Oakland County, Michigan

For the county of Oakland, California, see Alameda County.

County in Michigan, United States

County in Michigan, United States

Oakland County, Michigan

County

County of Oakland

File:Troy, Michigan Skyline.jpg

File:Southfield Town Center 2021.jpg

File:FountainDetroitZoo1.jpg

File:ShrineoftheLittleFlowerRPC.jpg

File:Pontiac Michigan Skyline 2021.jpg

File:Holly Michigan 1513.jpg

Clockwise: Troy skyline, Horace Rackham Memorial Fountain, Downtown Pontiac, Downtown Holly, Shrine of the Little Flower, and Southfield Town Center.

Flag of Oakland County, Michigan

Flag

Official seal of Oakland County, Michigan

Seal

Official logo of Oakland County, Michigan

Logo

Location within the state of Michigan

Location within the state of Michigan

Cities and Townships in the county

Cities and Townships in the county

Country| United States
State| Michigan
Metro| Metro Detroit
Incorporated| 1819 (created)
1820 (organized)[1][2]
County seat| Pontiac
Largest city| File:Flag of Troy, Michigan.svg Troy
Government

• Executive| David Coulter
Area

• Total| 907 sq mi (2,350 km2)
• Land| 868 sq mi (2,250 km2)
• Water| 40 sq mi (100 km2)
Population

(2020)

• Total| 1,274,395
Time zone| UTC−5 (Eastern Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (Eastern Daylight Time)
Area codes| 248 and 947
Website| www.oakgov.com

Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395,[3] making it the second-most populous county in Michigan, behind neighboring Wayne County. It is the largest county in the United States without a city of 100,000 residents. The county seat is Pontiac.[4] The county was founded in 1819 and organized in 1820.[1][5]

Oakland County is composed of 62 cities, townships, and villages, and is part of the Detroit–Warren–Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city of Detroit is in neighboring Wayne County, south of 8 Mile Road. In 2010, Oakland County was among the ten wealthiest counties in the United States to have over one million residents. [6] It is also home to Oakland University, a large public institution that straddles the border between the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills.

The county's knowledge-based economic initiative, coined "Automation Alley", has developed one of the largest employment centers for engineering and related occupations in the United States, and some major employers include General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, collectively known as the Big Three.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Geography
* 2.1 Adjacent counties
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Government
* 4.1 Elected officials
* 4.2 Road Commission
* 4.3 Oakland County Service Center
* 5 Politics
* 6 Transportation
* 6.1 Air
* 6.2 Major highways
* 6.3 Rail
* 6.4 Mile roads
* 6.5 Bicycling
* 7 Education
* 7.1 Higher education
* 7.2 K-12 education
* 8 Sports
* 9 Communities
* 9.1 Cities
* 9.2 Villages
* 9.3 Charter townships
* 9.4 Civil townships
* 9.5 Unincorporated communities
* 10 Lakes
* 11 Rivers
* 12 See also
* 13 References
* 14 Further reading
* 15 External links

## History[edit | edit source]

See also: List of National Historic Landmarks in Michigan and National Register of Historic Places listings in Oakland County, Michigan

Founded by Territorial Governor Lewis Cass in 1819, sparsely settled Oakland was originally twice its current size. As was customary at the time, as populations increased, other counties were organized from its land area. Woodward Avenue and the Detroit and Pontiac Railroad helped draw settlers in the 1840s. By 1840, Oakland had more than fifty lumber mills, processing wood harvested from the region and the Upper Peninsula. Pontiac, located on the Clinton River, was Oakland's first town and became the county seat. After the Civil War, Oakland was still primarily a rural, agricultural county with numerous isolated villages. By the end of the 19th century, three rail lines served Pontiac, and the city attracted carriage and wagon factories. In the late 1890s streetcars were constructed here and to Detroit.[citation needed]

At that time, developers made southern Oakland County a suburb of Detroit; a Cincinnati firm platted a section of Royal Oak called "Urbanrest." Migration worked both ways. Several thousand people moved from Oakland County farms to Detroit as the city attracted factories. By 1910, a number of rich Detroiters had summer homes and some year-round residences in what became Bloomfield Hills. The auto age enveloped Pontiac in the early 1900s. The Oakland Motor Car Company was founded in 1907 and became a part of General Motors Corp., which was soon Pontiac's dominant firm.[7]

In the 1950s, Oakland County's population boomed as the Detroiters began migrating to the suburbs. Oakland County was for a time the fourth-wealthiest county in the United States, though its position has declined somewhat since the Great Recession.[8] The median price of a home in Oakland County increased to $164,697, more than $30,000 above the national median. Oakland County is home to several super-regional shopping malls such as Somerset Collection, Twelve Oaks Mall, and Great Lakes Crossing Outlets.

## Geography[edit | edit source]

File:GrandTrunkWesternRailroadBirminghamMIDepot.jpg

Grand Trunk Western Railroad Depot, Birmingham

File:Holly Michigan 1513.jpg

Downtown Holly

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 907 square miles (2,350 km2), of which 868 square miles (2,250 km2) is land and 40 square miles (100 km2) (4.4%) is water.[9]

Oakland County was originally divided into 25 separate townships, which are listed below. Each township is roughly equal in size at six miles (10 km) by six miles, for a total township area of 36 square miles (93 km2). The roots of this design were born out of the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the subsequent Northwest Ordinance of 1787. Oakland County itself is a prime example of the land policy that was established, as all townships are equal in size (save for slight variations due to waterways). Section 16 in each township was reserved for financing and maintaining public education, and even today many schools in Oakland County townships are located within that section.

Wayne County, where the city of Detroit is located, borders Oakland County to the south. 8 Mile Road, also known as "Baseline Road" in some areas, is the boundary between these counties. The baseline was used during the original surveying for Michigan, and it serves as the northern/southern boundaries for counties from Lake St. Clair to Lake Michigan. As more working and middle-class populations moved to the suburbs from the 1950s on, this divide (8 Mile Road) became historically known as an unofficial racial dividing line between what became the predominantly black city and almost exclusively white suburbs.

Since the late 20th century, however, the patterns of de facto segregation have faded as the suburbs have become more diverse. Middle-class African Americans have left Detroit, settling in inner-ring suburbs, notably Southfield (where the population is 75% Black), west of Woodward Avenue. Based on the 2010 Census, the following cities also have significant non-white populations: Farmington (25.3%), Farmington Hills (31.7%), Novi (30.12%), Oak Park (62.61%), Lathrup Village (72.97%), Orchard Lake Village (16.08%), Rochester Hills (20.94%), Troy (29.4%), Wixom (26.28%), West Bloomfield (24.0%), Bloomfield (18.28%), Bloomfield Hills (14.2%), Ferndale (17.2%), and Madison Heights (17.7%). Ferndale has a concentration of Arab Americans, who also live in nearby areas, and numerous Asian Americans, particularly Indians, have also settled in these areas.

### Adjacent counties[edit | edit source]

* Lapeer County (northeast)
* Genesee County (northwest)
* Macomb County (east)
* Wayne County (southeast)
* Washtenaw County (southwest)
* Livingston County (west)

## Demographics[edit | edit source]

Historical population

Census | Pop. |  | %±
1820| 330| | —
1830| 4,911| | 1,388.2%
1840| 23,646| | 381.5%
1850| 31,270| | 32.2%
1860| 38,261| | 22.4%
1870| 40,867| | 6.8%
1880| 41,537| | 1.6%
1890| 41,245| | −0.7%
1900| 44,792| | 8.6%
1910| 49,576| | 10.7%
1920| 90,050| | 81.6%
1930| 211,251| | 134.6%
1940| 254,068| | 20.3%
1950| 396,001| | 55.9%
1960| 690,259| | 74.3%
1970| 907,871| | 31.5%
1980| 1,011,793| | 11.4%
1990| 1,083,592| | 7.1%
2000| 1,194,156| | 10.2%
2010| 1,202,362| | 0.7%
2020| 1,274,395| | 6.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1790–1960[11] 1900–1990[12]
1990–2000[13] 2010–2019[3]

As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people and 315,175 families residing in the county. 77.3% were White, 13.6% Black or African American, 5.6% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% of some other race and 2.2% of two or more races. 3.5% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). There were 527,255 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile (218/km2).[14]

Regarding ancestry, in 2000 14.4% of the population were ethnically German, 9.0% Irish, 8.5% English, 8.5% Polish, 5.7% Italian and 5.5% American, 87.4% spoke only English at home; 2.0% spoke Spanish, 1.3% Syriac (Neo Aramaic) and 1.0% Arabic. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile (528/km2). There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile (218/km2).

The 2000 census showed two Native American tribes with more than 1,000 members in Oakland County. There were 2,095 Cherokee and 1,458 Chippewa.

The Jewish community of metropolitan Detroit, with a population of 72,000, is the 21st largest Jewish community in the nation. This community is concentrated in Oakland County, especially in Southfield, Oak Park, West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, Farmington Hills, Troy and Huntington Woods.[15]

There were 471,115 households, of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 54.20% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.10% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.09.

Among Asian Americans, eight ethnic groups had more than 1,000 members in the county in 2000. The most numerous were those of Asian Indian descent, with 20,705. Next were those of Chinese heritage, numbering 10,018. Next were those of Japanese (5,589), Filipino (5,450) Korean (5,351), Vietnamese (1,687), Pakistani (1,458) and Hmong (1,210) ancestry.[16]

In 2001, Oakland County had the 36th largest Asian population of any county in the country.[17] In 2002, of the Oakland-Wayne-Macomb tricounty area, Oakland County had 49% of the tri-county area's Asian population.[18]

The county's population was spread out in terms of age, with 25.20% of people under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 32.40% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $86,567, making Oakland County the 21st wealthiest county in the United States.[19] Males had a median income of $55,833 versus $35,890 for females. The per capita income for the county was $65,759. About 3.80% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.50% of those under age 18 and 6.50% of those age 65 or over.

## Government[edit | edit source]

The county government operates the jail, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget but has limited authority to make laws or ordinances.[20] In Michigan, most local government functions—police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc.—are the responsibility of individual cities and townships. Oakland County has an elected sheriff, and his or her law-enforcement services are used throughout the county. Ten townships, 3 cities, and 2 villages do not have municipal police forces,[21] but rather contract with the sheriff for police services specific to the municipalities. For instance, the city of Rochester Hills does not have a "Rochester Hills Police Department," but instead has an established sheriff substation in the city with deputies who are dedicated to that city only. That branch operates as the Oakland County Sheriff's Department, Rochester Hills substation. The sheriff operates in the same manner with other municipalities who opt not to have their own police agencies. This typically is a cost-effective way for municipalities to provide police services to its citizens. The Oakland County Sheriff's Office also maintains a civil division, marine division, alcohol and traffic enforcement units, and an aviation division.

### Elected officials[edit | edit source]

* County Executive: Dave Coulter (D-Ferndale)[22]
* Prosecuting Attorney: Karen McDonald (D-Birmingham)[22]
* Sheriff: Mike Bouchard (R-Bloomfield Hills)[22]
* County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Lisa Brown (D-West Bloomfield)[22]
* County Treasurer: Robert Wittenberg (D-Huntington Woods)
* Water Resources Commissioner: Jim Nash (D-Farmington Hills)[22]
* Board of Commissioners: 21 members, elected from districts (11 Democrats, 10 Republicans)

Board of Commissioners as of 2021: 11D, 10R

Board of Commissioners as of 2021: 11D, 10R

(information as of December 7, 2020)

### Road Commission[edit | edit source]

Roads that are not maintained by a local community (city/village) are maintained by the independent Road Commission for Oakland County, which is governed by three board members appointed by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners.[23]

### Oakland County Service Center[edit | edit source]

The East Campus of the Oakland County Service Center is located in Pontiac. It includes the county courthouse and jail for adults.[24]

The West Campus of the Oakland County Service Center is located in Waterford Township.[24][25] This includes the Oakland County Executive Building and Conference Center,[26] and the Oakland County Children's Village,[24] the county's juvenile detention center for children.[27] The Children's Village acts as one of the support sites for the Waterford School District.[28]

## Politics[edit | edit source]

Oakland County was historically a bastion of suburban conservatism, and was hence a longstanding stronghold of the Republican Party. However, in the 1990s it became highly competitive, and since 2008 it has increasingly shifted Democratic, giving over 50% of its votes to the Democratic candidate for president in each election. Republican strength is concentrated in the many exurban townships of the county, while Democratic strength is concentrated in suburbs such as Royal Oak, Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield, and Southfield. Some suburbs, such as Novi, Troy, Birmingham, and Rochester, were historically strongly Republican but are now relatively split between the two parties, with younger adults tending to support Democrats and older residents tending to support Republicans.

In 1996, Bill Clinton became the first Democrat to carry Oakland County since Lyndon Johnson in 1964, and only the fourth to do so since 1892. Al Gore and John Kerry also carried the county, by narrow margins, against George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, respectively. In 2008, the county swung significantly to Barack Obama, who became the first Democrat to win a majority in the county since LBJ, and only the third to do so since 1884. (See table at right.) He again carried the county in 2012, though by a smaller margin. Hillary Clinton won a narrow majority in 2016. In 2020, Joe Biden won 56 percent of the vote. He received over 400,000 votes, and became the first Democrat to carry the county by a margin of over 100,000 votes.

While the Democratic Party has found increasing success in presidential elections in Oakland County, the state Republican Party has remained strong in some recent gubernatorial and state elections. The county favored Republican Rick Snyder by a 22-percent margin in the 2010 Michigan gubernatorial election and again by a 12-point margin in the 2014 election; conversely, Democratic candidate Gretchen Whitmer carried the county by 17 points in the 2018 race. Republicans held a majority on the County Commission for most of its history, but following the 2018 elections, Democrats won a narrow 11-10 majority on the commission.[29]

In the 117th Congress, Oakland County is represented by four Democrats, Brenda Lawrence (14th), Andy Levin (9th), Haley Stevens (11th) and Elissa Slotkin (8th). Slotkin and Stevens were first elected in 2018, flipping Republican-held seats.

United States presidential election results for Oakland County, Michigan[30] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 325,971  | 42.22%  | 434,148  | 56.24% | 11,872  | 1.54%
2016 | 289,203  | 43.23%  | 343,070  | 51.29% | 36,652  | 5.48%
2012 | 296,514  | 45.37%  | 349,002  | 53.40% | 8,055  | 1.23%
2008 | 276,956  | 41.94%  | 372,566  | 56.42% | 10,873  | 1.65%
2004 | 316,633  | 49.32%  | 319,387  | 49.75% | 5,957  | 0.93%
2000 | 274,319  | 48.10%  | 281,201  | 49.31% | 14,745  | 2.59%
1996 | 219,855  | 43.48%  | 241,884  | 47.84% | 43,903  | 8.68%
1992 | 242,160  | 43.57% | 214,733  | 38.64%  | 98,867  | 17.79%
1988 | 283,359  | 61.27% | 174,745  | 37.78%  | 4,384  | 0.95%
1984 | 306,050  | 66.71% | 150,286  | 32.76%  | 2,464  | 0.54%
1980 | 253,211  | 54.65% | 164,869  | 35.58%  | 45,248  | 9.77%
1976 | 244,271  | 58.69% | 164,266  | 39.47%  | 7,668  | 1.84%
1972 | 241,613  | 63.78% | 129,400  | 34.16%  | 7,838  | 2.07%
1968 | 156,538  | 45.31% | 154,630  | 44.76%  | 34,290  | 9.93%
1964 | 114,025  | 38.33%  | 182,797  | 61.44% | 686  | 0.23%
1960 | 162,026  | 54.27% | 135,531  | 45.39%  | 1,005  | 0.34%
1956 | 152,990  | 60.37% | 99,901  | 39.42%  | 527  | 0.21%
1952 | 115,503  | 60.73% | 73,871  | 38.84%  | 805  | 0.42%
1948 | 62,516  | 53.49% | 51,491  | 44.06%  | 2,859  | 2.45%
1944 | 59,627  | 51.49% | 55,272  | 47.73%  | 914  | 0.79%
1940 | 49,002  | 50.71% | 47,022  | 48.67%  | 599  | 0.62%
1936 | 30,071  | 40.64%  | 40,329  | 54.50% | 3,597  | 4.86%
1932 | 32,462  | 47.79%  | 33,135  | 48.78% | 2,331  | 3.43%
1928 | 45,343  | 81.53% | 10,011  | 18.00%  | 264  | 0.47%
1924 | 28,603  | 81.27% | 4,105  | 11.66%  | 2,488  | 7.07%
1920 | 19,321  | 70.98% | 6,421  | 23.59%  | 1,478  | 5.43%
1916 | 7,730  | 51.86% | 6,659  | 44.67%  | 517  | 3.47%
1912 | 4,083  | 35.46% | 3,668  | 31.86%  | 3,762  | 32.68%
1908 | 6,267  | 58.18% | 3,950  | 36.67%  | 554  | 5.14%
1904 | 6,986  | 61.88% | 3,956  | 35.04%  | 347  | 3.07%
1900 | 6,173  | 53.04% | 4,966  | 42.67%  | 499  | 4.29%
1896 | 5,846  | 46.01% | 5,271  | 41.49%  | 1,588  | 12.50%
1892 | 4,763  | 44.98%  | 4,925  | 46.51% | 902  | 8.52%
1888 | 5,389  | 47.31%  | 5,410  | 47.50% | 591  | 5.19%
1884 | 4,842  | 45.03%  | 5,386  | 50.09% | 525  | 4.88%

## Transportation[edit | edit source]

### Air[edit | edit source]

* Oakland County International Airport (PTK) (Waterford Township) – Charter passenger facility.
* Oakland/Troy Airport (VLL) (Troy) - Executive Airport used for private, corporate, and charter flights

The following airports are located in neighboring counties:

* Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) (Romulus) – Major commercial airport and hub for Delta Air Lines and Spirit Airlines located in Wayne County.
* Bishop International Airport (FNT) (Flint) – Commercial airport located in Genesee County.
* Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET) (Detroit) – General aviation only. This airport is in Wayne County in the city of Detroit.

### Major highways[edit | edit source]

* File:I-75.svg I-75 (Walter P. Chrysler Freeway) is the main north–south highway in the region, serving Flint, Pontiac, Troy, and Detroit, before continuing south (as the Fisher and Detroit-Toledo Freeways) to serve many of the communities along the shore of Lake Erie.
* File:I-96.svg I-96 runs northwest–southeast through Oakland County and (as the Jeffries Freeway) has its eastern terminus in downtown Detroit.
* File:I-275.svg I-275 runs north–south from I-75 in the south to the junction of I-96 and I-696 in the north, providing a bypass through the western suburbs of Detroit.
* File:I-696.svg I-696 (Walter P. Reuther Freeway) runs east–west from the junction of I-96 and I-275, providing a route through the northern suburbs of Detroit. Taken together, I-275 and I-696 form a semicircle around Detroit.
* File:US 24.svg US 24 ends just outside of Clarkston at I-75. To the south, US 24 serves suburban Detroit and Monroe before entering Ohio. Much of US 24 in Oakland County is named Telegraph Road, and it is a major north–south road extending from Toledo, Ohio, through Monroe, Wayne, and Oakland Counties to Pontiac. It gained notoriety in a song (Telegraph Road) by the group Dire Straits.
* File:M-1.svg M-1 (Woodward Avenue) has a northern terminus in Pontiac. The route continues southerly from Oakland County into the City of Detroit, ending downtown. The Detroit Zoo is located along M-1 in Oakland County. M-1 is also home to the Woodward Dream Cruise, a classic-car cruise from Pontiac to Ferndale that is held in August. It is the largest single-day classic-car cruise in America.
* File:M-5.svg M-5 (Haggerty Connector) provides expressway access from Commerce and West Bloomfield Townships at Pontiac Trail to the I-96/I-275/I-696 interchange, then follows the Farmington bypass to Grand River Avenue west of Middlebelt Road, continuing along Grand River into downtown Detroit.
* File:M-10.svg M-10 (John C. Lodge Freeway) runs largely parallel to I-75 from Southfield to downtown Detroit. The service drives are named Northwestern Highway.
* File:M-15.svg M-15 (Ortonville Road, Main Street in Clarkston)
* File:M-24.svg M-24 (Lapeer Road) has a southern terminus at I-75 northeast of Pontiac. To the north, the route continues to Lapeer and beyond. Note: M-24 and US 24 do not intersect at present, although this was the case until the 1950s.
* File:M-39.svg M-39 (Southfield Freeway) runs north–south from I-94 in Allen Park to Southfield. North of Nine Mile Road, the freeway ends and continues as Southfield Road into Birmingham.
* File:M-59.svg M-59 (Highland Road [from Pontiac westerly], Huron Street [within Pontiac] and Veterans Memorial Freeway [Pontiac to Utica]), continues east in Macomb County as Hall Road to Clinton Township and west to I-96 near Howell
* File:M-102 rectangle.svg M-102 Perhaps better known as 8 Mile Road, M-102 follows the Oakland–Wayne county line for most of its length. 8 Mile Road, known by many due to the film 8 Mile, forms the dividing line between Detroit on the south and the suburbs of Macomb and Oakland counties on the north. It is also known as Baseline Road outside of Detroit, because it coincides with the baseline used in surveying Michigan; that baseline is also the boundary for a number of Michigan counties. It is designated M-102 for much of its length in Wayne County.
* File:M-150 rectangle.svg M-150 (Rochester Road) serves as a spur highway from M-59 into the city of Rochester.
* Grand River Avenue connects the suburbs of Brighton, Novi, and Farmington to downtown Detroit. The avenue follows the route of old US 16 before I-96 replaced it in 1962. It is one of the five roads planned by Judge August Woodward to radiate out from Detroit and connect the city to other parts of the state.

### Rail[edit | edit source]

Amtrak's Wolverine serves Oakland County with 3 daily trains each way, stopping in Pontiac, Troy, Royal Oak, and continuing on to Chicago. In pre-Amtrak years Birmingham, Pontiac and other stations were stops for Grand Trunk Western passenger trains from Detroit to points north and west. Until 1960, passengers could board trains in Birmingham and Pontiac for Grand Rapids and Muskegon on the Lake Michigan coast.[31][32] From the above trains passengers could transfer at Durand Union Station for Bay City-bound mixed trains.[33]

### Mile roads[edit | edit source]

Main article: Mile Road System (Detroit)

* Surface-street navigation in metro Detroit is commonly anchored by "mile roads," major east–west surface streets that are spaced at one-mile (1.6 km) intervals and increment as one travels north and away from the city center. Mile roads sometimes have two names, the numeric name (e.g., 15 Mile Road), used in Macomb County, and a local name (e.g., Maple Road), used in Oakland County (for the most part).

### Bicycling[edit | edit source]

The conditions on most non-residential roads in Oakland County are not favorable to bicycling. Exceptions to this are primarily in the inner-ring suburbs within the southeast corner of the county. This is due to their street grid.

A primary reason for these unfavorable cycling conditions is the Road Commission for Oakland County has a policy of not accommodating bicycles on the road. As a result, some communities have designated sidepaths (locally called "safety paths") as bike routes which do not meet the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) guidelines for bicycling facilities and have been found to be less safe than on-road bike facilities.[34]

As a result, there are no designated Bicycle Friendly Communities within Oakland County.

Only the city of Ferndale has a built comprehensive bicycle network of bike lanes and signed shared roadways.

## Education[edit | edit source]

The County of Oakland counterpart in public education (K–12) is the Oakland Schools, an Intermediate school district. The county is also home to multiple renowned private elementary and high schools, including The Roeper School and Cranbrook.

### Higher education[edit | edit source]

Oakland County is home to several institutions of higher education.

* Baker College, Auburn Hills campus
* Oakland University, Rochester
* The Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Auburn Hills campus
* Lawrence Technological University, Southfield
* Rochester University, Rochester
* Walsh College of Accountancy and Business, Troy and Novi campuses
* Oakland Community College, five campuses: Orchard Ridge (Farmington Hills), Auburn Hills, Southfield, Highland Lakes, and Royal Oak.
* Saint Mary's College of Madonna University, Orchard Lake
* Cranbrook College of Art, Bloomfield Hills

### K-12 education[edit | edit source]

School districts:[35]

* Almont Community Schools
* Avondale School District
* Berkley School District
* Birmingham City School District
* Bloomfield Hills School District
* Brandon School District
* Clarenceville School District
* Clarkston Community School District
* Clawson City School District
* Farmington Public School District
* Fenton Area Public Schools
* Ferndale Public Schools
* Goodrich Area Schools
* Grand Blanc Community Schools
* Hazel Park City School District
* Holly Area School District
* Huron Valley Schools
* Lake Orion Community Schools
* Lamphere Public Schools
* Madison Public Schools
* Northville Public Schools
* Novi Community School District
* Oak Park City School District
* Oxford Area Community Schools
* Pontiac City School District
* Rochester Community School District
* Romeo Community Schools
* Royal Oak City School District
* South Lyon Community Schools
* Southfield Public School District
* Troy School District
* Walled Lake Consolidated Schools
* Warren Consolidated Schools
* Waterford School District
* West Bloomfield School District

## Sports[edit | edit source]

Club  | League  | Venue  | Established  | Championships

|
|
|
|

Oakland County FC | Premier League of America, Soccer  | Clawson Park Stadium  | 2015  |

The NFL's Detroit Lions played their home games at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac from 1975 through 2001, when they moved to Ford Field in Downtown Detroit. The Detroit Pistons played at the Silverdome from 1978 to 1988. The Silverdome was also the site of Super Bowl XVI, where the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, the first of 5 Super Bowl titles for the 49ers. The Pontiac Silverdome also hosted various other sporting events, prior to being demolished in 2017.

From 1988 to 2017, prior to the move to Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, the Detroit Pistons played their home games at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills. The Palace of Auburn Hills was demolished in 2020.[36]

## Communities[edit | edit source]

File:Oakland County, MI census map2.png

U.S. Census data map showing local municipal boundaries within Oakland County. Shaded areas represent incorporated cities.

### Cities[edit | edit source]

* Auburn Hills
* Berkley
* Birmingham
* Bloomfield Hills
* Clarkston
* Clawson
* Farmington
* Farmington Hills
* Fenton (mostly in Genesee County)
* Ferndale
* Hazel Park
* Huntington Woods
* Keego Harbor
* Lake Angelus
* Lathrup Village
* Madison Heights
* Northville (partially in Wayne County)
* Novi
* Oak Park
* Orchard Lake Village
* Pleasant Ridge
* Pontiac (county seat)
* Rochester
* Rochester Hills
* Royal Oak
* South Lyon
* Southfield
* Sylvan Lake
* Troy
* Walled Lake
* Wixom

### Villages[edit | edit source]

* Beverly Hills
* Bingham Farms
* Franklin
* Holly
* Lake Orion
* Leonard
* Milford
* Ortonville
* Oxford
* Wolverine Lake

### Charter townships[edit | edit source]

* Bloomfield Charter Township
* Brandon Charter Township
* Commerce Charter Township
* Highland Charter Township
* Independence Charter Township
* Lyon Charter Township
* Milford Charter Township
* Oakland Charter Township
* Orion Charter Township
* Oxford Charter Township
* Royal Oak Charter Township
* Springfield Charter Township
* Waterford Charter Township
* West Bloomfield Charter Township
* White Lake Charter Township

### Civil townships[edit | edit source]

* Addison Township
* Groveland Township
* Holly Township
* Novi Township
* Rose Township
* Southfield Township

### Unincorporated communities[edit | edit source]

* Andersonville
* Austin Corners
* Brandon Gardens
* Campbells Corner
* Charing Cross
* Clintonville
* Clyde
* Commerce
* Davisburg
* Drayton Plains
* East Highland
* Elizabeth Lake
* Five Points
* Four Towns
* Gingellville
* Glengary
* Goodison
* Groveland Corners
* Hickory Ridge
* Highland
* Huron Heights
* Jossman Acres
* Kensington
* Lake Orion Heights
* Lakeville
* New Hudson
* Newark
* Oak Grove
* Oakley Park
* Oakwood
* Oxbow
* Perry Lake Heights
* Rose Center
* Rose Corners
* Rudds Mill
* Seven Harbors
* Springfield
* Thomas
* Union Lake
* Walters
* Waterford Village
* Waterstone
* West Highland
* Westacres
* White Lake

## Lakes[edit | edit source]

Further information: List of lakes in Oakland County, Michigan

Quarton Lake also known as The Old Mill Pond.

## Rivers[edit | edit source]

There are four major rivers in Oakland County:[37]

* Clinton River
* Huron River
* Rouge River
* Shiawassee River

The headwaters of each of these rivers lie in Oakland County.

## See also[edit | edit source]

* Woodward Corridor
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Oakland County, Michigan
* List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Oakland County, Michigan
* Oakland County Child Killer
* Saginaw Trail

## References[edit | edit source]

1. ^ a b "Bibliography on Oakland County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
2. ^ "History of Oakland County," OaklandWeb.com. Archived July 5, 2006, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved February 7, 2007.
3. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
5. ^ History of Oakland County, Michigan. Philadelphia: L. H. Everts and Co. 1877. p. 23. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
6. ^ "Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce - quick facts". detroitchamber.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
7. ^ Razmerita, Adriana (September 26, 2022). "The True Meaning Behind The Pontiac Logo". HotCars. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
8. ^ WOLFFE, JERRY. "Oakland plummets on list of wealthy counties". The Oakland Press. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
9. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
10. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
11. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
12. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
13. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
14. ^ "Oakland County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
15. ^ "Community Relations - Detroit?s Jewish Community | Jewish Community Council of Metropolitan Detroit". Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
16. ^ See search results from United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 2, 2007.
17. ^ Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived November 9, 2013, at the Wayback Machine." Wayne State University Center for Urban Studies-January 2001 Working Paper Series, No. 7, p. 5. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.
18. ^ Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit Archived November 9, 2013, at the Wayback Machine." Center for Urban Studies, Wayne State University. January 2002 Working Paper Series, No. 7. p. 7. Retrieved on November 6, 2013.
19. ^ "Richest Counties In The United States". WorldAtlas. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
20. ^ "About Us | About Us". www.oakgov.com. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
21. ^ "Law Enforcement Services Division | Law Enforcement". www.oakgov.com. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
22. ^ a b c d e "Elected Officials | Oakland County, Michigan". www.oakgov.com. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
23. ^ "RCOC Officials | Road Commission for Oakland County". www.rcocweb.org. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
24. ^ a b c "Complex Map" (Archived July 10, 2015, at the Wayback Machine). Oakland County Government. Retrieved on July 9, 2015.
25. ^ "Generic Base Map 2014" (Archived January 13, 2015, at the Wayback Machine). Waterford Township. Retrieved on July 10, 2015.
26. ^ "Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center Locator Map & Directions" (Archived July 10, 2015, at the Wayback Machine). Oakland County Government. Retrieved on July 10, 2015.
27. ^ "Oakland County Children's Village" (Archived July 10, 2015, at the Wayback Machine). The Government of Oakland County. Retrieved on July 9, 2015. "Oakland County Children's Village 1200 North Telegraph Road Pontiac, MI 48341"
28. ^ "District Map" ( Archived September 4, 2015, at the Wayback Machine). Waterford School District. Retrieved on July 9, 2015.
29. ^ Cavitt, Mark (November 7, 2018). "Oakland County Board of Commissioners majority Democratic for third time in history". The Oakland Press. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
30. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
31. ^ "Grand Trunk Railway System, Table 150". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 92 (12). May 1960.
32. ^ Michigan Railroads Time Line, 1960 http://www.michiganrailroads.com/timeline/478-1960-1969/3691-timeline-1960
33. ^ "Grand Trunk Railway System, Table 146". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 90 (10). March 1958.
34. ^ "Risk of Sidewalk and Wrong-way Riding". Bicyclist Injuries: Learning from the Statistics. Archived from the original on May 20, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2007.
35. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Oakland County, MI" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 20, 2022. \- Text list
36. ^ Johncox, Cassidy (July 10, 2020). "WATCH: Remainder of Palace of Auburn Hills demolished". WDIV. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
37. ^ "Oakland County, Michigan". oakgov.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.

## Further reading[edit | edit source]

* Durant, Samuel W. (1877). History of Oakland County, Michigan: With Illustrations Descriptive of Its Scenery, Palatial Residences, Public Buildings, Fine Blocks, and Important Manufactories, From Original Sketches by Artists of the Highest Ability. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts and Co.
* Romig, Walter (1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities. Great Lakes Books. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0814318386.
* Seeley, Thaddeus DeWitt (1912). History of Oakland County Michigan: A Narrative Account of Its Historic Progress, Its People, and Its Principal Interests. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co. Volume 1. Volume 2

## External links[edit | edit source]

* Oakland County Government official website
* Map of Oakland County
* The Road Commission for Oakland County
* An Account of Oakland County edited by Lillian Drake Avery. Dayton, Ohio: National Historical Association, Inc., [1925?]
* "Bibliography on Oakland County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
* Automation Alley

Places adjacent to Oakland County, Michigan

| Genesee County | Genesee County
Lapeer County | Lapeer County

|
|

|  |
Livingston County |

Oakland County, MichiganEast

| Macomb County
| South |
Washtenaw County | Wayne County | Wayne County (Detroit)

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Oakland County, Michigan, United States

County seat: Pontiac

Cities|

* Auburn Hills
* Berkley
* Birmingham
* Bloomfield Hills
* Clarkston
* Clawson
* Farmington
* Farmington Hills
* Fenton‡
* Ferndale
* Hazel Park
* Huntington Woods
* Keego Harbor
* Lake Angelus
* Lathrup Village
* Madison Heights
* Northville‡
* Novi
* Oak Park
* Orchard Lake Village
* Pleasant Ridge
* Pontiac
* Rochester
* Rochester Hills
* Royal Oak
* South Lyon
* Southfield
* Sylvan Lake
* Troy
* Walled Lake
* Wixom

Map of Michigan highlighting Oakland County

Villages|

* Beverly Hills
* Bingham Farms
* Franklin
* Holly
* Lake Orion
* Leonard
* Milford
* Ortonville
* Oxford
* Wolverine Lake

Charter
townships|

* Bloomfield
* Brandon
* Commerce
* Highland
* Independence
* Lyon
* Milford
* Oakland
* Orion
* Oxford
* Pontiac (defunct)
* Royal Oak
* Springfield
* Waterford
* West Bloomfield
* White Lake

Civil townships|

* Addison
* Groveland
* Holly
* Novi
* Rose
* Southfield

Unincorporated
communities|

* Andersonville
* Austin Corners
* Brandon Gardens
* Campbells Corner
* Charing Cross
* Clintonville
* Clyde
* Commerce
* Davisburg
* Drayton Plains
* East Highland
* Elizabeth Lake
* Five Points
* Four Towns
* Gingellville
* Glengary
* Goodison
* Groveland Corners
* Hickory Ridge
* Highland
* Huron Heights
* Jossman Acres
* Kensington
* Lake Orion Heights
* Lakeville
* New Hudson
* Newark
* Oak Grove
* Oakley Park
* Oakwood
* Oxbow
* Perry Lake Heights
* Rose Center
* Rose Corners
* Rudds Mill
* Seven Harbors
* Springfield
* Thomas
* Union Lake
* Walters
* Waterford
* Waterstone
* West Highland
* Westacres
* White Lake

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* United States portal

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Metro Detroit

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A satellite image of Metro Detroit, with Windsor across the river, taken on ESA's Sentinel-2 satellite in September 2021.

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Municipalities
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Municipalities
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Cultural
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Satellite cities|

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Counties in MSA|

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Counties in CSA|

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* File:Flag of Michigan.svg Michigan
* United States

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|

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Largest
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Counties|

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Coordinates: 42°40′N 83°23′W﻿ / ﻿42.66°N 83.38°W﻿ / 42.66; -83.38
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