Westland was originally called Bucklin Township in 1827. In 1829, it was proposed that Bucklin Township be divided into Lima and Richland; the former is what eventually became Westland.
Due to name conflicts under territorial law prohibiting duplication of post office names, Lima was renamed Nankin Township, after the Chinese city of Nanking.
The people of Nankin Township voted to change the name to the City of Westland on May 16, 1966. It’s located in Wayne County 16 miles west of downtown Detroit. Westland is the 10th largest city and 12th largest municipality in Michigan.