Houghton, Michigan
Houghton is a city of 8,474 people in Houghton County, Michigan, founded in 1854.
Why visit Houghton
Townapedia lists 35 museums and landmarks, 37 parks and trails, 55 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 14 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Portage Lake Lift Bridge, Michigan Technological University, Seaman Mineral Museum and Carnegie Museum of the Keweenaw.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 75°F; February lows average 9°F.
Weather in Houghton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Houghton
Houghton (; HOH-tən) is the largest city in and the county seat of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, Houghton is the largest city in the Copper Country region. It is the fifth-largest city in the Upper Peninsula, with a population of 8,386 according to the 2020 United States census. Houghton is the principal city of the Houghton micropolitan area, which includes all of Houghton and Keweenaw counties.
From the Wikipedia article Houghton, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do14
Michigan Technological University
School · 1.0 mi
University in Houghton, Michigan
2 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks35
Quincy Mine
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 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 · 1.0 mi
NRHP-listed building in Michigan
Douglass House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
NRHP-listed building in Houghton County, Michigan
East Hancock
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic district in Hancock, Michigan
Houghton County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
NRHP-listed courthouse in Michigan
John J. Michels House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Michigan, United States
Keweenaw National Historical Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
U.S. national park in Michigan
Lieblein House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Former home and university building in Hancock, Michigan
Old Hancock Central High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
University building in Hancock, Michigan
Quincy Mine No. 2 Shaft Hoist House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Building in Michigan, United States
23 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds37
Hurontown Recreation Area
Park · 0.5 mi
This township-owned park has a fenced softball diamond, backstop and dugouts, 2 tennis courts, a large soccer field and handicapped...
19890 Fredrick Street, Houghton
25 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes55
Nutini's Supper Club
Bar and pub · Coffee Shop, Pizza, Pancake, Sandwich, Italian, Steak House, Mexican · 1.3 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 · 1.7 mi
787 Market Street, Hancock
Tu-Sa 11:00-19:00
Uncle’s Local Diner
Restaurant · 1.3 mi
Was Kaleva Cafe until Spring 2025
234 Quincy Street
Mo, We-Su 07:00-14:00
JJ's Wok and Grill
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.8 mi
200 Pearl Street
Mo-Fr 23:30-08:00; Sa 04:00-08:00
43 more on the map.
History
Native Americans mined copper in and around what would later be Houghton thousands of years before European settlement. "French explorers had noted... [its] existence [in the area] as early as the seventeenth century, [and in] 1772 Alexander Henry had prospected for copper on the Ontonagon River near Victoria."
Many Cornish and Finnish immigrants arrived in the Houghton area to work in the copper mines in the mining boom that made Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula; both groups have had a great influence on the culture and cuisine of the local area. The Finns and others called much of the area Copper Island. Smaller numbers of French-Canadian immigrants moved to Houghton, while more of them settled elsewhere in Houghton County.
The last nearby mines closed in the late 1960s, but a school founded in 1885 by the Michigan State Legislature to teach metallurgy and mining engineering, the Michigan College of Mines, continues today under the name of Michigan Technological University and is the primary employer in the city.
From the History section of Houghton, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
Holiday Inn Express Houghton-Keweenaw
Motel and hotel · 1.1 mi
1110 Century Way, Houghton
Churches and places of worship27
Saint Ignatius Loyola Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Houghton Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 0.7 mi
205 Bridge Street, Houghton
Portage Lake United Church
Church · Presbyterian Church Usa, United Church Of Christ · 0.9 mi
1400 East Houghton Avenue, Houghton
Shopping17
Gas and EV charging10
Schools, colleges and libraries17
Dollar Baytamarack City Area K12 School
School · 2.8 mi
48475 Maple St, Dollar Bay
Healthcare10
UP Health System - Portage Express Care
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.9 mi
921 West Sharon Avenue, Houghton
Map of Houghton
233 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 (5 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.
- Dodgeville 2 mi southwest, about 3 min by car
- Hancock 2 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Atlantic Mine 3 mi west, about 5 min by car
- Dollar Bay 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- South Range 5 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- Chassell 6 mi south, about 9 min by car
- Painesdale 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Hubbell 8 mi northeast, about 13 min by car
- Lake Linden 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
- Laurium 10 mi northeast, about 17 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
- Houghton 2019 Aerial, Cityofhoughton1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 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
- QuincyMineNo2Shafthouse, Keweenaw National Historic Park, Dan Johnson, Public domain
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Trinity Episcopal Church - Houghton, Michigan, Chris857, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mont Ripley, Chris857, CC BY-SA 3.0
- PortageLakeLiftBridge, Justin Murawski, Public domain
- Michigan Tech campus, fall 2018., Jcvertin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Carnegie Museum - Houghton, Chris857, CC BY-SA 3.0
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