A 19th-century Michigan boomtown turned small college town
Thanks to its accessible location in southeastern Michigan — about 35 miles from Ann Arbor, Jackson and Toledo, Ohio — Adrian was a 19th-century railroad boomtown. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Adrian was Michigan’s third largest city, behind only Detroit and Grand Rapids. That statistic feels improbable today, as Adrian’s population of just under 21,000 residents gives it a quintessential small-town Midwestern feel.
The city’s well-preserved downtown of 19th-century brick buildings provides an everyday reminder of its past, while its modern economy is shaped largely from being the seat of Lenawee County’s government. Two small Christian colleges, Adrian College and Siena Heights University, also contribute significantly to the city’s culture and economy.
Adrian College has been lauded as a top Up-and-Coming College in the Midwest.
Siena Heights University is a private Catholic university founded in 1919.
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Historic downtown a shopping and dining hub for local region
“Adrian is the hub of the local region,” says Beth Boughton, a former resident who directed Adrian College’s color guard. “There's a lot of small towns around it, and everybody goes to Adrian for everything. They do their shopping and everything else there.” Grocery stores and national chains are prevalent on the southern edge of town, where U.S. Route 223 and Michigan Highway 52 (M-52) intersect.
More than two dozen locally owned businesses and restaurants anchor Downtown Adrian, also home to Croswell Opera House. The theater opened in 1866 and is the oldest one in Michigan. Today, the Croswell hosts musicals, plays and concerts throughout the year.
Adrian's downtown regularly hosts First Fridays events to promote local businesses.
Croswell Opera House in downtown Adrian is the oldest theater in Michigan.
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Two school districts and two colleges highlight area education
Siena Heights University and Adrian College are the third- and fourth-largest employers in the city, behind only the Lenawee County government and Gus Harrison Correctional Facility. Siena Heights, on the city’s east side, is a Catholic university with around 2,200 students operated by the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Adrian College, which is on the west side, is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and has just under 1,900 students enrolled.
Most students in Adrian attend Adrian Public Schools. The district, which has four elementary, one middle and one high school, earns a B-minus rating from Niche. Adrian High’s mascot, the Maples, reflects the tree-lined town’s nickname “The Maple City.” Students in the southeastern part of Adrian may attend the Madison School District, which also receives a B-minus rating. Madison Elementary, Madison Middle and Madison High are on the same campus in unincorporated Adrian.
More than 500 kindergarten through 12th grade students also attend B-rated Lenawee Christian School.
Adrian High School's team is named 'The Maples' after the city.
Madison High School provides education to the residents in the neighborhood of Lenawee County.
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Downtown events add to city life
Monthly First Fridays, each with its own unique theme, encourage residents to come downtown and support local businesses and restaurants. The Adrian City Farmers Market offers a selection of local produce on Saturday mornings from May through October. May 17 is 517 Day, a civic celebration that reflects Lenawee County’s area code. The Lenawee County Fair, held in late July, is Adrian’s most attended annual event. The holiday spirit is also strong in this city that averages 26 inches of annual snowfall. The Comstock Christmas Riverwalk is a unique local tradition where residents decorate hundreds of Christmas trees at Comstock Park, which sits on the banks of the River Raisin near downtown. “People adopt a tree and usually dedicate it to loved ones,” Boughton says. “It’s very neat.”
Adrian's City Farmers Market happens every Saturday morning May through October.
Comstock Park is home to the annual Adrian Christmas Riverwalk Tree Lighting event.
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Median home price less than half the national median
The median home price in Adrian is $190,000, considerably lower than the national median price of around $406,000. It’s comparable to the median price in Jackson ($185,000), higher than the median price in Toledo ($124,000) and lower than the median price in Ann Arbor ($490,000).
Move-in-ready homes in the city date from the late 19th to the late 20th century and range between $90,000 and $385,000. New Traditional homes built on larger lots in unincorporated Adrian from the late 1990s to the present range from around $250,000 to more than $600,000.
The median price of homes in Adrian is considerably lower than most of the nation.
Many of the homes throughout Adrian are new traditional homes.
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Lake Adrian, Kiwanis Trail and 625 acres of parkland
Adrian has 18 city parks and access to the Kiwanis Trail, a 7-mile-long paved path running from downtown Adrian north to neighboring Tecumseh. Like many Michigan cities, a lake plays a large role in recreational life here – though unlike most of Michigan’s nearly 63,000 lakes, the 65-acre Lake Adrian is manmade.
Arrington Ice Arena, home to Adrian College’s NCAA Division III men’s and women’s ice hockey teams, also hosts youth hockey and learn-to-skate programs.
There are three public golf courses in Adrian: The Hills of Lenawee Golf Club, Wolf Creek Golf Club and Woodlawn Golf Club.
The 8-mile length of the Kiwanis Trail cuts through the center of Trestle Park in Adrian.
Adrian College’s NCAA Division III hockey team plays regularly at Arrington Ice Arena.
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U.S. Route 223, M-52 connect with rest of region
The city is the midpoint of U.S. 223, which runs between Toledo and Jackson. M-52, the primary north-south highway that also forms Adrian’s Main Street, stretches from the Ohio State Line north to Saginaw.
ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital is north of the city on M-52 near Tecumseh. Lenawee County Airport is strictly for general aviation. Residents looking to fly commercially can drive to Toledo Express Airport (35 miles) or Detroit Metropolitan Airport (50 miles).
Flood risk is low, but crime rate is higher than national average
Serious flooding is rare along the River Raisin. Fewer than 10% of properties in Adrian are considered at risk for minor flooding in the next 30 years.
Adrian’s violent crime rate nearly doubled the national and statewide rates in 2023. Property crime rates were slightly higher than the national and statewide rates.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
