Why visit South Lyon
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 21 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include South Lyon Theater, Bingham House, Nathan B. Devereaux Octagon House and McHattie Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; February lows average 14°F.
Weather in South Lyon
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About South Lyon
South Lyon is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 11,746 at the 2020 census, up from 11,327 at the 2010 census. South Lyon is a western suburb in Metro Detroit located 36 miles (57.94 km) from downtown Detroit.
From the Wikipedia article South Lyon, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks4
Bingham House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
House in Brighton, Michigan
Nathan B. Devereaux Octagon House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic house in Michigan, United States
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Alonzo W. Olds House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes21
Suzi's Bar and Grill
Diner · American · 1.4 mi
26800 Pontiac Trail, South Lyon
Mo-Sa 17:00-02:00; Su 12:00-23:00
Witch's Hat Brewing Co
Bar and pub · 0.5 mi
601 South Lafayette Street, South Lyon
Mo 16:00-22:00; Tu-We,Su 12:00-22:00; Th-Sa 12:00-24:00
9 more on the map.
History
South Lyon was founded in 1832 and was called Thompson's Corners. In the same year, the surrounding township was named Lyon after Lucius Lyon, a member of the state legislature. The village was given a name for its location within the township. South Lyon was incorporated as a village in 1873 and as a city in 1930.
Three rail lines once passed through South Lyon. In the summer of 1871, the Detroit, Lansing, and Northern Railroad were built west from Plymouth on the way to Lansing and Ionia. In 1880, the predecessor to the Ann Arbor Railroad built a line into town from Ann Arbor. This line's goal was to continue toward Pontiac, but that did not occur under the original owners. The line was pulled up around 1890. In 1883 the Grand Trunk built their Jackson Branch from Pontiac to Jackson, which crossed the Pere Marquette at South Lyon. The GTW branch line continued to serve South Lyon until the early 1980s. The branch line is now a paved bicycle trail through town, and Reynold Sweet Parkway follows the original route. Today, South Lyon hosts the CSX main line from Detroit to Grand Rapids, and a passing track is located there.
From the History section of South Lyon, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship3
Salem Methodist Episcopal Church and Salem Walker Cemetery
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
First United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 0.5 mi
640 South Lafayette Street, South Lyon
St. Joseph Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 0.6 mi
810 South Lafayette Street, South Lyon
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries15
Sharon J Hardy Elementary School
School · 3.6 mi
24650 Collingwood Dr, South Lyon
William A Brummer Elementary School
School · 2.1 mi
9919 N Rushton Rd, South Lyon
Healthcare3
Map of South Lyon
60 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°F | 15°F | 2.4 in |
| Feb | 34°F | 14°F | 2.1 in |
| Mar | 44°F | 24°F | 2.4 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 34°F | 3.0 in |
| May | 69°F | 45°F | 3.6 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 54°F | 3.7 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 59°F | 3.4 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 58°F | 3.3 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 50°F | 3.1 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 40°F | 2.8 in |
| Nov | 47°F | 30°F | 2.5 in |
| Dec | 35°F | 22°F | 2.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Whitmore Lake 1Nw (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
Oakland County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-02-08: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2021-07-15: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2014-09-25: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Willow Run Airport (YIP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Novi 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Ann Arbor 13 mi south, about 22 min by car
- Farmington Hills 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Farmington 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Livonia 15 mi east, about 24 min by car
- Howell 18 mi northwest, about 28 min by car
- Garden City 19 mi southeast, about 30 min by car
- Southfield 20 mi east, about 32 min by car
- Dearborn Heights 21 mi southeast, about 33 min by car
- Inkster 21 mi southeast, about 33 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
- Downtown South Lyon Pontiac Trail, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
- Memorial to War Veterans, South Lyon, Michigan - panoramio, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
- First Presbyterian Church at Night, (1883), South Lyon, Michigan.JPG - panoramio, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
- Witch's Hat Depot Historic Site, (1909), McHattie Park, South Lyon, Michigan - panoramio, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
- Washburn School, (1907), McHattie Park, South Lyon, Michigan - panoramio, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
- Little Village Chapel, (1930), McHattie Park, South Lyon, Michigan - panoramio, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
- First Baptist Church, 60820 Marjorie Ann Street, South Lyon, Michigan - panoramio, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
- Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, 24155 Griswold Road, South Lyon, Michigan - panoramio, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
- Fellowship Church, 22200 Pontiac Trail, South Lyon, Michigan - panoramio, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
- Devereaux Octagon House, Matt Cash, Public domain
- Bingham House, Annebethmi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SalemMEChurchSalemMI, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Alonzo W. Olds House, Victor Stankiewicz, Public domain
- Casterline Funeral Home, 59255 Ten Mile Road, Lyon Township, Michigan - panoramio, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
- Church of Christ, 21860 Pontiac Trail, Lyon Township, Michigan - panoramio, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
- Lake Nichwagh, Green Oak Township, Michigan, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
- Eagle Chainsaw Carving, 27900 Pontiac Trail, Lyon Township, Michigan - panoramio, Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
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