Coordinates: 42°38′46″N 83°17′33″W

Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac (/ˈpɒn(t)iæk/ POHN-tee-ack) is a city in and the county seat
of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan.[3] As of the 2020 Pontiac, Michigan
census, the city had a total population of 61,606.[4] A northern City
suburb of Metro Detroit, Pontiac is about 20 miles (32.2  km)
northwest of Detroit. City of Pontiac

Founded in 1818, Pontiac was the second European-American

organized settlement in Michigan near Detroit, after Dearborn. It
was named after Pontiac, a war chief of the Ottawa Tribe, who
occupied the area before the European settlers. The city was best
known for its General Motors automobile manufacturing plants of
the 20th century, which were the basis of its economy and
contributed to the wealth of the region. These included Fisher Body,
Pontiac East Assembly (a.k.a. Truck & Coach/Bus), which
manufactured GMC products, and the Pontiac Motor Division. In Downtown Pontiac as seen from City Hall
the city's heyday, it was the site of the primary automobile assembly
plant for the production of the famed Pontiac cars, a brand that was
named after the city. The Pontiac brand itself was discontinued in
2010 by General Motors. The City of Pontiac also was home to
Oakland Motor Car Company, which was acquired by General
Motors in 1909.
Seal
In 1975, the city built the Pontiac Silverdome, the stadium that
hosted the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from 1975
to 2001, when the team returned to Downtown Detroit at Ford
Field. Super Bowl XVI was played at the Silverdome in 1982.
After 2001, the stadium continued to be used for concerts and other
events until it was demolished in 2018. It is now the site of an
Amazon Fulfillment and Distribution facility.

Location within Oakland County

Contents
Geography
Demographics
2020 census
2010 census
2000 Census
History
Emergency financial manager
Culture
Transportation Pontiac
Rail
Air
Bus Location within the state of Michigan
SMART Flex
Road
 Government
Current City Council members
Mayoral History Pontiac

City Tax
Pontiac Library
Oakland County Service Center
Education
Notable people Location within the United States
Coordinates: 42°38′46″N 83°17′33″W
Climate
Country United States
See also
State Michigan
References County Oakland
External links Settled 1818
Incorporated 1837 (village)

1861 (city)
Geography Government
 • Type Mayor–council
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total  • Mayor Tim Greimel
area of 20.29 square miles (52.55  km2 ), of which 19.97 square  • Clerk Garland Doyle
miles (51.72 km2 ) is land and 0.32 square miles (0.83 km2 ) (1.58%) Area[1]
is water.[5]  • City 20.25 sq mi
(52.46 km2)
Pontiac is bounded by the city of Auburn Hills to the east and north,  • Land 19.89 sq mi
the city of Lake Angelus to the north, Waterford Township to the (51.50 km2)
west, and Bloomfield Township to the south.  • Water 0.37 sq mi (0.95 km2)

The former Pontiac Township included what are now the cities of Elevation 922 ft (281 m)
Pontiac, Lake Angelus, and Auburn Hills. The township Population (2020)
incorporated as the city of Auburn Hills in 1983. Although the  • City 61,606
township no longer exists as a civil entity, it is still used as a survey  • Density 3,098.11/sq mi
township for land use purposes. (1,196.16/km2)
 • Metro 4,296,250 (Metro
Detroit)
Demographics
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern
(EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
2020 census
ZIP code(s) 48302 (Bloomfield
Pontiac city, Michigan - Demographic Profile
Hills)

(NH = Non-Hispanic) 48320 (Keego Harbor)

48321, 48326 (Auburn

Pop Pop Hills)

Race / Ethnicity % 2010 % 2020

2010[8] 2020[7] 48340–48343
White alone (NH) 15,815 14,448 26.57% 23.45% Area code(s) 248 and 947
Black or African American FIPS code 26-65440
30,384 29,046 51.05% 47.15%
alone (NH) GNIS feature ID 0635224[2]
Native American or Website Official website (http://
242 176 0.41% 0.29%
Alaska Native alone (NH) www.pontiac.mi.us)
Asian alone (NH) 1,359 1,408 2.28% 2.29%
Historical population
Pacific Islander alone
(NH)
2 13 0.00% 0.02% Census Pop. %±
1840 1,904 —
Some Other Race alone
(NH)
69 295 0.12% 0.48% 1850 1,681 −11.7%
1860 2,575 53.2%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial 1,809 2,763 3.04% 4.48%
1870 4,867 89.0%
 (NH) 1880 4,509 −7.4%
Hispanic or Latino (any 1890 6,200 37.5%
9,835 13,457 16.53% 21.84%
race) 1900 9,769 57.6%
Total 59,515 61,606 100.00% 100.00% 1910 14,532 48.8%
1920 34,273 135.8%
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table 1930 64,928 89.4%
excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. 1940 66,626 2.6%
Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. 1950 73,681 10.6%
1960 82,223 11.6%
2010 census 1970 85,279 3.7%
1980 76,715 −10.0%
As of the census[9] of 2010, there were 59,515 people, 22,220 households, and 1990 71,166 −7.2%
13,365 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,980.2 inhabitants 2000 66,337 −6.8%
per square mile (1,150.7/km2 ). There were 27,084 housing units at an average 2010 59,515 −10.3%
density of 1,356.2 per square mile (523.6/km2 ). The racial makeup of the city was 2020 61,606 3.5%
34.4% White, 52.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 6.2% U.S. Decennial Census[6]
from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race 2010-2020 [7]
were 16.5% of the population.

There were 22,220 households, of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.4% were
married couples living together, 27.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male
householder with no wife present, and 39.9% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of
individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was
2.56 and the average family size was 3.28.

The median age in the city was 33.4 years. 27.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.2% were between the
ages of 18 and 24; 28.2% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 9.3% were 65 years of age or older.
The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

2000 Census

As of 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $31,207, and the median income for a family was
$36,391. Males had a median income of $31,961 versus $24,765 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$15,842. About 18.0% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.3% of
those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.

History
Present-day Pontiac, Michigan was traversed for thousands of years by
indigenous peoples due to the confluence of the Saginaw Trail and the
Nottawassippi River; the river’s indigenous name was replaced with the
Clinton River name by settlers coming from New York State where DeWitt
Clinton served as Governor. The Saginaw Trail was an important land trail
route for indigenous peoples that ran from the Saginaw Bay in Michigan to
the Detroit River in present-day Detroit.
The Pontiac State Hospital in 1912
Early European expeditions into the land north of Detroit described the area
as having "extreme sterility and barrenness".[10] Developments and
exploration were soon to prove that report false.

The first European-American settlers arrived in what is now the city of Pontiac in 1818. They followed the Saginaw
Trail north from Detroit and determined the settlement should be where the trail and the river crossed. Two years later
the fledgling settlement was designated as the county seat for Oakland County, due in part to the Michigan Territorial
Governor Lewis Cass being receptive to the lobbying of The Pontiac Company’s
members that their recently acquired property was ideal for the county seat location.

The Pontiac Company, consisting of 15 members and chaired by Solomon Sibley of

Detroit, comprised the first landowners in Pontiac. Sibley, along with Stephen Mack
and Shubael Conant, Pontiac Company members, also formed the partnership Mack,
Conant & Sibley to develop a town. Solomon and his wife Sarah Sibley largely
financed construction of the first buildings. While Solomon was the first chair of the
Pontiac Company, for two years Sarah Sibley was the most active as the go-between
with settlers at Pontiac. Solomon Sibley was constantly traveling as a Territorial
Congressman and later a Territorial Supreme Court judge.[11] The Sibley-Hoyt
house, thought to be one of the first structures in Pontiac, is preserved by its private
owner. Buckland Memorial Chapel
at Oak Hill Cemetery
In the 1820s Elizabeth Denison, an unmarried, free black woman, worked for the
Sibleys. They helped her buy land in Pontiac in 1825. Stephen Mack, agent for the
Pontiac Company, signed the deed at the request of the Sibleys, conveying 48.5 acres to Elizabeth Denison. She is
believed to be the first black woman to purchase land in the new territory of Michigan.[12]

In 1837 Pontiac became a village, the same year that Michigan gained statehood.[13] The town had been named after
the noted Ottawa Indian war chief who had his headquarters in the area decades before, during the resistance to
European-American encroachment.[14] Founded on the Clinton River, Pontiac was Michigan's first inland
settlement.[15] Rivers were critical to settlements as transportation ways, in addition to providing water and, later,
power.

The village was incorporated by the legislature as a city in 1861. From the beginning, Pontiac's central location
served it well. It attracted professional people, including doctors and lawyers, and soon became a center of industry.
Woolen and grist mills made use of the Clinton River as a power source.

Abundant natural resources led to the establishment of several carriage manufacturing companies, all of which were
thriving at the turn of the 20th century. One of the largest carriage manufacturing companies in Pontiac of that era
was the O.J. Beaudette Wagon Works, which made bodies for carriages and then transitioned to manufacturing
bodies for automobiles. At that time, the first self-propelled vehicles were introduced. Pontiac quickly became a
capital of the new automotive industry.[16]

Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, Pontiac had tremendous growth in its population and size as tens of thousands of
prospective autoworkers moved here from the South to work in its GM auto assembly plants at Pontiac Assembly.
African Americans came in the Great Migration, seeking work, education, and the chance to vote and escape the
oppression of Jim Crow in the South.

As the small "horseless carriage" manufacturers became consolidated under

the mantle of the General Motors Corporation, Pontiac grew as the industry
grew. It also suffered the same setbacks as other cities during the Great
Depression years of the 1930s.[17] The buildup of the defense industry and
conversion of the automotive industry to war demands increased the need for
labor. Pontiac was a pivotal concentration of wartime production for the
United States in World War II. Among many other vehicles and weapons,
Pontiac facilities produced thousands of GMC trucks, Oerlikon anti-aircraft
Houses in the Fairgrove Avenue guns, naval torpedoes, tank axles, amphibious vehicles, and munitions.
Historic District
The first postwar years after World War II were a time of prosperity, and
continued migration of African Americans to the city in the second wave of
the Great Migration, but the city changed as suburbs were developed and people commuted by car to work. The
more established residents moved out to buy newer housing being built in the suburbs, draining off business and
resulting in vacancies downtown. Racist policies and racial animus toward the growing African American population
was also an important factor, and until the mid-1960s with the enactment of Fair Housing ordinances, most of the
properties in Pontiac neighborhoods contained racially restrictive covenants in the deeds.
In order to prevent flooding, Pontiac confined the Clinton River in concrete through the downtown in 1963.[18]
Changing ideas about urban living in the early 21st century prompted the city to study uncovering the river to create a
waterfront community in the city.

In late 1966, Pontiac-born real estate developer A. Alfred Taubman tried to build a large-scale shopping mall on
vacant downtown land (where the Phoenix Center now stands). It was unsuccessful. Pontiac resident C. Don
Davidson and his University of Detroit architectural class created a more comprehensive plan for development to
benefit the city and the entire region around it. In 1969, the city of Pontiac adopted the Pontiac Plan as the official
plan for rebuilding the vacant area of the downtown district.[19]

In 1965, Davidson overheard news that the Detroit Lions were seeking a
new football stadium in Southeast Michigan. Professor Davidson and city
leaders made a push to develop a new multi-purpose stadium, which was
built and became known as the Silverdome.[20] Construction began on the
80,000-seat stadium in 1972 and it opened in 1975 as the Pontiac
Metropolitan Stadium.
The Pontiac Silverdome in 2006
This was a part of Davidson's vision for Pontiac. Besides becoming the new
home stadium of the NFL's Detroit Lions, NBA's Detroit Pistons and
USFL's Michigan Panthers, the arena hosted such events as the 1979 NBA All-Star Game, the 1982 Super Bowl
XVI game between the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals, and four matches of soccer's 1994 World
Cup.[21]

On Aug. 30, 1971, ten school buses were destroyed in a bombing during white resistance to a federal court order to
desegregate the city's public schools.[22]

Construction began in the 1970s on an urban renewal project known as the "Pontiac Plan". The initial phase of this
plan included the Phoenix Center, three office buildings, a transportation center, and a high-rise residential complex.
The remainder of the plan was never completed.[23] The city has struggled with declining population since 1980, due
to industrial restructuring and the loss of jobs, especially in the automotive industry.

Emergency financial manager

From 2009 through 2013, Pontiac was under the oversight of an Emergency Financial Manager appointed by the
state government. The Emergency Manager was authorized to make day-to-day executive and financial municipal
decisions. The position was not subject to the usual checks and balances, nor to election. The first and second
managers, Fred Leeb and Michael Stampfler, were appointed by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. The third
manager was Louis Schimmel, who was appointed by Governor Rick Snyder.

In order to balance the budget, state-appointed emergency managers drastically revised labor union contracts with the
city, sold off city assets such as parking meters, and privatized most public services. The Oakland County Sheriff's
Office handles all police (saving $2 million a year) and nearby Waterford township has responsibility for fire
protection (saving $3 million). Pontiac sold its water treatment plant for $55 million, and outsources garbage
collection, animal control, vital records and street maintenance. Many people working in City Hall are employed by
contractors. The city payroll has declined from 600 to 50 employees. The Silverdome Stadium, once valued at $22
million, was sold for $583,000 (it would end up being demolished in December 2017). The emergency managers
reduced the city's annual spending to $36 million from $57 million, and erased almost all of its long-term debt.[24]

In August 2013, Schimmel resigned as Emergency Financial Manager. Schimmel now serves as part of the four-
member Transition Advisory Board for the city.[25] Other members of the board include Deputy Oakland County
Executive Bob Daddow, Rochester Hills Finance Director Keith Sawdon, and Ed Karyzno, administrator of the
Michigan Department of Treasury's Office of Financial Responsibility.[26]

In July 2012, Mayor Leon Jukowski and Emergency Financial Manager Louis Schimmel announced plans to
demolish the Phoenix Center. Its vacancy rates were high, and the city did not want to continue the high maintenance
costs. New thinking about downtown was to re-emphasize the street grid; the city wanted to reconnect Saginaw
Street to the downtown area. Owners of the connecting Ottawa Towers filed an injunction, claiming the demolition
would devalue their property and result in lost parking. In December 2012, a judge granted an injunction for the
Ottawa Towers on an "expedited calendar", which prevented the demolition of the Phoenix Center for the time
being.[27]

In 2010, city leaders and business owners had launched "The Rise of The Phoenix" initiative. This plan was intended
to attract businesses interested in downtown retail space. The applicants selected would be given free rent in
exchange for multi-year leases (two years or more) as well as one year of free parking in city lots. Some 52 new
businesses were recruited to locate in downtown Pontiac, bringing new life to the city. Plans for the development of
mixed-use and loft flats in downtown were announced in September 2011 by the Michigan Economic Growth
Authority (MEGA). MEGA estimates the development could generate $20.4 million in new investment and create up
to 107 permanent full-time jobs in downtown. The development was to be supported by a state tax break.[28]

On January 26, 2012, West Construction Services began the renovation and restoration of the former Sears building
for the Lafayette Place Lofts, the largest construction investment in Downtown Pontiac in approximately 30 years.
The 80,000-square-foot (7,400 m2 ) project is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified
residential and commercial mixed-use development: it will have 46 new urban rental lofts, a fresh food grocery store
and café, and an Anytime Fitness center. Construction was completed during 2012, and the lofts and market opened
in December of that year.[29] 10 West Lofts, another development in the area, will bring more residents to downtown
Pontiac.[30]

Culture
Regionally, the city was known for the Arts, Beats and Eats
Festival,[31] a widely attended summer festival featuring an art
show, musical concert venues, and a sampling of food from
numerous regional restaurants. In 2010, the festival was moved
to nearby Royal Oak. The First Annual Scheme Cruise was
held September 6, 2015, an event sponsored by the Scheme
Street Battle League. The event combined rap battles, basketball Franklin Boulevard Historic District
competitions, and a car show. Pontiac officials are considering
relocating the event to the downtown area of the city.

The city is at the north end of the famous Woodward Avenue,

which extends as a major boulevard into Detroit. It was
originally lined with mansions and prestigious businesses. In the
1950s and 1960s it was popular with young people who would
"cruise" and drag-race their hot-rods in the area. Pontiac
Modern Housing Corporation Addition Historic
participates in the annual Woodward Dream Cruise, an event
District
celebrating Woodward's hot-rod history, with a parade of cars
stretching from Detroit to Pontiac.

Downtown Pontiac's nightlife includes nightclubs and music venues such as Club Visions, Tonic, and The Crofoot.

The city hosts two nationally renowned haunted houses: The Realm of Darkness and Erebus. The Realm of
Darkness has in previous years been chosen as America's Best Haunted House. Erebus held the world record from
2005 to 2009 for "Largest Haunted House"; it is 4 stories high.

Pontiac was an early location of movie making, with the Raleigh Michigan Studios, renamed as the Motown Motion
Picture Studios.[32] Scenes of the 2012 remake of the film Red Dawn were filmed in Pontiac and other Michigan
locations, recreating Spokane, Washington. Additionally, downtown Pontiac in August 2012 was the filming site for
the tornado-themed disaster movie Into the Storm.[33] The 2013 fantasy adventure film Oz the Great and Powerful
was filmed at Motown Motion Picture Studios.[34] Transformers: Age of Extinction is the latest movie to be filmed
within the studio, with the bulk of filming taking place in Pontiac.[35]
Pontiac is home to the Michigan Fallen Heroes Memorial.[36] It is located within the Oakland County Government
Complex off Telegraph Road.

Transportation

Rail

Amtrak operates passenger service with its Wolverine from Pontiac to Chicago via Detroit and Battle Creek,
Michigan. Service is three times daily, both arriving and departing.

Commuter rail service was once provided by Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW) and later Southeastern Michigan
Transportation Authority (SEMTA) from Pontiac to downtown Detroit. This service ended on October 17, 1983,
after subsidies were discontinued. Efforts continue to restore such commuter service.

Class one freight rail service is provided by Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW), which also operates a large
classification yard in Pontiac serving the local auto industry. The Grand Trunk Western Railroad (reporting mark
GTW) is an important subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway (CN). It constitutes the majority of CN's Chicago
Division (which is part of CN's Southern Region). It operates in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, forming the
CN mainline from Port Huron to Chicago, as well as serving Detroit and Toledo.

Air

Oakland County International Airport serves the city and surrounding areas with commuter air service. When
previously owned by the city, it was known as the Pontiac City Airport. But it is located outside the city in
neighboring Waterford Township and not on land contiguous with Pontiac's city limits. Detroit Metropolitan Airport,
a larger international airport, is 35 miles south of the city in Romulus.

Bus

Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) operates local and regional bus transit.

SMART Flex

Launched in March 2021, SMART Flex[37] is an on-demand public transit service launched in partnership with
TransitTech company Via Transportation[38] as a way to help encourage first-and-last mile connections to existing
bus routes as well as trips to universities, grocery stores, local hospitals and other destinations. SMART Flex is
available to residents and workers in Dearborn, Troy, Pontiac, and the Hall Road corridor between Utica and New
Baltimore to book rides using the SMART Flex app.[39]

Road

The major thoroughfares in the city are: Woodward Avenue (M-1), Huron Street (M-59), and Telegraph Road
(US 24). Portions of Woodward Avenue were once known as "Saginaw Street" and "Wide Track Drive" (the portion
of "Wide Track Drive" that encircles the downtown business district is now known as the "Woodward Loop")

I-75 provides a connection northwest to nearby Flint. Detroit is to the south.

BL I-75 runs through Pontiac.
US 24 ends north of Pontiac in at I-75. Southbound, US 24 serves suburban Detroit and Monroe
before crossing into Ohio.

Bus. US 24 serves local business traffic through the city.

 M-1 (Woodward Avenue) northbound loops around Pontiac's downtown district (now known as
the "Woodward Loop", continuing its loop back southbound as "Saginaw Street", then returning to the
name of Woodward Avenue and routing directly to Downtown Detroit.
M-24 (Lapeer Road) southbound ends in Auburn Hills at I-75. Northbound, the highway connects
to Lapeer. Note: M-24 does not intersect with US 24.
M-59 runs west to Howell and east to Utica and several other Detroit suburbs.

Government

Current City Council members

District Member[40] Position In office since

District 1 Melanie Rutherford 2022

District 2 Brett Nicholson 2022
District 3 Mikal Goodman 2022
District 4 Kathalee James 2022
District 5 William Parker, Jr. 2022
District 6 William Carrington Pro Tempore 2022
District 7 Mike McGuinness President 2022

State officials
Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D)
State Senator Rosemary Bayer (D) — 12th State Senate District
State Representative Brenda Carter (D) – 29th State House District
Federal officials
Senator Gary Peters (D)
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)
Representative Brenda Lawrence (D) – 14th Congressional District

Mayoral History

Tim Greimel, who previously served as a Michigan State Representative and Oakland County Commissioner in
districts that included Pontiac, was elected Mayor of Pontiac in the November 2021 general election. He won with
61.66% of votes, while his general election opponent Alexandra T. Riley received 37.50% of the vote. Riley, a
frequent candidate for office in Pontiac, previously served as a city employee under Mayor Deirdre Waterman and
more recent worked for the Genesee County Land Bank Authority.

Then-incumbent Mayor Deirdre Waterman was removed from the August primary ballot due to unresolved campaign
finance violations, but continued as a write-in candidate in the primary election. She was not successful in that effort.

Former Mayor of Pontiac Dr. Deirdre Holloway Waterman, was an ophthalmologist who was elected as Pontiac's
first female mayor by more than 68% of the vote on November 5, 2013.[41] She was re-elected in 2017 with 57% of
the vote. Her late husband, William Waterman, was a prominent attorney in the community who was appointed in
1988 by Michigan Governor James Blanchard to the District Court in Pontiac and elected multiple times to continue
serving; he died in office in 2003. The District Courthouse was renamed in his honor, the William J. Waterman Hall
of Justice.

Past Mayors of Pontiac also include:

Leon Jukowski, 2010-2013

Clarence Phillips, 2006-2009

Willie J. Payne, 2002-2005

Walter Moore, 1998-2001

Charlie Harrison, Jr.

Wallace Holland, the first African American elected Mayor of Pontiac and the first directly elected Mayor following
the adoption of the revised Pontiac City Charter in 1982.

City Tax

The city levies an income tax of 1 percent on residents and 0.5 percent on nonresidents.[42]

Pontiac Library

For Pontiac Library Board, nine candidates filed for the November 5, 2013 general election: Incumbents Joyce Allen,
Roger Derby and Deirdre Waterman, as well as challengers Vernita Duvall, Juliene Dixon Jenkins, Ronnie
Karpinski, Evelyn LeDuff, Rosie Richardson, and Deveda Travis. The top six vote-getters will earn the four-year
Library board director positions. After dropping out of the library board elections, Deirdre Waterman was elected
Pontiac's first female mayor on November 5, 2013. Patrice Waterman, her niece, became mayor pro tem.[43]

Oakland County Service Center

The East Campus of the Oakland County Service Center is located in Pontiac. It includes the county courthouse and
jail for adults.[44]

Education
Residents are zoned to the School District of the City of Pontiac. The district
runs one main high school, Pontiac High School. There were once two high
schools, Pontiac Northern and Pontiac Central, but by December 2008
administrators were making plans to consolidate the schools.[45]

Four charter schools operate in Pontiac; they are Pontiac Academy for
Excellence (K-12), Arts and Technology Academy, Walton Charter, and
Great Lakes Academy. Pontiac is also home to Notre Dame Preparatory
High School, a private Catholic school located in the North East area of the
city.

Notable people
Geri Allen, jazz pianist, born in Pontiac
Lawrence S. Bacow, President of Harvard University, born in
Detroit, grew up in Pontiac
Mark Bego, author, born in Pontiac
Tim Birtsas, MLB pitcher, born in Pontiac
Jim Bundren, NFL player, born in Pontiac St. Vincent de Paul Church
Adolphus W. Burtt, South Dakota Attorney General[46][47]
Albert J. Campbell, U.S. Representative from Montana[48]
Madonna Louise Ciccone, known mononymously as Madonna,
singer and actress, lived in Pontiac during childhood[49]
Sara Lynn Darrow, United States District Court judge, born in
Pontiac
DDG, rapper and YouTube personality, born and raised in
Pontiac
Pete Dexter, journalist, novelist, and screenwriter, born in Pontiac
Thomas J. Drake, justice of Utah Territorial Supreme Court and
third Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, died in Pontiac[50]
Electric Djinn, the solo musical project of NYC-based electronic
musician and producer Neptune Sweet
Tommy Edman, current second baseman for the St. Louis
Cardinals
Kirk Gibson, MLB player and manager, two-time World Series
champion, born in Pontiac[51]
Jonas Gray, NFL player, born in Pontiac
K. J. Hamler, NFL player for the Denver Broncos
Laura Innes, actress, starred in hit television series ER; born in
Pontiac
Isaiah Jackson, NBA player for the Indiana Pacers
Elvin Jones, jazz drummer of the post-bop era, born in Pontiac[52]
Hank Jones, musician, 2009 recipient of Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award; lived in Pontiac
Hayes Jones, hurdler, NCAA champion and 1964 Summer
Olympics gold medalist; lived in Pontiac
Thad Jones, jazz musician, born in Pontiac
Jack Kevorkian, pathologist, euthanasia activist, painter, author,
composer and instrumentalist, born in Pontiac[53]
Micki King, diver, Olympic gold medalist and 10-time national
champion, U.S. Air Force colonel, born in Pontiac
Rebecca Kleefisch, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin 2011–
2019, born in Pontiac
Henry W. Lord, U.S. Congressman from Michigan[54]
Tony Lucca, actor/singer and former Mouseketeer, born in Pontiac
Michael Mallory, author/actor, grew up in Pontiac
Yante Maten, NBA player for the Miami Heat
Clara McDaniel (born 1948 in Pontiac),[55] blues singer and
songwriter
Derek Minor, rapper, born in Pontiac
Daniel O'Shea, figure skater, 2016 national champion, born in
Pontiac
Duane D. Pearsall, physicist and inventor[56]
Gary Peters, United States Senator, born in Pontiac
Howard "Howdy" Quicksell, musician, lived and died in Pontiac
Walker Russell, pro basketball player, born in Pontiac
Walker Russell Jr., pro basketball player, born in Pontiac
Frank Russell, NBA player, Chicago Bulls, first from Oakland
County and Pontiac to play in modern NBA; raised in Pontiac
Campy Russell, basketball player, Michigan and NBA; Best High
School Player in America 1971–72, NBA All-Star 1978–79;
broadcaster for Cleveland Cavaliers; raised in Pontiac
 Bryan Rust NHL hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2x
Stanley Cup Champion
Alfred Taubman, real estate developer, owned famed Sotheby's
auction house and Michigan Panthers pro football team; born in
Pontiac[57]
Wilma Vaught, U.S. Air Force brigadier general, born in Pontiac
Martell Webb, NFL player
Tim Welke, MLB umpire, born in Pontiac

Climate
The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfb" (Warm Summer Continental Climate).

Climate data for Pontiac WWTP, Michigan (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present)

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

Record high 66 65 84 89
95
102 104 102 98
90
79 65 104
°F (°C) (19) (18) (29) (32) (35) (39) (40) (39) (37) (32) (26) (18) (40)

Average 31.3
34.0
44.3
57.6 69.4 78.2 82.3 80.8 73.9 60.5 47.4
36.4
58.0
high °F (°C) (−0.4) (1.1) (6.8) (14.2) (20.8) (25.7) (27.9) (27.1) (23.3) (15.8) (8.6) (2.4) (14.4)

Daily mean 24.2

26.1
35.2
47.0 59.2 68.4 72.6 71.3 63.8 51.4 39.7
30.3
49.1
°F (°C) (−4.3) (−3.3) (1.8) (8.3) (15.1) (20.2) (22.6) (21.8) (17.7) (10.8) (4.3) (−0.9) (9.5)

Average low 17.1

18.2
26.2
36.4 49.0 58.6 62.9 61.7 53.7 42.3 32.1
24.3
40.2
°F (°C) (−8.3) (−7.7) (−3.2) (2.4) (9.4) (14.8) (17.2) (16.5) (12.1) (5.7) (0.1) (−4.3) (4.6)

Record low −21 −22 −8

6 23
34
41
37
29
15
2
−12 −22

°F (°C) (−29) (−30) (−22) (−14) (−5) (1) (5) (3) (−2) (−9) (−17) (−24) (−30)

Average
2.18
1.87
2.19
2.94 3.81 3.29 3.14 3.24 2.92 2.90 3.15
2.25
33.88

precipitation
(55) (47) (56) (75) (97) (84) (80) (82) (74) (74) (80) (57) (861)
inches (mm)

Average
12.1
9.0 4.1 0.9
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.1
1.7 8.1 36.0
snowfall
(31) (23) (10) (2.3) (0.0) (0.0) (0.0) (0.0) (0.0) (0.25) (4.3) (21) (91)
inches (cm)

Average
precipitation
12.5 10.0 9.5 11.3 12.6 10.5 9.7 9.8 9.2 12.0 10.3 12.4 129.8
days
(≥ 0.01 in)

Average
snowy days 8.8 7.2 3.7 0.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.6 6.7 29.0
(≥ 0.1 in)

Source: NOAA [58][59]

See also
Images of metropolitan Detroit
Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic
Saginaw Trail
Woodward Corridor

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External links
City of Pontiac, Michigan (http://www.pontiac.mi.us)
Tocqueville in Pontiac (http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/88194-1) – Segment from C-SPAN's
Alexis de Tocqueville Tour

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