Rapid City, Michigan
Rapid City is a community of 1,328 people in Kalkaska County, Michigan.
Why visit Rapid City
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 9 parks and trails, 4 places to eat and 2 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Skegemog Point Site, Luhrs Landing and Sun Life’s Torch River Marina.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 79°F; February lows average 10°F, and about 132 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Rapid City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rapid City
Rapid City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kalkaska County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 1,357. Rapid City is located within Clearwater Township, and is about 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Kalkaska.
From the Wikipedia article Rapid City, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
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Skegemog Point Site
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Place in Michigan listed on National Register of Historic Places
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Restaurants and cafes4
BlueWater Bistro and Pizzeria
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.5 mi
11921 South East Torch Lake Drive, Alden
Tu-Sa 16:00-21:00
Where to stay2
History
A post office first opened in the area as Van Buren on November 22, 1892. The post office was renamed to Vanburen on January 18, 1895, and finally to Rapid City on April 30, 1898. The town is named after the Rapid River, which flows through it.
The community of Rapid City was listed as a newly organized census-designated place for the 2010 census, meaning it now has officially defined boundaries and population statistics for the first time. The CDP is organized for statistical purposes only and has no legal status as an incorporated municipality.
From the History section of Rapid City, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship4
Martyr's Memorial Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.5 mi
5562 Aarwood Road Northwest, Rapid City
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries1
Map of Rapid City
26 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°F | 11°F | 2.0 in | 38.3 in |
| Feb | 28°F | 10°F | 1.5 in | 24.8 in |
| Mar | 38°F | 16°F | 1.7 in | 13.7 in |
| Apr | 51°F | 29°F | 2.9 in | 6.8 in |
| May | 65°F | 41°F | 3.3 in | 0.7 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 51°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 79°F | 55°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 77°F | 54°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 70°F | 46°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 56°F | 36°F | 4.2 in | 1.0 in |
| Nov | 42°F | 27°F | 2.9 in | 17.1 in |
| Dec | 31°F | 18°F | 2.2 in | 29.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kalkaska (10 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
Kalkaska County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2026-06-30: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2025-07-22: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Antrim County Airport (ACB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Elk Rapids 7 mi northwest, about 11 min by car
- Kalkaska 9 mi southeast, about 15 min by car
- Bellaire 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Mancelona 12 mi east, about 20 min by car
- Traverse City 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- Central Lake 16 mi north, about 26 min by car
- Greilickville 19 mi west, about 30 min by car
- Kingsley 21 mi southwest, about 33 min by car
- Chums Corner 21 mi southwest, about 34 min by car
- East Jordan 24 mi north, about 39 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
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Sources and licences
- 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
- Rapid City CDP (Michigan), Notorious4life ( talk ) ( Uploads ), CC0
- SkegemogPointSiteWilliamsburgMI, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
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