Spring Arbor University is the largest employer in the town
At the entrance of Spring Arbor on Route 60, signs welcome motorists to the small college town of about 2,000 people in rural south-central Michigan, about 10 miles southwest of Jackson. “The school started 151 years ago, and we have about 1,000 on-campus students,” says Marla Sanford, the vice president for Marketing and Communications at Spring Arbor University. The school has close ties to the community and those who graduate tend to stick around the area. “We surveyed alums of the school, and about 5,000 live in Jackson County, and some even live in Spring Arbor,” she says. The school, affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, started as a small primary and secondary school and has grown to a 100-acre campus and is the largest employer in the town.
Spring Arbor alums work in the Western School District
Some popular areas of study available at Spring Arbor University are nursing and education. “The Western School District, which serves Spring Arbor, employs a lot of Spring Arbor University alums,” Sanford says. The district includes Warner Elementary School, which gets a B-plus grade on Niche. Western Middle School is rated a B. Western High School is located next to the middle school and gets a B-plus Niche grade. Students at the school can participate in various organizations, such as the Chess Club, or show off trivia knowledge as part of a Quiz Bowl team. Although the Western School District serves Spring Arbor, the district has a Schools of Choice program where families can request to be in close-by districts, including Concord and Hanover-Horton. The window to request that is in May and June. In early 2023, an expanded Spring Arbor Branch of the Jackson District Library opened on Star Road. Previous locations were in the Spring Arbor Township office and a fire station.
Some Spring Arbor University students live on campus
Spring Arbor University's first- and second-year students live on campus in residence halls. There is an apartment village around campus where upperclassmen live while others commute or take online classes. A mix of old and new houses surrounds the school’s campus. Single-family Cape Cod, Colonial Revival and ranch-style homes from the 1930s to the ‘60s range from $150,000 to $400,000, with the higher-end homes on lots up to an acre with over 3,000 square feet of living space. Subdivisions with homes built at the turn of this century are priced from $270,000 to $450,000. Duplexes and other multi-family homes are priced between $150,000 and $250,000.
Red Egg Farm
One of the most popular attractions in Spring Arbor is the seasonal Red Egg Farm. When it opens in September, it has a pumpkin patch, corn maze, wagon rides and farm animals to feed. The farm operates an ice cream stop called the Red Egg Creamery during the summer months, which opened in June 2024. It’s not unusual for farm animals to visit the creamery as a sneak preview of what to expect when Red Egg Farm opens for the season. Spring Arbor is also the home of Ye Ole Carriage Shop, a small collection of antique cars that depicts the history of Jackson’s automotive manufacturing history.
Marino’s Pizza has a drive-thru
Marino’s Pizza is a family-owned restaurant across from Spring Arbor University's main entrance. In addition to pizza, including the 30-inch monster, which requires advanced notice if there are plans to order it, there are sandwiches, burgers and salads. Although it requires advanced ordering, there is a drive-thru window. The restaurant’s lunch buffet is a popular midday option. Vito’s Espresso is locally owned and open until late afternoon to provide a caffeine jolt or a sugar fix, as there are also various baked goods. The local grocery store, Hutch’s Food Center, puts weekly specials on its website. Quick items can be picked up next door at Dollar General.
Falling Waters Trail
On the southern end of the Spring Arbor neighborhood is a path that’s part of the Falling Waters Trail, which runs ten and a half miles from the village of Concord to the City of Jackson. The trail’s pathway was a railroad many years ago and is popular among walkers, joggers and bikers. It goes by Lime Lake. The Lime Lake County Park has a boat launch, picnic tables and a playground. Harmony Park has had improvements recently, with two playgrounds and new benches. Also, part of the park is the Snyder Schoolhouse, an 1840s structure, which includes a replicated classroom on the main floor and a historical records museum in the basement. Gallagher Park is a ten-acre facility with baseball and softball diamonds and a soccer field. Spring Arbor University has athletic fields where the school’s sports teams compete. “The women’s soccer team has won league and national championships, and we get great support from the community,” Sanford says.
Living in Spring Arbor means car dependency
Because Spring Arbor is a small town about 10 miles from Jackson, the Jackson Area Transportation Authority does not have any bus routes that serve the town. Jackson County Airport – Reynolds Field is about a 10-minute drive, while Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is 70 miles to the east. Amtrak stations are in Jackson and Albion, about 14 miles northwest. The nearest medical facility is Henry Ford Medical Center – Cascade Ridge, in the southwest suburbs of Jackson. Jackson’s largest hospital, Henry Ford Jackson Hospital, is 10 miles away on the city’s east side.
