Welcome to Greater Rochester

The Greater Rochester area is comprised of three communities - the cities of Rochester and Rochester Hills and Oakland Township. Rochester was the first settlement in Oakland County in 1817. It quickly became a center of commerce that was connected by a spur roadway off the Detroit – Pontiac highway. These roads eventually became known as Rochester Road and Woodward Avenue.

Early settlers of Rochester discovered an area of rich farmland, with forests of oak and other hardwoods. Streams, creeks and rivers crisscrossed the landscape. The local waterpower was soon harnessed to power a sawmill, which became the community’s first industry. The building of a school came soon after with a school system organized and funded by 1848.

In 1869, the Village of Rochester was incorporated as an independent community. In the 1870’s the railroad came to Rochester, which enhanced the area’s commercial and industrial activity. Many of the railroad tracks were placed along various canal banks, the Clinton River and Paint Creek.

These rail lines connected Rochester to Pontiac, Lake Orion, Port Huron, Bay City and Detroit. Most of these rail lines no longer exist, but their roadbeds have been repurposed into a network of biking and hiking trails that enhance recreational opportunities of residents and visitors to Greater Rochester.

Each community has a distinct personality and lifestyle. Oakland Township has retained a more rural setting, including a working farm that provides local produce to area markets. Rochester Hills is more suburban with housing developments, shopping malls and executive/industrial parks. Rochester is more urban with a downtown filled with shops and restaurants surrounded by tree-lined residential streets. Together they form Greater Rochester, a community that is centrally located in the Metro Detroit/ Southeast Michigan Area. From here residents and visitors alike can access an amazing array of cultural assets and recreational opportunities or just “chill,” enjoying the many local treasures Rochester has to offer.