Oakland County, Michigan facts for kids

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Oakland County, Michigan

County

County of Oakland

Clockwise: Troy skyline, Southfield Town Center, Horace Rackham Memorial Fountain, Shrine of the Little Flower, Downtown Pontiac and Downtown Holly.

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Location within the state of Michigan

Cities and Townships in the county

Country

United States

1819 (created)
1820 (organized)

County seat

Pontiac

Largest city

Troy

Area

• Total

907 sq mi (2,350 km²)

• Land

868 sq mi (2,250 km²)

• Water

40 sq mi (100 km²)

Population

(2020)

• Total

1,274,395

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern Time Zone)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (Eastern Daylight Time)

Area codes

248 and 947

Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395, making it the second-most populous county in Michigan, behind neighboring Wayne County. The county seat is Pontiac. The county was founded in 1819 and organized in 1820.

Oakland County is composed of 62 cities, townships, and villages, and is part of the Detroit–Warren–Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city of Detroit is in neighboring Wayne County, south of 8 Mile Road. In 2010, Oakland County was among the ten highest income counties in the United States that have populations over one million people. It is also home to Oakland University, a large public institution that straddles the border between the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills.

The county's knowledge-based economic initiative, coined "Automation Alley", has developed one of the largest employment centers for engineering and related occupations in the United States, and some major employers include General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, collectively known as the Big Three.

History

Founded by Territorial Governor Lewis Cass in 1819, sparsely settled Oakland was originally twice its current size. As was customary at the time, as populations increased, other counties were organized from its land area. Woodward Avenue and the Detroit and Pontiac Railroad helped draw settlers in the 1840s. By 1840, Oakland had more than fifty lumber mills, processing wood harvested from the region and the Upper Peninsula. Pontiac, located on the Clinton River, was Oakland's first town and became the county seat. After the Civil War, Oakland was still primarily a rural, agricultural county with numerous isolated villages. By the end of the 19th century, three rail lines served Pontiac, and the city attracted carriage and wagon factories. In the late 1890s streetcars were constructed here and to Detroit.

At that time, developers made southern Oakland County a suburb of Detroit; 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 Company was founded in 1907 and became a part of General Motors Corp., which was soon Pontiac's dominant firm.

In the 1950s, the Detroit metropolitan population began migrating to the suburbs, aided by the GI Bill for veterans and federal subsidies for highways and freeways. Oakland County is among the ten highest-income counties in the United States with more than one million population. The median price of a home in Oakland County increased to $164,697, more than $30,000 above the national median. Oakland County is home to popular super-regional shopping malls such as Somerset Collection, Twelve Oaks Mall, and Great Lakes Crossing Outlets.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 907 square miles (2,350 km²), of which 868 square miles (2,250 km²) is land and 40 square miles (100 km²) (4.4%) 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 (10 km) by six miles, for a total township area of 36 square miles (93 km²). 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. 8 Mile Road, also known as "Baseline Road" in some areas, is the boundary between these counties. The baseline was used during the original surveying for Michigan, and it serves as the northern/southern boundaries for counties from Lake St. Clair to Lake Michigan. As more working and middle-class populations moved to the suburbs from the 1950s on, this divide (8 Mile Road) became historically known as an unofficial racial dividing line between what became the predominantly black city and almost exclusively white suburbs.

Since the late 20th century, however, the patterns of de facto segregation have faded as the suburbs have become more diverse. Middle-class African Americans have left the city, settling in inner-ring suburbs, notably Southfield (75.08%), west of Woodward Avenue. Based on the 2010 Census, the following cities also have significant minority ethnic populations: Farmington (25.3%), Farmington Hills (31.7%), Novi (30.12%), Oak Park (62.61%), Lathrup Village (72.97%), Orchard Lake Village (16.08%), Rochester Hills (20.94%), Troy (29.4%), Wixom (26.28%), West Bloomfield (24.0%), Bloomfield (18.28%), Bloomfield Hills (14.2%), Ferndale (17.2%), and Madison Heights (17.7%). Ferndale has a concentration of Arab Americans, who also live in nearby areas, and numerous Asian Americans, particularly Indians, have also settled in these areas.

Adjacent counties

Lapeer County (northeast)
Genesee County (northwest)
Macomb County (east)
Wayne County (southeast)
Washtenaw County (southwest)
Livingston County (west)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	330	—
1830	4,911	1,388.2%
1840	23,646	381.5%
1850	31,270	32.2%
1860	38,261	22.4%
1870	40,867	6.8%
1880	41,537	1.6%
1890	41,245	−0.7%
1900	44,792	8.6%
1910	49,576	10.7%
1920	90,050	81.6%
1930	211,251	134.6%
1940	254,068	20.3%
1950	396,001	55.9%
1960	690,259	74.3%
1970	907,871	31.5%
1980	1,011,793	11.4%
1990	1,083,592	7.1%
2000	1,194,156	10.2%
2010	1,202,362	0.7%
2020	1,274,395	6.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2019

As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people and 315,175 families residing in the county. 77.3% were White, 13.6% Black or African American, 5.6% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% of some other race and 2.2% of two or more races. 3.5% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). There were 527,255 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile (218/km²).

Regarding ancestry, in 2000 14.4% of the population were ethnically German, 9.0% Irish, 8.5% English, 8.5% Polish, 5.7% Italian and 5.5% American, 87.4% spoke only English at home; 2.0% spoke Spanish, 1.3% Syriac (Neo Aramaic) and 1.0% Arabic. The population density as of the 2000 census 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 2000 census showed two Native American tribes with more than 1,000 members in Oakland County. There were 2,095 Cherokee and 1,458 Chippewa.

The Jewish community of metropolitan Detroit, with a population of 72,000, is the 21st largest Jewish community in the nation. This community is concentrated in Oakland County, especially in Southfield, Oak Park, West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, Farmington Hills, Troy and Huntington Woods.

There were 471,115 households, 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 more than 1,000 members in the county in 2000. The most numerous were those of Asian Indian descent, 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 2001, Oakland County had the 36th largest Asian population of any county in the country. In 2002, of the Oakland-Wayne-Macomb tricounty area, Oakland County had 49% of the tri-county area's Asian population.

The county's population was spread out in terms of age, with 25.20% of people 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 $86,567, making Oakland County the 21st wealthiest county in the United States. Males had a median income of $55,833 versus $35,890 for females. The per capita income for the county was $65,759. 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.

Transportation

Air

Oakland County International Airport (PTK) (Waterford Township) – Charter passenger facility.

The following airports are located in neighboring counties:

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) (Romulus) – Major commercial airport and hub for Delta Air Lines and Spirit Airlines located in Wayne County.
Bishop International Airport (FNT) (Flint) – Commercial airport located in Genesee County.
Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET) (Detroit) – General aviation only. This airport is in Wayne County in the city of Detroit.

Major highways

I-75 (Walter P. Chrysler Freeway) is the main north–south highway in the region, serving Flint, Pontiac, Troy, and Detroit, before continuing south (as the Fisher and Detroit-Toledo Freeways) to serve many of the communities along the shore of Lake Erie.
I-96 runs northwest–southeast through Oakland County and (as the Jeffries Freeway) has its eastern terminus in downtown Detroit.
I-275 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.
I-696 (Walter P. 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 semicircle around Detroit.
US 24 ends just outside of Clarkston at I-75. To the south, US 24 serves suburban Detroit and Monroe before entering Ohio. Much of US 24 in Oakland County is named Telegraph Road, and it is a major north–south road extending from Toledo, Ohio, through Monroe, Wayne, and Oakland Counties to Pontiac. It gained notoriety in a song (Telegraph Road) by the group Dire Straits.
M-1 (Woodward Avenue) has a northern terminus in Pontiac. The route continues southerly from Oakland County into the City of Detroit, ending downtown. The Detroit Zoo is located along M-1 in Oakland County. M-1 is also home to the Woodward Dream Cruise, a classic-car cruise from Pontiac to Ferndale that is held in August. It is the largest single-day classic-car cruise in America.
M-5
M-10 (John C. Lodge Freeway) runs largely parallel to I-75 from Southfield to downtown Detroit. The service drives are named Northwestern Highway.
M-15 (Ortonville Road, Main Street in Clarkston)
M-24 (Lapeer Road) has a southern terminus at I-75 northeast of Pontiac. To the north, the route continues to Lapeer and beyond. Note: M-24 and US 24 do not intersect at present, although this was the case until the 1950s.
M-39 (Southfield Freeway) runs north–south from I-94 in Allen Park to Southfield. North of Nine Mile Road, the freeway ends and continues as Southfield Road into Birmingham.
M-59 (Highland Road [from Pontiac westerly], Huron Street [within Pontiac] and Veterans Memorial Freeway [Pontiac to Utica]), continues east in Macomb County as Hall Road to Clinton Township and west to I-96 near Howell
M-102 Perhaps better known as 8 Mile Road, M-102 follows the Oakland–Wayne county 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. It is designated M-102 for much of its length in Wayne County.
M-150 (Rochester Road) serves as a spur highway from M-59 into the city of Rochester.
Grand River Avenue connects the suburbs of Brighton, Novi, and Farmington to downtown Detroit. The avenue follows the route of old US 16 before I-96 replaced it in 1962. It is one of the five roads planned by Judge August Woodward to radiate out from Detroit and connect the city to other parts of the state.

Rail

Amtrak's Wolverine serves Oakland County with 3 daily trains each way, stopping in Pontiac, Troy, Royal Oak, and continuing on to Chicago. In pre-Amtrak years Birmingham, Pontiac and other stations were stops for Grand Trunk Western passenger trains from Detroit to points north and west. Until 1960, passengers could board trains in Birmingham and Pontiac for Grand Rapids and Muskegon on the Lake Michigan coast. From the above trains passengers could transfer at Durand Union Station for Bay City-bound mixed trains.

Mile roads

Main page: Mile Road System (Detroit)

Surface-street navigation in metro Detroit is commonly anchored by "mile roads," major east–west surface streets that are spaced at one-mile (1.6 km) intervals and increment as one travels north and away from the city center. Mile roads sometimes have two names, the numeric name (e.g., 15 Mile Road), used in Macomb County, and a local name (e.g., Maple Road), used in Oakland County (for the most part).

Bicycling

The conditions on most non-residential roads in Oakland County are not favorable to bicycling. Exceptions to this are primarily in the inner-ring suburbs within the southeast corner of the county. This is due to their street grid.

A primary reason for these unfavorable cycling conditions is the Road Commission for Oakland County has a policy of not accommodating bicycles on the road. As a result, some communities have designated sidepaths (locally called "safety paths") as bike routes which do not meet the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) guidelines for bicycling facilities and have been found to be less safe than on-road bike facilities.

As a result, there are no designated Bicycle Friendly Communities within Oakland County.

Only the city of Ferndale has a built comprehensive bicycle network of bike lanes and signed shared roadways.

Communities

The white areas represent unincorporated charter and civil townships. The gray areas represent incorporated cities and villages.

Cities

Villages

Townships

Unincorporated Communities

Lakes

Cass Lake, the largest and deepest lake in Oakland County

Twelve Oakland County all-sports lakes have public boat launches; Big Lake (Springfield Twp.), Cass Lake (Waterford Twp.), Cedar Island Lake (White Lake Twp.), Crescent Lake (Waterford Twp.), Lake Oakland (Waterford Twp.), Lake Orion (Orion Twp.), Long Lake (Commerce Twp.), Maceday Lake (Waterford Twp.), Pontiac Lake (Waterford Twp.), Tipsico Lake (Rose Twp.), Union Lake (Commerce Twp.), and White Lake (White Lake Twp.)

In addition, no-wake lakes in Oakland County with public boat launches include Crooked Lake (Independence Twp.), Heron Lake (Holly Twp.), Kent Lake (Milford Twp.) and Wildwood Lake (Groveland Twp.).

There are 387 lakes in Oakland County. Of those lakes, 317 are named while 70 are unnamed lakes.

Named Oakland County lakes include:

Adams Lake (Orion Twp.)

Alderman Lake (Highland Twp.)

Algoe Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Allen Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Bailey Lake (Independence Twp.)

Baldwin Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Baker Lake (Rose Twp.)

Bald Eagle Lake (Brandon Twp.)

Bass Lake (Milford Twp.)

Beaty Lake (Highland Twp.)

Bevins Lake (Holly Twp.)

Bloat Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Big Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Big School Lot Lake (Rose Twp.)

Big Seven Lake (Holly Twp.)

Bogie Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Brendel Lake (Highland Twp.)

Bridge Lake (Brandon Twp.)

Buckell Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Buckhorn Lake (Orion Twp.)

Buckhorn Lake (Rose Twp.)

Buhl Lake (Orion Twp.)

Bunny Run Lake (Orion Twp.)

Bush Lake (Holly Twp.)

Carpenter Lake (Orion Twp.)

Carroll Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Carus Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Cass Lake (West Bloomfield Twp.)

Cedar Lake (Brandon Twp.)

Cedar Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Cedar Island Lake (White Lake Twp.)

Charlick Lake (Highland Twp.)

Chase Lake (Highland Twp.)

Chestnut Lake (Rochester Hills)

Childs Lake (Milford Twp.)

Clam Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Clam Lake (Orion Twp.)

Clark Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Clear Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Cogger Lake (Highland Twp.)

Colley Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Clear Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Commerce Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Cooley Lake (White Lake Twp.)

Cranberry Lake (Independence Twp.)

Cranberry Lake (Orion Twp.)

Cranberry Lake (Milford Twp.)

Cranberry Lake (Brandon Twp.)

Crescent Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Cogger Lake (Rose Twp.)

Crooked Lake (Independence Twp.)

Crotched Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Crystal Lake (Pontiac)

Crystal Lake (Rochester Hills)

Darby Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Dark Lake (Independence Twp.) - two lakes with this name in this location

Dark Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Davis Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Deer Lake (Independence Twp.)

Dixie Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Dollar Lake (Independence Twp.)

Downey Lake (Highland Twp.)

Drake Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Duck Lake (Highland Twp.)

Duck Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Dunham Lake (Highland Twp.)

Eagle Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Ekelund Lake (Brandon Twp.)

Eliza Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Elizabeth Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Elkhorn Lake (Orion Twp.)

Elliott Lake (Rose Twp.)

Emerald Lake (Rochester Hills)

Erwin Lake (Orion Twp.)

Esler Lake (Highland Twp.)

Fagan Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Fair Lake (White Lake Twp.)

Fiddle Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Fish Lake (Highland Twp.)

Fish Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Fish Lake (Rose Twp.)

Flanders Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Flemings Lake (Independence Twp.)

Foster Lake (Independence Twp.)

Fox Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Gallagher Lake (Milford Twp.)

Galloway Lake (Auburn Hills)

Geneva Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Gilbert Lake (Bloomfield Twp.)

Gourd Lake (Highland Twp.)

Graham Lake (Orion Twp.)

Grampian Lake (Orion Twp.)

Grass Lake (Highland Twp.)

Grass Lake (Brandon Twp.)

Green Lake (Brandon Twp.)

Green Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Green Lake (Rose Twp.)

Greens Lake (Independence Twp.)

Greens Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Gulick Lake (Independence Twp.)

Halstead Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Hammond Lake (West Bloomfield Twp.)

Handsome Lake (Orion Twp.)

Hartwig Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Harvey Lake (Highland Twp.)

Haven Hill Lake (Highland Twp.)

Hawk Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Heart Lake (Orion Twp.)

Heather Lake (Orion Twp.)

Hidden Lake (Lyon Twp.)

Highland Lake (Highland Twp.)

Hogback Lake (Rose Twp.)

Honeywell Lake (Milford Twp.)

Horseshoe Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Horton Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Heron Lake (Holly Twp.)

Holdridge Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Honeywell Lake (Milford Twp.)

Horseshoe Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Horton Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Howell Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Huckleberry Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Huff Lake (Brandon Twp.)

Hummer Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Huntoon Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Indian Lake (Orion Twp.)

Indianwood Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Judah Lake (Orion Twp.)

Kelly Lake (Rose Twp.)

Kennedy Lake (Holly Twp.)

Kent Lake (Milford Twp.)

Kenyon Lake (Rose Twp.)

Kirby Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Knox Lake (Independence Twp.)

Lacy Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Lakeville Lake (Addison Twp.)

Lake Anadale (Rochester Hills)

Lake Angelus (Auburn Hills)

Lake Braemar (Rose Twp.)

Lake Charnwood (Rochester Hills)

Lake Erin (Orion Twp.)

Lake George (Orion Twp.)

Lake Goodrich (Waterford Twp.)

Lake Hope (Springfield Twp.)

Lake Lahring (Springfield Twp.)

Lake Louise (Brandon Twp.)

Lake Mauna Loa (Springfield Twp.)

Lake Neva (Highland Twp.)

Lake Nicholas (Brandon Twp.)

Lake Oahu (Springfield Twp.)

Lake Oakland (Waterford Twp.)

Lake O'Brien (Highland Twp.)

Lake Ona (Milford Twp.)

Lake Orion (Orion Twp.)

Lake Sherwood (Commerce Twp.)

Lake Sixteen (Oxford Twp.)

Lakeville Lake (Orion Twp.)

Lantern Lake (Auburn Hills)

Leggets Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Leonard Lake (Highland Twp.)

Lester Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Little Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Little Carroll Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Little Crotched Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Little School Lot Lake (Rose Twp.)

Little Walters Lake (Independence Twp.)

Long Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Long Lake (Orion Twp.)

Long Lake (Brandon Twp.)

Long Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Long Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Loon Lake (Milford Twp)

Loon Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Lotus Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Lower Long Lake (Bloomfield Twp.)

Lower Pettibone Lake (Milford Twp.)

Lower Proud Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Lower Straits Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Maceday Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Mandon Lake (White Lake Twp.)

Manito Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Mari Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Martin Lake (Springfield Twp.)

McGinnis Lake (Springfield Twp.)

McWithy Lake (Highland Twp.)

Mead Lake (Independence Twp.)

Meadow Lake (White Lake Twp )

Mercedes Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Meyers Lake (Highland Twp.)

Middle Lake (Independence Twp.)

Middle Straits Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Miller Lake (Rochester Hills)

Miller Lake (Orion Twp.)

Minnie Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Mirror Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Mohawk Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Moore Lake (Milford Twp.)

Morgan Lake (Independence Twp.)

Morgan Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Morris Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Moss Lake (Milford Twp.)

Mud Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Narrin Lake (Brandon Twp.)

Orange Lake (Bloomfield Twp.)

Orchard Lake (West Bloomfield Twp.)

Otter Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Oxbow Lake (White Lake Twp.)

Oxford Lake (Orion Twp.)

Parke Lake (Independence Twp.)

Pebble Lake (Rochester Hills)

Peninsula Lake (Highland Twp.)

Perch Lake (Highland Twp.)

Phillip Lake (Milford Twp.)

Phipps Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Pickerel Lake (Highland Twp.)

Pickett Lake (Milford Twp.)

Pier Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Pine Lake (West Bloomfield Twp.)

Pine Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Pitch Haven Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Pleasant Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Pleasant Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Ploss Lake (Orion Twp.)

Pontiac Lake (White Lake Twp.)

Powell Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Prince Lake (Orion Twp.)

Proud Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Pungs Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Quicksand Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Rainbow Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Rattalee Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Reed Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Rice Lake (Holly Twp.)

Richardson Lake (Rose Twp.)

Round Lake (Addison Twp.)

Round Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Round Lake (Independence Twp.)

Round Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Round Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Sans Souci Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Schmitt Lake (Highland Twp.)

Schoolhouse Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Scotch Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Scott Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Sears Lake (Milford Twp.)

Seymour Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Shadow Lake (Addison Twp.)

Shiawassee Lake (Highland Twp.)

Shoe Lake (Orion Twp.)

Silver Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Simonson Lake (Rose Twp.)

Simpson Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Slack Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Sodon Lake (Bloomfield Twp.)

Softwater Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Spring Lake (Independence Twp.)

Spring Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Spring Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Square Lake (Bloomfield Twp.)

Square Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Squaw Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Stewart Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Stiffs Mill Pond (Rose Twp.)

Stison Lake (Highland Twp.)

Stony Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Strawberry Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Stuart Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Sugden Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Sullivan Lake (Rose Twp.)

Susin Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Sylvan Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Sylvan Glen Lake (Rochester Hills)

Tamarack Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Tamarack Lake (Orion Twp.)

Tan Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Taylor Lake (Rose Twp.)

Teeple Lake (Highland Twp.)

Tipsico Lake (Rose Twp.)

Tomahawk Lake (Highland Twp.)

Tooley Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Tommys Lake (Orion Twp.)

Townsend Lake (Independence Twp.)

Tray Lake (Milford Twp.)

Tremper Lake (Rose Twp.)

Truax Lake (Brandon Twp.)

Tull Lake (White Lake Twp.)

Tully Lake (Brandon Twp.)

Twin Sun Lake (Milford Twp.)

Union Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Upper Bushman Lake (Independence Twp.)

Upper Lakeville Lake (Addison Twp.)

Upper Long Lake (Bloomfield Twp.)

Upper Pettibone Lake (Highland Twp.)

Upper Silver Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Upper Straits (Bloomfield Twp.)

Valley Lake (Springfield Twp.)

Van Norman Lake (Independence Twp.)

Voorhies Lake (Orion Twp.)

Wabeek Lake (Bloomfield Twp.)

Walled Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Walker Lake (Rochester Hills)

Walnut Lake (West Bloomfield Twp.)

Walters Lake (Independence Twp.)

Waterbury Lake (Highland Twp.)

Waterstone Lake (Oxford Twp.)

Watkins Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Waumegah Lake (Springfield Twp.)

West Wind Lake (Rose Twp.)

Whipple Lake (Independence Twp.)

Whisper Lake (Oxford Twp.)

White Lake (White Lake Twp.)

White Horse Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Wilson Lake (Brandon Twp.)

Wilson Lake (Rose Twp.)

Wing Lake (Bloomfield Twp.)

Wildwood Lake (Groveland Twp.)

Williams Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Wolverine Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Woodbridge Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Woodhull Lake (Waterford Twp.)

Woodpecker Lake (Commerce Twp.)

Woodruff Lake (Highland Twp.)

Wormer Lake (Waterford Twp.)

There are no lakes in Oakland County beginning with the letter X, Y or Z.

The ten largest lakes in Oakland County are:

1. Cass Lake 1,280 acres

2. Kent Lake 1,200 acres

3. Orchard Lake 795 acres

4. Walled Lake 670 acres

5. Pontiac Lake 640 acres

6. White Lake 540 acres

7. Sylvan Lake 532 acres

8. Lake Orion 506 acres

9. Lake Angelus 477 acres

10. Union Lake 465 acres

The ten deepest lakes in Oakland County are:

1. Cass Lake 123 feet

2. Maceday Lake 117 feet

3t. Orchard Lake 110 feet

3t. Union Lake 110 feet

5. Walnut Lake 101 feet

6t. Van Norman Lake 90 feet

6t. Pine Lake 90 feet

8. Lake Angelus 88 feet

9t. Loon Lake 73 feet

9t. Silver Lake 73 feet

Rivers

There are five rivers in Oakland County:

The headwaters of each of these rivers lie in Oakland County.

Sports

Club	League	Venue	Established	Championships
Oakland County FC	Premier League of America, Soccer	Clawson Park Stadium	2015

The NFL's Detroit Lions played their home games at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac from 1975 through 2001, when they moved to Ford Field in Downtown Detroit. The Detroit Pistons played at the Silverdome from 1978 to 1988. The Silverdome was also the site of Super Bowl XVI, where the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, the first of 5 Super Bowl titles for the 49ers. The Pontiac Silverdome also hosted various other sporting events, prior to being demolished in 2017.

From 1988 to 2017, prior to the move to Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, the Detroit Pistons played their home games at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills. The Palace of Auburn Hills was demolished in 2020.

Education

The County of Oakland counterpart in public education (K–12) is the Oakland Schools, an Intermediate school district. The county is also home to multiple renowned private elementary and high schools, including The Roeper School and Cranbrook.

Higher education

Oakland County is home to several institutions of higher education.

Baker College, Auburn Hills campus
Oakland University, Rochester
The Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Auburn Hills campus
Lawrence Technological University, Southfield
Rochester University, Rochester
Walsh College of Accountancy and Business, Troy and Novi campuses
Oakland Community College, five campuses: Orchard Ridge (Farmington Hills), Auburn Hills, Southfield, Highland Lakes, and Royal Oak.
Saint Mary's College of Madonna University, Orchard Lake
Cranbrook College of Art, Bloomfield Hills

Images for kids

Grand Trunk Western Railroad Depot, Birmingham
Downtown Holly
U.S. Census data map showing local municipal boundaries within Oakland County. Shaded areas represent incorporated cities.