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This is the current conditions weather report for Benton Harbor. The report was made 14 minutes ago, at 07:38 UTC. The wind was blowing at a speed of 7 miles per hour / 11.1 kilometers per hour from the east (080°). The temperature was 27°F / -3°C, with a dew-point at 27°F / -3°C. The temperature felt like 19°F / -7°C. The atmospheric pressure was 29.71 inHg / 1007 hPa. The relative humidity was 86%. The skies were overcast with light snow.

The population was 11,182 at time of the 2000 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the administrative home of Whirlpool Corporation which acquired the Maytag Corporation in 2006, making it the world's largest producer of home appliances. Sites of interest are Shiloh House, built in 1910 served as the administration building and men's dormitory for the House of David colony, a communal religious group; Morton House (on Morton Hill) built in 1849 by Eleazar Morton, which now houses a museum; nearby Sarett Nature Center, a 300-acre wildlife sanctuary which offers trails, an interpretative building, and classes, and Jean Klock Beach Park on Lake Michigan. Near Benton Harbor is a large fruit market which replaced the prior fruit market located in the "flats" area of Benton Harbor which was torn down during an urban renewal project during the 1960's.

Benton Harbor and the City of St. Joseph (which is located across the St. Joseph River) are known locally as the "Twin Cities." Fair Plain and Benton Heights are unincorporated areas adjacent to Benton Harbor.

Benton Harbor was founded by the following three men: Henry C. Morton, Sterne Brunson and Charles Hull, who all now have or have had schools named after them. Benton Harbor was mainly swampland bordered by the Paw Paw River, through which a canal was built, hence the "harbor" in the city's name. In 1863, the settlement was given the name of Brunson Harbor. In 1865 the name of the settlement was changed to Thomas Hart Benton who was a Missouri Senator who helped Michigan achieve statehood. In 1866, Benton Harbor was organized as a village and in 1891 was incorporated as a city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.6 km² (4.5 mi²). 11.4 km² (4.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (1.79%) is water.

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