Walled Lake is a city in

Oakland County Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395, making it the second-most populous county in Michigan ...

in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. The population was 6,999 at the 2010 census. The city is bordered by Commerce Township on the north and the city of Novi on the south. As a western suburb of

Metro Detroit The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. State of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and its surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the ...

, Walled Lake is about northwest of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

History

The town's name is said to have been given by the first American settler, Walter Hewitt, in 1825. Upon his arrival, he noticed what appeared to be a stone wall along the western bank of a nearby lake, possibly constructed by earlier

Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

Indian tribes. Walled Lake was a village inhabited by

Ojibwa The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

and Potowatamie people until about 1830. It appears that these people had relocated from an earlier village in the area that is today Southfield. Resting spots along the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

, where

runaway slaves In the United States, fugitive slaves or runaway slaves were terms used in the 18th and 19th century to describe people who fled slavery. The term also refers to the federal Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850. Such people are also called free ...

could sleep and eat, were called " depots". One of these was the Foster Farmhouse (built in 1833) in Walled Lake, which served as a refuge for those making their way to freedom in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. The Foster Farmhouse was located on Pontiac Trail near 15 mile road until 1997, when it was moved to Riley Park in downtown Walled Lake to avoid demolition. The Walled Lake Amusement Park operated from 1929 to 1968. In September 2022, a QAnon adherent and local resident shot multiple members of his family before being killed by police.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Walled Lake is north of the City of NoviFeighan, Maureen.
Obstacles curb cities' plans to merge services
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. '' Detroit News''. April 3, 2009. Retrieved on December 3, 2015. and east of the City of Wixom.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 6,999 people, 3,347 households, and 1,771 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 3,689 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.7%

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

, 4.4%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.4% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 3.9% of the population. There were 3,347 households, of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were

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

living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.1% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age in the city was 39.4 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.2% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 13.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 6,713 people, 3,158 households, and 1,689 families living in the city. The

was 2,956.9 per square mile (1,141.8/km²). There were 3,390 housing units at an average density of 1,493.2 per square mile (576.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.34%

, 0.73%

, 0.31% Native American, 1.70% Asian, 0.49% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.68% of the population. There were 3,158 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were

living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% were non-families. 39.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.88. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $45,386, and the median income for a family was $55,420. Males had a median income of $45,420 versus $31,021 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $24,199. About 2.9% of families and 5.0% 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 5.9% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Mayor

The mayor of Walled Lake is Linda Ackley.

City Council

The Council consists of seven members, including the mayor and a mayor pro tem, elected to four-year terms. Besides the mayor, current council members include: Casey Ambrose, Mindy Fernandes, Tamra Loch, John Owsinek, and Ryan Woods. Mayor Pro Tem is Bennett Lublin.

Police services

In February 2007 Walled Lake and Wolverine Lake agreed to share police services; Walled Lake took responsibility for dispatch services, and all police operations in Wolverine Lake were moved to Walled Lake. Since then Wolverine Lake has separated, having its own police station once again.

Education

The Walled Lake Consolidated Schools serves Walled Lake and has its district headquarters, the Educational Service Center, in the city.Map of Entire District
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Walled Lake Consolidated Schools. Retrieved on November 8, 2012. "Educational Services Center 850 Ladd Rd, Bldg D, Walled Lake 48390" The district's Community Education Center is also in Walled Lake. The schools within the city limits are Mary Helen Guest Elementary School and Walled Lake Elementary School. Most of the city is zoned to these schools. Portions are zoned to Meadowbrook Elementary School and Hickory Woods Elementary School. Portions are zoned to James R. Geisler Middle School, and portions are zoned to Sarah Banks Middle School. Most of Walled Lake is zoned to

Walled Lake Western High School Walled Lake Western High School (also known as "Walled Lake Western," "Western," or "WLW"), is a public high school of the Walled Lake Consolidated School District, located in Commerce Township, Michigan in Greater Detroit.< ...

,Western H.S.
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Walled Lake Consolidated School District. Retrieved on November 8, 2012. while a portion of Walled Lake is zoned to

Walled Lake Central High School Walled Lake Central High School is a public high school of the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools, located in Commerce Township, Michigan in Metro Detroit. It serves portions of the township, Wolverine Lake, a small portion of the City of Walle ...

.Central H.S.

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Walled Lake Consolidated Schools. Retrieved on November 8, 2012. Roman Catholic schools are under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. St. William Catholic School ( K–8) is in Walled Lake.

Religion

St. William Church in Walled Lake includes Walled Lake in its service area.

References

External links

City of Walled LakeWalled Lake Schools

Walled Lake Central High School

Walled Lake Western High SchoolThe Oakland County
Extensive history and photos {{Authority control Cities in Oakland County, Michigan Metro Detroit Populated places established in 1954 1954 establishments in Michigan Populated places on the Underground Railroad