Kalamazoo [key], city (1990 pop. 80,277), seat of Kalamazoo co., SW Mich., on the Kalamazoo River at its confluence with Portage Creek; inc. 1883. It is an industrial and commercial center in a fertile farm area that produces celery, peppermint, and fruit. Kalamazoo has an important paper industry, along with other manufactures including hydraulic equipment, meat products, furniture, motor vehicle parts, and pharmaceuticals. Kalamazoo is the seat of Western Michigan Univ., Kalamazoo College, and Nazareth College. The city has a natural history museum, an art institute, a planetarium, an aviation museum, and a symphony orchestra.
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