Editing Sterling Heights, Michigan (section)

==Geography==
Sterling Heights is a second-ring suburb, {{convert|14|to|20|mi}} north of [[downtown Detroit]]. The city's southern border is {{convert|6|mi|0}} from Detroit's northern border. The shape of the city is six miles long and miles wide.<ref name=DublinMurray>Murray, Dublin. "Teen-age strife in Detroit suburb reflects ethnic conflicts of Yugoslavia's civil war." ''[[Baltimore Sun]]''. December 22, 1991. p. [https://www.baltimoresun.com/1991/12/22/11-republics-sign-pact-for-new-grouping-issue-of-control-of-soviet-nuclear-arms-left-open/ 1]. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20141130012018/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-12-22/news/1991356023_1_ethnic-albanians-yugos-albos Archive]). Retrieved on September 28, 2014.</ref> It is bordered to the south by the city of [[Warren, Michigan|Warren]], at its southwest corner by [[Madison Heights, Michigan|Madison Heights]], to the west by [[Troy, Michigan|Troy]], to the north by [[Utica, Michigan|Utica]] and [[Shelby Charter Township, Michigan|Shelby Township]], at its northeast corner by [[Macomb Township, Michigan|Macomb Township]], to the east by [[Clinton Charter Township, Michigan|Clinton Township]], and to the southeast by [[Fraser, Michigan|Fraser]].

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], Sterling Heights has a total area of {{convert|36.72|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|36.45|sqmi|sqkm|2}} are land and {{convert|0.27|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, or 0.74%, are water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2022"/> The [[Clinton River (Michigan)|Clinton River]] crosses the northeast part of the city, flowing east to [[Lake St. Clair]] east of [[Mount Clemens, Michigan|Mount Clemens]].

=== Climate ===
Sterling Heights features a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dfa''). Summers are somewhat hot with temperatures exceeding 90&nbsp;°F (32&nbsp;°C) on average 8.6 days. Winters are cold, with temperatures not rising above freezing on 39.1 days annually, while dropping to or below 0&nbsp;°F (−18&nbsp;°C) on average 1.2 days a year.{{Weather box
| width = auto
| precipitation colour = green
| Mar low F = 25.3
| Apr low F = 36.0
| May low F = 47.5
| Jun low F = 57.7
| Jul low F = 62.3
| Aug low F = 60.8
| Sep low F = 52.9
| Oct low F = 41.9
| Nov low F = 32.5
| Dec low F = 22.9
| year low F = 39.7
| Jan precipitation inch = 1.86
| Jan low F = 18.2
| Feb precipitation inch = 1.82
| Mar precipitation inch = 2.27
| Apr precipitation inch = 3.07
| May precipitation inch = 3.23
| Jun precipitation inch = 3.38
| Jul precipitation inch = 3.22
| Aug precipitation inch = 3.38
| Sep precipitation inch = 3.45
| Oct precipitation inch = 2.75
| Nov precipitation inch = 3.05
| Dec precipitation inch = 2.49
| year precipitation inch = 33.97
| Feb low F = 18.8
| year mean F = 49.5
| location = Sterling Heights (Eastpointe station)
| Nov high F = 49.0
| metric first = yes
| single line = Yes
| Jan high F = 32.8
| Feb high F = 35.8
| Mar high F = 44.7
| Apr high F = 58.3
| May high F = 69.7
| Jun high F = 80.0
| Jul high F = 84.2
| Aug high F = 81.7
| Sep high F = 74.8
| Oct high F = 62.3
| Dec high F = 36.5
| Dec mean F = 29.7
| year high F = 59.1
| Jan mean F = 25.5
| Feb mean F = 27.3
| Mar mean F = 35.0
| Apr mean F = 47.2
| May mean F = 58.6
| Jun mean F = 68.9
| Jul mean F = 73.3
| Aug mean F = 71.3
| Sep mean F = 63.9
| Oct mean F = 52.1
| Nov mean F = 40.8
| source = NOAA (normals 1981–2010)
}}

===Neighboring cities/towns===
{{Geographic Location
| width = auto
| Center = Sterling Heights
| North     = [[Shelby Charter Township, Michigan|Shelby Township]]<br />[[Utica, Michigan|Utica]]
| Northwest = [[Rochester Hills, Michigan|Rochester Hills]]<br />[[Rochester, Michigan|Rochester]]
| Northeast = [[Macomb Township, Macomb County, Michigan|Macomb Township]]
| East      = [[Clinton Charter Township, Michigan|Clinton Township]]
| Southeast = [[Fraser, Michigan|Fraser]]
| South     = [[Warren, Michigan|Warren]]
| Southwest = [[Madison Heights, Michigan|Madison Heights]]
| West      = [[Troy, Michigan|Troy]]
}}

===Main highways===
Sterling Heights sits on two main thoroughfares:

====State highways====
*{{jct|state=MI|M|53}} commonly called Van Dyke Avenue or the Van Dyke Freeway (they split in the city, however, and rejoin to its north), which leads north into [[The Thumb]] of Michigan.
*{{jct|state=MI|M|59}}, commonly called Hall Road once the freeway ends—which is the east–west connector from just north of [[Mount Clemens, Michigan|Mount Clemens]], through [[Utica, Michigan|Utica]] as a surface road, and then becomes a limited access freeway to [[Pontiac, Michigan|Pontiac]], being the main northern connector between [[Macomb County, Michigan|Macomb County]] and [[Oakland County, Michigan|Oakland County]]. In Sterling Heights, large areas are devoted to retail and commercial development (''e.g.'', [[Lakeside Mall]]).

====Other main roads====
*[[Mound Road]] is an important north–south artery that runs continuously through the city. Overall, the road starts south in [[Hamtramck, Michigan|Hamtramck]] and runs up to 32 Mile Road in [[Romeo, Michigan|Romeo]]. The road ends briefly at River Bends Park in Shelby Township (becoming Auburn Road), and continues just north of 22 Mile Road.
*East-west travel is mainly on the "mile roads," beginning at 14 Mile Road through 20 Mile Road (M-59). 16 Mile Road, also known as [[Metropolitan Parkway (Detroit area)|Metro Parkway]], is another major "mile road". See [[Roads and freeways in metropolitan Detroit]].
*Utica Road is an important diagonal connector that crisscrosses the city from southeast to northwest, going through the intersection of Dodge Park Road (across from the Sterling Heights city hall) via the first roundabout in Macomb County.
*Dequindre Road is the border between the city of Sterling Heights and the city of [[Troy, Michigan|Troy]]. It is also the border between the counties of Macomb and [[Oakland County, Michigan|Oakland]].
*Hayes Road is the divider between Clinton Township (Between Utica Road and South of M59) and Fraser (Between Masonic and Moravian).