Mason, Michigan
Mason is a city of 8,249 people in Ingham County, Michigan, founded in 1836.
Why visit Mason
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails and 23 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Ash Street-Sycamore Creek Bridge, Courthouse Square Historic District, Rayner Park and Eagle View Golf Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 18°F, and about 36 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Mason
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Mason
Mason is a city in and the county seat of Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,283 at the 2020 census. Mason was named after Stevens T. Mason, the state's first governor.
From the Wikipedia article Mason, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks12
Ash Street-Sycamore Creek Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places
United States historic place
Courthouse Square Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Mason, Michigan
Ingham County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic government building in Michigan
John Raynor House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
House in Mason, United States of America
Maple Grove Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Cemetery in Mason, Michigan
Merrylees-Post House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
House in Mason, United States of America
Michigan Central Railroad Mason Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Railway station in Mason, the United States of America
Philip Nice House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
House in Mason, United States of America
Westside Neighborhood Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Mason , Michigan
Somerville Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
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Restaurants and cafes23
BAD Brewing Company
Restaurant · Burger, American, Regional, Sandwich, Fries
440 South Jefferson Street
Mo, Tu 15:00-22:00; We, Th 12:00-22:00; Fr, Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-20:00
Klāvon's Pizzeria & Pub
Restaurant · Pizza, Sandwich, Burger, American · 0.9 mi
318 West Kipp Road
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-24:00; Su 12:00-22:00
11 more on the map.
Churches and places of worship3
History
In 1836 Charles Noble knew that Michigan would be seeking a central location for a new capital when it became a state. He purchased an area of forest, cleared 20 acres (81,000 m2), and founded Mason Center. The "Center" was soon dropped. In 1847, however, the state chose Lansing Township 12 miles (19 km) northward to be its capital due to its potential for water power. Noble managed to make Mason the county seat instead. Ingham County's first downtown courthouse was built in 1843, and was replaced in 1858, and the economy thrived in the first decades based on sawmills, carriage and cart factories, copper shops, a steam flourmill and a buffalo robe manufacturer. In 1865, Mason was incorporated as a village; in 1875 the town became a city. In the 1800s, Mason was the center of Ingham County activity, even more than was Lansing, the state capital. In 1877, Lansing attempted to take the status of county seat for itself, but the two cities made an agreement that moved some county offices and courts to Lansing in exchange for Mason remaining the county seat. As a result, Michigan is the only state in the country with a capital city that is not also a county seat.
From the History section of Mason, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Healthcare1
Map of Mason
75 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 18°F | 2.1 in | 14.1 in |
| Feb | 34°F | 19°F | 1.6 in | 7.3 in |
| Mar | 45°F | 27°F | 1.7 in | 4.2 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 37°F | 3.5 in | 0.9 in |
| May | 70°F | 48°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 58°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 61°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 60°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 52°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 42°F | 3.1 in | 0.3 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 32°F | 2.5 in | 1.8 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 24°F | 1.6 in | 7.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for East Lansing 4 S (7 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
Ingham County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2024-02-08: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2008-07-14: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2004-06-30: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Capital Region International Airport (LAN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Holt 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- Okemos 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Leslie 9 mi south, about 15 min by car
- Lansing 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Williamston 11 mi northeast, about 17 min by car
- Dimondale 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- East Lansing 12 mi north, about 19 min by car
- Haslett 12 mi north, about 19 min by car
- Eaton Rapids 12 mi southwest, about 19 min by car
- Waverly 15 mi northwest, about 24 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
- Mason downtown crop, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Ingham County Courthouse Mason cannon, kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
- Ingham County Courthouse Mason, kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
- Ingham County Courthouse Mason memorial, kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
- Ingham County Courthouse - Mason - Michigan (52706803365), Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Edwards Jones Investments - Mason - Michigan (52842549636), Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0
- Downtown Buildings — Mason, Michigan, Christopher L. Riley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Charles Fitch House Mason, kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
- Mason, Michigan - municipal complex, city hall, Dj1997, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mason, Michigan - courthouse, library, Dj1997, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Phoenix Mill Mason, kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
- Philip Nice House Mason, kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
- Mason Depot, Kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
- Westside Historic District Mason, kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
- Merrylees-Post House Mason, Kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
- John Raynor House Mason, Kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
- Ingham county courthouse night, LilDice at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ash Street Bridge Mason, kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
- Maple Grove Cemetery, LadyDragonflyCC, CC BY 2.0
- Somerville Barn, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ingham County Courthouse 2026b, Guettarda, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ingham County Courthouse 2026a, Guettarda, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cadillac Sixteen in Real Steel, LadyDragonflyCC - >;< from Michigan, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Hugh Jackman *** Smile ***, LadyDragonflyCC - >;<, CC BY 2.0
- Cadillac Sixteen concept - Hugh Jackman in action, LadyDragonflyCC - >;< from Michigan, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Ingham County Courthouse 2026c, Guettarda, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ingham County Courthouse restoration-1, Guettarda, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ingham County Courthouse restoration-2, Guettarda, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Polyporus squamosus seepage, LadyDragonflyCC - >;< from Michigan, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Polyporus squamosus secretion, LadyDragonflyCC - >;< from Michigan, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Ingham County Courthouse Clock Tower, Katherine McCullen, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Posing squirrel (4461798577), LadyDragonflyCC - >;< from Michigan, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Christmas Flare (6367029535), LadyDragonflyCC - >;< from Michigan, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Maple drop (4627673851), LadyDragonflyCC - >;< from Michigan, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Unidentified seed head (8659196986), LadyDragonflyCC - >;< from Michigan, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Impressive November (5172564109), LadyDragonflyCC - >;< from Michigan, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Holding steady (5173161550), LadyDragonflyCC - >;< from Michigan, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Clinging on to winter (6926023823), LadyDragonflyCC - >;< from Michigan, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Amphibian acrobat (8693704922), LadyDragonflyCC - >;< from Michigan, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Curled Perfection (5967683296), LadyDragonflyCC - >;< from Michigan, USA, CC BY 2.0
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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.