Hancock, Michigan
Hancock is a city of 4,574 people in Houghton County, Michigan, founded in 1846.
Why visit Hancock
Townapedia lists 34 museums and landmarks, 26 parks and trails, 42 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Portage Lake Lift Bridge, Michigan Technological University, Carnegie Museum of the Keweenaw and Quincy Mine.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 75°F; February lows average 9°F.
Weather in Hancock
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Hancock
Hancock is a city in Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,501 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Hancock, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Michigan Technological University
School · 2.5 mi
University in Houghton, Michigan
Museums and landmarks34
Quincy Mine
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Museum tours for mineshaft ruins
49750 US-41
Mo-Su 08:30-18:00
College Club House and Gymnasium
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
NRHP-listed building in Michigan
Douglass House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
NRHP-listed building in Houghton County, Michigan
East Hancock
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic district in Hancock, Michigan
Houghton County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
NRHP-listed courthouse in Michigan
John J. Michels House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic house in Michigan, United States
Keweenaw National Historical Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
U.S. national park in Michigan
Lieblein House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Former home and university building in Hancock, Michigan
Old Hancock Central High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
University building in Hancock, Michigan
Quincy Mine No. 2 Shaft Hoist House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Building in Michigan, United States
Quincy Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic district in Hancock, Michigan
22 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds26
14 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes42
Nutini's Supper Club
Bar and pub · Coffee Shop, Pizza, Pancake, Sandwich, Italian, Steak House, Mexican · 0.9 mi
321 Quincy Street
Mo-Fr 11:30-02:00; Sa-Su 15:00-02:00
The Forge Food Smith
Restaurant · Burger, Sandwich, American, Barbecue · 0.5 mi
787 Market Street, Hancock
Tu-Sa 11:00-19:00
Uncle’s Local Diner
Restaurant · 1.0 mi
Was Kaleva Cafe until Spring 2025
234 Quincy Street
Mo, We-Su 07:00-14:00
30 more on the map.
History
Hancock is located within Ojibwa (Chippewa) homelands and ceded-territory established by the Treaty of 1842. The founding of the settlement of Hancock began during the summers of 1847 and 1848, when a small group of prospectors laboring on a rugged hillside (later named Quincy Hill) discovered a sequence of prehistoric Ojibwe copper mining pits, stretching out for 100 feet along the local amygdaloid lode. Upon inspecting one, they realized that the Native Americans were able to take copper in small quantities through these pits. The discovery formed the basis upon which the Quincy Mining Company was created in October 1848, under a special charter granted by the legislature.
The earliest building in what is now the City of Hancock was a log cabin erected in 1846 on the site of the Ruggles Mining Claim, halfway up atop the hillside; it is no longer standing as the site has been taken up by the Houghton County Garage buildings. It was owned by Christopher Columbus (C.C.) Douglass, who came to live there in 1852. The Quincy Mining Company founded Hancock in 1859 after purchasing the land from Douglass and building an office and mine on the site. The city was named after John Hancock, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
From the History section of Hancock, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Holiday Inn Express Houghton-Keweenaw
Motel and hotel · 1.7 mi
1110 Century Way, Houghton
Churches and places of worship16
Saint Ignatius Loyola Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Houghton Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 1.6 mi
205 Bridge Street, Houghton
Shopping9
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries17
Dollar Baytamarack City Area K12 School
School · 4.4 mi
48475 Maple St, Dollar Bay
Eb Holman Elementary School
School · 5.9 mi
50870 Holman School Rd, Atlantic Mine
Healthcare5
UP Health System - Portage Express Care
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.7 mi
921 West Sharon Avenue, Houghton
Map of Hancock
168 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 10°F | 2.0 in |
| Feb | 25°F | 9°F | 1.4 in |
| Mar | 34°F | 17°F | 1.5 in |
| Apr | 46°F | 29°F | 2.9 in |
| May | 61°F | 40°F | 3.4 in |
| Jun | 70°F | 49°F | 3.3 in |
| Jul | 75°F | 55°F | 3.2 in |
| Aug | 74°F | 54°F | 2.8 in |
| Sep | 66°F | 47°F | 3.5 in |
| Oct | 52°F | 36°F | 3.0 in |
| Nov | 38°F | 26°F | 2.4 in |
| Dec | 28°F | 16°F | 2.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Hancock Houghton Co Ap 72744 (6 mi away), rain and snow from Jacobsville, NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Houghton County has had 6 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-08-02: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2013-06-18: Flooding (Flood)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2002-05-06: Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Houghton 2 mi southeast, about 4 min by car
- Atlantic Mine 3 mi southwest, about 4 min by car
- Dodgeville 3 mi south, about 5 min by car
- Dollar Bay 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- South Range 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- Laurium 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Lake Linden 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- Baraga 25 mi south, about 41 min by car
- L'Anse 27 mi south, about 44 min by car
- Ontonagon 39 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- HancockMichiganPanoramaM26, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- HancockMich-panorama-1906, Detroit Publishing Co, Public domain
- Lieblein House-Hoover Center Finlandia University Hancock Michigan Turret 2020-9887, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Quincy Mine Office Hancock Michigan Window 2020-9890, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Quincy Mine Office Hancock Michigan Chimney 2020-9891, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Quincy Mine Office Hancock Michigan Window 2020-9892, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Quincy Mine Office Hancock Michigan 2020-9894, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Quincy Mine Office Hancock Michigan 2020-9888, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Quincy Mine Office Hancock Michigan 2020-9895, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Quincy Mine Office Hancock Michigan Chimney 2020-9889, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Quincy Mine Office Hancock Michigan 2020-9896, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Quincy Mine Office Hancock Michigan 2020-9898, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Old Hancock Central High School Michigan 2020-9840, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 400 Quincy Street, Hancock, Michigan, NE corner 2024-06-24, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 400 Quincy Street, Hancock, Michigan, SW corner 2024-06-24, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Keweenaw Quincy Mine, Hancock MI, Wickanninish, CC BY-SA 4.0
- QuincyMineNo2Shafthouse, Keweenaw National Historic Park, Dan Johnson, Public domain
- Carnegie Museum - Houghton, Chris857, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Hancock Central High School 2, Chris857, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lieblein House-Hoover Center Finlandia University Hancock Michigan 2020-1464, James Conkis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Keweenaw National Historical Park Headquarters, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2009-0617-DouglassHouse-Houghton, Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
- Saint Ignatius Loyola Church Houghton MI, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Quincy Mining Company Historic District 2009 - No 2 Hoist House, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- John J Michels House Houghton MI, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- College Club House and Gymnasium Houghton MI, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Houghton County Courthouse 2, Chris857, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shelden Avenue Historic District Houghton MI C, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Quincy Street Historic District Hancock 100 block N 2009, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ransom B Shelden House HoughtonMI, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- East Hancock Neighborhood Historic District 2009a, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Trinity Episcopal Church - Houghton, Michigan, Chris857, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelden-Dee Block Houghton MI, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Main Suomi College Hancock MI 2009, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2009-0617-CityHall-Hancock, Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
- PortageLakeLiftBridge, Justin Murawski, Public domain
- Mont Ripley, Chris857, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Michigan Tech campus, fall 2018., Jcvertin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Phi Kappa Tau 2010 Winter Carnival statue, Michigan Technological University Photo Services, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Douglass House Houghton Michigan Portal 2020-4634, Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
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