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Oakland County, Michigan
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Everything about Oakland County Michigan totally explained The county's automotive-oriented economic base, coined " Automation Alley", is one of the largest employment centers for engineering and related occupations in the United States. Oakland County has shared in the recent economic hardships brought on by troubles at General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, although it has fared better than Detroit and Flint, as its economy is more diverse and less reliant on manufacturing jobs. All three automotive companies are major employers within southeast Michigan, and have significant investments within Oakland County.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 908 square miles (2,352 km²). Of that, 873 square miles (2,260 km²) is land and 35 square miles (92 km²) of it (3.91%) is water.
Oakland County was originally divided into 25 separate townships, which are listed below. Each township is roughly equal in size at six miles by six miles for a total township area of 36 square miles. 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. The southern boundary is 8 Mile Road, also known as "Baseline Road" in some areas. The baseline was used during the original surveying for Michigan, and serves as the northern/southern boundaries for counties from Lake St. Clair all the way to Lake Michigan. This divide (8 Mile Road) has been widely known as an unofficial racial dividing line between the largely black city and mostly white suburbs, although this pattern of de facto segregation has lessened somewhat in recent years, particularly in communities west of Woodward Avenue, where the African-American population has been on the increase.
Adjacent counties
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,194,156 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density 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 racial makeup of the county was 82.75% White, 10.11% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 4.14% Asian American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. 2.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.4% were of German, 9.0% Irish, 8.5% English, 8.5% Polish, 5.7% Italian and 5.5% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 87.4% spoke English, 2.0% Spanish, 1.3% Syriac and 1.0% Arabic as their first language.
The 2000 census showed two Native American tribes with over 1,000 members in Oakland County. There were 2,095 Cherokee and 1,458 Chippewa.
There were 471,115 households out 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 over 1,000 members in the county. The most numerous were those of Asian Indian decent, 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.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.20% 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 $61,907, and the median income for a family was $75,540. Males had a median income of $55,833 versus $35,890 for females. The per capita income for the county was $32,534. 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.
In 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that non-Hispanic whites (including Arabs and Chaldeans) were 78.6% of the population; African Americans, 11.8%; Asian Americans, 5.3%; and Hispanic or Latino people (of any race) 2.8%.
History
Created by territorial Gov. Lewis Cass in 1819, sparsely settled Oakland was twice its current size at first, but shrank as Michigan's population grew and new counties were established. Woodward Avenue and the Detroit and Pontiac Railroad helped draw settlers in the 1840s. By 1840, Oakland had more than fifty mills. Pontiac, located on the Clinton River, was Oakland's first town and became the county seat. After the Civil War, Oakland was mainly an agricultural county with numerous isolated villages. By the end of the 19th Century, three rail lines served Pontiacand the city attracted carriage and wagon factories. Streetcars began moving people in the late 1890s.
Developers turned southern Oakland County into a suburb of Detroit in the 1890s, when 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 Co. was born in 1907 and became a part of General Motors Corp., which was soon Pontiac's dominate firm.
In the 1950s, jobs and people began leaving Detroit. Northland Center opened in 1954. Oakland County passed Wayne County in effective buying power by 1961, when it ranked 28th in the nation in household income. It ranked second-highest nationally in per capita income for counties of more than a million people, behind New York County ( Manhattan). The median price of a home in Oakland County skyrocketed to $164,697, more than $30,000 above the national median.
Notable People from Oakland County
Actors/Actresses
David Spade Birmingham, Michigan
Kristen Bell Huntington Woods, Michigan
Selma Blair Southfield, Michigan
Government
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 only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. 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. However Oakland County operates a Police force that's used throughout the county. Several cities don't have personalized police forces, but rather separate branches of the County Police have been set up for these regions. For instance, the City of Rochester Hills doesn't have a "Rochester Hills Police Department" but instead simply has cars marked Oakland County police. That branch operates as the Oakland County Police Department of Rochester Hills.
Roads that are not maintained by a local community (city/village) are maintained by the Road Commission for Oakland County , which is governed by three board members appointed by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners.
Oakland County Elected Officials
County Executive: L. Brooks Patterson (Republican)
Prosecuting Attorney: David Gorcyca (Republican)
Sheriff: Michael J. Bouchard (Republican)
County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Ruth Johnson (Republican)
County Treasurer: Patrick M. Dohany (Republican)
Drain Commissioner: John P. McCulloch (Republican)
Board of Commissioners: 25 members, elected from districts (13 Republicans, 12 Democrats)
(information as of January 2007)
Politics
Presidential Election Results 1960-2004>
| Year |
Democrat |
Republican |
| 2004 |
49.75% 319,387 |
49.32% 316,633 |
| 2000 |
49.31% 281,201 |
48.10% 274,319 |
| 1996 |
47.84% 241,884 |
43.48% 219,855 |
| 1992 |
38.64% 214,733 |
43.57% 242,160 |
| 1988 |
37.78% 174,745 |
61.27% 283,359 |
| 1984 |
32.76% 150,286 |
66.71% 306,050 |
| 1980 |
35.58% 164,869 |
54.65% 253,211 |
| 1976 |
39.47% 164,266 |
58.69% 244,271 |
| 1972 |
34.16% 129,400 |
63.78% 241,613 |
| 1968 |
44.76% 154,630 |
45.31% 156,538 |
| 1964 |
61.44% 182,797 |
38.33% 114,025 |
| 1960 |
45.39% 135,531 |
54.27% 162,026 |
Cities, villages, and townships
Cities
1In the 2000 Census, Farmington Hills was the most populous city in the county. As of the 2005 Census estimates, Troy is now the most populous city.
Villages
Beverly Hills
Bingham Farms
Franklin
Holly
Lake Orion
Leonard
Milford
Ortonville
Oxford
Wolverine Lake
Townships
* Township has been incorporated into a city: Avon to the City of Rochester Hills, Farmington to the City of Farmington Hills, Pontiac to the City of Pontiac and City of Auburn Hills, and Troy to the City of Troy. For survey purposes, these areas are still referred to by the assigned township name.
Transportation
Air
Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET) (Detroit) - General aviation only. This airport is in neighboring Wayne County in the city of Detroit.
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) (Romulus) - Major commercial airport, hub for Northwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines; located in Wayne County.
Flint-Bishop International Airport(FNT) (Flint) - Commercial airport, which is located in neighboring Genessee County.
Oakland County International Airport (PTK) Waterford Township) - Charter passenger facility
Major Highways
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(Chrysler and Fisher Freeways) is the region's main north-south route, serving Flint, Pontiac, Troy, and Detroit, before continuing south (as the Fisher Freeway) to serve many of the communities along the shore of Lake Erie. |
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runs northwest-southeast through Oakland County and (as the Jeffries Freeway) has its eastern terminus in downtown Detroit. |
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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. |
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(Walter 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 semi-circle around Detroit. |
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US-24 ends north of Pontiac at I-75. Southbound, US 24 serves suburban Detroit and Monroe before crossing into Ohio. US 24 is referred to locally as Telegraph Road (US 24) and it's a major north-south road extending from Toledo, Ohio through Monroe, Wayne, and Oakland Counties to Pontiac. It has gained notoriety in a song (Telegraph Road) by the group Dire Straits. |
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M-1 (Woodward Ave.) northbound ends in Pontiac. Southbound, the highway routes to directly to downtown Detroit. M-1 is locally known as Woodward Avenue. The Detroit Zoo is located along M-1 in Oakland County. Also routed along M-1 is the Woodward Dream Cruise, a classic car cruise from Pontiac to Ferndale that's held in August. It is the largest single day classic car cruise in America. |
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M-5 |
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M-10: The John C. Lodge Freeway) runs largely parallel to I-75 from Southfield to downtown, and connects with I-75 via Jefferson Avenue. |
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M-15 |
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M-24 (Telegraph Road) southbound ends at I-75, north of Pontiac. Northbound, the highway routes to Lapeer. Note: M-24 doesn't intersect with US 24. |
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M-39 Best known as the "Southfield Freeway," M-39 runs north-south from Southfield to Allen Park from I-94. North of 10 Mile, the freeway ends and continues as Southfield Road into Birmingham. |
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M-59 (Veterans Memorial Freeway from Utica to Pontiac), continues east as Hall Road to Clinton Township and west as various surface roads to I-96 near Howell |
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M-102 Perhaps better known as 8 Mile Road, M-102 follows the Oakland/Wayne County boundary 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 as well as the boundary for Illinois and Wisconsin. Designated as M-102 for much of its length in Wayne County. |
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M-150 serves as a spur highway from I-75 into the city of Rochester. |
Other Major Roads
Grand River Avenue connects the suburbs of Brighton, Novi, and Farmington to downtown Detroit. The avenue is routed along the route of old US 16, before I-96 replaced it in 1962. It is one of the 5 roads planned by Judge August Woodward to radiate out from Detroit and connect the city to other parts of the state.
"Mile" Roads
Surface street navigation in Metro Detroit is commonly anchored by "mile roads," major east-west surface streets that are spaced at one-mile intervals and increment as one travels north and away from the city center. Mile roads sometimes have two names, the numeric name (ex. 15 Mile Road) used in Macomb County and a local name (ex. Maple Road) used in Oakland County mostly.
Programs
Oakland County established the first County-level Main Street program in the U.S. in February 2000.
Main Street Oakland County (MSOC) is housed within the Planning Group of the Planning & Economic Development Services Division of Oakland County's Department of Community & Economic Development. Oakland County is now a partner with the National Trust's Main Street Center and contracts with them for services to the County and local communities.
MSOC...
Empowers Oakland County's traditional downtowns to establish and/or maintain successful, comprehensive, ongoing revitalization programs
Builds a greater awareness of the economic and quality of life importance of revitalizing and maintaining the County's historic commercial districts
Provides the stakeholders of Oakland County's traditional downtowns with technical assistance and training resources
Provides information about downtown revitalization to the County's communities, business organizations, and residents
Assists communities in implementing the "Main Street Four Point Approach" to downtown management in each of the County's traditional downtowns and corridors
Facilitates networking and communication between communities about downtown revitalization
Provides information about County business finance programs and other economic development resources to existing downtown businesses and to those considering downtown locations
Monitors and measures progress and success in local downtown revitalization efforts
Assists each of the 30 traditional downtowns and town centers in the County to help them realize their full economic development potential while preserving their sense of place.
MSOC is currently working with 12 downtowns in Oakland County. These communities were selected after a detailed application process where they demonstrated their readiness and commitment to participating in the National Trust Main Street program.
Oakland County's Main Street Communities
Education
Colleges and Universities
Oakland County is home to several important institutions of higher education.
Oakland University, located in Rochester, is a growing research university with more than 18,000 students. Rated as one of the country's 82 Doctoral/Research universities by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, OU announced plans in the spring of 2007 to establish a medical school on its campus in collaboration with William Beaumont Hospital. The medical school, which will be the fourth in the state of Michigan to offer the M.D. degree, is slated to open in 2010. The Thomas M. Cooley Law School also operates one of its campuses at OU.
Lawrence Technological University, located in Southfield, has a current enrollment of around 4,000 students. Lawrence Tech, which was originally founded in 1932 as Lawrence Institute of Technology, is consistently ranked in the top tier of Midwestern Master's Universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings.
Rochester College, located in Rochester Hills, has a current enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. Affiliated with the Churches of Christ, Rochester College offers a variety of academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, business, and education.
Walsh College, officially Walsh College of Accountancy and Business, has campuses in Troy, Novi, and in Macomb County.
Oakland Community College, which is one of Michigan's largest community colleges, operates 5 campuses throughout Oakland County: Orchard Ridge, Auburn Hills, Southfield, Highland Lakes, and Royal Oak.
Primary and Secondary Education
Many of the public school districts in Oakland County boast multiple "National Exemplary" Schools. The International Academy (IA), which is part of the Bloomfield Hills School District, has been ranked by Newsweek as one of the top 10 public high schools in the nation every year since 2003, when IA was ranked the top public high school in the United States.
Oakland County also boasts a number of prestigious private schools, including the Detroit Country Day School, the Cranbrook Schools, and the Roeper School.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Oakland County Michigan'.
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