Rochester, Michigan

48306

Rochester is a suburb of Detroit, Michigan in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,467 at the 2000 census. The City of Rochester is bordered on the north, south, and west by the City of Rochester Hills.

While most of Rochester is residential in nature, it is considered to be one of the communities which make up Automation Alley, a high-tech company corridor located along I-75 in Oakland County.

Rochester has great natural beauty due to the three waterways that surround the city, the abundant green space of three parks, and two winding trails. It is not uncommon to see fishing in the Clinton River or biking along the Paint Creek Trail.

Rochester was first settled in 1817 by James Graham and his family, from Mt. Clemens. Most of the early settlers were originally from Rochester, N.Y., which the town was named after. The city became an industrial center with abundant waterpower from the Clinton River and Paint Creek. Rochester was served by two railroads as well as the Detroit United Railway, a passenger trolley to Royal Oak and Detroit. In 1895 Rochester's population was 900. Chapman Pond, east of downtown, disappeared into the Paint Creek when the dam broke during the flood of 1946. The reclaimed land is the site of the current post office, library, and Olde Town Road. The village of Rochester became a city in 1966.