our town
Michigan’s
“Winter City” Houghton/Hancock offers a little something for everyone and a lot for snowmobilers.
H
oughton, MI, founded by European Ransom Shelden, and ten years later in 1861 was incorporated as a village. The postwar boom and increasing demand for copper wiring fueled the development of Houghton in the 1860s and 1870s, remnants of which can still be seen today. With an average of 218 inches of snow per year, and winters at times lasting into June due to the lake effect, the Houghton/Hancock area holds the distinction of having the third-most (behind Duluth and International Falls in Minnesota) days of the year below 32 °F of any
incorporated city in the contiguous US, with the top temperature failing to reach freezing on 100.9 days per year. It is sometimes said that Houghton has “two seasons: winter’s here and winter’s coming.” While that may sound crazy to some, residents take the subject of snow and winter very seriously. Houghton is one of the premier “Winter Cities” found anywhere, accommodating and celebrating winter by participating in a variety of outdoor activities. One such outdoor activity is … you guessed it – Snowmobiling.
KEWEENAW CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
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JANUARY • 2022 • MICHIGAN SNOWMOBILER + ORV
