Port Huron is located along the source of theSt. Clair River at the southern end ofLake Huron. The city is along theCanada–United States border and directly across the river fromSarnia, Ontario. The two cities are connected by theBlue Water Bridge at the eastern terminus ofInterstate 69/Interstate 94. Port Huron has the easternmost point of land in the state of Michigan and is also one of the northernmost areas included in the Detroit–Warren–Dearborn Metropolitan Statistical Area (Metro Detroit).
This area was long occupied by theOjibwa people. French colonists had a temporary trading post and fort at this site in the 17th century.
In 1814, following theWar of 1812, the United States establishedFort Gratiot at the base of Lake Huron. A community developed around it. The early 19th century was the first time a settlement developed here with a permanent European-American population. In the 19th century, the United States established anOjibwareservation in part of what is now Port Huron, in exchange for their cession of lands under treaty for European-American settlement. But in 1836, underIndian Removal, the US forced the Ojibwa to move west of theMississippi River and resettle in what are now the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota.[5]
In 1857, Port Huron became incorporated. Its population grew rapidly after the 1850s due a high rate of immigration: workers leaving poverty, famine, and revolutions in Europe were attracted to the successfulshipbuilding andlumber industries in Michigan. These industries supported development around the Great Lakes and in the Midwest. In 1859 the city had a total of 4,031 residents; some 1,855, or 46%, were foreign-born or their children (first-generation Americans).[6]
By 1870, Port Huron's population exceeded that of surrounding villages. In 1871, the State Supreme Court designated Port Huron as the county seat of St. Clair County.[7]
In 1895 the village of Fort Gratiot, in the vicinity of the former Fort Gratiot, was annexed by the city of Port Huron.[8]
The following historic sites have been recognized by the State of Michigan through its historic marker program.
Fort St. Joseph. The fort was built in 1686 by the French explorer Duluth. This fort was the second European settlement in lower Michigan. This post guarded the upper end of the St. Clair River, the vital waterway joining Lake Erie and Lake Huron. Intended by the French to bar English traders from the upper lakes, the fort in 1687 was the base of a garrison of French and Indian allies. In 1688 the French abandoned this fort. The site was incorporated into Fort Gratiot in 1814. A park has been established at the former site of the fort.
Fort Gratiot Light. TheFort Gratiot Lighthouse was built in 1829 to replace a tower destroyed by a storm. In the 1860s workers extended the tower to its present height of 84 feet (26 m). The light, automated in 1933, continues to guide shipping on Lake Huron into the narrow and swift-flowing St. Clair River. It was the first lighthouse established in the State of Michigan.
LightshipHuron. From 1935 until 1970, theHuron was stationed in southern Lake Huron to mark dangerous shoals. After 1940 theHuron was the only lightship operating on the Great Lakes. Retired fromCoast Guard Service in 1970, she was presented to the City of Port Huron in 1971.
Grand Trunk Railway Depot. The depot, which is now part of the Port Huron Museum, is where 12-year-oldThomas Edison departed daily on the Port Huron–Detroit run. In 1859, the railroad's first year of operation, Edison convinced the railroad company to let him sell newspapers and confections on the daily trips. He became so successful that he soon placed two newsboys on other Grand Trunks running to Detroit. He made enough money to support himself and to buy chemicals and other experimental materials.
Port Huron Public Library. In 1902 the city of Port Huron secured money from philanthropistAndrew Carnegie to erect a municipal library and arranged for matching operating funds. In 1904, a grand Beaux-Arts-style structure was built at a cost of $45,000. At its dedication,Melvil Dewey, creator of a widely used book classification system, delivered the opening address. The Port Huron Public Library served in its original capacity for over sixty years. In 1967, a larger public library was constructed. The following year the former library was renovated and re-opened as the Port Huron Museum of Arts and History. An addition was constructed in 1988.
Harrington Hotel. The hotel opened in 1896 and is a blend of Romanesque, Classical and Queen Anne architecture. The hotel closed in 1986, but a group of investors bought the structure that same year to convert it into housing for senior citizens. The Harrington Hotel is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
Grand Trunk Western Railroad Tunnel. The tunnel was opened in 1891 and links Port Huron with Canada. This international submarine railway tunnel was the first international tunnel in the world. The tunnel's total length is 6,025 feet (1,836 m), with 2,290 feet (700 m) underwater. The tunnel operations were electrified in 1908; half a century later they were converted to use diesel fuel. Tracks were lowered in 1949 to accommodate larger freight cars. DuringWorld War I, a plot to blast the tunnel was foiled. A new tunnel has since been opened.
The city was hit by a violentF4 tornado onMay 21, 1953, damaging or destroying over 400 structures, killing two, and injuring 68.
Port Huron is the only site in Michigan where alynching of an African-American man took place. On May 27, 1889, in the early morning, a mob of white men stormed the county jail to capture 23-year-old Albert Martin. A mixed-race man, he was accused of attacking a woman. They hanged him from the 7th Street Bridge. A memorial was installed in 2018 at the site, recounting Martin's history. The city collaborated with theEqual Justice Initiative on this memorialization.[10]
On November 11, 2017,veterans from around the country, such as Dave Norris, Clitus Schuyler, and Lou Ann Dubuque, joined together at a cemetery in Port Huron to share the significance ofVeterans Day.[11][12]
In April 2023, thePere Marquette Railwaybascule bridge was demolished after a nearly decade long battle between preservationists and the Port Huron Yacht Club.[13] Built in 1931, the structure was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and was one of only six similar bridges remaining in the US.[14]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.26 square miles (31.75 km2), of which 8.08 square miles (20.93 km2) is land and 4.18 square miles (10.83 km2) is water.[15] The city is considered to be part ofthe Thumb area ofEast-Central Michigan, also called theBlue Water Area. The easternmost point (on land) of Michigan can be found in Port Huron, near the site of the Municipal Office Center and the wastewater treatment plant. TheBlack River divides the city in half, snaking through Port Huron and emptying into the St. Clair River near Downtown.
As of the census[19] of 2010, there were 30,184 people, 12,177 households, and 7,311 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,735.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,442.3/km2). There were 13,871 housing units at an average density of 1,716.7 per square mile (662.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 84.0%White, 9.1%African American, 0.7%Native American, 0.6%Asian, 1.2% fromother races, and 4.5% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino residents of any race were 5.4% of the population.
There were 12,177 households, of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.5% were married couples living together, 19.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.0% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.03.
The median age in the city was 35.8 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 13.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.
The Great Lakes Maritime Center offers opportunities to learn about the history of the Great Lakes. Freighters pass within 100 feet (30 m) of the glass windows, and there is an underwater live camera feed.
The Desmond District Demons is a horror film festival, held at the end of October annually. The festival focuses on elevating the horror genre, hosting independent film screenings alongside a Dark Arts Exhibition showcasing local artists.
The Black River Film Society is a community focused on cultivating the areas independent film screenings and host regular film related events, such as premieringStockholm (2018 film) in Michigan, Tough Guy: The Bob Probert Story and Sincerely Brenda.
The School for Strings presents over 50 concerts each year with its Fiddle Club, Faculty, and Student Ensembles. It provides music education across the area.
The main branch of the St. Clair County Library is located in downtown Port Huron. The library contains more than 285,300 books, nearly 200 magazine subscriptions, and over 22,700 books on tape, books on compact disc, music compact discs, cassettes, and videos.
The International Symphony Orchestra ofSarnia, Ontario and Port Huron, Michigan perform events at McMorran Place, Port Huron Northern Theatre and Temple Baptist Church in Sarnia.
Encompassing over 100 homes and buildings, the Olde Town Historic District is Port Huron's first and only residential historic district. The Olde Town Historic Neighborhood Association is an organization working to preserve historic architecture in Port Huron. They have hosted an annual historic home tour, flower plantings and beautification and neighborhood Christmas decorations.
The Welkin Base Ball Club is Port Huron's historicvintage base ball team. Modeled on Port Huron's first baseball club from 1867, the Welkin Base Ball Club re-creates the time of baseball's roots.
LegendaryNHL hockey broadcasterMike Emrick started his career doingplay-by-play hockey for the Flags on AM 1450WHLS in the mid 1970s. Emrick would go on to broadcast Olympic hockey games and Stanley Cup playoffs forNBC Sports, and is a frequent guest contributor to sister stationWPHM.[24]
Port Huron was also represented in theColonial Hockey League (also operating under the names United Hockey League and International Hockey League), with franchises from 1996 until the league folded in 2010. Originally called theBorder Cats, the team was renamed the Beacons in 2002, the Flags in 2005 and the Icehawks in 2007. Among the more notable players wereBob McKillop,Jason Firth, Tab Lardner andBrent Gretzky.
The City of Port Huron owns and operates 17 waterfront areas containing 102 acres (0.4 km2) and 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of water frontage. This includes three public beaches and six parks with picnic facilities. The city also has nine scenic turnout sites containing over 250 parking spaces. Port Huron operates the largest municipal marina system in the state and has five separate locations for boat mooring.
The city has 14 public parks, 4 smaller-sized “tot” parks, 19 playgrounds (City owned), 9 playgrounds (School owned), 33 tennis courts, including 16 at schools and 6 indoors, 3 public beaches, 4 public swimming pools, 1 community center, and 1 public parkway.
The city government is organized under acouncil–manager government form. The City Council is responsible for appointing a city manager, who is the chief administrative officer of the city. The manager supervises the administrative affairs of the city and carries out the policies established by the City Council. As the Chief Administrative Officer, the City Manager is responsible for the organization of the administrative branch and has the power to appoint and remove administrative officers who are responsible for the operation of departments which carry out specific functions. The City Council consists of seven elected officials—a mayor and six council members. Beginning with the 2011 election, citizens voted separately for Mayor and Council. Council members will serve staggered four-year terms and the mayor will serve a two-year term. The city levies an income tax of 1 percent on residents and 0.5 percent on nonresidents.[25]
The current mayor is Anita Ashford, who was elected in November 2024 to her first two year term after defeating eight term incumbent Pauline Repp.[26]
In early 2025, residents of Port Huron, Michigan, initiated efforts to legalize the keeping of backyard chickens within city limits. Advocates highlighted concerns about food insecurity, noting that approximately one in twelve families in Port Huron struggle with access to nutritious food. They argued that allowing residents to raise chickens could provide a sustainable source of protein and foster community resilience through the sharing of surplus eggs.
On March 10, 2025, the Port Huron City Council discussed a proposal to amend local ordinances to permit residents to keep up to five hens on properties of at least a quarter-acre. Advocates emphasized benefits such as enhanced sustainability, reduced reliance on external food supply chains, and alignment with practices in other Michigan cities like Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor. The proposal included stipulations to address concerns about noise and animal welfare, such as prohibiting roosters and collaborating with the St. Clair County Humane Society to manage complaints.[27]
The ordinance amendment was formally introduced on April 14, 2025, with the City Council voting 6–1 in favor. The proposed regulations specify that hens must be confined in a backyard coop with at least one square foot per bird, accompanied by an enclosed run no larger than eight by eight feet. Coops must be situated at least ten feet from property lines and twenty feet from neighboring residences. The ordinance also mandates daily feeding and watering, regular cleaning to prevent vermin and insect infestations, and prohibits keeping hens inside residences, porches, or attached garages.[28]
These developments in Port Huron reflect a broader trend in Michigan toward supporting urban agriculture and self-sufficiency. State Representative Jim DeSana reintroduced legislation in February 2025 aimed at easing zoning restrictions for backyard chickens, proposing that residents with at least a quarter-acre of residential property be allowed to keep up to five hens per quarter-acre, with a maximum of twenty-five hens. The legislation seeks to bolster food security and reduce grocery expenses for families.[29]
Some of Port Huron's earliest industries were related to the agriculture and forest products industry.
Lumbering in the Port Huron region seems to have started on the Black River about 1827. It quickly became the center of the lumbering industry for the region, in which logs from further north inThe Thumb could be floated downriver.[30] The continued need to supply Port Huron's sawmills with fresh timber lead to the development thePort Huron and Northwestern Railroad and fueled the city's booming shipbuilding industry.
A large grain elevator was located on the St. Clair River just north of the current Municipal Office Center.[31] A bean dock was located on the St. Clair River, where dry edible beans from points north in the Thumb were loaded into ships. The dock operated as the Port Huron Terminal Company. Currently the bean dock is used as an event venue.[32]
Port Huron was also a national leader in thechicory coffee substitute industry. Future CongressmanHenry McMorran in 1902 started Port Huron's chicory processing plant, located on the Black River near 12th Avenue. A second chicory plant operated at 3rd and Court Streets in Port Huron, which would later be purchased by McMorran's son.[33] The roadside weed which grew in areas of the Thumb and Saginaw Valleys was brought to Port Huron for processing and then shipped worldwide. Chicory was commonly used as a coffee substitute especially in wartime.[34]
Wartime also brought another industry to Port Huron: the Mueller Metals Company, which built a factory in Port Huron in 1917. The plant primarily madeshell casings for World War I. The factory was originally owned by theMueller Co., and since has been spun off into its own entity calledMueller Industries.[35] The Port Huron Factory is still in operation, located on Lapeer Road on the city's west side, where they produce a variety of valves and fittings.[36]
Jenks Shipbuilding Company was founded in 1889, renamed in 1903 asPort Huron Shipbuilding and ceased operations sometime after 1908.[37] The shipyard was found on the north bank of the Black River between Erie Street and Quay Street which is now a parking area for Bowl O Drome and Port Huron Kayak Launch.
The Upton Manufacturing Company moved to Port Huron and began building steam tractors in 1890 under the name of thePort Huron Engine and Thresher Company. The company made steamtraction engines,agricultural machinery, and even construction equipment. Over 6,000 total units were built in Port Huron before the factory closed in 1920.[38][39]
The discovery of oil in nearbyPetrolia, Ontario sparked an era of oil speculation, and lead to Michigan's first commercial oil well being drilled in Port Huron in 1886. A total of 21 wells were drilled in the city by 1910, with "small amounts of oil and gas" discovered.[40] Though not much oil was produced in these wells, it did lead to further exploration throughout St. Clair County andMid-Michigan.[41]
There were two paper mills in Port Huron. The first was theMichigan Sulphite Fibre Company, laterPort Huron Sulphite and Paper Company, which opened in 1888 and manufacturing paper clothing at a factory in along the Black River. The company later transitioned to more specialty types of paper, and was sold to theE. B. Eddy Company in 1987, which was acquired byDomtar in 1998. The mill specialized in papers for the medical and food service industries.[42]
Adjacent to the Domtar Mill is the site of the former Acheson Colloids Company. Dr. Edward Acheson in 1908 founded the company, which made a variety of chemical and carbon-based products.[43] The carbon manufactured by Acheson would be used to produce carbon paper at the adjacent Port Huron Paper Company, under theHuron Copysette brand.[44] The factory was purchased byHenkel and closed in 2010. However, Henkel continues to manufacture ink and carbon products using theAcheson name.[45]
Dunn Sulphite Paper Co. was erected upon the shores of Lake Huron in 1924, just north of theBlue Water Bridge. It too was a specialty paper mill and was owned by the Dunn Family of Port Huron for the first quarter-century of operation.[46] After a series of sales to larger corporations, including theJames River Corporation, the mill was purchased by a private equity firm in 2003 which re-instated the Dunn name. The Dunn Paper mill closed in 2022,[47] and the remaining Dunn mills were renamed BiOrigin Specialty Products.[48]
Domtar closed the Port Huron mill in 2021.[49] It was announced in 2025 that the former Domtar Mill was sold and would restart production on one if its paper machines under the ownership of Legacy Paper Group.[50]
The Peerless Cement Company operated a cement plant just south of the Blue Water Bridge from 1924 to 1973. The waterfront site is now the location of the Edison Inn andBlue Water Convention Center.[51]
TheHavers Motor Car Company produced cars in Port Huron from 1911 until 1914 in buildings previously used by the Port Huron Engine and Thresher Company.
A variety of factories related to theautomotive industry occupy Port Huron's Industrial Park on the city's south side. Many of these produce plastic components for vehicles.
Port Huron is served by two acute care facilities,McLaren Port Huron (formerly known as Port Huron Hospital), and Lake Huron Medical Center (formerly known as St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Port Huron).
McLaren Health Care Corporation, a nonprofitmanaged care health care organization based inFlint, purchased the former Port Huron Hospital and began operating the 186-bed facility as Mclaren Port Huron in May 2014.[52]
There are currently four banks with a total of seven branches in the city containing $563 million in deposits, which are, in order of local depositmarket share:JPMorgan Chase (2 branches),Huntington Bancshares (3 branches), Eastern Michigan Bank (1 branch), and Northstar Bank (1 branch).[56]
Port Huron's first utility was thePort Huron Gas Light Company, established on April 2, 1970. It was the first of its kind in the city, and one of the first public utilities in the State of Michigan. The "Gas Works" were located on River Street (Now Quay Street) near the 7th Street Bridge where gas wasmanufactured from coal.[57]
This was soon followed by the establishment of theExcelsior Electric Company in 1884. The company was the first in St. Clair County and one of the earliest in the United States. Electricity was generated at a power plant located on East Water Street near the mouth of the Black River. Both companies would later become absorbed into theDetroit Edison company.[58]
The gas business was later spun off into theSoutheastern Michigan Gas Company in 1950.[59] Now known as SEMCO, the gas company is still headquartered in Port Huron and serves customers throughoutThe Thumb area of Michigan, in theAlbion andBattle Creek areas of Southwest Michigan, and in some communities of theUpper Peninsula.[60]
The first station to sign on in Port Huron was WAFD, which stood forWe Are Ford Dealers.[61] The station was owned by the Albert B. Parfet Company, a localFord car dealership. WAFD signed on March 4, 1925, and signed off in 1926, with plans to relocate the station to Detroit.[62]
WHLS, coinciding with the opening of the Blue Water Bridge, signed on in 1938. It was founded by Harold Leroy Stevens andFred Knorr. John Wismer became part owner of the station in 1952. He would later launch the first cable television system in Port Huron andWSAQ in 1983. Wismer died in 1999. WHLS remains the longest continually operated station in the region.
The Times Herald launched its own radio station in 1947 known as WTTH. That station would later becomeWPHM, and was bought by Lee Hanson in 1986. WPHM got FM sister stationWBTI in 1992. Wismer and Hanson were direct competitors until they were both bought by Bob Liggett'sRadio First in 2000.
Radio First owns and operates five radio stations in the region while Port Huron Family Radio is the licensee of sole stationWGRT. Non-commercial stations includeWRSX (an affiliate ofMichigan Public andNPR), high school stationWORW, and religious broadcastersWNFA andWNFR.
Two Interstates terminate at the Port Huron-to-Sarnia Blue Water Bridge, and they meetHighway 402.
I-69 enters the area from the west, coming from Lansing and Flint, terminating at the approach to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, along with I-94. On the Canadian side of the border, inSarnia, Ontario, the route heads easterly designated as Highway 402. (Once fully completed, the mainline of I-69 will span from theU.S.–Mexico border inBrownsville, Texas, to theU.S.–Canada border in Port Huron, Michigan.)
I-94 enters the Port Huron area from the southwest, having traversed the entire Metro Detroit region, and, along with I-69, terminates at the approach to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron. On the Canadian side of the border, in Sarnia, Ontario, the route heads easterly designated as Highway 402.
M-25 follows the Lake Huron/Saginaw Bay shoreline, beginning inBay City and ending in at junction with I-94/I-69, and BL I-94/BL I-69 on the north side of the city.
M-29 begins at BL I-94 in Marysville just south of the city and continues southerly.
TheBlue Water Area Transit system,[63] created in 1976, includes eight routes in the Port Huron area. Blue Water Transit operates the Blue Water Trolley, which provides a one-hour tour of various local points of interest. Recently, Blue Water Area Transit received a grant from the state to buy new buses for a route between the Port Huron hub andNew Baltimore about 30 miles (48 km) south. Commuters could take an express bus traveling down I-94 and get off at the 23 Mile RoadSMART Bus stop. At the same time, another bus will travel downM-25 andM-29 and pick up commuters inMarysville,Saint Clair andAlgonac before ending up at the same stop on 23 Mile Road. This new system will help people inSt. Clair County travel throughMetro Detroit.
Via Rail train service fromToronto toSarnia (part of theQuebec City–Windsor Corridor) is also available; however, this train does not cross the river, requiring passengers to make arrangements for road travel to Port Huron.