Swartz Creek, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Swartz Creek, Michigan
City
City of Swartz Creek
Motto(s):  Where Friendships Last Forever
Location within Genesee County
Swartz Creek, Michigan Location in Michigan
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Genesee
Settled	1836
Platted	1877
Incorporated	1959
Government
• Type	Council–manager
Area
• Total	4.19 sq mi (10.86 km2)
• Land	4.19 sq mi (10.86 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	791 ft (235 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,897
• Density	1,407.06/sq mi (543.22/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	48473 48554 (Flint)
Area code(s)	810
FIPS code	26-77700
GNIS feature ID	1614476

Swartz Creek is a city in Genesee County, Michigan. It's a part of the United States. In 2020, about 5,897 people lived there.

The city is a suburb of Flint. This means it's a smaller town near a bigger city. Swartz Creek used to be part of other areas like Flint Charter Township. But now, it runs its own government and is separate from those townships.

History of Swartz Creek

Long ago, Native Americans used to travel along the Swartz Creek. They went there to find maple trees, fish, pick fruits, and hunt. This trail went all the way to the Lansing area.

Early Communities

Miller's Settlement

The first settlement in the area was called Miller's Settlement. It was started in June 1836 by Adam Miller and his family. They were German and had eleven children.

At first, the settlement was part of Flint Township. Later, parts of it became part of Mundy Township and Flushing Township.

In 1842, a post office opened in the community. It was named Swartz Creek, after the nearby stream. Soon, the whole community started using that name. The area was officially mapped out as the Village of Swartz Creek in 1877.

By 1881, Swartz Creek had a train station called Hamilton. There was also a hotel, a Methodist church, and a school. The creek helped power a saw mill and a flour mill.

In 1927, the main roads in downtown Swartz Creek were paved. Electricity also came to the area that same year.

Otterburn

Another early community was called Otterburn. It was located in Flint Township. About 150 people lived there, and it had its own train station that opened in 1882.

The name "Otterburn" came from the otters often seen in the Swartz Creek. A "burn" is another word for a small stream. A post office opened in Otterburn in 1887 but closed in 1913.

In 1957, a large Chevrolet plant was built in the Otterburn area. This plant was used for car service and parts.

Winchester Developments

The Crapo Farm was a large piece of land nearby. In 1955, parts of it were given for a cemetery and a school. The rest of the farm was sold, and new neighborhoods were built there. These included Winchester Village and Winchester Woods. Most of these new areas became part of the City of Swartz Creek when it was founded.

Becoming a City

In the 1950s, there was a plan to make the whole Flint area one big city. This plan made people in smaller communities nervous. They worried that the big Chevrolet plant in Otterburn would become part of Flint.

To avoid this, people in the Swartz Creek area decided to form their own city. Swartz Creek officially became a city on December 1, 1959. It included parts of Gaines, Clayton, and Flint Townships.

In 1986, Sports Creek Raceway opened in the city. This was a track for harness racing (where horses pull a driver in a two-wheeled cart). The city received money from the races for many years. The raceway closed in 2015 and has not reopened.

In the 2000s, the city worked to improve its downtown area. A large Meijer store opened in Swartz Creek in 2013.

In 2017, the city's police department merged with Mundy Township's department. They formed a new group called the Metro Police Authority of Genesee County. Swartz Creek also started getting water from the Karegnondi Water Authority.

By 2022, the Swartz Creek Community Schools completed many updates. They built a new football field and a performing arts center. They also added new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) classrooms at the high school and middle school.

Geography

Swartz Creek covers about 4.04 square miles (10.86 square kilometers) of land.

The west branch of the Swartz Creek flows through the city. It runs from west to east and eventually goes into the Flint River. A train line, now part of the Canadian National Railway, also runs through the city, parallel to the creek.

	Clayton Township	Clayton Township	Flint Township
	Gaines Township Clayton Township		Flint Township
		Swartz Creek
	Gaines Township	Gaines Township	Gaines Township Clayton Township Flint Township

Population and People

How Many People Live Here?

In 2010, there were 5,758 people living in Swartz Creek. There were 2,554 households, which are groups of people living together.

Most people in the city were White (91.6%). About 5.1% were African American. Other groups included Asian, Native American, and people of two or more races. About 2.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Who Lives in Swartz Creek?

About 30% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households were married couples. Some had a female head of household without a husband, or a male head of household without a wife.

The average age of people in Swartz Creek was 41 years old. About 22.6% of residents were under 18. And 20.1% were 65 years or older. More females lived in the city (55.2%) than males (44.8%).

Climate

Swartz Creek has a humid continental climate. This means it has big changes in temperature throughout the year. Summers are warm to hot and often humid. Winters are cold, and sometimes very cold.

Images for kids

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  A robot for kids.

See also

In Spanish: Swartz Creek para niños