the twentieth century, but like many small Midwestern cities, manufacturing jobs have declined in number and wages have stagnated recently. Kellogg Cereal, which supported the now-closed Cereal City attraction, has been especially hard-hit.
The city is located next to Fort Custer, a large National Guard base. Kellogg Airport is home to an Air Guard wing of A-10 attack jets, which can occasionally be seen taking off/landing. Part of the old Fort Custer army base is now a State Park.
