Why visit Plainwell
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 27 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include M-89 Cinema, American Seating Company Factory Complex, Cherry DeLefebvre House and Hicks Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 16°F.
Weather in Plainwell
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Plainwell
Plainwell is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,788 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Plainwell, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks9
American Seating Company Factory Complex
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Cherry DeLefebvre House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
House in Plainwell, United States of America
Island Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic district in Plainwell, Michigan
J. F. Eesley Milling Co. Flour Mill–Elevator
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Gristmill in Plainwell, Michigan
James Noble Sherwood House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Private house located at 768 Riverview Drive in Plainwell, Michigan
Michigan Paper Company Mill Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Complex of industrial buildings located at 200 Allegan Street in Plainwell, Michigan
West Bridge Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic district in Plainwell, Michigan
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes27
B.C. Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.4 mi
396 Oaks Crossing, Plainwell
Mo-Th 11:00-20:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 12:00-20:00
Island City Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Pastry
118 East Bridge Street, Plainwell
Tu-Fr 07:00-16:00, Sa 07:00-15:00, Su 09:00-14:00
Taqueria San Francisco
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.6 mi
618 Allegan Street
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Old Mill
Bar and pub · 0.6 mi
717 East Bridge Street, Plainwell
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00, Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00
Dean's Ice Cream
Ice cream
307 North Sherwood Avenue, Plainwell
Mo-Su 10:00-20:30
Nancy's Café and Kitchen
Cafe · 0.5 mi
615 East Bridge Street, Plainwell
07:00-14:00
15 more on the map.
History
This part of Michigan was settled in the 1830s, after the removal of native people. Allegan County was organized in 1835, and the Plainwell area was settled soon after. It was on a stagecoach route from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids, and later the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad was constructed along the same route. After the advent of the automobile, U.S. Route 131 was created and run through the town. In the 1960s, an improved 4-lane US-131 was built west of town to connect Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, with an interchange on M-89 between Plainwell and Otsego. This allowed the town to become a kind of "bedroom community" for Kalamazoo or the southern part of Grand Rapids.
From the History section of Plainwell, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries13
Healthcare3
Map of Plainwell
73 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°F | 16°F | 3.0 in |
| Feb | 33°F | 16°F | 1.9 in |
| Mar | 43°F | 24°F | 2.3 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 34°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 68°F | 45°F | 3.9 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 55°F | 4.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 58°F | 3.8 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 58°F | 4.2 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 50°F | 3.5 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 40°F | 4.0 in |
| Nov | 47°F | 31°F | 2.9 in |
| Dec | 35°F | 22°F | 2.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Allegan 5Ne Hcn (12 mi away), rain and snow from Gull Lake Biological Stn, 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
Allegan County has had 7 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2026-06-30: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-06-18: Flooding (Flood)
- 2008-07-14: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
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.
- Otsego 3 mi west, about 5 min by car
- Parchment 9 mi southeast, about 15 min by car
- Kalamazoo 12 mi south, about 20 min by car
- Galesburg 16 mi southeast, about 25 min by car
- Portage 17 mi south, about 28 min by car
- Mattawan 18 mi southwest, about 29 min by car
- Level Park-Oak Park 20 mi east, about 32 min by car
- Paw Paw 21 mi southwest, about 33 min by car
- Lawton 22 mi southwest, about 35 min by car
- Battle Creek 23 mi southeast, about 38 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
- Plainwell, Gpwitteveen, CC BY-SA 3.0
- James Noble Sherwood, rossograph, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Plainwell 1907, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Michigan Paper Co, rossograph, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cherry DeLefebvre, rossograph, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Essley Mill, rossograph, CC BY-SA 3.0
- West Bridge, rossograph, CC BY-SA 3.0
- American Seating Company Factory Complex -1, SSTEFFEK, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tressel Bridge across the Kalamazoo River near Dean's Icecream - panoramio, starscream1211, CC BY-SA 3.0
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