Madison Heights

Convenient, neighborly, and quietly under-the-radar.

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About Madison Heights

An accessible Oakland County suburb at the I-75 and I-696 crossroads.

Madison Heights sits about 13 miles north of downtown Detroit at the intersection of I-75 and I-696, two of metro Detroit's busiest expressways. That location turns the city into one of the most commute-friendly addresses in Oakland County, with downtown Detroit reachable in roughly 20 minutes and the rest of the metro reachable on a single highway change.

The city has a dense, walkable neighborhood feel. Most residents own their homes, with bungalows, brick ranches, and newer two-story builds making up the housing stock. Crime rates run well below state and national averages, and the city's parks and recreation infrastructure is unusually deep for a community of about 28,000 residents.

The big attraction is Red Oaks Waterpark, a regional draw with a wave pool, water slides, and a lazy river. Two school districts serve the city: Madison District Public Schools and Lamphere Public Schools.

Lifestyle

What life looks like here.

Dining & Shopping

Dense restaurant inventory along John R, 14 Mile, and Stephenson Highway. Strong Asian cuisine in particular, plus quick access to Royal Oak's larger downtown scene.

Parks & Outdoors

Red Oaks Waterpark, Civic Center Park, Huffman Park, and Red Oaks Nature Center. Eighteen ball fields, 11 soccer fields, and 12 playgrounds across the city's park system.

Schools

Madison District Public Schools and Lamphere Public Schools both serve the city. Lamphere earns a B-overall and an A for teachers from Niche, with an established reputation in metro Detroit.

Things to Do

Red Oaks Waterpark, Red Oaks Nature Center, summer events at Civic Center Park, and minutes-away access to the Detroit Zoo and Royal Oak's downtown.

Local Favorites

Places worth knowing.

Family

Red Oaks Waterpark

Wave pool, water slides, lazy river. Run by the Oakland County Parks system and one of the busiest summer draws in the area.

Outdoors

Red Oaks Nature Center

Trails, programs, and a quiet contrast to the waterpark across the road. Nature programs run year-round.

Outdoors

Civic Center Park

The community anchor park with summer concerts, picnic shelters, and the city's main outdoor event space.

Family

Madison Heights Public Library

Active programming and one of the more thoughtfully run small-city libraries in metro Detroit.

Outdoors

Huffman Park

A neighborhood favorite with fields, walking paths, and the kind of every-day green space that defines a neighborhood.

Dining

John R Road corridor

A continuous stretch of restaurants from Hazel Park north through Madison Heights. Consistently underrated.

Education

Madison Heights Schools.

Madison Heights is served by two public school districts. Madison District Public Schools serves the eastern half of the city, and Lamphere Public Schools serves the western half. Many residents specifically shop into the Lamphere boundary, which earns an overall B from Niche and an A for the quality of its teachers.

Both districts offer the standard elementary, middle, and high school path, with smaller class sizes and a community-focused culture that fits the city's neighborhood scale.

2 Public Districts

B Lamphere Niche Overall

A Lamphere Teachers

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