Amid northern Michigan’s ruggedly beautiful Keweenaw Peninsula lies the city of Houghton, a former mining community that now boasts a unique blend of history, technology, arts, culture, and unparalleled opportunities for outdoor adventure.
About our location…
- With boreal forests, inland lakes, and the pristine shores of Lake Superior nearby, outdoor enthusiasts love us.
- Winter brings more than 200 inches of snow—perfect for skiing and snowmobiling.
- Summer is generally sunny and temperate, providing great opportunities for hiking, biking, kayaking, and canoeing.
- Houghton’s historical downtown features a unique blend of locally owned shops, eateries, museums, and breweries.
- Arts and entertainment abound, with local art galleries, photo exhibits, and tours by modern dance groups, comedy troupes, chamber orchestras, and more.
Not to brag, but…
- Lake Superior Magazine voted the Keweenaw Peninsula number two in their “Top-10 Lake Superior Destinations.”
- The Keweenaw Peninsula was rated one of the top-ten outdoor adventure spots in the country by National Geographic Adventure Magazine.
- The National Scenic Byways organization recognized the Keweenaw as “one of the best snowmobiling and winter sport destinations in the United States."
- The Sioux City Journal named the Keweenaw Waterway "one of the last great frontiers for the angler.”
- Golf pros Casey VanDamme and Dave Douglas voted Michigan Tech’s own Portage Lake Golf Course as one of the top fifteen golf courses in the UP.
Hey, I bet you didn’t know that…
- Houghton has a sister city in Hancock, a similar (but smaller) former mining community separated by a strip of water known as the Keweenaw Waterway.
- The combined population of Houghton and Hancock is less than 12,000, but add in the Michigan Tech student population and it balloons to nearly 20,000.
- Portage Health, part of a nationally recognized healthcare network, is located just across the water in Hancock.
- Despite large snowfalls, roads are well maintained and weather-related school closings are rare.
- The Keweenaw Peninsula is quite temperate, averaging in the low to mid twenties in the winter, mid to high seventies in the summer.