Coldwater, Michigan

Coldwater, Michigan
—  City  —
Location of Coldwater within Branch County, Michigan
Coordinates: 41°56′24″N 85°0′0″W / 41.94°N 85°W / 41.94; -85Coordinates: 41°56′24″N 85°0′0″W / 41.94°N 85°W / 41.94; -85
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Branch
Founded	1861
Government
- Mayor	Eugene F. Wallace
Area
- Total	8.3 sq mi (21.6 km2)
- Land	8.1 sq mi (21.0 km2)
- Water	0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2)
Elevation	965 ft (294 m)
Population (2010)
- Total	10,945
- Density	1,318.7/sq mi (509.1/km2)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	49036
Area code(s)	517
FIPS code	26-17020[1]
GNIS feature ID	0623568[2]
Website	http://www.coldwater.org/

Coldwater is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,945.^[3] It is the county seat of Branch County.^[4]

The city is located at the center of Coldwater Township, though it is politically independent. Coldwater is at 41°56′25″N 85°00′02″W / 41.94028°N 85.00056°W / 41.94028; -85.00056. The ZIP code is 49036 and the FIPS place code is 17020. The elevation is 969 feet (295 m) above sea level.

Geography and climate

The Coldwater River flows into the city from the south, originating from Coldwater Lake. The Coldwater chain of lakes also has an outlet called the Sauk River, which flows from its north end (near Quincy) and then through the south side of the city of Coldwater. Both combine to form a series of shallow, connected lakes on the city's west side.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.4 square miles (22 km²), of which 8.1 square miles (21 km²) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²), or 2.63%, is water.

National Weather Service records show that average January temperatures are a maximum of 28.9°F and a minimum of 14.3°F. Average July temperatures are a maximum of 81.4°F and a minimum of 59.9°F. There are an average of 8.5 days with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 145.2 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The record high temperature of 108°F was on July 24, 1934, and the record low temperature was -23°F on January 4, 1981.

Precipitation averages 35.66 inches annually. There is measurable precipitation on an average of 142.1 days. The wettest year was 1905 with 46.12 inches and the dryest year was 1930 with 18.01 inches. The most precipitation in one month was 10.90 in May 1989. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 5.37 inches on June 26, 1978.

Snowfall averages 54.5 inches annually. There is measurable snowfall on an average of 34.6 days. The snowiest season was 1977-78 when 84.8 inches fell, including 50.7 inches in January 1978. A blizzard that month included 17.0 inches of snow on January 26, 1978.^[5]

Transportation

Air

Memorial Airport serves general aviation only.

Major highways

	I-69. Coldwater is accessible from exits 10 (BL I-69)(Fenn Road), 13 (US-12)/BL I-69, and 16 (Jonesville Road). The city has expanded since 1967 when I-69 was completed in the area to incorporate the urban sprawl at Exit 13.
	I-69 Business Loop runs through downtown Coldwater.
	US 12 continues west to Sturgis and east toward the Hillsdale area.
	M-86 runs west to Three Rivers.

Mass transit

Coldwater public bus transportation is provided by Branch Area Transit Authority (BATA).

Rail

Coldwater has an east-west railroad, but this is practically a relic of one that led to Chicago and Detroit,MI

Education

Waterworks Park in Coldwater, Michigan

• Coldwater Community Schools, public school district for Coldwater
• Pansophia Academy, charter school, grades K-12
• St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, grades K-5
• Legg Middle School, grades 6-8
• Branch Area Career Center, vocational training to high school students
• Coldwater High School, grades 9-12

Aside from the usual public and parochial schools, Coldwater has a branch of Kellogg Community College and Baker College.

Notable residents

• Scott Brayton, Indycar driver who was killed in practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1996
• Hawley Harvey Crippen, convicted of murdering his wife and executed
• Samuel Etheridge, one of Michigan's first state senators, representing the Seventh Senatorial District from 1838-1840
• Jad and David Fair, musicians; founders of the band Half Japanese
• Alice Haylett, AAGPBL All-Star pitcher
• Jack Joseph Heeney (known as Jack Healy), circus clown^[6]
• Jeff Kellogg, current MLB umpire
• Cyrus G. Luce, Michigan governor
• Ruth McDevitt, actress
• Harriet Quimby, aviation pioneer, the first US woman to receive a pilot's license
• Dan Severn, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler
• Bill Welke, current MLB umpire
• Tim Welke, current MLB umpire

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 12,697 people, 4,058 households, and 2,520 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,562.5 per square mile (603.0/km²). There were 4,370 housing units at an average density of 537.8 per square mile (207.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.35% White, 8.42% African American, 0.75% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.52% from other races, and 3.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.52% of the population.

There were 4,058 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,913, and the median income for a family was $41,107. Males had a median income of $31,577 versus $22,088 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,833. About 6.0% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Tibbits Opera House

The Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater was built in 1882 and is the second-oldest theater in Michigan. It was converted to a movie theater in the 1930's. In the 1960's a campaign began to restore its original use as a theater with the eventual goal of restoring its French Empire architecture. It is now a venue for a variety of cultural activities.

Media

The newspaper published in Coldwater is the Coldwater Daily Reporter.

Coldwater has radio stations WTVB and WNWN-FM, whose studios are located south of town on Business Loop 69 that are part of the Kalamazoo radio area. There are no television stations broadcasting from within the county; Coldwater gets its television signals from the Kalamazoo-Grand Rapids-Battle Creek and Lansing-Jackson SMSAs in Michigan.

Sister cities

• Soltau, Germany

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ WTVB (2011). "Branch County Census Figures Released". WTVB AM 1590 News. http://www.wtvbam.com/news/articles/2011/mar/23/branch-county-census-figures-released/. Retrieved March 23, 2011. 
4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
5. ^ UIUI.edu
6. ^ Circus biographies website

External links

• City of Coldwater official website
• Coldwater Downtown Development Authority
• Branch Area Career Center
• Coldwater Community Schools
• MyColdwater.com - Directory of all local businesses, maps, and photo tour
• Little River Railroad