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Metro Detroit Oakland County City

Birmingham

A walkable downtown with nearly 300 shops, plus Oakland County's oldest frame house

People (2025 estimate)
21,923
Land area
4.8 sq mi · 12.4 km²
From downtown
17.1 miles · 28 km · northwest
Incorporated
1933

1 events today, 6 this week

Notorious4life ( talk ) ( Uploads ) · CC0

01 / Why it matters

Why Birmingham matters

Birmingham is a polished little city on Woodward, between Royal Oak and Bloomfield Hills. Downtown is made for walking: nearly 300 retailers, boutiques, galleries, restaurants, movie theaters and a central green, Shain Park. If you want an afternoon of strolling and window shopping, this is the place.

It's named after the English industrial city: in 1836 Rosewell T. Merrill imagined a big manufacturing town here. It didn't happen; most of the early factories were gone by the 1860s, and Birmingham settled in as a quiet market town on the Detroit–Pontiac road. The first settlers, Hunter, Hamilton and Willits, ran inns for travelers, and their names are still on the street signs.

As the auto industry boomed, Birmingham became a favorite place to live between Detroit and Pontiac, and it became a city in 1933. The museum grounds hold Oakland County's oldest frame house, from 1822. And a bit of rock trivia: the legendary Creem magazine had its editorial offices downtown for a while.

Where Birmingham sits on the Metro Detroit map, with its neighbors. Bloomfield HillsClawsonBloomfield Charter TownshipRoyal OakBirmingham
17.1 miles northwest of downtown Detroit The three counties Imagery: EOxCloudless 2016, CC BY 4.0 · boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau

02 / Known for

What Birmingham is known for

  1. The John West Hunter House (1822) is the oldest frame house in Oakland County and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

  2. The Birmingham Shopping District, with nearly 300 retailers, bills itself as one of the Midwest's premier shopping districts.

  3. At the center of Shain Park stands Marshall Fredericks' Freedom of the Human Spirit, which the sculptor gave his adopted hometown for its 50th anniversary in 1983.

  4. Creem, the rock magazine, had offices in downtown Birmingham before moving to Los Angeles in 1987; the local museum keeps a Creem collection.

  5. The local paper, The Eccentric, has covered the town since 1878.

03 / What’s on

What’s on in Birmingham

All in the event finder ↗
Birmingham Farmers MarketMay 3, 2026

Birmingham Farmers Market

Public Parking Lot 6 · Organized by Downtown Birmingham, the Birmingham Farmers Market runs Sundays from May 3 to October 25, 2026, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., at Public Parking Lot 6 in Birmingham. Expect Michigan-grown produce, meat and dairy, flowers, artisan goods, plus live music and food trucks.

BirminghamBURGEROct 1, 2026

BirminghamBURGER

Downtown Birmingham · Downtown Birmingham hosts BirminghamBURGER from Thursday, October 1, to Saturday, October 31, 2026, in Downtown Birmingham, Birmingham. Local chefs roll out limited-edition burgers, and you vote to crown the Best Burger in Downtown Birmingham.

Once On This Island at Birmingham Village PlayersOct 1, 2026, 7:30 PM

Once On This Island at Birmingham Village Players

Birmingham Village Players · Birmingham Village Players stage Once On This Island on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at 34660 Woodward Avenue in Birmingham. It's live theater right on Woodward, and with six performances in the run, you can pick the date that suits you.

Once On This Island at Birmingham Village PlayersOct 2, 2026, 7:30 PM

Once On This Island at Birmingham Village Players

Birmingham Village Players · Birmingham Village Players stage Once On This Island on Friday, October 2, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at 34660 Woodward Avenue in Birmingham. It's live theater right on Woodward, and with six performances in the run, you can pick the date that suits you.

Once On This Island at Birmingham Village PlayersOct 3, 2026, 7:30 PM

Once On This Island at Birmingham Village Players

Birmingham Village Players · Birmingham Village Players stage Once On This Island on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at 34660 Woodward Avenue in Birmingham. It's live theater right on Woodward, and with six performances in the run, you can pick the date that suits you.

05 / What to do

If you’re in Birmingham

  • Downtown Birmingham

    Boutiques, galleries, restaurants and movie theaters within easy walking distance, with Shain Park at the center for summer concerts and the Village Fair. In 2026 a Sunday farmers market ran from May 3 to October 25.

    Official site ↗
  • Birmingham Museum

    The city museum by the Rouge River valley, on land first bought by settler Elijah Willits. Admission includes a guided tour of the John West Hunter House; as of 2026 it was open Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m.

    Official site ↗
  • Baldwin Public Library

    The city library, opened in 1927 and named for Martha Baldwin, who pushed for the first library, sidewalks and street lights.

    Official site ↗
  • The Village Players of Birmingham

    A community theater founded by a group of friends in 1923, playing in its own building since 1928, with five shows a year.

    Official site ↗

06 / History

Birmingham through the years

  1. 1818

    Governor Lewis Cass's expedition finds the land far less swampy than reported, opening it to settlement.

  2. 1822

    The John West Hunter House, Oakland County's first frame house, is built.

  3. 1836

    Rosewell T. Merrill surveys and records the plat he names Birmingham.

  4. 1864

    Birmingham incorporates as a village.

  5. 1896

    On June 18 the electric interurban arrives, reaching Detroit in 40 minutes.

  6. 1933

    Birmingham becomes a city.

08 / People

Famous names from here

  • Christine Lahti Emmy-winning actress, born in Birmingham in 1950.
  • Marshall Fredericks The sculptor of The Spirit of Detroit called Birmingham his adopted home.
  • Tim Allen Actor and comedian who grew up in Birmingham and went to Seaholm High School.

Sources

Population and area are Census Bureau figures (Birmingham city).

Change since 2020, per the Census Bureau estimate: +0.5 percent.

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