Grosse Pointe is a city in Wayne County, Michigan. It is one of five Grosse Pointe areas near Detroit. The city is located on the shore of Lake St. Clair and is next to Detroit to the northeast. It is about 9 miles (14.5 km) east of downtown Detroit. According to the 2020 census, the city had a population of 5,678.

Grosse Pointe was first officially formed as a village in 1880. It became a city in 1934.

History

The area became a city in 1934. There are five places called Grosse Pointes: Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe City, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Woods, and Grosse Pointe Shores.

Grosse Pointe City, along with Grosse Pointe Park and Grosse Pointe Farms, is part of the southern Pointes. These areas are older and have more people living in them compared to the northern Pointes, which include Grosse Pointe Woods and Grosse Pointe Shores. Between 1910 and 1930, the area became very crowded because it was one of the first places outside Detroit where people could live but commute to work in the city. Before this time, Grosse Pointe had small houses, vacation homes, farms, and large homes near the lake that were far apart from each other.

Grosse Pointe City, Grosse Pointe Farms, and Grosse Pointe Park are part of the Grosse Pointe South High School district. Grosse Pointe Woods and Grosse Pointe Shores are part of the Grosse Pointe North High School district.

The downtown area of Grosse Pointe City, located on Kercheval Avenue between Neff and Cadieux streets, is called "The Village" by many people. It is often seen as the main downtown area for all five Grosse Pointes. Each of the Grosse Pointes, except Grosse Pointe Shores, has several blocks with stores and shops.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 2.25 square miles (5.83 km²), of which 1.06 square miles (2.75 km²) is land and 1.19 square miles (3.08 km²) is water. The water area is part of Lake St. Clair.

The street layout of Grosse Pointe follows a grid pattern within its boundaries defined by Cadieux, Mack, and Fisher Roads. Within this area, most blocks contain rows of single-family homes built between 1910 and 1950, located on lots that are about 50 feet (15 meters) wide on average. Some streets, such as Washington and Lakeland, have large backyards, while others are more compact. In some areas, homes are built close together in a traditional urban style, while nearby blocks may have yards as wide as 150 feet (46 meters).

Home sizes and styles vary widely, ranging from 1,500 to 12,000 square feet (140 to 1,110 square meters), with an average size slightly under 3,000 square feet (280 square meters). The largest homes are typically located near the lakefront, with several blocks of large mansions found south of Kercheval Avenue. Common architectural styles include neo-Georgian, Tudor Revival, Dutch Colonial, and arts and crafts. Some Victorian and traditional bungalow homes are also present, mainly north and south of the Village retail district. In some areas, particularly just south of the Village, there are townhouses and apartments built in the 1920s. These can be found along St. Paul, Maumee, and Jefferson avenues, mostly west of Rivard Boulevard, and between Notre Dame and Cadieux south of the Village retail district.

Retail stores and low-rise office buildings are located along Kercheval Avenue in the Village district, on Fisher Road near Grosse Pointe South High School, and along Mack Avenue near Detroit.

Climate

This climate region is known for large changes in temperature between seasons, with warm to hot (and sometimes humid) summers and cold (sometimes very cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Grosse Pointe has a humid continental climate, which is labeled as "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the city had 5,421 people, 2,236 households, and 1,481 families. The population density was 5,114.2 people per square mile (1,974.6 per square kilometer). There were 2,446 housing units, with an average density of 2,307.5 per square mile (890.9 per square kilometer). The racial makeup was 93.2% White, 3.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino individuals made up 1.8% of the population.

Of the 2,236 households, 33.0% had children under 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples, 8.9% had female householders without husbands, 2.4% had male householders without wives, and 33.8% were non-families. Thirty percent of households included only one person, and 14% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 people, and the average family size was 3.06 people.

The median age in the city was 44.7 years. Twenty-six point four percent of residents were under 18, 4.9% were 18 to 24, 19.3% were 25 to 44, 33.4% were 45 to 64, and 16.1% were 65 or older. The gender distribution was 46.4% male and 53.6% female.

As of the 2000 census, the city had 5,670 people, 2,388 households, and 1,559 families. The population density was 5,297.9 people per square mile (2,045.5 per square kilometer). There were 2,504 housing units, with an average density of 2,339.7 per square mile (903.4 per square kilometer). The racial makeup was 97.18% White, 0.79% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino individuals made up 1.46% of the population. Nineteen point nine percent had German ancestry, 14.8% Irish, 13.9% English, 7.8% Polish, and 7.2% Italian. The largest religious group was Roman Catholic.

Of the 2,388 households, 30.8% had children under 18, 56.7% were married couples, 7.1% had female householders without husbands, and 34.7% were non-families. Thirty-one point one percent of households included only one person, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.37 people, and the average family size was 3.02 people.

In 2000, 25.4% of the population was under 18, 4.3% were 18 to 24, 25.3% were 25 to 44, 29.3% were 45 to 64, and 15.7% were 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females aged 18 or older, there were 83.2 males.

The median household income in the city was $89,492, and the median family income was $101,889. Males earned a median income of $79,637, while females earned $44,167. The per capita income was $53,942. Approximately 2.2% of families and 5.8% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under 18 and 1.9% of those 65 or older.

Downtown development

The City's Master Plan allows more growth in downtown Grosse Pointe, also called "The Village," which is an area focused on shopping and services. Specifically, two lots on either side of St. Clair Avenue, currently used for city parking near the existing row of stores, are planned for development.

The old Jacobson's Department Store building on Kercheval Street, west of St. Clair, has been fully redesigned. Office space on the upper floors now shares the building with new stores, including a Trader Joe's grocery store in specially designed space. Additionally, a new building was completed in 2011 to replace the former Kroger grocery store at the corner of Kercheval and Notre Dame Street.

Education

The Grosse Pointe Public School System manages public schools in the area. Lewis Maire Elementary School in Grosse Pointe and Pierce Middle School in Grosse Pointe Park provide education for students in the western part of the city. Père Gabriel Richard Elementary School and Brownell Middle School, both located in Grosse Pointe Farms, serve the other part of the city. All residents are assigned to Grosse Pointe South High School in Grosse Pointe Farms. Students from Grosse Pointe Woods and Grosse Pointe Shores attend Grosse Pointe North High School.

The Grosse Pointes also include University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods, which is one of the state’s top private schools. University Liggett School offers education for students from prekindergarten through 12th grade. The school is known for its progressive curriculum, which begins with the Reggio Emilia approach in prekindergarten and lower school grades.

Notable places

• Neff Park, located at the foot of University Place. A park with limited access that includes a pier and harbor on southern Lake St. Clair, a pool, playgrounds, picnic areas, volleyball courts, and ice-skating during the winter.
• George Elworthy Field. A city park with tennis courts, pickleball courts, sports fields (including Little League Baseball diamonds), and playgrounds. It is close to the Village and is surrounded by Neff Rd., St. Clair Ave., Waterloo St., and Charlevoix Street.
• Ralph Harmon Booth House, 315 Washington Road. The largest house in the city; an architecturally significant English Revival mansion designed by Marcus Burrows. It is located among other historic homes and was once the home of Ralph Booth, who was the President of Booth Newspapers, a U.S. Minister to Denmark, and a major supporter of the Detroit Institute of Arts. Ralph Booth was the brother of George G. Booth.
• Henry Tiffany Cole House, 394 Lakeland at Maumee. A large, distinctive Tudor-style mansion.
• John M. Dwyer House, 372 Lakeland. A large Georgian Colonial mansion that is part of a row of mansions on lower Lakeland Ave.
• Waterman House, 330 Lincoln. A stucco-covered Georgian-style mansion built in 1911 at the corner of Maumee. It includes a chapel brought from England.
• The Murray Sales House, 251 Lincoln. An Italian-style villa with white stucco, located off Jefferson Avenue and built in 1917. It was designed by Louis Kamper, the architect of several downtown Detroit skyscrapers and other buildings.
• "Rosecroft," the B. Tobin House, at 266 Lakeland Ave. A unique 1912 Tudor-style house designed by Albert Kahn.
• "Woodley Green," the Benson Ford House, on the shore of Lake St. Clair. A notable 1934 Georgian/Regency-style house designed by Hugh T. Keyes.
• Several blocks of mansions and architecturally significant homes (including some townhouses) on Lincoln, Washington, Roosevelt, Rivard, University, and Lakeland Avenues, located south of Kercheval.
• Historic smaller homes, some of the oldest in the city, are found along St. Clair Ave. and Notre Dame Ave., especially near Kercheval.
• Several blocks of homes that represent the upscale residential architecture of the 1910–1930 period.
• Dodge Place, a mid-century subdivision built on part of the former Horace and Anna Dodge mansion site.
• Fisher Road retail district (between St. Paul and Maumee), located across from Grosse Pointe South High School.
• Mack Avenue business district, along the length of Mack Avenue in Grosse Pointe, forming the border with Detroit.
• Maire Elementary School (Cadieux near Kercheval), the only Grosse Pointe Public Schools building within the city.
• Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church (Maumee near Neff), the only church within the one-square-mile city.

Notable people

• Gregg Alexander, singer and lead performer for the group New Radicals
• Anita Baker, singer who has won eight Grammy Awards
• Kevin Barnes, singer and songwriter for the band Of Montreal
• Edward A. Batchelor, journalist who lived in Grosse Pointe during the early 20th Century
• Miguel Cabrera, professional baseball player for the Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers
• Roy D. Chapin Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of American Motors Company
• Antonio Cipriano, American actor and singer
• Laura Devon, actress
• Jeffrey Eugenides, author who has won a Pulitzer Prize and attended University Liggett School
• Edsel Ford, automobile manufacturer who lived and died in Grosse Pointe Shores
• Edsel Ford II, automobile manufacturer who lives in Grosse Pointe Farms
• Elena Ford, auto executive and granddaughter of Henry Ford II, who lives in Grosse Pointe Farms
• Henry Ford II, auto executive who lived in Grosse Pointe
• Martha Firestone Ford, principal owner and chairwoman of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), wife of William Clay Ford Sr., and daughter of Harvey S. Firestone Jr.
• William Clay Ford Sr., principal owner and chairman of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), who lived and died in Grosse Pointe Shores
• Chris Getz, professional baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays
• Kirk Gibson, professional baseball player for the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers, former manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who lives in Grosse Pointe
• Jared Lee Gosselin, music producer who has won a Grammy Award
• Julie Harris, actress who has won Emmy, Tony, and Grammy Awards and has been nominated for an Oscar, born in Grosse Pointe
• Edward Herrmann, actor who attended Grosse Pointe High School
• Hal Hudson, professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Browns
• John Hughes, film director, producer, and screenwriter known for movies such as Home Alone, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Sixteen Candles, who grew up in Grosse Pointe
• Julanne Johnston, actress in silent films
• Maya Joint, professional tennis player
• Bill Kennedy, actor and television talk show host (Bill Kennedy at the Movies, channel 50, 1pm, in the 1960s through 1980s), who lived in Grosse Pointe
• Aaron Krickstein, professional tennis player
• David Legwand, professional hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL)
• Matt Letscher, actor
• Lisa LoCicero, actress who appeared in General Hospital
• John Lowery, guitarist for bands including Motley Crue, Rob Zombie, David Lee Roth, Marilyn Manson, Rob Halford’s 2wo, and K.d. lang
• Debbie Massey, professional golfer on the LPGA Tour who has won the Women’s British Open twice, born in Grosse Pointe
• Michael McCarron, professional ice hockey player
• Jim Miller, former quarterback in the National Football League (NFL)
• Carly Piper, swimmer who won a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics
• Michael Quatro, keyboardist in progressive rock and promoter of 1960s rock music
• Suzi Quatro, bassist in rock bands and actress in Happy Days
• J.K. Simmons, actor who won an Academy Award for Whiplash, born in Grosse Pointe
• Geralin Thomas, organizer and consultant
• Mark Tremonti, guitarist for the bands Creed and Alter Bridge
• Corey Tropp, professional hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL)
• Zach Werenski, hockey player in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization who won a gold medal at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics
• Meg White, drummer for the band The White Stripes
• Armani Williams, racing driver
• Ralph Wilson, owner of the Buffalo Bills who lived and died in Grosse Pointe Shores

In popular culture

In the 1990s CBS television series Northern Exposure, the main character Maggie O'Connell was a tough bush pilot who lived in a remote log cabin but was raised in a wealthy family in Grosse Pointe. In Season 4, Episode 14, titled "Grosse Pointe, 48230," Maggie and Joel visit her family.

The 1993 book The Virgin Suicides and the 1999 film of the same name told the story of a white family living in Grosse Pointe during the 1970s. The book was written by Jeffrey Eugenides. The film was directed by Sofia Coppola and starred Kirsten Dunst.

In the 1997 film Grosse Pointe Blank, John Cusack played a hitman from Los Angeles who grew up in Grosse Pointe. After traveling to Detroit for a job, he returns to his hometown for a class reunion.

In 2000, a short-lived TV series called Grosse Pointe aired on the WB network. It was created by Darren Star and included actors such as Irene Molloy, Al Santos, and Joely Fisher. The show often featured actors from other Darren Star series, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kristin Davis, and Jason Priestley. The series was a TV show about a TV show, set in a wealthy Detroit suburb and inspired by the characters from Beverly Hills 90210. The series ran for one season with 17 episodes.

Grosse Pointe Garden Society was a 2025 NBC series that lasted one season. It focused on four suburban neighbors who shared a secret involving murder. The show received good reviews from critics.

In the final scene of the 2008 movie Gran Torino, the character Thao is shown driving a 1972 Ford Torino along Lakeshore Drive, also known as Jefferson Avenue.