Townapedia
Hillsdale Downtown Historic District 1
Hillsdale Downtown Historic District 1 · Notorious4life ( talk ) ( Uploads ), CC0
Hillsdale County Courthouse
Hillsdale County Courthouse · Calvin Beale, Public domain
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH · JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
Broad Street Hillsdale MI c 1950
Broad Street Hillsdale MI c 1950 · DuPont Photo Products, Public domain
Grovesnor House Jonesville MI
Grovesnor House Jonesville MI · Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
William R Kirby House Hillsdale MI 1982
William R Kirby House Hillsdale MI 1982 · Leonards Camera Shop, Public domain

Hillsdale, Michigan

Hillsdale is a city of 8,002 people in Hillsdale County, Michigan.

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Population8,002 -1.2% since 2019
CountyHillsdale County
Elevation1,119 ft 341 m
Land area5.7 sq mi
ZIP code49242
Nearest airportJackson County Airport (JXN) 25 mi

Why visit Hillsdale

Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 26 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.

Highlights include Premiere Theatre 7, E.O. Grosvenor House, Hillsdale County Courthouse and Mrs. Stock's Park.

July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 15°F, and about 44 inches of snow fall in a normal year.

About Hillsdale

Hillsdale is the largest city in Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 8,036 at the 2020 census. It is the home of Hillsdale College, a private liberal arts college.

From the Wikipedia article Hillsdale, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Things to do3

Premiere Theatre 7

Cinema and theater · 1.1 mi

2950 West Carleton Road

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Markel Auditorium

Cinema and theater · 0.5 mi

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Phillips Auditorium

Cinema and theater · 0.4 mi

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Museums and landmarks7

E.O. Grosvenor HousePublic domain

E.O. Grosvenor House

Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi

House museum in Jonesville, Michigan, USA

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Hillsdale County Courthouse

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi

County courthouse in Hillsdale, United States of America

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Hillsdale Downtown Historic DistrictPublic domain

Hillsdale Downtown Historic District

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi

Historic district in Michigan, United States

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William R. Kirby Sr. HousePublic domain

William R. Kirby Sr. House

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi

Historic house in Michigan, United States

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J.J. Deal and Son Carriage Factory

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi

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Sage Center for the Arts

Museum · 0.5 mi

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Will Carleton Poor House Museum

Museum · 1.1 mi

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Parks, trails and playgrounds10

Mrs. Stock's Park

Park · 0.8 mi

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Owens Park

Park · 2.1 mi

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Cold Springs Park

Park · 0.4 mi

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Keekoose Park

Park · 0.7 mi

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Lewis Emery County Park

Park · 1.6 mi

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Slayton Arboretum

Park · 0.7 mi

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Field of Dreams Park

Park · 1.1 mi

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Barber House Children's Garden

Park · 0.6 mi

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Courthouse Lawn Park

Park · 0.6 mi

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Hillsdale Wildlife Sanctuary

Hiking and trails · 1.6 mi

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Restaurants and cafes26

Rough Draft

Cafe · 0.4 mi

42 Union Street

Mo-Fr 08:00-22:00; Sa 08:00-23:00; Su 10:00-17:00

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St. Joe's Café

Restaurant · 0.4 mi

N Broad St 92

Th-Sa 17:00-21:00; Tu-Sa 11:30-14:00

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Handmade

Restaurant · Sandwich

78 Hillsdale Street

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Broadstreet Tavern

Restaurant · 0.5 mi

55 North Broad Street, Adrian

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Cottage Inn

Restaurant · Pizza · 2.0 mi

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Great Wall Restaurant

Restaurant · Chinese · 0.4 mi

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House of Pizza & BBQ

Restaurant · Pizza · 0.7 mi

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Pizza Hut

Restaurant · Pizza · 1.1 mi

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Checker Records

Cafe · 0.6 mi

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Coffee Cup Diner

Restaurant · 0.5 mi

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Coney's & Swirls

Ice cream · 0.6 mi

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Finish Line

Restaurant

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14 more on the map.

History

This area is located in the rolling, fertile hills of South Central Michigan, bordering Indiana and Ohio, according to the boundaries set up under United States settlement. It was long occupied by the Potowatomi, an Algonquian-speaking people who were part of a long-term alliance, called the Council of Three Fires, with the Ojibwe and Odawa (Ottawa). A Potowatomi band of about 150 people, led by the chief known as Baw Beese, had a base camp near the large lake in the area.

The first European-American settler, Jeremiah Arnold, arrived in 1834 and encountered the band. They helped the early settlers. Arnold erected a cabin and moved in with his wife Percy (Round) Arnold. With the arrival of other settlers, the pioneers erected the first schoolhouse in 1838. Hillsdale was platted in 1839. In 1840, the US forced out Baw Beese and his people, as well as other Potowatomi in neighboring and more distant areas of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, making them remove to Indian Territory in present-day Kansas.

Founded in 1844 as Central Michigan College in Spring Arbor, Hillsdale College relocated to this city in 1853 and changed its name. It was the first American college to prohibit in its charter discrimination based on race, religion or sex, and became an early force for the abolition of slavery. It was the second college in the nation to grant four-year liberal arts degrees to women.

From the History section of Hillsdale, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to stay2

Churches and places of worship25

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Shopping4

Gas and EV charging7

Schools, colleges and libraries18

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Healthcare3

Map of Hillsdale

105 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Climate by month

20°40°60°80°January: 2.8 in of rainFebruary: 2.2 in of rainMarch: 2.4 in of rainApril: 3.7 in of rainMay: 4.6 in of rainJune: 3.9 in of rainJuly: 3.6 in of rainAugust: 3.9 in of rainSeptember: 3.6 in of rainOctober: 3.4 in of rainNovember: 3.0 in of rainDecember: 2.4 in of rainJanuary: 31°FFebruary: 34°FMarch: 44°FApril: 58°FMay: 69°FJune: 78°FJuly: 82°FAugust: 80°FSeptember: 74°FOctober: 61°FNovember: 47°FDecember: 36°FJanuary: 15°FFebruary: 16°FMarch: 24°FApril: 35°FMay: 47°FJune: 56°FJuly: 60°FAugust: 58°FSeptember: 50°FOctober: 40°FNovember: 30°FDecember: 22°FJFMAMJJASOND
Average high Average low Rain
Monthly table
MonthHighLowRainSnow
Jan31°F15°F2.8 in13.3 in
Feb34°F16°F2.2 in11.5 in
Mar44°F24°F2.4 in5.2 in
Apr58°F35°F3.7 in1.5 in
May69°F47°F4.6 in0.0 in
Jun78°F56°F3.9 in0.0 in
Jul82°F60°F3.6 in0.0 in
Aug80°F58°F3.9 in0.0 in
Sep74°F50°F3.6 in0.0 in
Oct61°F40°F3.4 in0.1 in
Nov47°F30°F3.0 in3.4 in
Dec36°F22°F2.4 in9.1 in

U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Hillsdale Hcn (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.

People and cost of living

$51,038median household income
$130,900median home value
$812median monthly rent
29.6median age
26.2%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
53.6%of homes are owner-occupied
14.9 minaverage commute
Age of residents
Under 1820%18 to 3435%35 to 6430%65 and over15%

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.

Disaster history

Hillsdale County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.

  • 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
  • 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
  • 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
  • 2003-09-23: Power Outage (Other)
  • 2001-01-10: Snow (Snowstorm)

OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.

Getting there and nearby towns

Jackson County Airport (JXN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 25 miles away.

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.