Dearborn

Sister cities

• Hermosillo

History

Before European encounter, the area had been inhabited for thousands of years by successive First Nations peoples. Historical tribes belonged mostly to the Algonquian-language family, especially the Council of Three Fires, the Potawatomi and related peoples. In contrast, the Huron (Wyandot) were Iroquoian speaking. French colonists had a trading post at Fort Detroit and a settlement developed there in the colonial period. Another developed on the south side of the Detroit River in what is now southwestern Ontario, near a Huron mission village. French and French-Canadian colonists also established farms at Dearborn in this period. France ceded all of its territory east of the Mississippi River in North America to Great Britain in 1763 after losing to Britain in the Seven Years' War. Beginning in 1786, after the United States gained independence in the American Revolutionary War, more European Americans entered this region, settling in Detroit and the Dearborn area. With population growth, Dearborn Township was formed in 1833 and the village of Dearbornville in 1836, each named after Henry Dearborn, a general in the American Revolution who became Secretary of War under President Thomas Jefferson. The Town of Dearborn was incorporated in 1893. Through much of the 19th century, the area was largely rural and dependent on agriculture. Stimulated by industrial development in Detroit and within its own limits, in 1927 Dearborn was established as a city. Its current borders result from a 1928 consolidation vote that merged Dearborn and neighboring Fordson (previously known as Springwells), which feared being absorbed into expanding Detroit. According to historian James W. Loewen, in his book Sundown Towns (2005), Dearborn discouraged African Americans from settling in the…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.37%) is water. The city developed on both sides of the Rouge River. An artificial waterfall/low head dam was constructed by Henry Ford on his estate to power its powerhouse. The Upper, Middle, and Lower Branches of the river come together in Dearborn. The river is widened and channeled near the Rouge Plant to allow lake freighter access. Fordson Island () is an island about three miles (5 km) upriver on the River Rouge from its confluence with the Detroit River. It is the only major island in a tributary to the Detroit River. It was created in 1922 when engineers dug a secondary trench to reroute the River Rouge to increase navigability for shipping purposes, and businesses needed it to be navigable by the large lake freighters. The island is privately owned, has no public access, and is part of the city of Dearborn which has no frontage along the Detroit River. Dearborn is among a small number of municipalities that own property in other cities. It owns the Camp Dearborn in Milford, Michigan, which is located from Dearborn. Dearborn was among an even smaller number of cities that hold property in another state. For a time, the city owned the Dearborn Towers apartment complex in Clearwater, Florida, but this has been sold. Camp Dearborn is considered part of the city of Dearborn. Revenues generated by camp admissions are incorporated into the city's budget.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  18,605
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  18,342
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  17,348
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  16,926
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  15,002
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  13,938
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  12,576
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,722

Largest nearby schools

• Cass Technical High School
  High · DETROIT · 2,395 students · 24.2:1 ratio
• Fordson High School
  High · DEARBORN · 2,339 students · 19.7:1 ratio
• Western International High School
  High · DETROIT · 2,151 students · 25.9:1 ratio
• Dearborn High School
  High · DEARBORN · 1,969 students · 20.7:1 ratio
• Star International Academy
  Other · DEARBORN HEIGHTS · 1,698 students · 20:1 ratio
• Edsel Ford High School
  High · DEARBORN · 1,639 students · 19.1:1 ratio
• John Glenn High School
  High · WESTLAND · 1,542 students · 21.7:1 ratio
• Taylor High School
  High · TAYLOR · 1,394 students · 18.6:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2026-05-04
  8 km N of Maybee, Michigan
• M 3 — 2026-04-26
  7 km SSE of Amherstburg, Canada
• M 2.5 — 2024-03-18
  4 km WSW of Millbury, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2023-05-20
  3 km SSE of Walbridge, Ohio
• M 2.5 — 2022-05-23
  2 km NNW of Corunna, Canada
• M 3.2 — 2020-08-21
  2 km SSE of Detroit Beach, Michigan