Woodhaven, Michigan is situated in the lower Detroit Metro Region in southeastern Wayne County, and is in the Downriver area.
I-75 runs north-south through the center of Woodhaven, linking the city to major cities to the north and south, as well as providing a link to I-94 and I-275. M-85 runs northeast-southwest, touching the southeastern border of Woodhaven, and Telegraph Road is about a mile to the west.
Woodhaven abuts Trenton to the east, Riverview to the northeast, Gibraltar to the southeast, Flat Rock to the southwest, and Brownstown Township to the north, south, and west.
Cities and villages within twenty miles of Woodhaven include Trenton, Flat Rock, Riverview, Gibraltar, Southgate, Rockwood, South Rockwood, Taylor, Wyandotte, Allen Park, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, Romulus, Ecorse, River Rouge, Estral Beach, Inkster, Carleton, Dearborn Heights, Dearborn, Garden City, Belleville, Detroit, and Monroe.
In 2017, the date of the city's Master Plan, its largest land-use area was single-family residential, but this land-use area was closely followed by vacant land and industrial uses which, together, accounted for 67.8% of its total land area, with the balance accounting for commercial and office, transportation, communication and utilities, institutional, multi-family residential, parks, and manufactured housing.
One of Michigan's newest municipalities, Woodhaven first appeared on a US Census roll in 1970, when its population was 3,566. By 1980, its population had soared by more than two hundred percent, to 10,902. Since then, it has grown more steadily, and its population in 2020 was 12,941.
Before the European-Americans came, the area was inhabited, at various times, by the Potawatomi, the Ottawa, the Ojibwa, and the Wyandots.
Although more than two centuries would go by before Woodhaven was incorporated as a village, the French, the British, and then the Americans were coming into the area by the 1700s or before, and some settled.
Of course, this created a strain between the Europeans and the Native Americans. In 1812, several tribes came together under the leadership of the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh to attack US soldiers under the leadership of Major Van Horne in what became known as the Battle of Brownstown, which occurred in what is now Gibraltar. One Native American and nineteen US soldiers were killed. This battle occurred at the same time as the War of 1812, which temporarily placed the area again under the control of the British.
More settlers came after the War of 1812 and, more yet, after the American Civil War. Communities along the Great Lakes and rivers grew first, but the lumber industry eventually brought people further inland.
The explosion of manufacturing in Detroit and the surrounding area made the region a center for manufacturing, trade, and transportation. The availability of the automobile and improved roads further encouraged growth and prosperity.
A major step in the development of Woodhaven was when the Mobil Oil Company built a refinery at the corner of Allen Road and West Road. This brought jobs, and the jobs brought more people. Soon, farmland was being developed into homes. Prior to 1960, the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad established its train links and switchyard in Woodhaven, and the community was also home to the Ford Motor Company Stamping Plant.
Woodhaven incorporated as a village in 1961, but major growth in the community made it attractive to neighboring cities, Trenton in particular. In order to avoid annexation by Trenton, which was most interested in its industrial base, village residents elected to incorporate as a city, which was accomplished on December 7, 1965.
Woodhaven has continued to grow. Its industrial, residential, and commercial base has increased steadily.
Online resources for governmental entities within the city, businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, events, entertainment venues, and recreational opportunities in Woodhaven are the focus of this portion of our web guide.
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Recommended Resources
Serving Gibraltar, Rockwood, and portions of Woodhaven, Flat Rock, and Brownstown Township, the public school district's central offices are located in Woodhaven, Michigan. Its campuses include Carlson High School, Shumate Middle School, Chapman Elementary School, Hunter Elementary School, Parsons Elementary School, Gibraltar Middle College, Lakeshore Virtual School, and Downriver STEM @ Weiss, each of which is featured here, with district and campus contacts, schedules, and registration data.
https://www.gibdist.net/
The Roman Catholic Church in Woodhaven, Michigan was established in 1974. A profile of the parish, calendar of events, staff contacts, and a church bulletin is provided, along with an overview of its adult and youth faith formation programs, tuition assistance programs, sacrament policies and schedules, and opportunities for service through various associated programs and organizations. Funeral planning information, funeral music selections, and an online contribution portal are available.
https://www.olow.org/
Offering chiropractic care, massage therapy, pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy, and spinal decompression therapies, the chiropractic staff is also skilled in the use of the Y-Strap decompression tool, the Active Release Technique (ART), the Graston Technique, Air Relax Compression boots. Kinesio taping, cold laser therapy, and nutritional products. Its services, new patient instructions, location, hours, and appointment policies are posted, and a patient registration form is available.
https://siegelclinic.com/
The companion animal veterinary facility in Woodhaven, Michigan provides wellness care, holistic healing techniques, diagnostic services, cold laser therapy, surgical services, internal medicine, and general veterinary medical care. Its services are listed on the site, the veterinary team is introduced, and information about hyperbaric oxygen therapy is set forth. A private pet portal is available, and its location, hospital hours, phone and fax numbers, and an email address are provided.
https://woodhavenanimalhospital.com/
Woodhaven Free Will Baptist Church
The Free Will Baptist congregation meets at its facilities on Allen Road in Woodhaven, Michigan. The church's address, telephone number, email address, and online contact form are published, and upcoming programs and events are announced on the site, including dates, contacts, and registration requirements. The church's teen ministries, lady's prayer meetings, and Bible study groups are discussed, other programs are announced, and videos of recent sermons may be viewed online.
https://www.woodhavenfwb.com/
The Downriver city is in lower Wayne County, Michigan. The official municipal website introduces and posts contacts for the mayor's office and city council, and offers a guide to local clubs and civic organizations, churches, parks, schools, and businesses. Demographics, a photo gallery, and press releases are published, and the locations, hours, and contacts for city departments are included. Employment opportunities are announced, and a printable employment application is provided.
https://woodhavenmi.org/
Woodhaven-Brownstown School District
Headquartered in Woodhaven, the public school district provides a K-12th-grade curriculum through five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school, each of which is featured here, with directions, hours, and administrative, staff, and faculty contacts, as well as district central office contacts, enrollment schedules and policies, a district calendar, and departmental contacts. Resources for parents, students, and staff are posted, and a district history is included.
https://www.mywbsd.org/
