Area

The City of Rochester is almost 4 square miles, measuring 3.83 square miles. The City is located within Oakland County. The majority of Rochester lies within the City of Rochester Hills. Rochester shares borders with Rochester Hills to the North, West and South. The majority of the eastern border of Rochester runs along the Macomb County border and touches Shelby Township.

In May 1974, Rochester's petition to annex 2.2 square miles of Avon Township was approved by the Michigan Boundary Commission. This more than doubled the City of Rochester's land area and brought it to the present day 3.83 square miles.

Population

The City of Rochester has an estimated population of 13,296 as of 2019. That is an increase of 585 people since 2010 (4.6% growth).

History

The City of Rochester, settled in 1817, by the Graham family arriving from Rochester, NY. The Graham's built a log cabin located on present-day 3rd St., just west of Main.

The city became an industrial center with abundant water power from the Clinton River and Paint Creek. The interconnected waterways are no longer used for travel or local industry, but provide natural beauty, some fishing, and a healthy portion of the Clinton Watershed.

Historically, past industries formerly located in Rochester included a refinery for sugar beets, a paper products company, and the Western Knitting Mills factory, which was later adapted and utilized during World War II for incendiary production—businesses that no longer exist in the area. Rochester was served by two railroads as well as the Detroit United Railway, an interurban to Royal Oak and Detroit.

Chapman Mill Pond, east of downtown, disappeared into the Paint Creek when the dam broke during the flood of 1946. The reclaimed land is the site of the current post office, Rochester Hills library, and Olde Towne Road. Water Street, formerly situated at the edge of the large pond, remains by its name a reminder of the pond's former existence.

Michigan became the 26th state in 1837, and the Village of Rochester was formed on April 12, 1869, within the boundaries of Avon Township. By 1895, Rochester's population was 900. The village became the city of Rochester in 1967, breaking away from Avon Township. Avon Township became the City of Rochester Hills in 1984.