We’re all familiar with the really big cities in Michigan. They seem to grab all the attention. Then there are the charming small towns that most of us look forward to visiting every summer while on vacation. But then there are also some really tiny places that you may only know about if you actually live there. These charming area of our state make up some of the smallest towns in Michigan, and here are some of them – all with fewer than 1,000 residents.

10) Galien
"Ice Cream Parlor, Galien, Michigan" by Kevin Dooley from Chander, AZ, USA - Galien Ice Cream ParlorUploaded by PDTillman. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
WIth a mere 549 headcount, this small town was founded by George A. Blakeslee in 1853.

Address: Galien, MI 49113
9) Barton Hills
"Barton Shore Drive Barton Hills Michigan" by Dwight Burdette - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Just outside of Ann Arbor this village of 294 people was originally named "Huron Farms" after the river.

Address: Huron Farms, MI 48105
8) Deerfield Village
"Deerfield village hall" by Dwight Burdette - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Remember that old comedian, Danny Thomas? Well, me neither, but he's from this small town of 898 people.

Address: Deerfield Village, MI 48421
7) Onsted
"Main Street Onsted Michigan" by Dwight Burdette - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Located in the Irish Hills of Michigan, a scant 917 people live here.

Address: Onsted, MI 49265
6) Stephenson
"StephensonMichiganDowntown1US41" by Royalbroil - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This city in Menominee County only holds 862 souls, but it does have a high school of the same name.

Address: Stephenson, MI 49887

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5) Fairgrove
"Fairgrove, Michigan, village sign" by Dj1997 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Back in 1852, Amzy Clay founded this town which now populates 563 people.

Address: Fairgrove, MI 48733
4) Lake Angelus
"Lake Angelus" by OmidGul - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Who doesn't love a good lake town? Only 290 people are in this one, but this lovely area is still one of the best small towns in Michigan.

Address: Lake Angelus, MI 48326
3) Ubly
"Michigan Wind 1 near Ubly 2962967700 f833acdf27 o" by No Trams To Lime Street from METRO DETROIT - Wind Turbines near Ubly. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Only 858 people live in Ubly, making it one of the smallest towns in Michigan. It is also the only town, that for the first time in 200 years, an elusive wolverine was spotted - or so the legend goes.

Address: Ubly, MI 48475
2) Manistee
"Waterfront of downtown Manistee, Michigan" by Decumanus at en.wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by SreeBot.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This unusually named city is a derivative of the Ojibwe phrase for "spirit of the woods." As one of the best tiny towns in Michigan, it's downright lovely.

Address: Manistee, MI 49660
1) Zeba
"Zeba United Indian Methodist Church" by Andrew Jameson - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
On the southern beach of Keweenaw Bay lies this quaint town of 480 townsfolk.

Address: Zeba, MI 49946

Let’s be honest… most people, even those who live in Michigan, probably haven’t heard of some of these places. But it is always very interesting to learn about all the little known spots around the state, even the smallest towns in Michigan. Have you heard of all of these little towns? Any others, perhaps where you live? Share your opinion of the best small towns in Michigan with us in the comments!

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More to Explore

Smallest Towns In Michigan

Andrea Limke | June 25, 2019

What is the smallest town in Michigan?

While some of the best tiny towns in Michigan are on the list in the article above, the city that claims to be the smallest of them all is itty bitty Omer. Located in Arenac County, this little city had only 313 residents as of the 2010 census. And depsite the fact that this city boasts a sign that says "Michigan's Smallest City," that title actually goes to Lake Angelus, mentioned above. Located in northern Oakland County, this town is home to only 290 people.

How many towns are in Michigan?

This is a touch question, as Michigan is actually officially divided into cities, villages, and townships. If you break these down into numbers, Michigan has 276 cities, 257 villages, and over 1,000 townships. Since the word town often refers to a small city, or even a village or township, you can decide upon your own answer to this question.

What is the oldest town in Michigan?

There are many small towns in Michigan that have an interesting history. But when looking for the oldest town in Michigan, head to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula. This historic city was founded in 1671 and has an incredible story. You can read all about one of the best small towns in Michigan here.

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