Oakland County, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oakland County, Michigan
County
County of Oakland
Top-to-bottom, left-to-right: Troy's skyline, Southfield's skyline, Rackham Fountain (at the Detroit Zoo), National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica (Royal Oak), Downtown Pontiac, Downtown Royal Oak (downtown Detroit on the horizon)
Flag Seal Logo
Location within the state of Michigan
Cities and Townships in the county
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Metro	Metro Detroit
Incorporated	1819 (created) 1820 (organized)
County seat	Pontiac (Legislative and Judicial) Waterford (Executive)
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
• Estimate  (2023)	1,270,426
• Density	1,405.1/sq mi (542.50/km2)
GDP
• Total	$124.285 billion (2022)
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 state of Michigan. It's a big part of the Detroit metropolitan area, home to many of Detroit's northern suburbs. The main government office, called the county seat, is in Pontiac. The largest city in the county is Troy.

In 2020, about 1.27 million people lived here. This makes it the second most populated county in Michigan. It's also the most populated county in the United States without a single city of 100,000 residents. Oakland County was created in 1819 and officially started in 1820. It has 62 cities, villages, and townships. In 2010, Oakland County was one of the ten richest counties in the U.S. with over a million people. It is also home to Oakland University, a large public university.

History of Oakland County

Oakland County was created by Governor Lewis Cass in 1819. It was formed from Macomb County in 1820. As more people moved in, parts of Oakland County were used to create other counties. This happened over 16 years, leading to the formation of many new counties around it.

Important roads like Woodward Avenue and the Detroit and Pontiac Railroad helped bring settlers in the 1840s. By 1840, Oakland County had over fifty lumber mills. These mills processed wood from the area. Pontiac, located on the Clinton River, was the first town and became the county seat.

After the Civil War, Oakland County was mostly a farming area with small villages. By the late 1800s, Pontiac had three train lines. This helped the city attract factories that made carriages and wagons. In the late 1890s, streetcars connected Pontiac to Detroit.

Around this time, southern Oakland County became a suburb of Detroit. Many people moved from Oakland County farms to Detroit for factory jobs. By 1910, wealthy people from Detroit built summer homes in what is now Bloomfield Hills. The car industry grew in Pontiac in the early 1900s. The Oakland Motor Car Company started in 1907 and became part of General Motors.

In the 1950s, Oakland County's population grew a lot. People from Detroit started moving to the suburbs. While nearby Macomb County had more factory workers, Oakland County attracted more professionals like doctors and lawyers. For a while, Oakland County was the fourth wealthiest county in the U.S. Its wealth has changed a bit since then. The average home price in Oakland County is higher than the national average. The county is also home to large shopping malls like Oakland Mall and Twelve Oaks Mall.

Geography of Oakland County

Grand Trunk Western Railroad Depot, Birmingham

Downtown Holly

Oakland County covers about 907 square miles (2,350 square kilometers). About 868 square miles (2,250 square kilometers) is land, and 40 square miles (100 square kilometers) is water.

The county was first divided into 25 townships. Each township is roughly 6 miles (9.7 km) by 6 miles. This design came from early U.S. land laws. Section 16 in each township was set aside to help pay for public schools. Even today, many schools in Oakland County are in these areas.

Wayne County, where Detroit is located, is south of Oakland County. 8 Mile Road is the border between these counties. This road was used as a "baseline" when Michigan was first surveyed. Over time, as more people moved to the suburbs, 8 Mile Road became known as a dividing line.

Since the late 1900s, the suburbs have become much more diverse. Many middle-class African Americans have moved from Detroit to nearby suburbs. For example, Southfield's population is now about 75% Black. Other cities like Farmington, Novi, and Troy also have many different ethnic groups. These include people of Asian, Arab, and other backgrounds.

Neighboring Counties

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

Population and People

In 2020, Oakland County had about 1,274,402 people living in 524,762 homes. On average, there were 2.4 people per home. About 70% of the people were White, 13.9% were Black or African American, and 8.8% were Asian. About 5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino. Roughly 13.1% of residents were born in other countries.

About 20% of homes had children under 18. About 19.1% of homes had someone living alone who was 65 or older. Just over half (50.6%) of the residents were female. Nearly half (49.5%) of adults aged 25 and older had at least a bachelor's degree.

In 2020, the average household income in Oakland County was $92,620. This makes Oakland County the wealthiest county in Michigan. About 71.9% of homes were owned by the people living in them. About 8.72% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Ethnic origins in Oakland County

Transportation in Oakland County

Airports

• Oakland County International Airport (PTK) in Waterford Township is for private and charter flights.
• Oakland/Troy Airport (VLL) in Troy is also for private and charter flights.

Other airports nearby:

• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) is a major airport in Wayne County.
• Bishop International Airport (FNT) is in Genesee County.

Main Highways

• I-75 is a major north-south highway. It connects Flint, Pontiac, Troy, and Detroit.
• I-96 runs northwest-southeast through the county. It ends in downtown Detroit.
• I-275 goes north-south and helps drivers bypass Detroit's western suburbs.
• I-696 goes east-west through Detroit's northern suburbs. I-275 and I-696 together form a semicircle around Detroit.
• US 24 is also known as Telegraph Road. It's a main north-south road that goes through Oakland County to Pontiac.
• M-1 is Woodward Avenue. It starts in Pontiac and goes south into Detroit. The Detroit Zoo is on M-1. It's also famous for the Woodward Dream Cruise, a huge classic car event in August.
• M-5 provides quick access to I-96, I-275, and I-696.
• M-10 is the John C. Lodge Freeway. It runs near I-75 from Southfield to Detroit.
• M-59 is a major east-west road. It goes through Pontiac and connects to other counties.
• M-102, also known as 8 Mile Road, forms the border between Oakland and Wayne counties. It's well-known from the movie 8 Mile.

Train Travel

Amtrak's Wolverine train serves Oakland County three times a day. It stops in Pontiac, Troy, and Royal Oak. From there, it continues to Detroit and west to Chicago.

Mile Roads

In the Detroit area, roads are often named by "mile roads." These are major east-west streets that are one mile apart. As you go north from the city center, the numbers increase. In Oakland County, these roads often have local names too, like Maple Road for 15 Mile Road.

Biking in Oakland County

Most roads in Oakland County are not very bike-friendly. However, some inner suburbs have better conditions for cycling. This is because their streets are laid out in a grid.

The Road Commission for Oakland County generally does not build roads with bikes in mind. Because of this, some communities have created "safety paths" for bikes. These paths are often next to roads and may not be as safe as dedicated bike lanes.

Currently, no communities in Oakland County are officially recognized as "Bicycle Friendly Communities." Only the city of Ferndale has a good network of bike lanes and shared roads for cyclists.

Education in Oakland County

Oakland County has many schools. The public school system (K-12) is overseen by Oakland Schools. The county also has well-known private schools, such as The Roeper School and Cranbrook.

Colleges and Universities

• Oakland University
• Oakland Community College
• Lawrence Technological University
• Baker College of Royal Oak
• Rochester Christian University
• Walsh College
• Saint Mary's College of Madonna University
• Cranbrook College of Art

K-12 School Districts

Sports in Oakland County

The Detroit Lions (NFL football team) used to play their home games at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac from 1975 to 2001. They then moved to Ford Field in Detroit. The Detroit Pistons (NBA basketball team) also played at the Silverdome from 1978 to 1988. The Silverdome hosted Super Bowl XVI in 1982, where the San Francisco 49ers won. The Pontiac Silverdome was torn down in 2017.

From 1988 to 2017, the Detroit Pistons played at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills. They then moved to Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The Palace of Auburn Hills was torn down in 2020.

Communities in Oakland County

Map of political boundaries

Cities

Villages

Charter Townships

Civil Townships

• Addison Township
• Groveland Township
• Holly Township
• Novi Township
• Rose Township
• Southfield Township

Unincorporated Communities

Rivers and Lakes in Oakland County

Oakland County is home to 387 lakes. Four main rivers also flow through the county:

• Clinton River
• Huron River
• Rouge River
• Shiawassee River

The starting points (headwaters) of all these rivers are located in Oakland County.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Oakland para niños