Places to exploreMuseums, parks, neighborhoods and icons
Metro Detroit mapWhat Metro Detroit is, and what every town is about
The Henry FordRosa Parks’ bus, Greenfield Village and the Ford Rouge Factory
RenCen: live trackerThe Renaissance Center’s past, present and future, up to the minute
Gordie Howe BridgeThe new bridge to Canada: live waits, tolls, and yes, you can walk it
ToursBy boat, by bike or on foot, with a local guide
Escape roomsOne hour, one lock and your crew
Plan a meetingVenues, hotels and what’s on in town on your dates
Metro Detroit Oakland County City
Freeway crossroads, 24-hour sliders and a county waterpark: the hardworking neighbor
Nothing on our calendar here this week yet.
01 / Why it matters
Madison Heights sits right where I-75 meets I-696, between Royal Oak, Hazel Park, Troy and Warren. Its eastern edge, Dequindre Road, is also the Oakland-Macomb county line. It looks like a bedroom community, with 91 percent of its buildings single-family homes or condos, but 60 percent of the tax base comes from light industry and commerce.
The city split off from the east side of Royal Oak Township in 1955. Voters approved incorporation on January 17, shot down the first charter, then passed a revised one on December 6. The first city hall was the old township office on John R Road.
There's a vanished river here too: the Red Run, where the first farmers bought land in the 1830s. Flooding got its south branch buried in the mid-1930s and its north branch in the late 1960s; today it's part of the storm and sewer system. Hungry? Hungry Howie's is headquartered here, and so is the Telway, a 24-hour slider legend.
02 / Known for
The I-75/I-696 interchange at the city's southwest corner, shared with Royal Oak and Hazel Park.
Hungry Howie's is headquartered here; the chain is known for flavored crusts, and its first shop opened in Taylor in 1973.
The Telway Hamburger System is a long-running 24-hour spot on John R Road, known for its sliders and its late-night crowd.
The Red Run river was buried underground in the 1930s and 1960s.
More than 1,300 commercial and industrial businesses and seven industrial parks, part of Oakland County's Automation Alley.
03 / What’s on
Oct 22, 2026, 6:00 PMClub Venetian · The Senior and Caregiver Resource Network’s annual fundraiser, with drag queen bingo and dinner, benefits MiGen, Michigan’s LGBTQ+ elders network, on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 6 p.m. at Club Venetian in Madison Heights. Tickets: $90.
04 / Places
168 Crab & Karaoke32415 John R Rd, Madison Heights, MI 48071
Irish Tavern Madison Heights29028 N Campbell Rd, Madison Heights, MI 4807105 / What to do
Oakland County's waterpark at 1455 E. Thirteen Mile Road, with picnic pavilions and concessions. Made for sticky summer days.
Official site ↗A nature center on Hales Street with trails, a storybook trail, birdwatching and live animal exhibits.
Official site ↗06 / History
Starting in the 1830s, the first farmers, including George Dawson and Archibald Lamphere, buy land along the Red Run.
On January 17 the east side of Royal Oak Township votes to incorporate; the city charter passes on December 6.
A new municipal building opens on 13 Mile Road on April 5.
07 / People
Population and area are Census Bureau figures (Madison Heights city).
Change since 2020, per the Census Bureau estimate: −0.6 percent.
