Port Huron is a city in St. Clair County, Michigan, United States, and serves as the county’s main city. According to the 2020 census, the population was 28,983. The city is located west of Port Huron Township, but the two areas are governed separately. Port Huron is the largest city in the Thumb area of Michigan and is the main city in the Blue Water Area, which has recently been renamed Michigan’s Thumb Coast for tourism purposes.

The city is located along the beginning of the St. Clair River at the southern end of Lake Huron. It lies along the border between the United States and Canada, directly across the river from Sarnia, Ontario. The two cities are connected by the Blue Water Bridge, which marks the eastern end of Interstate 69 and Interstate 94. Port Huron contains the farthest east point of land in Michigan and is one of the northernmost parts of the Detroit–Warren–Dearborn Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Metro Detroit.

History

This area was long occupied by the Ojibwa people. French colonists had a temporary trading post and fort at this site in the 17th century.

In 1814, after the War of 1812, the United States built Fort Gratiot at the base of Lake Huron. A community grew around it. The early 19th century was the first time a settlement developed here with a permanent European-American population. In the 19th century, the United States created an Ojibwa reservation in part of what is now Port Huron, in exchange for their giving up land through a treaty to allow European-American settlement. However, in 1836, under Indian Removal, the U.S. forced the Ojibwa to move west of the Mississippi River and resettle in what are now Wisconsin and Minnesota.

In 1857, Port Huron became a city. Its population grew quickly after the 1850s because many people from Europe came to work in shipbuilding and lumber industries in Michigan. These industries helped develop areas around the Great Lakes and the Midwest. In 1859, the city had 4,031 residents; about 1,855, or 46%, were foreign-born or their children (first-generation Americans).

By 1870, Port Huron’s population was larger than nearby villages. In 1871, the State Supreme Court made Port Huron the county seat of St. Clair County.

On October 8, 1871, the city and areas in Sanilac and Huron counties burned in the Port Huron Fire of 1871. That same day, fires also destroyed Holland and Manistee, as well as Peshtigo, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois. A decade later, the Thumb Fire also damaged Port Huron.

In 1895, the village of Fort Gratiot, near the old Fort Gratiot, was added to the city of Port Huron.

The following historic sites have been recognized by the State of Michigan through its historic marker program.

• Fort St. Joseph: The French explorer Duluth built the fort in 1686. It was the second European settlement in lower Michigan. The fort protected the upper end of the St. Clair River, a key waterway connecting Lake Erie and Lake Huron. The French built it to stop English traders from reaching the upper lakes. In 1687, the fort was the base for a French and Indian garrison. In 1688, the French abandoned the fort. The site became part of Fort Gratiot in 1814. A park now marks the old fort location.

• Fort Gratiot Light: The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse was built in 1829 to replace a tower destroyed by a storm. In the 1860s, workers made the tower taller, reaching its current height of 84 feet (26 meters). The lighthouse, automated in 1933, still helps guide ships on Lake Huron into the St. Clair River. It was the first lighthouse in Michigan.

• Lightship Huron: From 1935 to 1970, the Huron marked dangerous shoals in southern Lake Huron. After 1940, it was the only lightship on the Great Lakes. Retired in 1970, it was given to the City of Port Huron in 1971.

• Grand Trunk Railway Depot: This building, now part of the Port Huron Museum, was where 12-year-old Thomas Edison left daily on the Port Huron–Detroit train route. In 1859, Edison convinced the railroad company to let him sell newspapers and candy on the trips. He became so successful he hired two other boys to help. He earned enough money to support himself and buy supplies for his experiments.

• Port Huron Public Library: In 1902, the city got money from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to build a public library. A grand building was completed in 1904 at a cost of $45,000. At its opening, Melvil Dewey, who created a widely used book classification system, gave a speech. The library served the city for over 60 years. In 1967, a larger library was built. The old library was renovated and became the Port Huron Museum of Arts and History in 1968. An addition was built in 1988.

• Harrington Hotel: The hotel opened in 1896 and mixes Romanesque, Classical, and Queen Anne architectural styles. It closed in 1986 but was later bought by investors who turned it into housing for seniors. The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Grand Trunk Western Railroad Tunnel: The tunnel opened in 1891 and connects Port Huron to Canada. It was the first international tunnel in the world. The tunnel is 6,025 feet (1,836 meters) long, with 2,290 feet (700 meters) underwater. Operations were electrified in 1908 and later switched to diesel fuel. Tracks were lowered in 1949 to fit larger freight cars. During World War I, a plan to destroy the tunnel was stopped. A new tunnel has since been built.

The city was hit by a violent F4 tornado on May 21, 1953, which damaged or destroyed over 400 buildings, killed two people, and injured 68 others.

The city received the All-America City Award in 1955 and 2005.

In June 1962, the Port Huron Statement, a New Left manifesto, was adopted at a convention of the Students for a Democratic Society. The convention took place at a United Auto Workers retreat north of the city (now part of Lakeport State Park). A historical marker will be placed at the site in 2025.

Port Huron was the site of a lynching of an African-American man in 1889. On May 27, 1889, a mob of white men attacked the county jail to capture 23-year-old Albert Martin, a mixed-race man accused of attacking a woman. They hanged him from the 7th Street Bridge. A memorial was placed at the site in 2018, and the city worked with the Equal Justice Initiative to honor Martin’s story.

On November 11, 2017, veterans from across the country, including Dave Norris, Clitus Schuyler, and Lou Ann Dubuque, gathered at a cemetery in Port Huron to share the meaning of Veterans Day.

In April 2023, the Pere Marquette Railway bascule bridge was demolished after a nearly 10-year debate between preservationists and the Port Huron Yacht Club. Built in

Geography

The city has a total area of 12.26 square miles (31.75 km²), with 8.08 square miles (20.93 km²) being land and 4.18 square miles (10.83 km²) being water. It is part of the Thumb area in East-Central Michigan, also known as the Blue Water Area. The easternmost point of Michigan (on land) is located in Port Huron, near the Municipal Office Center and the wastewater treatment plant. The Black River runs through the city, splitting it into two parts. It flows through Port Huron and empties into the St. Clair River near the downtown area.

Port Huron has a humid continental climate, classified as Dfa. This means the city experiences hot summers, cold winters, and receives rain or snow throughout the year.

Demographics

Port Huron is the largest city in the Thumb area and serves as an important place for work and business in the region.

According to the 2020 census, Port Huron had a population of 28,983 people. The average age of residents was 38.4 years. About 22.6% of people were younger than 18, and 16.7% were 65 years old or older. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females aged 18 or older, there were 89.8 males aged 18 or older.

All residents lived in urban areas, and no one lived in rural areas.

There were 12,318 households in Port Huron. Of these, 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. About 30.0% of households were married couples, 23.2% were led by a man without a spouse or partner, and 36.4% were led by a woman without a spouse or partner. Approximately 36.7% of households had only one person living in them, and 14.4% had someone 65 years old or older living alone.

There were 13,428 housing units, and 8.3% of them were empty. Of the empty units, 1.8% were owned homes and 5.9% were rental homes.

As of the 2010 census, there were 30,184 people, 12,177 households, and 7,311 families in the city. The population density was 3,735.6 people per square mile. There were 13,871 housing units, with an average density of 1,716.7 units per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 84.0% White, 9.1% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 1.2% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents made up 5.4% of the population.

There were 12,177 households in 2010. Of these, 32.5% had children under 18 living with them, 34.5% were married couples, 19.9% were led by a woman without a husband, 5.6% were led by a man without a wife, and 40.0% were non-family households. About 33.0% of households had only one person living in them, and 11.8% had someone 65 years old or older living alone. The average household size was 2.42 people, and the average family size was 3.03 people.

The median age in the city was 35.8 years. About 25.6% of residents were younger than 18, 9.9% were between 18 and 24, 26.3% were between 25 and 44, 25.2% were between 45 and 64, and 13.1% were 65 years old or older. The city had 47.8% males and 52.2% females.

According to City Manager James Freed, "the majority of the community is senior citizens."

Culture

• The Port Huron Museum includes four different museums: Carnegie Center (Port Huron Museum), Huron Lightship, Thomas Edison Depot Museum, and Fort Gratiot Lighthouse.
• The Great Lakes Maritime Center helps visitors learn about the history of the Great Lakes. Large ships called freighters pass close to the building’s glass windows, and there is a live underwater camera.
• The Desmond District Demons is a horror film festival held every October. It supports the horror film genre by showing films made by independent creators and hosting an art exhibition featuring local artists.
• The Black River Film Society is a group that promotes independent film screenings in the community. It hosts events such as the premiere of the film Stockholm (2018), Tough Guy: The Bob Probert Story, and Sincerely Brenda.
• The School for Strings holds more than 50 concerts yearly with its Fiddle Club, Faculty, and Student Ensembles. It teaches music lessons in the area.
• Every year, the Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race starts in Port Huron, north of the Blue Water Bridge, and ends at Mackinac Island across Lake Huron. Some boaters consider it a shorter version of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.
• The Port Huron Civic Theatre began in 1956 by a group of people who loved theater. Since 1983, it has used McMorran Place for its performances.
• The Blue Water Film Festival (2010–2014) took place in the fall and featured well-known people such as Chris Gore, Sid Haig, Curtis Armstrong, Timothy Busfield, Loni Love, and Dave Coulier.
• The main library of St. Clair County is located in downtown Port Huron. It has over 285,300 books, nearly 200 magazine subscriptions, and more than 22,700 books on tape, audiobooks, music CDs, cassettes, and videos.
• The International Symphony Orchestra of Sarnia, Ontario, and Port Huron, Michigan, performs concerts at McMorran Place, Port Huron Northern Theatre, and Temple Baptist Church in Sarnia.
• The Olde Town Historic District includes over 100 homes and buildings. It is Port Huron’s first and only residential historic district. The Olde Town Historic Neighborhood Association works to protect old buildings and hosts events like annual historic home tours, flower planting, and Christmas decorations.
• The Welkin Base Ball Club is Port Huron’s historic vintage baseball team. It re-creates the style of Port Huron’s first baseball club from 1867.

The film Young Tom Edison, starring Mickey Rooney, premiered in Port Huron in 1940.
A reference to the Port Huron Statement appeared in the Coen brothers’ 1998 film The Big Lebowski.
The Blue Water Bridge was used for a car crash and explosion scene in the 2000 film Bless the Child.
In 2009, the TV show Criminal Minds used Port Huron and Detroit as locations for an episode involving crossing the border into Ontario.

Sports

Port Huron has a long history of minor league hockey. The Port Huron Flags played in the original International Hockey League from 1962 to 1981. They won three Turner Cup championships in 1966, 1971, and 1972. The team’s top scorers included Ken Gribbons, who played most of his career in the IHL; Bob McCammon, who later became an NHL coach for the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks; and Bill LeCaine and Larry Gould, who each played a few games in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks. Mike Emrick, a famous NHL broadcaster, began his career as a play-by-play announcer for the Flags on AM 1450 WHLS in the 1970s. He later worked for NBC Sports, broadcasting Olympic and Stanley Cup games, and often appears on WPHM.

Port Huron also had teams in the Colonial Hockey League, which operated under other names like the United Hockey League and International Hockey League. The team existed from 1996 until 2010. It was first called the Border Cats, then renamed the Beacons in 2002, the Flags in 2005, and the Icehawks in 2007. Notable players included Bob McKillop, Jason Firth, Tab Lardner, and Brent Gretzky. The Port Huron Fighting Falcons, a junior team in the North American Hockey League, played at McMorran Place from 2010 to 2013. The team moved to Connellsville, PA, in 2014 and was renamed the Keystone Ice Miners. Port Huron is also home to the Port Huron Prowlers, a team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League.

The Port Huron Pirates were a successful indoor football team in the Great Lakes Indoor Football League until they moved to Flint, MI. McMorran Arena later hosted the Port Huron Predators, an indoor football team in the Continental Indoor Football League, in 2011. The Predators did not complete the 2011 season and were replaced in 2012 by the Port Huron Patriots, who also played in the CIFL.

After the death of Mayor Oliver M. “Scotty” Hanton in 1975, the city council created an annual marathon in his honor. The Scotty Hanton Marathon was held every summer in Port Huron from 1976 until 2000.

Parks

The City of Port Huron owns and manages 17 waterfront areas that cover 102 acres (0.4 km²) and have 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of shoreline. These areas include three public beaches, six parks with picnic spaces, and nine scenic turnout sites with more than 250 parking spaces. The city also operates the largest municipal marina system in the state, with five separate locations for boat mooring.

In addition, the city has 14 public parks, 4 smaller parks for young children, 19 playgrounds owned by the city, and 9 playgrounds owned by schools. There are 33 tennis courts, including 16 at schools and 6 indoors. The city also has 3 public beaches, 4 public swimming pools, 1 community center, and 1 public parkway.

Government

The city government of Port Huron uses a type of organization called a council–manager system. The City Council is in charge of choosing a city manager, who acts as the main administrator for the city. The city manager oversees daily operations and follows the rules set by the City Council. As the main administrator, the city manager organizes the city’s administrative work and can choose or remove officials who manage city departments. The City Council includes seven members: one mayor and six council members. Since the 2011 election, voters have chosen the mayor and council members separately. Council members serve four-year terms that start at different times, and the mayor serves a two-year term. The city collects income tax at a rate of 1 percent from residents and 0.5 percent from nonresidents.

The current mayor is Anita Ashford, who was elected in November 2024 for her first two-year term after defeating Pauline Repp, who had served for many years.

Port Huron is located in Michigan’s 64th State House District and is represented by Republican Joseph G. Pavlov in the state legislature. In the State Senate, the city is part of the 25th State Senate District, represented by Dan Lauwers.

At the federal level, Port Huron is in Michigan’s 9th Congressional District, which is represented by Republican Lisa McClain, who was elected in 2022.

In early 2025, people in Port Huron began working to allow residents to keep backyard chickens. Supporters said this could help families who have trouble getting enough healthy food, as about one in twelve families in the city struggles with food access. They argued that raising chickens could provide a steady source of protein and help communities become more self-reliant by sharing extra eggs.

On March 10, 2025, the Port Huron City Council discussed a plan to change local rules to let residents keep up to five hens on properties that are at least a quarter-acre in size. Supporters said this would help the environment, reduce dependence on outside food sources, and match practices in other Michigan cities like Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor. The plan included rules to address concerns about noise and animal care, such as banning roosters and working with the St. Clair County Humane Society to handle complaints.

The rule change was officially proposed on April 14, 2025, and the City Council approved it with a vote of 6–1. The new rules say hens must live in a backyard coop with at least one square foot of space per bird and an enclosed run no larger than eight feet by eight feet. Coops must be at least ten feet from property lines and twenty feet from nearby homes. The rules also require daily feeding and watering, regular cleaning to prevent pests, and prohibit keeping hens inside homes, porches, or attached garages.

These changes in Port Huron show a growing trend in Michigan to support urban farming and self-sufficiency. In February 2025, State Representative Jim DeSana proposed a bill to make it easier for residents to keep backyard chickens by reducing zoning restrictions. The bill would allow people with at least a quarter-acre of land to keep up to five hens per quarter-acre, with a maximum of twenty-five hens. The goal of the bill is to improve food security and lower grocery costs for families.

Education

• Port Huron Northern High School
• Port Huron High School
• Harrison Center
• St. Clair County Community College

Economy

Some of Port Huron's earliest industries were connected to agriculture and forest products.

Lumbering in the Port Huron region began on the Black River around 1827. It quickly became the center of the lumbering industry in the area, where logs from further north in The Thumb could be floated down the river. The need to supply Port Huron's sawmills with fresh timber led to the creation of the Port Huron and Northwestern Railroad. This helped grow the city's shipbuilding industry.

A large grain elevator was located on the St. Clair River just north of the current Municipal Office Center. A bean dock was also on the St. Clair River, where dry edible beans from areas north in The Thumb were loaded onto ships. The dock was operated by the Port Huron Terminal Company. Today, the bean dock is used as an event venue.

Port Huron was a national leader in the chicory coffee substitute industry. In 1902, future Congressman Henry McMorran started a chicory processing plant on the Black River near 12th Avenue. A second chicory plant operated at 3rd and Court Streets in Port Huron. McMorran's son later bought this plant. Weeds from the Thumb and Saginaw Valleys were brought to Port Huron for processing and then shipped worldwide. Chicory was often used as a coffee substitute, especially during wartime.

Wartime also brought another industry to Port Huron: the Mueller Metals Company. In 1917, the company built a factory in Port Huron to make shell casings for World War I. The factory was originally owned by the Mueller Co. and later became its own company called Mueller Industries. The Port Huron factory is still operating today on Lapeer Road on the city's west side, where it makes valves and fittings.

The Jenks Shipbuilding Company was founded in 1889 and later renamed Port Huron Shipbuilding in 1903. The company stopped operating sometime after 1908. The shipyard was located on the north bank of the Black River between Erie Street and Quay Street. This area is now a parking lot for Bowl O Drome and Port Huron Kayak Launch.

Ships built by Jenks include:

• SS Henry Steinbrenner: A 1901 bulk freighter that sank during a storm on Lake Superior.
• SS John B. Cowle: A 1902 bulk freighter.
• MS Normac: A 1902 former fireboat and floating restaurant.
• SS Eastland: A 1902 passenger vessel that capsized in Chicago, causing the worst maritime disaster on the Great Lakes.

The Upton Manufacturing Company moved to Port Huron in 1890 and started making steam tractors under the name Port Huron Engine and Thresher Company. The company produced steam traction engines, agricultural machinery, and construction equipment. Over 6,000 units were made in Port Huron before the factory closed in 1920.

The discovery of oil near Petrolia, Ontario, led to oil speculation in the area. In 1886, Michigan's first commercial oil well was drilled in Port Huron. By 1910, 21 wells had been drilled in the city, with "small amounts of oil and gas" found. Though not much oil was produced, this discovery led to further exploration in St. Clair County and Mid-Michigan.

There were two paper mills in Port Huron. The first was the Michigan Sulphite Fibre Company, which later became the Port Huron Sulphite and Paper Company. It opened in 1888 and made paper clothing at a factory along the Black River. The company later focused on specialty papers and was sold to the E. B. Eddy Company in 1987. E. B. Eddy was later bought by Domtar in 1998. The mill specialized in papers for the medical and food service industries.

Next to the Domtar Mill was the site of the former Acheson Colloids Company. Dr. Edward Acheson founded the company in 1908, which made chemical and carbon-based products. The carbon produced by Acheson was used to make carbon paper at the Port Huron Paper Company under the Huron Copysette brand. The factory was bought by Henkel and closed in 2010. Henkel still makes ink and carbon products using the Acheson name.

Dunn Sulphite Paper Co. was built on the shores of Lake Huron in 1924, just north of the Blue Water Bridge. It was a specialty paper mill owned by the Dunn Family of Port Huron for the first 25 years. After several sales to larger companies, including the James River Corporation, the mill was bought by a private equity firm in 2003, which restored the Dunn name. The Dunn Paper mill closed in 2022, and the remaining mills were renamed BiOrigin Specialty Products.

Domtar closed the Port Huron mill in 2021. In 2025, it was announced that the former Domtar Mill would restart production on one of its paper machines under the ownership of Legacy Paper Group.

The Peerless Cement Company operated a cement plant just south of the Blue Water Bridge from 1924 to 1973. The site is now the location of the Edison Inn and Blue Water Convention Center.

The Havers Motor Car Company made cars in Port Huron from 1911 to 1914 in buildings previously used by the Port Huron Engine and Thresher Company.

Media

The first radio station to begin broadcasting in Port Huron was WAFD, which stood for "We Are Ford Dealers." The station was owned by the Albert B. Parfet Company, a local Ford car dealership. WAFD started broadcasting on March 4, 1925, and stopped broadcasting in 1926. Plans were made to move the station to Detroit.

WHLS began broadcasting in 1938, at the same time the Blue Water Bridge opened. It was founded by Harold Leroy Stevens and Fred Knorr. John Wismer became a part owner of the station in 1952. Later, he started the first cable television system in Port Huron and launched the station WSAQ in 1983. Wismer died in 1999. WHLS was the longest continuously operating radio station in the region until it changed its call sign to WPHM on April 6, 2026. The station was canceled on April 10, 2026.

The Times Herald started its own radio station in 1947, called WTTH. This station later became WPHM and was bought by Lee Hanson in 1986. WPHM received an FM sister station called WBTI in 1992. Wismer and Hanson competed against each other until both were bought by Bob Liggett’s Radio First in 2000.

Port Huron Family Radio is the licensee of WGRT, a commercial radio station that plays Adult Contemporary music. Other radio stations in the area include WRSX (an affiliate of Michigan Public and NPR), the high school station WORW, and religious broadcasters WNFA and WNFR.

• The Times Herald is a daily newspaper that serves St. Clair County and Sanilac County. It is owned by Gannett, the same company that owns the Detroit Free Press and USA Today.
• Daily editions of the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News are also available in the area.

St. Clair County is part of the Detroit television market. The following channels are available on Comcast:

St. Clair County also receives signals from the Sarnia/London area, but these stations are not currently carried on cable.

Transportation

Two interstates end at the Port Huron-to-Sarnia Blue Water Bridge, where they connect to Highway 402.

I-69 enters the area from the west, coming from Lansing and Flint, and ends at the entrance to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, along with I-94. On the Canadian side, in Sarnia, Ontario, the route continues east and becomes Highway 402. (When completed, I-69 will stretch from the U.S.–Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas, to the U.S.–Canada border in Port Huron, Michigan.)

I-94 enters the Port Huron area from the southwest, passing through the Metro Detroit region, and ends at the entrance to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, along with I-69. On the Canadian side, in Sarnia, Ontario, the route continues east and becomes Highway 402.

BL I-69
BL I-94

M-25 follows the shoreline of Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, starting in Bay City and ending at a junction with I-94/I-69 and BL I-94/BL I-69 on the north side of the city.

M-29 begins at BL I-94 in Marysville, just south of the city, and continues south.

M-136 runs west from M-25 to M-19.

The Blue Water Area Transit system, established in 1976, includes eight routes in the Port Huron area. Blue Water Transit operates the Blue Water Trolley, which offers a one-hour tour of local attractions. Recently, Blue Water Area Transit received a state grant to purchase new buses for a route connecting Port Huron to New Baltimore, about 30 miles (48 km) south. Commuters can take an express bus traveling along I-94 and get off at the 23 Mile Road SMART Bus stop. At the same time, another bus will travel along M-25 and M-29, picking up commuters in Marysville, Saint Clair, and Algonac before reaching the same stop on 23 Mile Road. This new system will help people in St. Clair County travel through Metro Detroit.

Amtrak provides passenger train service between cities on the Blue Water route from Chicago to Port Huron (Amtrak station). Two major freight railroads operate in Port Huron—Canadian National Railway (CN) and CSX Transportation (CSXT)—with international connections through the St. Clair Tunnel. Via Rail offers train service from Toronto to Sarnia (part of the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor), but this train does not cross the river, requiring passengers to arrange road travel to Port Huron.

St. Clair County International Airport is a public airport located five miles (8 km) southwest of the central business district.

Notable people

• Edward Goodrich Acheson (1856–1931), inventor of carborundum
• Emma Eliza Bower (1852–1937), physician, community leader, and owner, publisher, and editor of a newspaper
• Burt D. Cady, politician
• Jack Campbell, hockey player
• Ezra C. Carleton, mayor and member of Congress
• Robert Hardy Cleland, judge
• Omar D. Conger, senator for Michigan
• Deepchord, electronic music producer
• Thomas Edison (1847–1931), inventor and business owner who moved to Port Huron in 1854
• Elizabeth Farrand, author and librarian
• Shawn Faulkner, football player
• Eugene Fechet, army officer
• Otto Fetting, religious leader
• Obadiah Gardner, senator for Maine
• Jim Gosger, baseball player
• Dorothy Henry, illustrator, cartoonist, and painter
• Bill Hogg, baseball pitcher
• Herbert W. Kalmbach, lawyer who worked for President Richard Nixon
• Fred Lamlein, baseball player
• Michael Mallory, author
• Steve Mazur, guitarist
• William McColl, clarinetist
• Robert J. McIntosh, politician and pilot
• Terry McMillan, author
• Henry McMorran, businessman and member of Congress
• Marko Mitchell, football wide receiver
• Colleen Moore, actress during the silent movie era
• John Morrow, football center
• Jason Motte, baseball pitcher
• Robert C. Odle Jr., lawyer
• Clifford Patrick O'Sullivan, judge
• Dick Van Raaphorst, football placekicker
• Kevin Rivers, businessman in technology and songwriter
• Mary Alma Ryan, Catholic nun and leader of the school that became Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
• Frank Secory, baseball player and umpire
• Frederick C. Sherman, admiral
• Annah May Soule (1859–1905), professor at Mount Holyoke College
• Nina Spalding Stevens (1876–1959), museum director
• Sara Stokes, singer
• Dennis Sullivan, mathematician
• John Swainson (1925–1994), governor of Michigan and justice on the Michigan Supreme Court
• Stephan Thernstrom, professor and author
• Harold Sines Vance, businessman and government official
• Kris Vernarsky, hockey player
• Felix Watts, inventor
• Harry Wismer, broadcaster and owner of a sports team
• James Kamsickas, businessman