East Lansing is located on land that was an important junction of two major Native American groups: the Potawatomi and the Fox.

A few commuted from Lansing, and that number increased when a streetcar line was built in the 1890s, but there were few places to live in the then-rural area surrounding the campus.

In 1907, incorporation as a city was proposed under the name "College Park"; the legislature approved the charter but changed the name to "East Lansing".

The first seven mayors, starting with Clinton D. Smith in 1907 and Warren Babcock in 1908, were professors or employees of the college.

Multiple city center complexes have resulted in the redevelopment of large parts of the historic downtown area, at a greatly increased population density.

The city has also made use of annexation of surrounding township lands in recent years.

The city also annexed from DeWitt Township the land that is currently the East Lansing Soccer Complex.

The city's downtown area is centered around Grand River Avenue, a wide, tree-lined boulevard that evolved out of the 19th-century plank road that connected Lansing to Detroit.

Kerry Ebersole Singh is the current mayor pro tem and was elected to city council in 2023.

Commissions may propose or review policies in their bailiwicks and make recommendations to the council.

Major East Lansing commissions and boards include those for Planning, Zoning, Housing, Transportation, and Parks and Recreation.

Other commissions and boards that also involve active engagement of ordinary citizens play a role in East Lansing's governance.

[20] Nearby Lansing is home to several other colleges, including Thomas M. Cooley Law School which is the largest law school in the United States (by attendees), Davenport University, and Lansing Community College.

One fifth of the district's students come from outside of East Lansing through Michigan's Schools of Choice program.

The Northern Tier Trail[25] is a shared-use pedestrian and bicycle path system connecting some parts of the northern half of the city; the Lansing River Trail begins on the campus of Michigan State University and extends west into downtown Lansing and then north towards the airport.

Amtrak and Indian Trails[26] provide intercity rail and bus services at the Capital Area Multimodal Gateway, which is located at 1240 South Harrison Road, within walking distance of the Michigan State University main campus.

Amtrak offers daily service to East Lansing on its Port Huron to Union Station, Chicago train, the Blue Water.

Two class one freight railroads serve the city including Canadian National Railway (CN) and CSX Transportation (CSXT).

Bus transportation is offered between East Lansing and Detroit Metro Airport twelve times daily by Michigan Flyer.

The city has several neighborhoods of detached, single-family houses within a mile of the Michigan State University campus.

The celebration began in January 2007 with a kick-off press conference at the Marriott Hotel in downtown East Lansing.

Events throughout the year included an old fashion concert, a birthday party, and a historic homes tour.