Harper Woods, Michigan
Harper Woods is a city of 15,116 people in Wayne County, Michigan, founded in 1951.
Why visit Harper Woods
Townapedia lists 16 museums and landmarks, 16 parks and trails and 23 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Denby High School, Alger Theater, Ghesquiere Park and Heilmann Playfield.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 17°F, and about 28 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Harper Woods
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Harper Woods
Harper Woods is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Harper Woods borders Detroit to the north and east, roughly 9 miles (14.5 km) northeast of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 15,492.
From the Wikipedia article Harper Woods, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks16
Denby High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
High school in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
12800 Kelly Road, Detroit
Alger Theater
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Movie theater and theater in Detroit, Michigan, United States
Carl E. and Alice Candler Schmidt House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic house in Michigan, United States
Charles J. and Ingrid V. (Frendberg) Koebel House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic house in Michigan, United States
Edsel and Eleanor Ford House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic home in Michigan, USA
Erin-Warren Fractional District No. 2 Schoolhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
House in Michigan, United States of America
Grosse Pointe Academy
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Independent day school in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, United States
Grosse Pointe Public Library Central Branch
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Library in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, United States
Grosse Pointe South High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
High school in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan
Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic yacht club in Grosse Pointe, Michigan
John T. Woodhouse House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Grosse Pointe Farms, MI, listed on the NRHP in Michigan
Luther Burbank Elementary School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
School building in Detroit, Michigan
4 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds16
4 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes23
Daily Jam
Restaurant · Coffee Shop, Brunch · 1.2 mi
Breakfast, Lunch, & Brunch
20710 Mack Avenue, Grosse Pointe Woods
07:00-15:00
Someday Brewing
Brewery and winery · 1.2 mi
20746 Mack Avenue
We-Fr 15:00-22:00; Su 12:00-19:00; Sa 12:00-22:00
The Cracked Egg of Harper Woods
Restaurant · American, Breakfast, Sandwich · 0.8 mi
19101 Vernier Road, Harper Woods
Mo-Su 07:00-15:00
Buddy's Pizza
Fast food · Pizza · 1.7 mi
19163 Mack Avenue, Detroit
Su-Th 11:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:00
Domino's
Fast food · Pizza · 1.1 mi
20431 Mack Avenue, Grosse Pointe
Mo-Th 10:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-02:00; Su 10:00-24:00
Popeyes
Fast food · Chicken · 1.8 mi
16701 Harper Avenue, Detroit
Mo-We 10:00-23:00; Th-Sa 10:00-24:00; Su 10:00-23:00
11 more on the map.
Churches and places of worship26
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Roman Catholic church in Detroit, Michigan, USA
Christ Church Chapel
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Church in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan
Saint Matthew Parish
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Church building in Detroit, Michigan
St. Sabbas Russian Orthodox Monastery
Church · 0.8 mi
Russian Orthodox monastery in Harper Woods, Michigan
Calvin East United Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 1.7 mi
6125 Cadieux Road, Detroit
Greater Future Missionary Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.3 mi
10766 Morang Drive, Detroit
Grosse Pointe Woods Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 1.2 mi
19950 Mack Avenue, Grosse Pointe Woods
Peace & Goodwill Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.9 mi
20955 Bournemouth Street, Harper Woods
14 more on the map.
History
Harper Woods was incorporated as a city on February 19, 1951, from what was left of Gratiot Township. A charter commission was elected, a charter prepared and adopted, and a city council elected. The City of Harper Woods came into existence on October 29, 1951, when the charter took effect, and the first city council was sworn in.
The fledgling suburb faced the usual problems confronting new cities: schools, streets, sidewalks, water systems, drains, etc. In 1956, Harper Woods was the subject of a community service study by the Bureau of Government, Institute of Public Administration, at the University of Michigan.
The development of Harper Woods reflected the growth of metropolitan Detroit. In 1955, Interstate 94 (I-94) (which bisects the eastern part of the suburb) was approved, and construction on the Eastland Shopping Center began soon after. Eastland Center, one of the first outdoor malls in the Midwest, opened in 1957. Harper Woods continued to develop and grow over the decades. In 2001, Harper Woods celebrated its 50th anniversary.
From the History section of Harper Woods, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging18
Schools, colleges and libraries61
Healthcare7
Collie Drugs
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.5 mi
21728 Harper Avenue, Saint Clair Shores
Map of Harper Woods
174 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 17°F | 2.1 in | 9.4 in |
| Feb | 34°F | 18°F | 2.1 in | 7.4 in |
| Mar | 43°F | 25°F | 2.5 in | 3.5 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 36°F | 3.4 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 67°F | 48°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 58°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 62°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 61°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 54°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 42°F | 2.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 47°F | 32°F | 2.8 in | 0.4 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 24°F | 2.4 in | 6.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Grosse Pointe Farms (3 mi away), 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
Wayne County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-02-08: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2021-07-15: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2014-09-25: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport (DET) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Grosse Pointe Woods 2 mi east, about 2 min by car
- Eastpointe 2 mi northwest, about 3 min by car
- Village of Grosse Pointe Shores 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Grosse Pointe Farms 4 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
- St. Clair Shores 4 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
- Grosse Pointe 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Roseville 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Grosse Pointe Park 5 mi south, about 7 min by car
- Warren 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- Center Line 6 mi northwest, about 9 min 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
- Harper Woods High & Middle School - panoramio, donzigw, CC BY 3.0
- Harper Woods Public Library, Arbitrarily0, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Denby High School Detroit MI facade, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St Matthews Parish 1955, St Matthews Parish Detroit, Public domain
- St. Paul Grosse Pointe, Umdet, CC BY 3.0
- Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, 'lectric eye, CC BY-SA 4.0
- EdselFordHouse1, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ChristChurchChapel, Appraiser, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Alger Theater Detroit, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- District2Schoolhouse, Appraiser, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pere Gabriel Richard, Appraiser at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Grosse Pointe Public Library Central Branch, Arbitrarily0, CC BY-SA 3.0
- GPSouthHS, Umdet, Public domain
- Woodhouse, Appraiser, CC BY-SA 3.0
- GrossePointeAcademy2, Appraiser, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CharlesandIngridKoebelHouseGrossePointeMI, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CandlerSchmidt, Appraiser, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Scribble for demonstration at Detroit Women in the Arts, BBigelowEditor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. John Hospital helipad in Detroit 2026, DUBYA18, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. John Hospital adult emergency entrance in Detroit 2026, DUBYA18, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. John Hospital ambulance entrance in Detroit 2026, DUBYA18, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. John Children’s Hospital exterior in Detroit 2026, DUBYA18, CC BY-SA 4.0
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