Berkley PrideDowntown Berkley between Robina Ave and Griffith Ave, south of 12 Mile Rd, Berkley, MI
Metro Detroit Oakland County City
Berkley
Small-town main street, a vintage theater sign and its own car parade on Dream Cruise eve
- People (2025 estimate)
- 15,145
- Land area
- 2.6 sq mi · 6.8 km²
- From downtown
- 13.6 miles · 22 km · northwest
- Incorporated
- 1932
Nothing on our calendar here this week yet.
01 / Why it matters
Why Berkley matters
Berkley is the kind of small town that still has a real main street. Downtown runs along 12 Mile between Greenfield and Coolidge and down Coolidge between 11 and 12 Mile: more than 150 businesses, from coffee to cocktails and books to boutiques. Money.com once praised its "small-town feel" and "easily walkable downtown."
Its backstory is classic Detroit suburb. In the 1840s this was dairy country; the Highland Park Ford Plant sparked growth in the 1910s; it became a village in 1923 and a city in 1932. The big boom came in the 1940s with the postwar suburban building wave.
Car culture here isn't just a Woodward thing. Every year since 1995, Berkley has held its own classic car parade on 12 Mile the day before the Dream Cruise, called CruiseFest. And in early summer, the Art Bash turns 12 Mile into a street art festival.
02 / Known for
What Berkley is known for
CruiseFest: since 1995, classic cars parade down 12 Mile from Woodward to Greenfield the day before the Dream Cruise.
The Art Bash street fair, run by the Berkley Area Chamber of Commerce, brings in 180-plus artists and makers and more than 10,000 visitors.
Angell Elementary, opened in 1921, is the oldest continuously operating elementary school in Oakland County.
The Berkley Theater was a symbol of moviegoing in the area for decades until it closed in 1993.
03 / What’s on
What’s on in Berkley
Nothing on our calendar in Berkley right now. Try the neighbors:
04 / Places
5 places on our site in Berkley
Berkley PrideDowntown Berkley between Robina Ave and Griffith Ave, south of 12 Mile Rd, Berkley, MI05 / What to do
If you’re in Berkley
Downtown Berkley
More than 150 businesses along 12 Mile and Coolidge: coffee in the morning, cocktails at night, books and boutiques in between. Fall brings witchy and ghost-chase events.
Official site ↗Berkley CruiseFest
An hour-long classic car parade on 12 Mile the Friday before the Dream Cruise; in 2026 it rolled from Woodward toward Greenfield at 6:30 p.m. on August 14.
Official site ↗Berkley Art Bash
An all-day street art festival on 12 Mile with live music and kids' activities; the 2026 edition was on June 13.
Official site ↗
06 / History
Berkley through the years
- 1921
Angell Elementary opens; it's now the oldest continuously operating elementary school in Oakland County.
- 1923
Berkley incorporates as a village.
- 1932
In the depths of the Depression, voters turn the village into a city.
- 1949
The current Berkley High School is built.
- 1993
The Berkley Theater closes.
- 1995
The first CruiseFest is held, the same year as the first Woodward Dream Cruise.
07 / Born here
2 people in our lexicon were born here
08 / People
Famous names from here
- Marshall Crenshaw Singer-songwriter ("Someday, Someway") who grew up in Berkley and graduated from Berkley High in 1971.
- Rob Tyner The MC5's lead singer lived in Berkley and is buried at Roseland Park Cemetery.
Sources
Population and area are Census Bureau figures (Berkley city).
- 2020 Census, Michigan (PL 94-171)
- Census Bureau population estimates: cities and towns
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkley,_Michigan
- berkleymi.gov/news/cruisefest-and-dream-cruise-road-closures-and-parking-restrictions
- berkleyartbash.com
- downtownberkley.com
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodward_Dream_Cruise
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Crenshaw
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Tyner
- berkleymi.gov
Change since 2020, per the Census Bureau estimate: −0.3 percent.
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