Battle Creek is a city in northwestern Calhoun County, Michigan, United States, where the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers meet. According to the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 52,731. It is the main city of the Battle Creek metropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Calhoun County. Known as the "Cereal City," Battle Creek is famous for being the home of WK Kellogg Co and the founding city of Post Consumer Brands. In Battle Creek, the Kellogg brothers accidentally created the first cereal while trying to make granola.

Toponym

One local story says Battle Creek was named after an event in March 1824 when a federal land survey team led by Colonel John Mullett met two Potawatomi people. The Potawatomi asked for food because they were hungry, as the U.S. Army had not yet delivered supplies promised to them by the 1821 Treaty of Chicago. After a long discussion, the Native Americans reportedly tried to take food without permission. A surveyor shot and seriously injured one Potawatomi. After this event, the survey team returned to Detroit. Early white settlers named the nearby stream Battle Creek River, and the town was later named after it.

Another story about the area’s name relates to the local river, which Native Americans called Waupakisco. This name was supposedly linked to a battle or fight between indigenous tribes before Europeans arrived. However, Virgil J. Vogel, a history professor at Harry S. Truman College in Chicago, believes the Native American name does not refer to blood or battle.

History

In about 1774, the Potawatomi and Ottawa Native American tribes created a shared village near what is now Battle Creek, Michigan. The first permanent European homes in Battle Creek Township began around 1831, after the Potawatomi were moved to a reservation. People from New York and New England started moving to Michigan more after the Erie Canal was completed in 1824. Many settlers chose to live on the Goguac prairie because the land was rich and easy to farm. A post office opened in Battle Creek in 1832, managed by Pollodore Hudson. The first school was taught in a small log house around 1833 or 1834. Asa Langley built the first sawmill in 1837. A brick factory, called the oldest business in the township, was started in 1840 by Simon Carr and operated until 1903. The township was officially created by a law passed in 1839.

Before the Civil War, Battle Creek was an important stop on the Underground Railroad, where escaped enslaved people traveled to freedom in Michigan and Canada. It was also where abolitionist Sojourner Truth lived after escaping slavery.

Battle Creek played a key role in the early history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. A Protestant church meeting was held there in 1863. The church’s first hospital, college, and publishing office were also built in the city. After a fire destroyed the hospital and publishing office in 1902, the church decided to move most of its activities. The first Adventist church, rebuilt in the 1920s, is still in use today.

World Heavyweight Champion Jack Johnson was once arrested in Battle Creek for marrying his white wife and taking her across state lines. He was held in the city, visited a friend, took a sleigh ride, and stayed overnight at the home of patrolman John Patterson, Battle Creek’s first African American police officer. Federal officers from Chicago took him into custody the next day.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Battle Creek was known for health reform. The Battle Creek Sanitarium was founded by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. Kellogg also supported groups that promoted eugenics ideas, which were linked to euthenics. The Race Betterment Foundation was one such group. He also supported the "separate but equal" philosophy and invited Booker T. Washington to speak at the sanitarium to raise money. Washington wrote the speech "The Atlanta Compromise," which helped define his approach to racial issues.

W. K. Kellogg worked for his brother, John Harvey Kellogg, at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. Tired of being overshadowed, he left to sell brooms in Oklahoma but failed and returned to work for his brother. While working in the sanitarium’s lab, W. K. spilled cornmeal on a heating device, which cooked it into flakes. He tasted the flakes, added milk, and gave some to patients, who wanted more. This led him to start a factory to make "corn flakes."

When W. K. and John Harvey Kellogg went their separate ways, John sued his brother for copyright issues. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of W. K. Kellogg because his company had greater sales and public recognition.

Inspired by Kellogg’s work, C. W. Post created Grape-Nuts and started his own cereal company in Battle Creek. The city is now called "the Cereal City."

In the 1960s, Battle Creek faced challenges related to race. Dr. Martin Luther King, Senator Hubert Humphrey, President Lyndon B. Johnson, and Muhammad Ali, the World Heavyweight Champion, spoke there. African Americans were often stopped and searched without cause, and housing rules limited where they could live. Few African Americans worked in schools, and only a few held mid-level jobs in local businesses. The federal government had better opportunities at the Federal Center than at the local Veterans’ Administration Hospital.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 43.73 square miles (113.26 km²), of which 42.61 square miles (110.36 km²) is land and 1.12 square miles (2.90 km²) is water. This makes Battle Creek the third largest city in Michigan by area and one of only three officially recognized cities or towns in the state that are larger than 40 square miles (100 km²).

• About 60% of the city’s land is used for buildings and other developments. Of the land that is not developed, 38% is used for farming, 26% is used for general industry, 17.5% is used for homes, 16% is part of Fort Custer Army National Guard Base/Industrial Park, and 2.5% is used for businesses.
• After Battle Creek Township joined the city of Battle Creek in 1983, the city’s population increased by nearly 18,000 people. Before the merger, the city covered an area of 18.6 square miles (48.17 km²).
• Battle Creek is sometimes considered part of West Michigan or Southern Michigan.

• Bedford Charter Township
• Emmett Charter Township
• Pennfield Charter Township
• City of Springfield
• Urbandale

Demographics

In 1982, because of pressure from Kellogg's, the city added Battle Creek Township to its area, almost doubling the city's population. Kellogg's warned that if the addition did not happen, they might move their main office elsewhere.

Nick Buckley wrote in the Battle Creek Enquirer: "The 2020 Census is important for Battle Creek. If the population dropped below 50,000 people, the city would lose its classification as an 'urbanized area' and would no longer receive certain federal funds."

According to the 2020 Census, Battle Creek had a population of 52,721 people. The average age was 37.8 years. About 24.6% of people were younger than 18 years old, and 16.3% were 65 years old or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males, and for every 100 females aged 18 and older, there were 91.2 males aged 18 and older.

About 98% of people lived in urban areas, and 2% lived in rural areas.

There were 21,466 households in Battle Creek. Of these, 29.8% had children younger than 18 living in them. Of all households, 35.0% were married-couple households, 21.6% were households with a male head of household and no spouse or partner, and 34.5% were households with a female head of household and no spouse or partner. About 34.2% of all households had only one person living in them, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.

There were 23,515 housing units in the city. Of these, 8.7% were empty. The percentage of homes that were empty but owned by someone was 1.8%, and the percentage of homes that were empty but rented was 9.3%.

As of the 2010 Census, there were 52,347 people, 21,118 households, and 12,898 families living in the city. The population density was 1,228.5 people per square mile. There were 24,277 housing units, with an average density of 569.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 71.7% White, 18.2% African American, 0.7% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 2.7% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 6.7% of the population.

Of the 21,118 households, 33.6% had children younger than 18 living with them, 37.1% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female head of household with no husband present, 5.5% had a male head of household with no wife present, and 38.9% were non-family households. About 32.6% of all households had only one person living in them, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The average household size was 2.41 people, and the average family size was 3.04 people.

The median age in the city was 36.3 years. About 26.1% of people were younger than 18 years old, 9% were between 18 and 24 years old, 25.9% were between 25 and 44 years old, 25.5% were between 45 and 64 years old, and 13.4% were 65 years old or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

As of April 2013, Battle Creek had the fifth-largest population of Japanese nationals in the state of Michigan, with 358 people.

As of the 2000 Census, there were 53,364 people, 21,348 households, and 13,363 families living in the city. The population density was 1,246.0 people per square mile. There were 23,525 housing units, with an average density of 549.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 74.7% White, 17.8% Black or African American, 1.9% Asian, 0.8% Native American, less than 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 4.6% of the population.

Of the 21,348 households, 32.3% had children younger than 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female head of household with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-family households. About 31.6% of all households had only one person living in them, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The average household size was 2.43 people, and the average family size was 3.04 people.

In the city, 27.2% of the population was younger than 18 years old, 8.7% were between 18 and 24 years old, 29.5% were between 25 and 44 years old, 21.0% were between 45 and 64 years old, and 13.5% were 65 years old or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and older, there were 87.2 males aged 18 and older.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,491, and the median income for

Government

The City of Battle Creek uses a type of government called the commission-manager system. In cities with this system, an elected group (called a commission or council) chooses a trained and experienced manager to handle daily city tasks and give advice to the commission. Battle Creek also hires a City Attorney, who provides legal guidance to the city manager and commission.

The City Commission makes all major decisions, such as reviewing, changing, and approving the city’s annual budget. The budget is first proposed by the City Manager. The City Manager works under an employment contract with the commission and can be hired or fired at any time. All city workers, except those in the City Attorney’s office, are managed by the City Manager.

There are five ward commissioners. Voters choose a representative who lives in the area they are assigned to, as well as four commissioners who are elected from anywhere in the city. All commissioners serve two-year terms, and their terms start and end at the same election.

Until 1961, residents voted directly for the mayor. After that, the mayor and vice mayor were chosen by the commissioners. In March 2020, voters approved a change to the city rules, allowing residents to vote for the mayor again. The first mayor election since 1961 took place in November 2020. The mayor leads commission meetings, appoints commissioners and residents to special groups, and can create committees to address community issues. The vice mayor helps if the mayor is not present.

As of 2017, the city collects a 1 percent income tax from residents and a 0.5 percent income tax from nonresidents.

Economy

As of October 2023, according to a Battle Creek Unlimited report, the twenty largest employers in the city are:

Education

• Kellogg Community College, a two-year college established in 1956
• Robert B. Miller College, a four-year college that shared Kellogg Community College’s facilities. The college closed in 2016.
• Western Michigan University’s Battle Creek Branch — The Kendall Center
• Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation, located at W. K. Kellogg Airport
• Spring Arbor University Battle Creek Branch
• Davenport University Battle Creek Campus. This campus closed in 2015.
• Central Michigan University, Battle Creek Campus on Air National Guard Base, W. K. Kellogg Airport

The following school districts serve parts of the city:
• Battle Creek Public Schools
• Lakeview School District
• Climax-Scotts Community School District
• Pennfield School District
• Harper Creek Community Schools

• Battle Creek Central High School
• Harper Creek High School
• Battle Creek Area Learning Center, also called Calhoun Community High School
• Lakeview High School, including Lakeview High School Library, which won an award from the American Library Association in 2008
• Michigan Youth Challenge Academy
• Pennfield Senior High School

• Battle Creek Academy
• Bedford Bible Church School
• Calhoun Christian School
• St. Philip Catholic Central High School

• Battle Creek Area Mathematics and Science Center, a school that focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. The school serves younger students in the mornings and older students in the afternoons.
• Calhoun Area Career Center, which offers career and technical education to mostly 11th and 12th grade students

The Battle Creek Japanese School (バトルクリーク補習授業校 Batoru Kurīku Hoshū Jugyō Kō), a weekend school that teaches Japanese, holds classes at the Lakeview School District building.

In 1980, the Western Michigan University Center for International Programs created a program for Japanese students living in the area. The program was supported by Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU), and classes were held at the company’s building in Fort Custer Industrial Park.

Culture

The local daily newspapers in Battle Creek are The Battle Creek Shopper and the Battle Creek Enquirer, which is the newspaper of record. The Battle Creek Enquirer is owned and run by Gannett.

FM radio stations that are based in or can be heard in Battle Creek include:
– WSPB 89.7 – Holy Family Radio (Roman Catholic)
– WCFG 90.9 – Springfield – Christian Adult Contemporary (WCSG)
– WCSG 91.3 – Grand Rapids – Christian Adult Contemporary
– WMJC 91.9 – Richland – Religious (Strong Tower Radio)
– W222BB 92.3 – Battle Creek – Christian (WJKN 89.3)
– WZUU 92.5 – Mattawan/Kalamazoo – Classic Rock
– WGPG-LP 92.9 – Battle Creek – Religious
– WBCT 93.7 – Grand Rapids – Country
– WWDK 94.1 – Jackson/Lansing/Battle Creek/Kalamazoo – Classic Country
– WBCK 95.3 – Battle Creek – News/Talk
– W242BH 96.3 – Marshall – Contemporary Christian (Smile FM)
– WTOU 96.5 – Portage/Kalamazoo – Urban Contemporary
– WNWN 98.5 – Coldwater/Battle Creek/Kalamazoo – Country
– WFPM-LP 99.5 – Battle Creek – Gospel
– WBCH-FM 100.1 – Hastings – Country
– W266CG 101.1 – Battle Creek – Christian (FM translator for AM 1400)
– W274AQ 102.7 – Battle Creek – Classic Hits (FM translator for AM 930)
– WKFR 103.3 – Battle Creek/Kalamazoo – CHR/Top 40
– WBXX 104.9 – Marshall/Battle Creek – Urban Contemporary
– WSRW 105.7 – Grand Rapids – Adult Contemporary
– WJXQ 106.1 – Jackson/Lansing/Battle Creek – Mainstream Rock
– WVFM 106.5 – Kalamazoo – Adult Hits (Jack FM)
– WRKR 107.7 – Portage/Battle Creek/Kalamazoo – Classic Rock

AM radio stations that are based in or can be heard in Battle Creek include:
– WKZO 590 – Kalamazoo – News/Talk (FM translator at 106.9)
– WFAT 930 – Battle Creek – Classic Hits
– WILS 1320 – Lansing – News/Talk
– WKMI 1360 – Kalamazoo – News/Talk
– WBFN 1400 – Battle Creek – Christian
– WQLR 1660 – Kalamazoo – Sports

Television stations serving Battle Creek include:
– WWMT, a CBS station licensed to Kalamazoo and covering Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, and western Michigan.
– WOOD-TV, an NBC station licensed to Grand Rapids and the default NBC station for Battle Creek.
– WOTV, an ABC/CW station covering Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, and southwestern Michigan, and a secondary ABC station for Grand Rapids.
– WXMI, the FOX station from Grand Rapids.
– WZPX, an ION station covering western Michigan.
– WLLA, an independent station broadcasting religious programming from Kalamazoo.
– WGVU, the PBS station from Grand Rapids, broadcasting via satellite in Kalamazoo.
– AccessVision, a public-access television station on Comcast channels 16 and 17, broadcasting to Battle Creek and Newton Township.

Events and festivals in Battle Creek include:
– The World's Longest Breakfast Table
– The Battle Creek Field of Flight Entertainment Festival, an annual air show and balloon event.
– The International Festival of Lights

Battle Creek is home to the Music Center, which serves South Central Michigan. The Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra is based at the W. K. Kellogg Auditorium in downtown Battle Creek. The symphony is conducted by Anne Harrigan and is Michigan's longest-running symphony orchestra.

The Brass Band of Battle Creek has 31 brass players and percussionists from the United States and Europe. Started in 1989 by brothers Jim and Bill Gray, who are doctors and amateur musicians, the band has become very popular in Battle Creek. Their Christmas concerts include a mix of modern and classical music.

Leilapalooza is a free summer music festival held at the Leila Arboretum. Money raised helps support the Leila Arboretum Society and Kingman Museum.

Battle Creek hosts the annual Michigan High School Athletic Association state championships for wrestling, volleyball, baseball, and softball. Fans traveling to watch games bring economic benefits to the city.

Each year, Battle Creek hosts the Sandy Koufax 13S World Series for 13-year-old baseball players.

In August 2010, Battle Creek hosted the eighth edition of the International H.K.D. Games.

In June 2024, the men's 4 × 800 m relay team from Saint Philip Catholic Central High School took third place at the MHSAA Track and Field State Championship.

The Battle Creek Battle Jacks (formerly Bombers) are a collegiate baseball team in the Northwoods League. They began playing in 2007 and won their first NWL championship in 2011. The team plays at C.O. Brown Stadium. Actor Tyler Hoechlin, who appeared in the movie Road to Perdition, previously played for the Bombers.

The Michigan Battle Cats, Battle Creek Yankees, and Southwest Michigan Devil Rays were a Class A minor league baseball team in the Midwest League from 1995 to 2006. They played at C.O. Brown Stadium.

The Battle Creek Crunch was a member of the Great Lakes Indoor Football League, playing one season in Battle Creek before closing due to financial issues. They played at Kellogg Arena.

The Battle Creek Belles were part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, playing in Battle Creek from 194

Points of interest

• Art Center of Battle Creek
• Bailey Park & C.O. Brown Stadium
• Battle Creek Sanitarium (now the Hart–Dole–Inouye Federal Center)
• Battle Creek Tabernacle (Seventh-day Adventist Church)
• Binder Park Zoo
• Fort Custer Recreation Area
• Historic Adventist Village
• Kimball House Museum
• Kiwanis Outdoor Center
• Battle Creek Regional History Museum
• Kingman Museum and Planetarium
• Leila Arboretum
• Linear Park
• Willard Beach and Park
• Willard Library
• Saint Philip Roman Catholic Church
• Springfield Burma Center
• Battle Creek Country Club
• Historic Bridge Park
• Ott Preserve

Camp Custer, which was founded in 1917, was used as a training area during World War I and continues to be used today. Over the years, parts of the camp were developed into the Battle Creek Veteran’s Hospital, Fort Custer National Cemetery, Fort Custer Recreation Area, and Fort Custer Industrial Park. The industrial park includes more than 90 companies.

The United States Government still owns the land, under an agreement where the state of Michigan manages the property. Most of the base remains undeveloped and covered with trees. The part of the base in Battle Creek that is now the industrial park covers 4.69 square miles (12.15 km²), which is about 10.6% of the city’s total area. A much larger part of the base is located in Kalamazoo County. The nearby W. K. Kellogg Airport is a shared facility used by civilians and the Air National Guard. Battle Creek also has Fort Custer Recreation Park, a state park located in the Battle Creek-Springfield Area.

Transportation

Battle Creek is located on Interstate 94 (I-94) in the middle between Detroit and Chicago.

The Battle Creek Amtrak Station has Amtrak trains stopping on the south side of the station and Greyhound and Indian Trails buses on the north side. The Canadian National Railway and Norfolk Southern Railway carry goods to the city.

Battle Creek Transit offers public transportation to people living in the Battle Creek area. Regular bus routes operate throughout the city.

Highways and roads in Battle Creek include:
• I-94
• BL I-94
• I-194
• M-37
• M-66
• M-89
• M-96

Kalamazoo's Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport serves Battle Creek. Locally, W. K. Kellogg Airport meets the needs of small aircraft in the community. The airport is also home to Western Michigan University's College of Aviation, Duncan Aviation, WACO Classic Aircraft Corp., a bi-plane maker, and formerly, the Michigan Air National Guard's 110th Attack Wing, which flies the MQ-9 Reaper UAV.

Shopping malls and plazas

McCamly Place was a festival marketplace in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. It was next to the Stouffer Battle Creek Hotel (which was once called McCamly Plaza Hotel and is now called DoubleTree by Hilton Battle Creek) and the Kellogg Arena. McCamly Place was developed by the Enterprise Development Company (EDC), a company owned by the Enterprise Foundation. The Enterprise Foundation was started by James W. Rouse after he left The Rouse Company in 1979. McCamly Place was part of the EDC’s effort to bring the festival marketplace idea, which had been used in places like Harborplace in Baltimore and Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, to smaller cities.

Both McCamly Place and DoubleTree by Hilton Battle Creek were part of the McCamly Square complex.

James Rouse’s Enterprise Development Company created the retail space as a 40,000-square-foot "mini-mall" that connected the hotel and arena. The project was a festival marketplace, similar to Rouse’s work on Harborplace, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, and Pier 17 in New York. The EDC also built Flint’s Water Street Pavilion, which is also in Michigan.

McCamly Place was managed by TRC of Michigan, Inc. (which was also called The Rouse Company of Michigan, Inc.), a company owned by The Rouse Company in Columbia, Missouri. The mall was named after Sands McCamly, a city founder. It opened on April 18, 1986, with more than 6,000 people attending, including Governor James J. Blanchard. The mall had nearly 30 stores and restaurants. Piccadilly Grill & Pub was a main restaurant on the second floor.

The mall once had a statue of the "Godness of Grain" on a pillar above the escalators.

However, community leaders in Kalamazoo warned that McCamly Place might fail because of three reasons: Battle Creek had few tourists, the festival marketplace idea relied heavily on tourism, and McCamly Place was too small, with only 29 tenant spaces. This was not enough for a mall to stay open long-term, as malls usually need at least 40-60 tenant spaces. Then-mayor John J.H. Schwarz disagreed. He said, "I want to tell a city 24 miles to the west that Battle Creek is alive and well. We are on our way. This is a laboratory for other cities this size, so they can learn from us. Success here has national implications." Kellogg’s had its headquarters nearby.

Although McCamly Place had a successful opening and Schwarz was optimistic, several factors made Kalamazoo’s predictions about failure correct.

Starting in the late 1980s and early 1990s, McCamly Place did not attract enough visitors and had many empty stores. The EDC later reduced the mall’s size, turning empty spaces into offices.

A major change happened in 1996 when Piccadilly Grill closed permanently.

Efforts to revive McCamly Place and attract new businesses began in the early and mid-2010s, especially after the opening of Festival Market Square, an outdoor area, in May 2015. This space is near McCamly Place’s main entrance. However, the area continued to struggle as a retail center.

The Lord Companies and Aries Capital, LLC bought McCamly Place and the McCamly Plaza Hotel in late 2017. They announced a $3.5 million redevelopment plan that included turning the hotel into a mixed-use tower. Floors 2-5 of the hotel would become studios and apartments, and the first floor of McCamly Place would be redesigned to give future tenants better visibility and street entrances. The hotel’s remaining floors would be renamed DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.

However, the renovations were delayed and did not meet the October 1, 2018, deadline. This led Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU), an economic development group, to sue Aries Capital for neglecting the hotel and mall, which caused maintenance problems and a $3.5 million loan default in 2018.

McCamly Place and the McCamly Plaza Hotel closed in November 2019. In November 2020, BCU, through 50 Capital Ave. Development Corp., took over ownership of the mall and hotel and continued redevelopment plans. However, the original plans by Aries Capital were changed. The hotel was renamed DoubleTree by Hilton Battle Creek, and instead of renovating McCamly Place, the mall was completely torn down on April 15, 2022. This happened because McCamly Place had failed as a shopping mall and showed that the festival marketplace idea was not sustainable for smaller cities. This was one of the main reasons The Rouse Company stopped creating festival marketplaces after 1987. The former McCamly Place site is now a green space.

Other shopping malls and plazas in Battle Creek include:

Notable people

See also People from Battle Creek, Michigan

• Lepha Eliza Bailey (1845–1924) – writer and public speaker
• Frankie Ballard – country music performer
• Lance Barber – television actor
• Johnny Bristol – singer, songwriter, and music producer for Motown
• Nate Huffman – professional basketball player who won the Most Valuable Player award in the 2001 Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Betty Hutton – actress in movies
• Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, M.D. – doctor and advocate for healthy eating
• William Keith Kellogg – business leader known for creating a popular cereal brand
• John Kitzmiller – film actor
• Thomas Kneir – law enforcement officer
• Tony McGee – professional football player who worked as a lineman in the National Football League
• Dick Martin – comedian and actor
• S. Isadore Miner (1863–1916) – journalist, poet, teacher, and advocate for women's rights
• Jason Newsted – bass player who performed with the band Metallica from 1986 to 2001
• Lisa Rainsberger – winner of the Boston and Chicago Marathons
• Mike Reilly – former official who worked as an umpire in Major League Baseball
• Bob Rush – pitcher in Major League Baseball
• John Schwarz – former member of the United States House of Representatives
• Emma L. Shaw – editor
• Rick Snyder – former Governor of Michigan
• John Stone – politician and sheriff of Jefferson County, Colorado, during the Columbine High School massacre
• Sojourner Truth – activist who fought against slavery and for women's rights
• Rob Van Dam – professional wrestler
• Junior Walker – singer and musician known for playing the saxophone in Motown
• Bill Dowdy – musician who recorded with the jazz group The Three Sounds
• Tauren Wells – Christian pop singer who has been nominated for a Grammy Award
• Ellen G. White – author and co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

Sister cities

Battle Creek has sister city relationships with Santo André, Brazil, and Takasaki, Japan.

Since 1981, Battle Creek and Takasaki have started annual summer exchange programs for students and teachers from junior high and high school.