Coldwater, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Coldwater, Michigan
City
City of Coldwater
Coldwater Downtown Historic District
Location within Branch County
Coldwater, Michigan Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Coldwater, Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Branch
Settled	1830
Incorporated	1837 (village) 1861 (city)
Government
• Type	Council–manager
Area
• Total	9.99 sq mi (25.87 km2)
• Land	9.65 sq mi (25.00 km2)
• Water	0.34 sq mi (0.88 km2)
Elevation	965 ft (294 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	13,822
• Density	1,432.33/sq mi (553.03/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	49036
Area code(s)	517
FIPS code	26-17020
GNIS feature ID	0623568

Coldwater is a city located in Branch County, Michigan. It is the main city and county seat of Branch County. In 2020, about 13,822 people lived here. Coldwater is mostly surrounded by Coldwater Township, but the city and township are managed separately.

History of Coldwater

American settlers first came to the Coldwater area around 1830. Many of them moved from New York and New England. Coldwater officially became a village in 1837. Later, in 1861, it became a city. In 1842, Coldwater was chosen as the county seat for Branch County. This means it became the main center for the county's government.

Geography and Climate

Rivers and Lakes in Coldwater

The Coldwater River flows into the city from the south. This river starts from Coldwater Lake. There is also an outlet from the Coldwater chain of lakes called the Sauk River. It flows from the north, near Quincy, and then through the south side of Coldwater city. Both rivers join up to create a series of shallow, connected lakes on the west side of the city.

The city of Coldwater covers a total area of about 9.99 square miles (25.87 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 9.65 square miles (25.00 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.34 square miles (0.88 square kilometers), is water.

Coldwater's Weather

Coldwater has a climate with hot summers and cold winters. This type of climate is called a humid continental climate.

In January, the average high temperature is about 30.9°F (–0.6°C), and the average low is about 15.9°F (–8.9°C). In July, the average high is about 81.9°F (27.7°C), and the average low is about 59.9°F (15.5°C).

Coldwater usually has about 7 days each year where the temperature reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher. It also has about 136 days where the temperature drops to 32°F (0°C) or lower. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 108°F (42°C) on July 24, 1934. The coldest temperature ever recorded was –29°F (–34°C) on January 31, 2019.

The city gets about 39.12 inches (994 mm) of rain and snow each year. It snows about 42.7 inches (108 cm) annually. The snowiest month on record was January 1978, when 50.7 inches (129 cm) of snow fell.

People in Coldwater

How Many People Live Here?

In 2010, there were 10,945 people living in Coldwater. There were 4,255 households, which are groups of people living together. About 34.9% of these households had children under 18 years old.

The people living in Coldwater were mostly White (92.5%). About 6.6% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in the city was 35.2 years old. About 27.2% of residents were under 18. About 15% were 65 years old or older. Slightly more than half of the residents were female (52.2%).

Fun Things to Do in Coldwater

Yearly Events and Festivals

Coldwater hosts several fun festivals throughout the year:

• The Ice Festival happens in January. You can see amazing ice carvings. There's also a chili-tasting contest and other family activities.
• The Strawberry Fest takes place in June. You can try many different foods made with strawberries. There are also arts and crafts to see and buy.
• The Apple Fest is held in September. This festival features delicious baked goods made from apples. You can also find various arts and crafts here.

Places to Visit

• The Tibbits Opera House was built in 1882. It is the second-oldest theater in Michigan. Today, it hosts many different live performances and cultural events.
• The Wing House was built in 1875. It is now a historical museum. The Branch County Historical Society runs it.
• The Little River Railroad offers rides on a steam locomotive built in 1911. The train leaves from the city's old 1883 train station.

Learning in Coldwater

Waterworks Park in Coldwater, Michigan

Coldwater has several schools for students of all ages:

• Coldwater Community Schools is the public school district.
• Pansophia Academy is a charter school for grades K–12.
• St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School serves grades K–5.
• Legg Middle School is for grades 6–8 and is part of Coldwater Community Schools.
• Coldwater High School is for grades 9–12 and is also part of Coldwater Community Schools.

For older students, Coldwater also has branches of Kellogg Community College and Baker College.

News and Radio

The local newspaper in Coldwater is called The Daily Reporter.

Coldwater also has two radio stations: WTVB and WNWN. These stations are part of the Kalamazoo radio area. People in Coldwater get their TV signals from larger areas like Kalamazoo-Grand Rapids-Battle Creek and Lansing-Jackson.

Getting Around Coldwater

Travel by Air

The Memorial Airport is available for general aviation. This means it's used for private planes, not large commercial flights.

Main Roads

• I-69: This major highway connects Coldwater to other cities. You can get to Coldwater from exits 10, 13, and 16.
• BL I-69: This road runs right through downtown Coldwater.
• US 12: This highway goes west towards Sturgis and east towards the Hillsdale area.
• M-86: This road goes west to Three Rivers.

Public Transportation

The Branch Area Transit Authority (BATA) provides public bus transportation in Coldwater.

Trains

Coldwater has an east–west railroad line. This line used to be a major route connecting to big cities like Chicago and Detroit.

Famous People from Coldwater

Sister City

Coldwater has a sister city relationship with Soltau, Germany. This means they have a special friendship and cultural exchange.

See also

In Spanish: Coldwater (Míchigan) para niños