Coldwater, Michigan, United States

🇺🇸 Coldwater is a city in and county seat of Branch County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is mostly surrounded by Coldwater Township, but the two are administered autonomously.

History American settlers did not move into the area until around 1830, with many arriving from New York and New England. Coldwater was incorporated as a village in 1837, and then incorporated by the legislature as a city in 1861. It was designated in 1842 as the county seat of Branch County.

Geography The Coldwater River flows into the city from the south, originating from Coldwater Lake. The Coldwater chain of lakes also has an outlet called the Sauk River, which flows from its north end (near Quincy) and then through the south side of the city of Coldwater. Both combine to form a series of shallow, connected lakes on the city's west side.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.27 square miles (21.42 km²), of which 8.03 square miles (20.80 km²) is land and 0.24 square miles (0.62 km²) is water.

Annual cultural events Several seasonal annual festivals are held in Coldwater. The Ice Festival held in January features ice carvings, a chili-tasting competition, and other family activities. The Strawberry fest held in June features many different foods made from strawberries and arts and crafts. The Apple Fest held in September features home-baked goods made from apples and various arts and crafts.

Tourist Industry The Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater was built in 1882; it is the second-oldest theater in Michigan. It was converted to a movie theater in the 1930s. In the 1960s a campaign began to restore its original use as a theater for live performances with the eventual goal of restoring its French Empire architecture. It is now a venue for a variety of cultural activities.

The Wing House was built in 1875; it is now operated as a historical museum by the Branch County Historical Society. The Little River Railroad offers rides behind a 1911-built steam locomotive, departing from the city's historic 1883 depot.

Education • Coldwater Community Schools, public school district for Coldwater • Pansophia Academy, charter school, grades K-12 • St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, grades K-5 • Legg Middle School, grades 6-8. Part of Coldwater Community Schools. • Branch Area Career Center, vocational training to high school students • Coldwater High School, grades 9-12. Part of Coldwater Community Schools.

Aside from the usual public and parochial schools, Coldwater has a branch of Kellogg Community College and Baker College.

Media The newspaper published in Coldwater is The Daily Reporter.

Coldwater has radio stations WTVB and WNWN, whose studios are located south of town on Business Loop 69 that are part of the Kalamazoo radio area. There are no television stations broadcasting from within the county; Coldwater gets its television signals from the Kalamazoo-Grand Rapids-Battle Creek and Lansing-Jackson SMSAs in Michigan.

Transport: Air Memorial Airport serves general aviation only.

Major highways • I-69. Coldwater is accessible from exits 10 (BL I-69, Fenn Road), 13 (US 12/BL I-69), and 16 (Jonesville Road). The city has expanded since 1967 when I-69 was completed in the area to incorporate the urban sprawl at exit 13. • BL I-69 runs through downtown Coldwater. • US 12 continues west to Sturgis and east toward the Hillsdale area. • M-86 runs west to Three Rivers.

Mass transit Coldwater public bus transportation is provided by Branch Area Transit Authority (BATA).

Transport: Rail Coldwater has an east-west railroad, but this is essentially a relic of one that led to Chicago and Detroit.