Best Web Design in Highland (Highland Charter Township), MI (2026)

Web Design for Highland (Highland Charter Township), Michigan

Highland is a rural, lake-dotted charter township in west Oakland County, about 18 miles west of Pontiac, that traded its farming past for recreation as cottagers discovered its 26 lakes. Its centerpiece is the 5,900-acre Highland State Recreation Area, which folds in Haven Hill, the former country estate of auto magnate Edsel Ford. In 2006 it became the first community in Michigan officially recognized by the state as an equestrian community.

AppWT serves Highland (Highland Charter Township) and the surrounding Michigan area from Livonia, Michigan.

About Highland (Highland Charter Township)

Also known as. Spring Mills (name of the original village). Highland Station (historic downtown). Michigan's first designated equestrian community.

History. Pioneer families founded the township in 1835. The original Village of Highland, later called Spring Mills, sat at what is now M-59 and Harvey Lake Road, where Pettibone Creek powered a grist mill and a cider mill. Completion of the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad in the early 1870s shifted development west to the area still called Highland Station. Recreation began replacing agriculture in the early 20th century as residents and out-of-town cottagers valued the township's lakes. Auto executive Edsel Ford built and preserved the Haven Hill estate; after his death in 1943 the Michigan Department of Natural Resources took it over. Haven Hill Natural Area was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1976.

Local economy. Primarily a residential Metro Detroit suburb with a rural, low-density character. Recreation and tourism tied to the state recreation area and the township's lakes. Agriculture and, increasingly, equestrian land use shape the rural landscape. Milford High School is located within the township, and residents rely on the nearby village of Milford for amenities.

Culture and community. Downtown Highland Station hosts community events including a Highland fall festival, a Founders Day festival and parade, and a farmers market. Free summer Concerts at Veteran's Park. The Highland Station Boardwalk, a pedestrian and cycling route spanning open water, won a Michigan Downtown Association community connectivity award. Equestrian culture is central to the township's identity.

What makes Highland (Highland Charter Township) distinct. Highland declared itself an equestrian community in 2003 and in 2006 became Michigan's first state-recognized designated equestrian community, adopted to preserve its rural character. The township packs 26 lakes totaling about 1,483 acres into roughly 34 to 36 square miles. One of its marquee parklands was originally the private country estate of Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford.

Highland (Highland Charter Township) Landmarks and Local Life

• Highland State Recreation Area - about 5,900 acres of lakes, trails, and woodland in north Oakland County
• Haven Hill Natural Area - a National Natural Landmark and former Edsel Ford estate within the recreation area
• Dodge Brothers State Park No. 10 - incorporated into the recreation area
• Duck Lake and the western half of White Lake - among the township's 26 lakes