Why visit Lawton
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 3 parks and trails and 5 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Houppert Winery Complex, Antwerp Township Primitive Park and Lewis Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 18°F.
Weather in Lawton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lawton
Lawton is a village in southeastern Van Buren County, Michigan, United States. As of the 2020 census, Lawton had a population of 1,850.
From the Wikipedia article Lawton, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Houppert Winery Complex
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes5
Shopping1
History
The Village of Lawton came into existence in 1848. Nathan Lawton who the village is named after, was from Waterford, New York and had purchased property when it became available when Michigan received statehood. Upon the railroad reaching here in 1848, Mr. Lawton donated several acres of land for the construction of a depot that was originally named Paw Paw Station. In 1851 when a post office was being established the name of the town was named for Mr. Lawton. Though Nathan Lawton never lived here two of his sons, George and Charles moved here and made this town their home.
Around 1860 a few local men including both of the Lawton brothers began experimenting with growing grapes. In 1868 A.B. Jones delivered the first grapes that were taken to market in Lansing, MI. From there the grape industry took off and is now one of Southwest Michigan's largest industries with several wineries in the area as well as a Welch Grape Juice Factory located in Lawton that has been part of Lawton since 1919.
From the History section of Lawton, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Mattawan Early Childhood Education Center
School · 4.2 mi
56720 Murray St, Mattawan
Map of Lawton
27 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 18°F | 1.7 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 20°F | 1.3 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 27°F | 2.0 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 38°F | 3.1 in |
| May | 70°F | 49°F | 3.7 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 58°F | 3.2 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 62°F | 3.4 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 60°F | 3.7 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 52°F | 3.3 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 42°F | 3.7 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 32°F | 2.5 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 24°F | 1.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kalamazoo Battle Ck Intl Ap (16 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
Van Buren 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)
- 2004-06-30: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2001-01-10: Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport (AZO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Decatur 8 mi southwest, about 13 min by car
- Portage 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- Kalamazoo 15 mi northeast, about 24 min by car
- Hartford 17 mi west, about 27 min by car
- Bangor 17 mi northwest, about 27 min by car
- Cassopolis 19 mi southwest, about 31 min by car
- Galesburg 24 mi east, about 38 min by car
- Centreville 24 mi southeast, about 38 min by car
- Coloma 24 mi west, about 38 min by car
- Constantine 25 mi south, about 40 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
- Houppert Winery Complex, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.