Editing Birmingham, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Birmingham, Michigan
| official_name      = City of Birmingham
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| motto              = "A Walkable Community"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.birmingham.mi.us/ |title=City of Birmingham, Michigan |publisher=City of Birmingham, Michigan |access-date=August 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120816144606/http://www.ci.birmingham.mi.us/ |archive-date=August 16, 2012 }}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|http://bhamgov.org}}
| image_skyline      = Downtown_Birmingham_MI_2025.jpg
| imagesize          = 275
| image_caption      = Maple Road and Old Woodward Avenue
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = 
| pushpin_map        = Michigan#USA
| pushpin_label_position = left<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_label      = Birmingham
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Michigan##Location within the United States
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| image_map          = Birmingham, MI location.png
| mapsize            = 250
| map_caption        = Location within [[Oakland County, Michigan|Oakland County]]
| government_type    = [[Council–manager government|Council–manager]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Therese Longe
| leader_title1      = [[Municipal clerk|Clerk]]
| leader_name1       = Alexandria Bingham
| leader_title2      = [[City manager|Manager]]
| leader_name2       = Jana Ecker
| government_footnotes = 
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = 
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_name1  = [[Michigan]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Oakland County, Michigan|Oakland]]
| established_title  = Settled
| established_date   = 1819
| established_title2 = Incorporated
| established_date2  = 1864 (village)<br>1932 (city)
| established_title3 = 
| established_date3  = 
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_26.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=May 21, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 12.45
| area_land_km2      = 12.42
| population_footnotes = 
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est     = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| population_total   = 21813
| population_metro   = 
| population_density_km2 = 
| population_density_sq_mi = 4553.86
| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_ft       = 778
| coordinates        = {{coord|42|32|48|N|83|12|41|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| area_water_km2     = 0.03
| area_total_sq_mi   = 4.80
| area_land_sq_mi    = 4.79
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.01
| elevation_m        = 237
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code        = 48009, 48012
| area_code          = [[Area codes 248 and 947|248 and 947]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS]] code
| blank_info         = 26-08640<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0621444<ref>{{Cite GNIS|0621444|Birmingham}}</ref>
| footnotes          = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| unit_pref          = Imperial
}}
'''Birmingham''' is a city in [[Oakland County, Michigan|Oakland County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]].  It is a northern suburb of [[Detroit]] located along the [[Woodward Corridor]] ([[M-1 (Michigan highway)|M-1]]).  As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]], the population was 20,103.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |title=Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), Birmingham city, Michigan |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=August 18, 2011 }}</ref>

==History==
The area comprising what is now the city of Birmingham was part of land ceded by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribes to the United States government by the 1807 [[Treaty of Detroit]].<ref>Seeley [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty&cc=micounty&idno=bad1028.0001.001&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=240 pp. 188-189]</ref> However, settlement was delayed, first by the [[War of 1812]]. Afterward the Surveyor-General of the United States, [[Edward Tiffin]], made an unfavorable report regarding the placement of [[Military Tract of 1812|Military Bounty Lands]] for veterans of the War of 1812.<ref>Seeley,[http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;idno=bad1028.0001.001;frm=frameset;seq=75 pp. 27-28]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=V6kiAAAAMAAJ Description of the military land in Michigan], report by surveyor-general [[Edward Tiffin]], November 30, 1815, in ''Michigan As a Province, Territory and State, the Twenty-Sixth Member of the Federal Union'' Vol. 2, by Henry M. Utley and Clarence M. Cutcheon. pg. 254-255.</ref> Tiffin's report claimed that, because of marsh, in this area "There would not be an acre out of a hundred, if there would be one out of a thousand that would, in any case, admit cultivation." In 1818, Territorial Governor [[Lewis Cass]] led a group of men along the Indian Trail. The governor's party discovered that the swamp was not as extensive as Tiffin had supposed. Not long after Cass issued a more encouraging report about the land, interest quickened as to its suitability for settlement.

The earliest land entry was made on January 28, 1819, by Colonel [[Benjamin Kendrick Pierce]] (brother of future U.S. President [[Franklin Pierce]]) for the northwest quarter of [[section (land)|section]] 36. Colonel Pierce visited his land several times, but never settled on it.<ref>[http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;idno=bad1028.0001.001;didno=BAD1028.0001.001;view=image;seq=424;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset Seeley p.372]</ref>  In March 1818, John W. Hunter and his brother Daniel left [[Auburn, New York|Auburn]], [[New York (state)|New York]], by sleigh and traveled to Michigan by way of [[Upper Canada]]. They waited in [[Detroit]] for their father and other family members, who arrived by [[schooner]] via [[Lake Erie]] in July. The family remained in Detroit until spring 1819, when Hunter made an entry for the northeast quarter of section 36, now in the southeast section of current-day Birmingham. Lacking a proper land survey, Hunter mistakenly built his log house on a tract later purchased by Elijah Willits. That house was later occupied by William Hall, a son-in-law of Elisha Hunter, while John W. Hunter built another log house a short distance to the southeast. On September 25, 1821, Elijah Willits made a land entry for the southwest quarter of section 25. Two days later, Major John Hamilton made an entry for the southeast quarter of section 25. Each of these initial land entries met at what is now the intersection of Maple Road and Pierce Street.

For a time, all three men, John W. Hunter, Hamilton, and Willits, operated hotels and taverns from their houses within a short distance from each other. While Hunter did not continue for very long, Hamilton and Willits continued a rivalry for many years, competing with each other for business from travelers on [[Woodward Avenue]]<ref>[http://forums.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?category=locations&id=205 Woodward Ave. History] {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20120714144810/http://forums.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?category=locations&id=205 |date=July 14, 2012 }}</ref> between Detroit and [[Pontiac, Michigan|Pontiac]]. The growing settlement was known variously as "Hamilton's", "Hunter's", or "Willits'"; it was later known as "Piety Hill".

The settlement's original [[plat]] was surveyed and recorded on August 25, 1836, in the northwest quarter of section 36, then owned by Rosewell T. Merrill, who also ran the town [[foundry]] and the [[thrashing machine]] factory. Merrill named his plat "Birmingham" after [[Birmingham]], [[England]]; he envisioned that it would also become a great industrial center.<ref name="Romig">{{cite book | last = Romig | first = Walter | year = 1986 | title = Michigan Place Names | orig-year= 1973 | publisher = Wayne State University Press | location = Detroit, Michigan | isbn = 0-8143-1838-X}}</ref> Elijah Willits recorded a plat on his property on December 20, 1837. John W. Hunter followed suit with two plats on his property on January 31, 1840, and June 21, 1842, while Major Hamilton laid out a plat on October 7, 1846. Several other properties were subsequently platted as additions. The plats made in 1836 and 1837 were in anticipation of completion of the [[Detroit and Pontiac Railroad]].

Now known as 'Birmingham', the village first received mail through the "Bloomfield" post office. Birmingham established its own post office on April 5, 1838. The settlement incorporated as a village in 1864, comprising the northern half of section 36 and the southern half of section 25, with a total land area of one square mile. The first village elections were held March 1, 1864. It was soon governed by a seven-man board of trustees, who appointed a marshal and a treasurer. Birmingham re-incorporated as a city in 1933.  Prior to this, the area just north of 14 Mile along Woodward was known as "Eco City".<ref>Walter Romig, ''Michigan Place Names'', p. 175</ref>

The names of the city's founders appear throughout Birmingham in civic institutions and commercial businesses:  Pierce Elementary School, Hunter House Hamburgers (which was located on the road formerly known as Hunter Boulevard, which bypassed downtown to the east and was renamed Woodward, with the original Woodward Avenue section renamed Old Woodward), Hamilton Hotel, Willits Building, and Merrill Street. Hall & Hunter Realtors (Established in 1954, now doing business as The Agency Birmingham) adopted their name in honor of the builder and occupier of Birmingham's first home.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|4.80|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|4.79|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.01|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220065340/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-02-20 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2012-11-25 }}</ref>

Birmingham is bordered by [[Bloomfield Hills, Michigan|Bloomfield Hills]] on the northwest,  [[Royal Oak, Michigan|Royal Oak]] on the southeast, [[Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan|Bloomfield Charter Township]] on the west and north, [[Southfield Township, Michigan|Southfield Township]] on the south, and [[Troy, Michigan|Troy]] on the northeast.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 733
|1890= 899
|1900= 1170
|1910= 1607
|1920= 3694
|1930= 9539
|1940= 11196
|1950= 15467
|1960= 25525
|1970= 26170
|1980= 21689
|1990= 19997
|2000= 19291
|2010= 20103
|2020= 21813
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

=== 2020 census ===
As of the [https://data.census.gov/profile/Birmingham_city,_Michigan?g=160XX00US2608640 census of 2020], there were 21,813 people, and 9,383 households residing in the city.

Birmingham enjoys high education rates, with 77.9% of adults<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2022.S1501?g=160XX00US2608640 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> having obtained a bachelor's degree, or higher. Birmingham has 11,243 employed people<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2022.S2401?g=160XX00US2608640 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> above the age of 16, of which 7,748 are employed in "Management, business, science, and arts" including 3,926 in "Management, business, and financial occupations".

Birmingham's median household income is $151,556, and with a median family income of $233,988.

English is spoken in the home by 89.6% of households. Birmingham's residents include 10.8% that are foreign born, 64.1% of whom are naturalized U.S. citizens.

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-11-25}}</ref> of 2010, there were 20,103 people, 9,039 households, and 5,307 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|4196.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 9,979 housing units at an average density of {{convert|2083.3|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 92.3% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 3.0% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.5% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.4% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.6% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.1% of the population.

There were 9,039 households, of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.3% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.96.

The median age in the city was 41.1 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.7% were from 25 to 44; 30.1% were from 45 to 64; and 13.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 19,291 people, 9,131 households, and 5,076 families living in the city.  The population density was {{convert|4,038.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 9,700 housing units at an average density of {{convert|2,030.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the city was 96.13% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.91% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.15% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.50% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.19% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.09% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.19% of the population.

There were 9,131 households, out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the city the population was spread out, with 21.2% under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $80,861, and the median income for a family was $110,627. Males had a median income of $78,865 versus $51,834 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $59,314.  About 1.6% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

==Arts and culture==
[[File:2007 Dream Cruise photo.jpg|thumb|[[Woodward Dream Cruise]]]]
Settlers founded the First United Methodist Church in 1821 and conducted services in Elijah Willets' tavern. Its current structure was built in 1839; it is now the oldest church building in the city.<ref>[http://www.fumcbirmingham.org/info/history/index.htm First United Methodist Church History] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004215446/http://www.fumcbirmingham.org/info/history/index.htm |date=October 4, 2011 }}</ref><ref>Tutag, Nola Huse, and Lucy Hamilton. ''Discovering Stained Glass in Detroit'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=SiUsbJk-1KMC&dq=birmingham+michigan+%22the+first+church%22&pg=RA2-PA61]</ref>  Other houses of worship represent many religions.

George H. Mitchell and Almeron Whitehead were two of a small group of bachelors who had formed a club called The Eccentrics; they published a newspaper of the same name, issuing the first edition on May 2, 1878. At a price of 2 cents, ''The Eccentric'' provided a "live home paper, replete with all the news of the day", with considerable emphasis on the "local items of importance occurring in Birmingham and immediate vicinity". By the turn of the 20th century, ''The Eccentric'' ran advertisements for Detroit stores and theaters, as well as offers of property and houses suitable for the "commuter". In the 1920s, the slogan of ''The Eccentric'' was "For a Bigger and Better Birmingham". Today, the ''Birmingham Eccentric'' newspaper continues its role as reporter of the community's local news.<ref>[http://www.ci.birmingham.mi.us/home/index.asp?page=868 City of Birmingham, MI: The Birmingham Eccentric<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030023554/http://www.ci.birmingham.mi.us/home/index.asp?page=868 |date=October 30, 2007 }}</ref>

In 1923, a group of friends formed The Village Players of Birmingham, a private theatre club. Originally, performances were given in the community house. In 1928 the group commissioned their own theater just outside the downtown area. Today this all-volunteer group is open to everyone and puts on five shows each year.

Birmingham's Community House, opened in 1923, is located in downtown Birmingham. It is a non-sectarian, non-partisan venue used for meetings, banquets, weddings and other celebrations.<ref>{{Cite web|last=hostmaster|date=2016-12-29|title=The Community House|url=https://www.michigan.org/property/community-house|access-date=2020-12-19|website=Michigan|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Community House|url=https://www.communityhouse.com/|access-date=2020-12-19|website=The Community House|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2008, the Birmingham Little League won the nine- to ten-year-old Little League state championship. The team beat Western Little League 12–5 to earn the title.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hometownlife.com/story/sports/2016/07/26/birmingham-little-league-teams-win-district-titles/87557992/ |title=Birmingham Little League teams win 3 district titles |author=Budner, Marty |website=HometownLife.com |access-date=September 12, 2018}}</ref>

===Parks and recreation===
The city has more than twenty parks, with many amenities, including tennis and pickleball courts, baseball diamonds, playgrounds, golf courses, sledding hills, nature trails, picnic areas, and deep woods. Shain Park, the city's main [[common land|commons]], is the site of the Village Fair, art shows, summer music concerts and numerous community events. At the center stands ''[[Freedom of the Human Spirit]]'' sculpted by [[Marshall Fredericks]].

===Education===
The [[Birmingham City School District]] administers several nationally accredited schools, including [[Seaholm High School]] and [[Groves High School (Michigan)|Groves High School]]. [[Roeper School (Michigan)|Roeper School]] has a campus on Adams Road.

The Holy Name School is a co-educational [[parochial school]] founded by the [[Roman Catholic]] Holy Name Church. It educates children grades pre-K to 8. The private school was established in 1928, along with a [[convent]] for IHM nuns. (That has since closed.) The church and school continue to operate in conjunction today.

Pierce Elementary School in Birmingham provides classes for elementary school students of the [[French School of Detroit]].<ref>"[http://www.frenchschoolofdetroit.org/curriculum/elementary Elementary]." French School of Detroit. Retrieved on June 20, 2015.</ref>

The [[Japanese School of Detroit]] (JSD), a [[Hoshuko|supplementary school for Japanese citizens]], first began holding classes in Birmingham in 1987, when its operation at Seaholm High started. It began holding classes at Covington School in 1989,<ref name=OldHist>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20010502235540/http://www.jsd.org/history.html JSD History]" (). Japanese School of Detroit. May 2, 2001. Retrieved on April 16, 2015. "昭和48年  6月  デトロイト日本語補習授業校開設、私立クランブルック・ブルックサイド校借用。 （1973）" and "（1981）  10月  児童・生徒増のため、私立ケンジントン・アカデミー校に移転。" and "（1987）   4月  児童・生徒増のため、ケンジントン校に加え、公立シーホーム校との2校体制に拡大。" and "4月  児童生徒増のため、ケンジントン校・シーホーム校に加え、公立コビントン校との 3校体制に拡大。 " and "（1999）  事務局移転（インターナショナル・アカデミー校→旧オークランド・シュタイナー校） "</ref> and it also had classes at West Maple Elementary.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20120322210412/http://www.jsd.org/08-eng/handbook-08.pdf HANDBOOK For Teachers of Japanese Students]." () Japanese School of Detroit. p. 4 (4/12). Retrieved on June 19, 2013. "4. Now, about 1,000 students are studying at two different school buildings. a. West Maple Elementary School Kindergarten ~ 3rd grades b. Seaholm High School 4th ~ 12th grades"</ref> At one point its school offices were in Birmingham.<ref>"[https://archive.today/20021004193142/http://www.j-school.net/ringo/ りんごネットへようこそ！]" (). [[Japanese School of Detroit]]. October 4, 2002. Retrieved on April 7, 2015. "連絡先 Japanese School of Detroit 2436 W.Lincoln, Suite E101 Birmingham, MI 48009, U.S.A."</ref> In 2010 the school announced it was moving its operations to [[Novi, Michigan|Novi]].<ref name="JapanSchoorel">"[http://www.cityofnovi.org/government/PressReleases/2010/101216JapaneseSchoolOfDetroit.asp Japanese School of Detroit to relocate to Novi]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20131203035507/http://www.cityofnovi.org/government/PressReleases/2010/101216JapaneseSchoolOfDetroit.asp Archive], [http://www.cityofnovi.org/government/PressReleases/2010/PDF/101216JapaneseSchoolOfDetroit.pdf PDF version], [https://web.archive.org/web/20131203031252/http://www.cityofnovi.org/government/PressReleases/2010/PDF/101216JapaneseSchoolOfDetroit.pdf Archive])<!--Original URL http://www.novi.k12.mi.us/WebPages/JSDRingoKai.pdf--> [[Novi Community School District]]. December 16, 2010. Retrieved on April 17, 2011.</ref>

===Public library===
[[File:Baldwin Birmingham Public Library.jpg|alt=Baldwin Birmingham Public Library|border|left|frameless|Baldwin Birmingham Public Library]]
The Baldwin Public Library serves the city of Birmingham and nearby communities of [[Beverly Hills, Michigan|Beverly Hills]], [[Bingham Farms, Michigan|Bingham Farms]], and [[Bloomfield Hills, Michigan|Bloomfield Hills]]. The original building first opened to the public on December 19, 1927. In October 1959, an extension for the Youth Department was added to the east side of the building. In 1983, another addition opened, changing the entrance to Merrill Street. There are over 120,000 books in the library, along with CDs, DVDs, periodicals, educational toys, databases and free [[Wi-Fi]].

The library is named after Martha Baldwin, a civic leader and lifelong resident of Birmingham who was instrumental in establishing the first library. She also helped get improvements such as sidewalks laid for the business section, street lights, seats placed at interurban transit stops, flowers and trees planted, and trash baskets placed at the street corners.

==Infrastructure==
[[File:Merrill Street in Birmingham, Michigan.jpg|thumb|Merrill Street, with Merrillwood Apartments on left]]

===Transportation===
{{Further|Transportation in metropolitan Detroit}}
Birmingham was a [[stagecoach]] stop in the 19th century between Detroit and Pontiac. 
In 1839, the railroad tracks were extended to Birmingham with two steam trains a day running to Detroit.

On June 18, 1896, the [[Oakland Railway]], the electric [[interurban]], was constructed to Birmingham; it provided service to Detroit in 40 minutes. This service ended in 1931 as many passengers switched to the commuter rail and automobiles.

[[Amtrak]] provides long-distance passenger rail service on the [[Pontiac, Michigan|Pontiac]]–[[Detroit]]–[[Chicago]] [[Michigan Services|Wolverine]]. It stops in Birmingham three times per day in each direction at the [[Birmingham station (Michigan)|Birmingham, Michigan Amtrak station]]. Class one freight rail service is provided by [[Canadian National Railway]] (CN).

By 1931, the [[Grand Trunk Western Railroad]] (GTW) moved the railroad tracks to their present location. It provided [[SEMTA Commuter Rail|commuter rail service]] from Pontiac to downtown Detroit with a stop in Birmingham. The [[Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority]] (SEMTA) took control of this service in 1974 but it was ended on October 17, 1983, after subsidies were discontinued. Efforts continue to this day to restore such service.

In the 21st century, the [[Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation]] (SMART) and the [[Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan|Regional Transit Authority]] (RTA) operate local and regional bus transit.<ref>{{cite web|title=RTA RefleX Regional Service|url=http://www.rtamichigan.org/reflex/|website=RTA Michigan|publisher=Regional Transit Authority of Southeastern Michigan|access-date=4 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160905103607/http://www.rtamichigan.org/reflex/|archive-date=5 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Notable people==
[[File:Hamilton Street in Birmingham, Michigan.jpg|thumb|Hamilton Street and Old Woodward Avenue, with Palladium Building on left]]
[[File:Birmingham_8_in_Birmingham,_Michigan.jpg|thumb|Birmingham Theatre on South Old Woodward Avenue]]
[[File:Willits Street in Birmingham, Michigan.jpg|thumb|Willits Street, with The Willits on left]]
{{Further|List of people from Detroit}}
* [[Tim Allen]], actor (raised in Birmingham)
* [[Tom Barrett (Michigan politician)|Tom Barrett]], politician 
* [[Shane Battier]], basketball player for four [[NBA]] teams
* [[Mike Binder]], film director, screenwriter and actor
* [[Randal Bryant]], dean, Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science
* [[Elaine Crosby]], pro golfer
* [[Patricia Ellis]], 1930s film actress, born in Birmingham
* [[Virgil Exner]], automobile designer
* [[Marshall Fredericks]], sculptor
* [[Wallace Frost]], architect
* [[Pat Gillick]], Baseball Hall of Famer 
* [[Clarence Dayton Hillman]], businessman 
* [[Laura Innes]], actress (attended Seaholm High School)
* [[Calvin Johnson]], former NFL wide receiver
* [[Christine Lahti]], Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated actress
* [[Alexi Lalas]], former pro soccer player
* [[Anita Lo]], restaurateur<ref>"[http://www.crainsnewyork.com/gallery/20070916/FEATURES/309169999/10 Anita Lo]." "Most Powerful Women in New York 2007." ''[[Crain's New York]]''. Retrieved on September 6, 2014. "Born in Birmingham, Mich., to Chinese immigrant parents,[...]"</ref>
* [[Kurt Luedtke]], journalist and Oscar award-winning screenwriter
* [[Michael J. Malik Sr.]], businessman
*[[Alonzo L. McDonald]] business man and philanthropist
* [[Gerald S. McGowan]], US ambassador to Portugal
* [[Ruth McNamee]], Michigan state legislator and Mayor of Birmingham
* [[Steve Morrison (American football)|Steve Morrison]], pro football linebacker
* [[Meg Oliver]], anchor of CBS's ''[[Up to the Minute]]''
* [[Mike Posner]], singer
* [[Sam Raimi]], film director (attended Groves High School)
* [[Andy Roeser]], former president of NBA's [[Los Angeles Clippers]]
* [[Kurt Schottenheimer]], former NFL assistant coach
* [[Alexandra Silber]], actor and singer<ref>{{Cite web|title = Alexandra Silber|url = http://www.downtownpublications.com/Articles-faces-c-2012-07-02-212357.112113-Alexandra-Silber.html|website = Downtown Newsmagazine|access-date = 2015-10-20|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160102211944/http://www.downtownpublications.com/Articles-faces-c-2012-07-02-212357.112113-Alexandra-Silber.html|archive-date = 2016-01-02|url-status = dead}}</ref>
* [[David Spade]], actor and comedian
* [[Paul Stookey]], member of the trio [[Peter, Paul, and Mary]] 
* [[Elaine Stritch]], actress and vocalist
* [[Tom Tjaarda]], automobile designer (attended Seaholm High School)
* [[Tom Tracy]], pro football running back
* [[Dave Trott (politician)|Dave Trott]], US congressman
* [[Florence Signaigo Wagner]] (1919–2019), botanist who served as president of the American Fern Society
* [[Minoru Yamasaki]], architect (office located in Birmingham) 
* [[Sheila Young]], Olympic gold-winning speed skater and [[track cycling|track cyclist]]

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=Avery |first=Lillian Drake |title=An Account of Oakland County |orig-year=1925? |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/arx1007.0001.001 |access-date=2007-10-21 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=33–35 |chapter=Birmingham |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;idno=ARX1007.0001.001;didno=ARX1007.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000033 }}
*{{cite book |last=Durant |first=Samuel W. |title=History of Oakland County, Michigan |orig-year=1877 |url= http://name.umdl.umich.edu/afk0725.0001.001 |access-date=2007-10-21 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=318–328 |chapter=Bloomfield Township |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;idno=afk0725.0001.001;size=l;frm=frameset;seq=497;page=root;view=image }}
*{{cite book |last=Seeley |first=Thaddeus De Witt |title=History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests |orig-year=1912 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/bad1028.0001.001 |access-date=2007-10-21 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich.}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Michigan}}
* [[Townsend Hotel (Birmingham, Michigan)|Townsend Hotel]]
* [[Woodward Corridor]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.bhamgov.org/ City of Birmingham official website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070406104027/http://www.baldwinlib.org/ Baldwin Public Library]

{{Geographic location
| Center = Birmingham
| North     = [[Bloomfield Hills, Michigan|Bloomfield Hills]], [[Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan|Bloomfield Township]], [[Troy, Michigan|Troy]]
| Northwest = [[Bloomfield Hills, Michigan|Bloomfield Hills]], [[Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan|Bloomfield Township]]
| Northeast = [[Troy, Michigan|Troy]]
| East      = [[Royal Oak, Michigan|Royal Oak]], [[Troy, Michigan|Troy]]
| Southeast = [[Royal Oak, Michigan|Royal Oak]]
| South     = [[Beverly Hills, Michigan|Beverly Hills]], [[Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan|Bloomfield Township]], [[Royal Oak, Michigan|Royal Oak]]
| Southwest = [[Beverly Hills, Michigan|Beverly Hills]], [[Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan|Bloomfield Township]]
| West      = [[Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan|Bloomfield Township]]
}}

{{Oakland County, Michigan}}
{{Detroit malls}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Oakland County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Metro Detroit]]
[[Category:1819 establishments in Michigan Territory]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1819]]