The City of Eastpointe serves as the Gateway to Macomb County! Known as “A Family Town,” the city strives to provide our residents, business and property owners, and community stakeholders with efficient, high quality, affordable, and courteous municipal services, to remain a community of choice in Metropolitan Detroit.
Eastpointe shares a southern border along Eight Mile Road with the Cities of Detroit and Harper Woods (a dividing line between Wayne and Macomb Counties); a western border along Beechwood and Hayes Avenues with the City of Warren; a northern border along Ten Mile Road with the City of Roseville; and an eastern border along Interstate Ninety-Four (I-94) and Beaconsfield Avenue with the City of Saint Clair Shores. The city is approximately 5.4 square miles, and boasts a population of 34,000 people, making it one of the densest municipalities in the Southeast Michigan Council of Government’s (SEMCOG) seven county service area. Diversity remains one of our community's many strengths. Eastpointe is the first majority Black city in Macomb County, and is also a majority Woman city (both at 52%, according to Census and SEMCOG figures).
Eastpointe is an excellent residential community of high-quality predominantly brick homes, most of which were constructed before or after World War II. The city boasts eight public parks, as well as a beloved community garden, Urban Seed. Eastpointe also has a diverse range of over 700 licensed legacy and new businesses. There are ample shopping areas, business, and professional establishments within and near the city to serve its residents well. The city has wide concrete residential streets, efficient police and fire protection, a fine public library, excellent recreation facilities, a quality water system, and provides all municipal services courteously and efficiently.
Eastpointe is conveniently located to Downtown Detroit, as well as to large industrial and manufacturing areas in the cities of Detroit, Warren, and Sterling Heights. Lake St. Clair Metropolitan Park and other recreational facilities are also nearby. A number of fun events are hosted throughout the year, including the Gratiot Cruise and Christmas Tree Lighting.
Educationally, the city relies on Eastpointe Community Schools, South Lake Schools, and the Macomb Intermediate School District for public K-12 education. Eastpointe benefits from proximity to a variety of post-secondary education and training opportunities, most notably Macomb Community College's South Campus. Eastpointe's future is bright because of the amazing residents that call our Family Town home.
Prior to European arrival, the area now known as Eastpointe was home to a variety of different Native American tribes, including the Peoria, Anishinaabe, Potawatomi, Miami, and Mississauga peoples. After the French arrival, European immigrants were predominantly English and Irish, which inspired the first area names, Orange (in 1837) and Erin (in 1843) Townships. The Irish were followed by pioneers from Bavaria, Macklenburg, Saxony, and other provinces of Germany. The German migration began in the early 1830's, and soon became the majority of the settlement.
Originally what is now Gratiot Avenue was a Native American trail through the wilderness. In 1827, the army surveyed the roadway, and by 1835, built a "corduroy-type" road. Logs were cut on the right-of-way, and laid crosswise to elevate the road above water. The military road led from Fort Wayne in Detroit to Fort Gratiot (now Port Huron). In 1850, a plank toll road replaced the original corduroy road. The toll was one cent for each horse. Gratiot Avenue is now an eight-lane concrete highway, with a beautiful parkway. Nine Mile Road, which for years was a country dirt road, has been a gravel road, a narrow blacktop road, and is now a modern five lane concrete street.
The Village of Halfway was first officially recorded in 1897, with the opening of the Halfway Post Office. This name was given to the community in the early days, when the Halfway Inn was a regular stopping place for stagecoaches traveling between Detroit and Mount Clemens. The Township form of government lasted until December 8, 1924. The phenomenal growth in the township qualified Halfway for village status, and was incorporated in 1924. The name was changed to the City of East Detroit on January 7, 1929, when by a vote of the people it was incorporated as a Home-Rule Charter City with a Council-Manager form of government. Over the years, the community realized that they suffered a lack of identity, as the city was often confused with its larger neighbor, Detroit. On July 1, 1992, the City of East Detroit became the City of Eastpointe by Charter amendment subsequent to a majority vote of the electorate.
Eastpointe Today
The City of Eastpointe provides municipal services and community support through a variety of departments, boards and commissions, and partnerships that serve our residents, business and property owners, and other community stakeholders. The city manager oversees and directs all municipal departments, including: Assessing; Building; City Clerk (Elections and Licensing); Community Development; Economic Development; Finance and Treasury; Fire; Human Resources and Purchasing; Library; Planning; Police; Public Works and Services (Parks and Water); and 38th District Court. Eastpointe's boards and commissions include: Arts and Cultural Diversity Commission (ACDC); Assessment Board of Review; Beautification Commission; Civil Service Commission; Construction Board of Appeals; Downtown Development Authority (DDA); Board of Ethics; Elected Officers Compensation Commission; Housing Authority; Library Commission; Parks Commission; Planning Commission (PC); Recreation Authority of Roseville and Eastpointe (RARE); Senior Citizens Advisory Commission; Teen Advisory Commission; and Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).
The city works closely with elected leaders at the municipal, county, state, and federal level. Our community benefits from several unique cross-municipal authorities, including the Recreational Authority of Roseville and Eastpointe (RARE), the South East Regional Emergency Services Authority (SERESA), and the South Macomb Oakland Regional Services Authority (SMORSA). Eastpointe has also worked with local nonprofits, including Habitat for Humanity and the Eastpointe Roseville Chamber of Commerce. Explore the city's website for more information.