Royal Oak is a city in

Oakland County Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a principal county of the Detroit metropolitan area, containing the bulk of Detroit's northern suburbs. Its seat of government is Pontiac, and its largest city is Troy. As of the ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. An inner-ring suburb of

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, Royal Oak is located roughly north of

downtown Detroit Downtown Detroit is the central business district and a Neighborhoods in Detroit, residential area of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Locally, "downtown" tends to refer to the 1.4 square mile region bordered by M-10 (Michigan high ...

. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,211. Royal Oak is known for its parking system, which has helped it to achieve the record for highest parking ticket rate in the United States of America, successfully ticketing over 40% of street parkers who visit the city. Royal Oak is located along the

Woodward Corridor M-1, also known as Woodward Avenue, is a north–south Michigan State Trunkline Highway System, state trunkline highway in the Metro Detroit area of the US state of Michigan. The highway, called "Detroit's Main Street", runs from Detroit north- ...

, and is served by

Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from S ...

and

Interstate 696 Interstate 696 (I-696) is an east–west auxiliary Interstate Highway in the Metro Detroit region of the US state of Michigan. The state trunkline highway is also known as the Walter P. Reuther Freeway, named for the prominent auto indus ...

. The city has one of the largest

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

s in Detroit's suburbs, and is also home to much of the

Detroit Zoo The Detroit Zoo is a zoo located in the cities of Huntington Woods and Royal Oak in the U.S. state of Michigan. Spanning , it houses more than 2,000 animals and more than 200 different species. The zoo was the first U.S. zoo to feature bar-l ...

, with portions extending into neighboring Huntington Woods. Royal Oak describes itself as the "city of trees".

History

Royal Oak was named in 1819, during one of the surveying expeditions led by Territorial Governor

Lewis Cass Lewis Cass (October 9, 1782June 17, 1866) was a United States Army officer and politician. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate and served in the Cabinets of two U.S. Presidents, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. He was also the 1 ...

. A large oak tree at this small settlement reminded Cass of the story of the

Royal Oak The Royal Oak was the English oak tree within which the future King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House ...

, where King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland hid to escape capture by the

Roundhead Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...

s after the

Battle of Worcester The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 in and around the city of Worcester, England and was the last major battle of the 1642 to 1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A Parliamentarian army of around 28,000 under Oliver Cromwell def ...

, so he chose that name for the settlement. Royal Oak was not incorporated as a village until 1891. It was reincorporated a city in 1921.

20th century to present

Royal Oak developed as a suburb of Detroit in the early 20th century, following Detroit's booming growth as a result of industrialization and its auto industry. The Royal Oak Farmers Market opened as a truck market, at the corner of 4th and Troy streets, on October 14, 1925, as a cooperative venture between the then-new City of Royal Oak and

Oakland County, Michigan Oakland County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a principal county of the Detroit metropolitan area, containing the bulk of Detroit's northern suburbs. Its county seat, seat of government is Pontiac, Mic ...

. There were still numerous farmers in the county. The present structure, at the corner of 11 Mile Road and Troy Street, is adjacent to the 44th District Court. It was erected in the spring of 1927 and dedicated July 1 of that year. In the 1920s, Father

Charles Coughlin Charles Edward Coughlin ( ; October 25, 1891 – October 27, 1979), commonly known as Father Coughlin, was a Canadian-American Catholic Church, Catholic priest based near Detroit. He was the founding priest of the National Shrine of the Lit ...

, a Canadian Catholic priest who relocated to Detroit, became the founding pastor of the Shrine of the Little Flower, now a prominent landmark in the city. Through his ministry, he raised funds to build the present

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

church complex and tower. Initially he broadcast religious speeches from this site. During the 1930s, his broadcasts became more political. He initially supported President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

, then opposed him and promoted the causes of the fascist leaders of Germany and Italy. The Roosevelt administration closed down his radio operation after the outbreak of World War II, with support from the Catholic hierarchy. Coughlin had developed national political influence and had an increasingly anti-semitic message, at a time when Jewish people were being severely persecuted in Germany. In 1991, Thomas McIlvane, a postal worker, killed five people in Royal Oak's post office, after being fired from the Postal Service for "insubordination." This incident helped to popularize the term "

going postal ''Going Postal'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the 33rd book in his '' Discworld'' series, released in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2004. Unlike most of Pratchett's Discworld novels, ''Going Postal'' is divided int ...

." The downtown originally had a typical mixture of small-scale retail and trade to serve the city of Royal Oak. With the development of the highway system in the postwar period, it lost business to suburban malls. Since the late 1990s and early 2000s, however, Royal Oak's downtown has developed as an entertainment and nightlife destination. A number of large condominiums and lofts have been built in the area, increasing the density of the downtown population. In 2022, the Royal Oak City Commission approved the demolition of the historic Main Art Theater, once a symbol of moviegoers in the area.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.08%) is water. Royal Oak developed around a river, the Red Run. Vinsetta Boulevard was built skirting a source branch of the Red Run for its median. In the 1930s, Vinsetta's entire median, along with the river and all but the tops of the bridges for the crossing streets were filled in as part of a WPA project during the Great Depression. During 1967–8, the rest of the river in Oakland County was buried within a six-foot drain pipe. Extensive tree-planting has taken place since the 1930s, leading to the town being nicknamed "The City of Trees", although recent increased developments have caused controversy about the maintenance of the city's

urban forest Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of peop ...

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2020, there were 58,211 people and 28,971 households in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 86.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 5.6%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.1% Native American, 3.7%

Asian American Asian Americans are Americans with ancestry from the continent of Asia (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of those immigrants). Although this term had historically been used fo ...

, and 1.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 4.5% of the population. 5.4% of residents were under the age of 5, 15.2% of residents were under the age of 18, and 14.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.0% male and 49.0% female.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 57,236 people, 28,063 households, and 13,394 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 30,207 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.7%

, 4.3%

, 0.3% Native American, 2.4%

, 0.4% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.3% of the population. There were 28,063 households, of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 52.3% were non-families. 41.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 16.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 35.9% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 13.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 60,062 people, 28,880 households, and 14,440 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 29,942 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.80%

, 1.54%

, 0.26% Native American, 1.56% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.38% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population. There were 28,880 households, out of which 20.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were

living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.0% were non-families. 40.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.86. In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.8% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 38.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $52,252, and the median income for a family was $68,109. Males had a median income of $50,562 versus $36,392 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $30,990. About 2.0% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Crime

Royal Oak has a below-average crime rate, similar to that of nearby middle-class communities, such as Berkley and Madison Heights. Larceny-theft was the most common crime, making up 66.7% of all crimes in the city. Five known murders have been committed since 2000, one in 2004, one in 2005, one in 2010, and two in 2011.

Economy

Royal Oak developed initially as a suburb after Detroit boomed as a major industrial city. Residents of Detroit began to move to the suburbs for newer housing, and to separate themselves from the rising tensions and riots in Detroit, in a process referred to as

white flight The white flight, also known as white exodus, is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the Racism ...

. It had a compact, traditional street-side shopping district, which runs along Main Street and Washington Avenue downtown. During the 2000s, this area was redeveloped with numerous new businesses, and is now considered a trendy, upscale, urban-chic district, featuring restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. A number of mixed-use high-rise developments have been constructed — mostly condo "lofts" with retail and office space on the lower levels. Points of interest include the

, a major regional tourist attraction, the Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, the

Royal Oak Music Theatre Royal Oak Music Theatre is a music venue located at 318 W. Fourth Street, Royal Oak, Michigan. It was built as a vaudeville theatre and opened in 1928. History and usage The theater opened in 1928 by entrepreneur John H. Kunsky. Originally openi ...

, the Baldwin Theatre, Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle, a location of

Emagine Entertainment Emagine Entertainment Inc. is an American movie theater chain based in Troy, Michigan, operating 28 cinemas in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Emagine is ranked as the 9th largest theatre chain in North America. Emagine ...

, and shops, cafes, and restaurants. The

National Arbor Day Foundation The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 500 million trees in neighborhoods, communitie ...

has awarded Royal Oak the distinction of "Tree City USA" every year since 1976 as a result of the city's commitment to

tree planting Tree planting is the process of transplanting tree seedlings, generally for forestry, land reclamation, or landscaping purposes. It differs from the transplantation of larger trees in arboriculture and from the lower-cost but slower and les ...

and preservation. On October 5, 2021, Citizens State Bank opened up their headquarters on Woodward Ave, making it the only bank to be headquartered in Royal Oak. The Gilda Radner Hereditary Cancer Program is a foundation set up by Detroit-area native

Gilda Radner Gilda Susan Radner (June 28, 1946 – May 20, 1989) was an American actress and comedian. She was one of the seven Saturday Night Live cast members, original cast members of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on the NBC sketch comedy series ...

, who is known for her work as a comedian of ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

''. In 1998 the Program created a free cancer support community for people with cancer, their families, and friends.

Gilda's Club ] Gilda's Club is a community organization for people with cancer, their families and friends. Local chapters provide meeting places where those who have cancer, their families, and friends can join with others to build emotional and social suppor ...

Metro Detroit operates a three-story non-residential house in Royal Oak. It has served more than 3,000 members for social and emotional support through a variety of activities.

Arts and culture

Royal Oak Music Theatre view from balcony

Downtown Royal Oak features a wide assortment of nightlife venues, including the Royal Oak Music Theatre and the Baldwin Theatre. Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle, a comedy club, was an early venue for performers such as

Tim Allen Timothy Alan Dick (born June 13, 1953), known professionally as Tim Allen, is an American actor and comedian. He is known for playing Tim "The Toolman" Taylor on the ABC sitcom ''Home Improvement'' (1991–1999) for which he won a Golden Gl ...

and

Dave Coulier David Alan Coulier ( ; born September 21, 1959) is an American actor, voice actor, and comedian. He is best known for his roles as Joey Gladstone on the ABC sitcom ''Full House'', Peter Venkman on '' The Real Ghostbusters'', and Animal and B ...

. Allen's connections to Royal Oak would later in his career be alluded to in the

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

Home Improvement The concept of home improvement, home renovation or remodeling is the process of renovating, making improvements or making additions to one's home. Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an existing home interior (such as electr ...

'' as the protagonist's (played by Allen) place of residence. Royal Oak encompasses a major span of the

Woodward Dream Cruise The Woodward Dream Cruise is an annual automotive enthusiast event held in the northern suburbs of Detroit. Held each year on the third Saturday in August, the Cruise runs along Woodward Avenue, a major thoroughfare in the region, from Ferndale ...

. The city sponsors ancillary events around the Cruise. It is the site of the

, one of the region's leading tourist attractions. Royal Oak is home to the Royal Oak Leprechauns, a collegiate summer league baseball team that competes in the

Northwoods League The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league. All players in the league must have National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. The league is amateur, and players are not ...

. The Leprechauns play their home games at Memorial Park.

Arts, Beats & Eats

Arts, Beats & Eats is a U.S. Labor Day Weekend festival held in Royal Oak. Prior to 2010 it was held in downtown

Pontiac, Michigan Pontiac ( ') is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit, Pontiac is part of the Metro Detroit, Detroit metropolitan area, and is vari ...

streets in storefront businesses and at the Phoenix Plaza Amphitheatre. The festival is sponsored by local businesses, including

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

, the naming sponsor. Proceeds from Arts, Beats & Eats benefit local charities; an estimated 1.7 million was donated in the first seven years. A juried arts exhibition, food court, concert stages with local and national acts and a charity preview gala highlight festival programming.

Religion

Previously Royal Oak had St. Dennis Catholic Church of the Detroit Archdiocese; in 2012 it began the process of merging into St. Vincent Ferrer Church in Madison Heights. The real estate was later redeveloped as a location of grocery store chain

Kroger The Kroger Company, or simply Kroger, is an American retail company that operates (either directly or through its subsidiaries) supermarkets and multi-department stores throughout the United States. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cinc ...

. Royal Oak is home to the

National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica is a Catholic Church, Catholic church (building), church in Royal Oak, Michigan, Royal Oak, Michigan. A designated national shrine, the church building is well-known for its execution in the lav ...

, which was declared a national shrine in 1998 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Later in 2014, Pope Francis granted the National Shrine of the Little Flower the honorary title of ‘Minor Basilica’.

Government

Royal Oak has a

Council–manager government The council–manager government is a form of local government commonly used for municipalities and counties in the United States and Ireland, in New Zealand regional councils, and in Canadian municipalities. In the council-manager government, ...

. It is governed by a

city commission City commission government is a form of local government in the United States. In a city commission government, voters elect a small commission, typically of five to seven members, typically on a plurality-at-large voting basis. These commissio ...

consisting of a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

and six commission members. The city commission appoints a

city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...

, who manages the day-to-day operations of the city.

Education

The city is served by Royal Oak Schools. Private K-12 education is also offered by Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church while nearby St. Mary's offers K-8 instruction. A branch of

Oakland Community College Oakland Community College (OCC) is a Public college, public community college with five campuses in Oakland County, Michigan. Established in 1964, OCC is the largest community college in Michigan, with the state's third-largest undergraduate enr ...

is located in the city and a new location of

Baker College Baker College is a private university with its main campus in Owosso, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1911 and (as of 2023) has four additional campuses throughout the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The institution has been accused o ...

is nearing the end of construction. A portion of land in the city is zoned to Berkley Public Schools. In recent years Royal Oak has begun to consolidate its public schools in response to a decline in enrollment levels compared to the

baby boom A baby boom is a period marked by a significant increase of births. This demography, demographic phenomenon is usually an ascribed characteristic within the population of a specific nationality, nation or culture. Baby booms are caused by various ...

era. In 2006, the city's two public high schools, George A. Dondero High School and Clarence M. Kimball High School, were combined into a new

Royal Oak High School Royal Oak High School (ROHS) is a public high school located in Royal Oak, Michigan. The principal is Don Loomis. It is a part of Royal Oak Schools. History Royal Oak High School is a 2006 consolidation of former intra-city rivals Royal O ...

. Beginning in 2007, the city's two middle schools were combined into one school, Royal Oak Middle School, in the former Dondero building. The number of elementary schools was reduced to six. Some parents protested the planned closure and demolition of Longfellow and Whittier elementary schools. They were seeking to have them considered for historic district recognition by way of signed petition. Despite their efforts, both schools and a number of other former elementary schools were demolished in the fall of 2007. The Royal Oak school system gained brief notoriety for an incident following the Trump election. Some middle schoolers chanted "build that wall". A student video of the incident was widely shared on

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

, attracting more than 4 million views within 24 hours. A week later a noose was found in the 8th grade boys bathroom at the middle school. The student who had placed the noose in the bathroom was removed from the school shortly afterward. St. Dennis School of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit The Archdiocese of Detroit () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church covering the south-east portion of Michigan in the United States. The archdiocese consists counties of Lapeer County, Michigan, Lap ...

was formerly in Royal Oak. It closed in 2011.

Media

In addition to ''

The Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United S ...

'' and ''

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...

'', regional newspapers serving all of southeast Michigan, the city is served by the ''Daily Tribune'', ''

The Oakland Press ''The Oakland Press'' is a daily newspaper published in Oakland County, Michigan with headquarters in Troy. It is owned by 21st Century Media, with which its parent company merged in 2013 after filing for bankruptcy. The local historical society ...

'', the ''Royal Oak Review'', and ''The Mirror''.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Numbered highways

* runs north–south along the city's east side. * runs east–west along the city's south side. * (formerly designated

US 10 U.S. Route 10 or U.S. Highway 10 (US 10) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway located in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the U.S. Despite the "0" as the last digit in the number, US 10 is no longer a cross- ...

and also known as Woodward Avenue) runs generally southeast–northwest along the city's west side. * Five numbered east–west mile roads run through Royal Oak.

Rail and bus

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

provides service to , operating its three times daily in both directions between

Pontiac Pontiac most often refers to: * Pontiac (Odawa leader) ( – 1769), Native American war chief *Pontiac (automobile), a former General Motors brand Pontiac may also refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality ** Apo ...

and

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

via

. * Class one freight rail service is provided by

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...

(CN). *

Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is the public transit operator serving the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Beginning operations in 1967 as the Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority (SEMT ...

(SMART) operates local and regional bus transit.

Historical

* Commuter rail service, provided by

Grand Trunk Western Railroad The Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company was an American subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway, later of the Canadian National Railway operating in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Since a corporate restructuring in 1971, the railroad ha ...

(GTW) and later

Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) is the public transit operator serving the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Beginning operations in 1967 as the Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority (SEMT ...

(SEMTA) from

to downtown

, with two stops in Royal Oak, ran until October 17, 1983. * The

Saginaw Trail Saginaw Trail is the collective name for a set of connected roads in Southeast and Central Michigan that runs from Detroit to Saginaw through Pontiac and Flint that was originally a tribal foot trail. To drive it today, drivers would follow: * f ...

was a

footpath A footpath (also pedestrian way, walking trail, nature trail) is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians and not other forms of traffic such as Motor vehicle, motorized vehicles, bicycles and horseback, horses. They ...

established by the Sauk tribe between Detroit and

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in Saginaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 44,202 at the 2020 census. Located along the Saginaw River, Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of ...

. In Royal Oak present-day Main Street and Crooks Road were developed along the historic path.

Police and fire

Royal Oak's police department has 79 sworn officers and 25 civilian personnel. The department employs community policing techniques. Royal Oak has a full-time fire department that operates three stations strategically located around the city to minimize response time to incidents. The ROFD staffs three engines, a ladder truck, and two ALS ambulances daily and is a member of the OAKWAY mutual aid consortium.

Notable people

Alexandra Aldridge Alexandra Aldridge (born May 7, 1994) is an American ice dancer. With former partner Daniel Eaton, she is the 2014 Four Continents bronze medalist, a two-time (2012, 2013) World Junior bronze medalist, the 2012 JGP Final bronze medalist, and a ...

, figure skater, was born in Royal Oak *

Henry Banks Henry Edwin Banks (June 14, 1913 – December 18, 1994) was an American racing driver. He competed in various disciplines of open-wheel motorsport. Banks is best remembered for winning the 1950 AAA National Championship, and for his later caree ...

, racing driver, was raised in Royal Oak *

Mary Barra Mary Teresa Barra (née Makela; born December 24, 1961) is an American businesswoman who has been the chair and chief executive officer (CEO) of General Motors since January 15, 2014. She is the first female CEO of a 'Big Three' automaker. In De ...

, chairman and CEO of General Motors Company, was born in Royal Oak *

Freddie Braun Freddie Braun (born May 13, 1988, in Royal Oak, Michigan) is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Mulhouse Portland in the National Premier Soccer League. Career College and amateur Braun grew up in Rochester Hills, Michigan, a ...

, soccer player *

Bruce Campbell Bruce Lorne Campbell (born June 22, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known best for his role as Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's ''Evil Dead'' horror series, beginning with the short movie '' Within the Woods'' (1978). He has also f ...

, film and television actor, was born in Royal Oak *

Shiann Darkangelo Shiann Darkangelo (born November 28, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Montreal Victoire of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She has played at the international level with United States women's national ic ...

, ice hockey player in the

PWHL The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL; , LPHF) is a women's professional ice hockey league in North America. The league comprises eight teams, four each from the United States and Canada. The teams play a regular season to earn one of f ...

Meryl Davis Meryl Davis (born January 1, 1987) is an American former competitive ice dancer. With partner Charlie White, she is the 2014 Olympic champion, the 2010 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time (2011, 2013) World champion, five-time Grand Prix Fin ...

, figure skater, winner of gold medal at 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, silver medalist in 2010 *

Pete Dawkins Peter Miller Dawkins (born March 8, 1938) is an American business executive and former college football player, hockey player, military officer, and political candidate. Dawkins attended the United States Military Academy, where he played as a ...

, winner of college football's 1958

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

, military officer, and political candidate, was born in Royal Oak *

Marie Donigan Marie Donigan (born June 17, 1954) is an American politician and architect who served as a member of the Michigan State House of Representatives for the 26th District from January 1, 2005 to January 1, 2011. Early life and education Donigan wa ...

, landscape architect and former member of the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2020 ...

Andrew Dost Andrew Paul Dost (born April 10, 1983) is an American musician and singer; he is a member of the indie bossa nova/jazz band Metal Bubble Trio, in which he is the lead singer. He was formerly a member of the indie rock band Anathallo from 2003 t ...

American musician, singer and is member of the indie rock band Fun. *

Terry Duerod Terry Duerod (July 29, 1956 – November 13, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. Ginebra San Miguel Philippines 1986 Amateur career A 6'2" guard out of Highland Park Community High School in the Detroit area, Duerod played co ...

, University of Detroit and NBA basketball player, was born in Royal Oak * Mona Hanna-Attisha, pediatrician and

Flint Water Crisis The Flint water crisis was a public health crisis from 2014 to 2019 which involved the drinking water for the city of Flint, Michigan, being contaminated with lead and possibly ''Legionella'' bacteria. In April 2014, during a financial crisis, ...

whistleblower, was raised in Royal Oak *

Kirk Ferentz Kirk James Ferentz (born August 1, 1955) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since the 1999 season. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the Universi ...

, football head coach for

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

(1999–present), was born in Royal Oak *

Dean Fertita Dean Anthony Fertita (born September 6, 1970) is an American rock multi-instrumentalist.Brian McColluMetro Detroit musician Dean Fertita moves to the front lines with the Dead Weatherfreep.com Retrieved: 2009-07-25 He is best known as a keyboard ...

, rock musician from the band Pyre and Reigndance *

Bill Freehan William Ashley Freehan (November 29, 1941 – August 19, 2021) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire 15-year career with the Detroit Tigers. The premier catcher in the American League for several years from the 19 ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

catcher who was an 11× MLB All Star, 5× gold glove winner, and

1968 World Series The 1968 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1968 season. The 65th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the National Lea ...

champion. Spent all of his 15 seasons playing with the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

, grew up in Royal Oak. *

Jeffrey Frame Jeffrey W. Frame is an American atmospheric scientist and professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is known for observational and modeling studies of severe convective storms and for teaching meteorology. He was a scientist ...

a professor of atmospheric sciences at the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

was raised in Royal Oak and attended Kimball High School *

Glenn Frey Glenn Lewis Frey (; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American musician. He was a founding member of the rock band Eagles, for whom he was the co-lead singer and frontman, roles he came to share with fellow member Don Henley, with ...

, founding member of rock group the

Eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

, was raised in Royal Oak and attended Dondero High School *

Christopher George Christopher John George (February 25, 1931 – November 28, 1983) was an American television and film actor who starred in the 1960s television series '' The Rat Patrol''. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1967 as Best TV Star for his ...

, actor, star of films and TV series ''

The Rat Patrol ''The Rat Patrol'' is an American action and adventure television series that aired on ABC between 1966 and 1968. The show follows the exploits of four Allied soldiers – three Americans and one British – who are part of a long-range deser ...

'', was born in Royal Oak *

Jason Grilli Jason Michael Grilli (born November 11, 1976) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Ange ...

, Major League Baseball pitcher, was born in Royal Oak *

Judith Guest Judith Guest (born March 29, 1936) is an American novelist and screenwriter. She was born in Detroit, Michigan and is the great-niece of Poet Laureate Edgar Guest (1881–1959).

, author of ''

Ordinary People ''Ordinary People'' is a 1980 American Tragedy, tragedy film directed by Robert Redford in his List of directorial debuts, feature directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the Ordinary People (Guest novel), 1976 novel by ...

'', lived and attended school in Royal Oak *

David Hahn David Charles Hahn (October 30, 1976 – September 27, 2016), sometimes called the "Radioactive Boy Scout" and the "Nuclear Boy Scout" was an American nuclear radiation enthusiast who built a homemade neutron source at the age of seventeen. A ...

—the "Radioactive Boy Scout" was born in Royal Oak. *

Tom Hayden Thomas Emmet Hayden (December 11, 1939October 23, 2016) was an American social and political activist, author, and politician. Hayden was best known for his role as an anti-war, civil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s, becoming an i ...

, was born in Royal Oak and attended Dondero High School. He is best known as an author of the Port Huron Statement, and he stood for trial in the Chicago Seven case. He was at one time married to

Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress and activist. Recognized as a film icon, Jane Fonda filmography, Fonda's work spans several genres and over six decades of film and television. She is the recipient of List of a ...

. *

Jack Kevorkian Murad Jacob Kevorkian (May 26, 1928 – June 3, 2011) was an American pathologist and euthanasia proponent. He publicly championed a terminal patient's right to die by physician-assisted suicide, embodied in his quote, "Dying is not a crime" ...

, practiced

physician-assisted suicide Assisted suicide, sometimes restricted to the context of physician-assisted suicide (PAS), is the process by which a person, with the help of others, takes actions to end their life. Once it is determined that the person's situation qualifie ...

in Royal Oak *

Keegan-Michael Key Keegan-Michael Key (born March 22, 1971) is an American comedian, actor, producer, and writer. He and Jordan Peele co-created and co-starred in the sketch series '' Key & Peele'' (2012–2015) for which he received one Primetime Emmy Award from ...

, film and television actor, attended

Shrine Catholic High School Shrine Catholic Schools is a private, co-educational Catholic school serving preschool through grade 12. It is located in Royal Oak, Michigan, and is affiliated with the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica. The school consists of Shrin ...

in Royal Oak *

Mallory McMorrow Mallory Ann McMorrow (born August 23, 1986) is an American politician who has served in the Michigan Senate since January 2019. She became senate majority whip on January 1, 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she represents the 8th distr ...

, Politician, lives in Royal Oak *

Torey Krug Torey Krug ( ; born April 12, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). Krug previously played for the Boston Bruins from 2012 to 2020. Being undrafted, he played Nation ...

, NHL defenseman, was born in Royal Oak *

T. J. Lang Thomas John Lang (born September 20, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Eastern Michigan Eagles and was selected by the Green Bay P ...

, pro football player for

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

, was born in Royal Oak *

Sam Raimi Samuel M. Raimi ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the first three films in the ''Evil Dead'' franchise (1981–present) and the ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007). He also directed the super ...

, film director, producer, writer, actor, was born in Royal Oak *

Ivan Raimi Ivan Mitchell Raimi (born June 21, 1956) is an American emergency medicine physician and screenwriter, and a older brother of filmmaker Sam Raimi and actor Ted Raimi. Ivan works as an emergency physician in Chicago, traveling to Los Angeles occa ...

, physician and screenwriter, was born in Royal Oak * Kim Rancourt, Rock Musician *

Terrell Ransom Jr. Terrell Louis Ransom Jr. (born July 5, 2003), also known as Kid Prodigy, is an American actor. He is mostly known for his roles on ''The Amazing World of Gumball'' as Darwin Watterson and '' A Girl Named Jo'' as Dwight Hughes. Early life Ransom ...

, actor * Elisabeth Robinson, author of ''The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters'' * Sebastian Sauve, Fashion model *

Chris Savino Christopher Mason Savino (born October 2, 1971) is an American comic book artist, writer and former animator. He is well-known for having created the animated series '' The Loud House'' (2016–present) for Nickelodeon. Savino has also worked on ...

, animator, creator of the

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

animated series ''

The Loud House ''The Loud House'' is an American animated sitcom created by Chris Savino that premiered on Nickelodeon on May 2, 2016. The series revolves around the chaotic everyday life of a boy named Lincoln Loud, who is the middle child and only son in a ...

''. * Frank Dennis Saylor IV, judge, was born in Royal Oak * Jim Seymour, wide receiver for Notre Dame and

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

, attended

in Royal Oak * Brady Smith, NFL defensive end 1996–2005, was born in Royal Oak *

Marshall Thompson James Marshall Thompson (November 27, 1925Ancestry.com. ''U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007'' atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Social Security Applications and Cla ...

, actor, star of films and television, died in Royal Oak *

Al Watrous Albert Andrew Watrous (February 1, 1899 – December 3, 1983)Ancestry.com. U.S., ''Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014'' atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2014. was an American professional golfer who played on ...

, golf professional * Charlie White, ice dancer, winner of gold medal at 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, silver medalist in 2010

References

External links

City of Royal Oak

Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control Metro Detroit Populated places established in 1891 Cities in Oakland County, Michigan 1891 establishments in Michigan

History

20th century to present

Geography

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2000 census

Crime

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Arts, Beats & Eats

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See also

References

External links