The City of Auburn Hills, Michigan is east of central Oakland County, below the Thumb in the eastern Lower Peninsula.
The chief routes serving the city are I-75 and M-59, which intersect in the southern part of the city. Auburn Hills is bordered by the cities of Lake Angelus, Pontiac, and Rochester Hills, as well as Waterford Township and Orion Township.
The city is home to a robust retail, entertainment, and manufacturing economy, and is the North American headquarters of several international companies. In cooperation with Oakland University, the city created a technology and research park in the early 1980s that now houses campuses for Chrysler, Comerica, EDS, and other corporations, and the city's tech and office buildings employ thousands of people on weekdays.
Great Lakes Crossing Outlets, an enclosed regional outlet mall, opened in 1998, and the city revitalized its Auburn and Squirrel neighborhoods as the Village Center in the early 2000s. Several large projects were undertaken in the 2010s in this district, now known as Downtown Auburn Hills.
The main campus of Oakland University is in Auburn Hills, which is also home to campuses of Baker College, Oakland Community College, and Western Michigan University's Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Auburn Hills is home to several local parks, many of which are open throughout the year, while others are seasonal.
A Canadian by the name of Elijah Thornton came to the area in 1821, but Aaron Webster became the first permanent settler later that same year. He established a sawmill and gristmill, which attracted additional settlers to the area. The new settlement was in Pontiac Township, which included the village of Auburn, at what is now the corner of Auburn and Squirrel Roads. Aaron Webster named the growing community Auburn for his hometown in New York.
A post office was established on July 15, 1825, under the name of Auburn, with Johnson Green as the first postmaster. Its streets were laid out by Captain Thatcher in 1826, and the growing village rivaled nearby Pontiac until the 1850s when it began losing population and businesses. The post office was closed on May 10, 1856.
By 1880, the community was prospering again but, by the time that its post office was going to be re-established, there was another Michigan post office by the name of Auburn, so the post office was reopened as Amy on September 21, 1880, with John Morris as the postmaster. The following year, the Grand Trunk Railroad established a station at Amy.
In 1919, the Michigan Legislature changed the name of the village to Auburn Heights, and its post office took that name.
Pontiac Township was bordered by the City of Pontiac on two sides. In 1917, the township tried to incorporate as Pontiac Heights but its incorporation was denied by the state. In 1978, Pontiac Township became a charter township in order to avoid being annexed by the City of Pontiac. Then in 1983, Pontiac Township merged with the village of Auburn Heights to become the City of Auburn Hills. Oakland Community College had been referring to its local campus as the Auburn Hills Campus since 1964.
As the focus of this guide is on the City of Auburn Hills, Michigan, websites that address the municipal government is appropriate here, as are local businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, and individuals.
 
 
Recommended Resources
Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber is a business membership organization that serves hundreds of companies in a city that is home to a healthy business community, including multinational companies, a regional shopping center, and hundreds of locally owned businesses. A profile and history of the Chamber are given, and its board of directors, committees, and staff are introduced, with office hours and contacts. Membership benefits, a member directory, and a member login are available.
https://www.auburnhillschamber.com/
The municipal library is housed in a building that was constructed in the 1920s by Wesson Seyburn, the son-in-law of John Dodge, the auto baron. Extensively remodeled in the late 1930s, the structure was eventually acquired by the city, and was renovated as a library in 1990, and added onto a few years later. Its location, hours of operation, and contacts are published to the site, along with a calendar of events, online services, and meeting spaces.
https://www.ahplibrary.org/
Incorporated in 1983, Auburn Hills is one of the wealthiest cities in Michigan. The official municipal website includes a profile of the city and introduces its mayor and city council, other elected officials, committees, commissions, and boards, and office hours and contacts are included. Bid opportunities and employment openings are posted to the site. City council agenda packets, minutes, and access to various homeowner forms are included, with a photo gallery.
http://www.auburnhills.org/
Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, the PK-12th-grade public school district operates campuses in Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills, and Troy, each of which is highlighted here, along with a district map, various reports, enrollment information, strategic planning data, and other documents. Hours and contacts for district departments and offices are posted. Other resources include a school schedule, board meeting schedules, and a guide to community sites.
http://www.avondale.k12.mi.us/
Baker is a private college whose main campus is in Flint Township, Michigan. It has twelve campuses throughout the Lower Peninsula, including one in Auburn Hills. The 17-acre campus in the city is situated within a half-mile of the I-75 and University Drive intersection. Available colleges and other course programs available on the campus are featured, along with its on-campus facilities, including classrooms, academic resource center, student center, and atrium.
https://www.baker.edu/campuses/michigan/auburn-hills
Based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Troop 360 is chartered by St. John Fisher Chapel, where it meets every Wednesday evening, but with members from all over the greater Rochester area. Affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America, the troop was created in 1997. A history of the troop is put forth, along with an overview of its programs, which include weekend camping, high adventure trips, and advancements. A calendar of events and leadership contacts are posted.
https://t360.trooptrack.com/
Situated on North Opdyke Road in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Comfort Suites is part of the Choice Hotels Group, which offers a Choice Privileges reward program, which is highlighted here. Its location, and a list of nearby attractions and recreational opportunities, are put forth, along with a list of amenities, check-in and check-out times, pet policies, and contacts. Of course, reservations may be made online, by telephone, or through the Choice Hotels smartphone app.
https://www.choicehotels.com/michigan/auburn-hills/comfort-suites-hotels/mi142
Located on Auburn Court, Auburn Hills, Michigan, the full-service automotive company has been in operation for more than eighty years, offering intransitive repair services, claims management and damage prevention, plant hold reworks, disaster recovery, rail car vandalism, and vehicle movement services, as well as offering its software program, with its data and reporting capabilities for damages and claims. Its retail services, data analysis, and mobile vehicle repair services are featured.
https://www.fenkell.com/
The congregation meets at its facilities on East Walton Boulevard, Auburn Hills, Michigan. Statements of faith, affiliations, mission, convictions, and beliefs are published to the site, and its leadership and staff are stated, with contacts and office hours. Other resources include a calendar of events, weekly schedules, and announcements. Its ministries to children, college students, adults, small groups, and its local and global outreach missions are discussed.
https://5pointscc.org/
Billing itself as Michigan’s largest outlet center, the Auburn Hills, Michigan shopping mall hosts more than a hundred and eighty retail stores, restaurants, and attractions. Some of its featured stores are highlighted on the index page, and all of its stores can be viewed alphabetically or by product category. Its location, hours of operation, and a map showing the location of each of the stores in the mall are featured, with sales items and special offers.
https://www.greatlakescrossingoutlets.com/
The full-service dental clinic offers cosmetic dentistry, periodontal treatment, evaluation and treatment of sleep apnea, preventative and restorative care, dental implants, root canal therapy, and emergency treatments, among others. Its address is given, and its office hours, appointment policies, and contacts are posted to the site. Information on what to expect during a first visit and new patient forms may be downloaded from the site in PDF format. A video and photo gallery are included.
https://meadowbrookdental.com/
The school began in 1968, with students in grades 7-12 meeting in the basement of Oakland Avenue Presbyterian Church, moving to Avondale Baptist Church, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, and St. Michael’s Church, before acquiring fifty acres of land in Auburn Hills, where its own campus was built, and where it currently offers a coeducational curriculum for students in preschool through the 12th grade. Tuition and fees are discussed, and an online application is available.
https://www.oaklandchristian.com/
WMU-Cooley Auburn Hills Michigan Campus
Western Michigan University’s Cooley Law School is situated on sixty-seven wooded acres and housed in a three-story building that has achieved LEED certification for the US Green Building Council. Building hours, library hours, and administrative contacts are published in the site, with an overview of its concentrations and degrees, clinics, externships, and degree partnerships. Its tuition and financial aid programs are discussed, and schedule options are posted.
https://www.cooley.edu/locations/auburn-hills/