Metro Detroit Oakland County City
South Lyon
A witch's-hat train depot, a bike trail on the old rails and a tavern dating to 1867
- People (2025 estimate)
- 12,107
- Land area
- 3.7 sq mi · 9.7 km²
- From downtown
- 32.3 miles · 52 km · west
- Incorporated
- 1930
Nothing on our calendar here this week yet.
01 / Why it matters
Why South Lyon matters
South Lyon started out as Thompson's Corners in 1832, became a village in 1873 and a city in 1930. It takes its name from the surrounding Lyon Township, named for state legislator Lucius Lyon; the South just means it's in the southern part of the township.
It was a real railroad town: starting in 1871, three lines ran through it, and the Grand Trunk branch served it until the early 1980s. Today the paved Huron Valley Trail follows the old rail bed through Lyon and Milford townships to the Wixom line, with a spur toward Kensington Metropark.
The town's symbol is the 1909 depot in McHattie Park, nicknamed the Witch's Hat for its pointy roofline; it was moved here in 1976 and now anchors a little historic village with a schoolhouse, a caboose and a chapel. In the middle of downtown stands the South Lyon Hotel: built in 1867, it burned in the summer of 2016 and reopened as a restaurant and bar in the fall of 2017.
02 / Known for
What South Lyon is known for
The Witch's Hat Depot, a 1909 train station that has been a museum in McHattie Park since 1976
The South Lyon Hotel: built in 1867, burned in 2016, reopened in 2017
The Huron Valley Trail, a paved bike path on the old Grand Trunk line, connecting to more than 25 miles of other trails
03 / What’s on
What’s on in South Lyon
Nothing on our calendar in South Lyon right now. Try the neighbors:
04 / What to do
If you’re in South Lyon
Witch's Hat Depot Museum and Historic Village
A historic village in McHattie Park: the Witch's Hat Depot, the 1907 Washburn one-room school, a 1926 C&O caboose and the 1930s Little Village Chapel.
Official site ↗Huron Valley Trail
A paved rail-trail from South Lyon through Lyon and Milford townships to Wixom, past Lyon Oaks County Park, with a branch through Island Lake State Recreation Area to Kensington Metropark.
Official site ↗South Lyon Hotel
A downtown restaurant and bar on North Lafayette Street in the rebuilt 1867 hotel; closed Tuesdays.
Official site ↗
05 / History
South Lyon through the years
- 1832
Thompson's Corners is founded, and the township is named Lyon.
- 1871
In summer the first railroad, the Detroit, Lansing & Northern, arrives from Plymouth.
- 1873
South Lyon is incorporated as a village.
- 1930
The village becomes a city.
- 1976
For the U.S. bicentennial, the 1909 Witch's Hat Depot is moved to McHattie Park.
- 2016
Early on June 23 a fire destroys the South Lyon Hotel's second floor and roof; it reopens in the fall of 2017.
06 / People
Famous names from here
- Anita Cochran country singer and guitarist born in South Lyon, whose duet with Steve Wariner, What If I Said, hit number one on the Billboard country chart
Sources
Population and area are Census Bureau figures (South Lyon city).
- 2020 Census, Michigan (PL 94-171)
- Census Bureau population estimates: cities and towns
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Lyon,_Michigan
- southlyonmi.org/residents/community/witch_s_hat_depot.php
- southlyonhotel.com
- southlyonmi.org/residents/community/rail_trail.php
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Cochran
- southlyonmi.org
Change since 2020, per the Census Bureau estimate: +3.1 percent.
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