About Us - Hamburg Almanac

Hamburg Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. State of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 21,165, making it the largest municipality in Livingston County.

View SEMCOG Community Profile for Hamburg Township.

Hamburg Township Almanac

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.0 square miles (93 km2), of which, 32.4 square miles (84 km2) of it is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km2) of it (10.08%) is water.
Natural Features

There are 32 named lakes, with numerous smaller ponds, marshes, creeks and streams. Hamburg has a "northern Michigan" vacationland feel while being located in Southeast Michigan within driving distance of Lansing, Detroit, Flint and Ann Arbor.

Recreation
East and West Bennett Parks off of Merrill Road service the recreational needs of township children for soccer, football, cheerleading, and softball.

Five miles of the Lakelands Trail have been developed through Hamburg Township. The trail is asphalted and parallels the major state highway M-36. It is a favorite place of Township residents for walking and bicycling. No motorized vehicles are permitted on the Lakelands Trail.

Just over an entire section (Section 10) of Hamburg Township contains a significant portion of the Brighton State Recreation Area. Rustic and modern campsites are available. There is a swimming beach and boat launch for Bishop Lake, together with numerous picnic areas, barbecue facilities and hiking trails.
Local Services
Hamburg Township is served in many areas of the township by local sewer service. Some of the sewer effluent is processed by Hamburg Township's own Waste Water Treatment Plant. Additional effluent is processed by the City of Brighton. The remainder of the township's homes and businesses are served by individual septic systems located on individual parcels.

Hamburg Township is a participating community in the Livingston Community Water Authority. Water service is available to a portion of the township served by the LCWA. The remainder of the township is served by individual wells located on individual parcels.

Hamburg Township's road system is serviced by the Livingston County Road Commission and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). A number of private roads are serviced under private road special assessment districts by property owners along the roads.
Flooding

Hamburg Township is traversed east to west by approximately 10 miles of the Huron River. The Huron River area near Hamburg Road in the vicinity of Ore Lake/Little Ore Lake has been the subject of numerous recent flooding events since 2000. The last major flooding was in May, 2004 when the water reached 8.13 feet (flood stage is 6.5 feet)and the event was declared a disaster. Flooding occurred in September, 2008 as result of the convergence of weed growth and heavy rains from southern hurricanes. The most recent flooding occurred in March, 2009, with record breaking streamflows. Hamburg Township is a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program and the Community Rating Service Program of NFIP, being a Class 8 community.

"Open Space" Zoning and Planning

The many natural features of the Hamburg have lent itself to the development of "open space" zoning and planning techniques employed by the developers of numerous subdivisions in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Established in 1835
E.F. Gay, a merchant from Ann Arbor, bought 30 acres (120,000 m2) here in 1835 and built a dam and sawmill. He sold out in 1837 to three Germans known as the Messrs. Grisson, who added a grist mill, store, and hotel. A plat was recorded in 1837. Nineteen men met to choose a name for the town. The three Germans were not allowed to vote and the others deadlocked 8–8, split between naming it "Steuben" or "Knox". The others finally agreed to allow the Messrs. Grisson to decide, and they choose the name of their hometown, Hamburg, Germany.

For more history, visit the Hamburg Historical Museum.
Business/Chamber of Commerce
Schools
Airport Services
Rail/Train Services
There is no existing train depot in Hamburg.

The Amtrak Train Service has a depot in Ann Arbor, Michigan for passenger rail services. A new rail project, theWashtenaw and Livingston Line (WALLY) Project, is currently being developed for passenger rail service from Howell, Michigan through Whitmore Lake and Hamburg to Ann Arbor.

There are several trains that carry raw materials such coal, oil, and chemicals  and other types of container cars that travel through Hamburg Township (the Tuscola & Saginaw Bay Railway owned by Federated Railways).
Public Transportation Services
Public schools provide bus transportation for school students in the Township.

The LETS (Livingston Essential Transportation Service)provides limited route door to door limited hours daytime transportation for Livingston County residents for a nominal fee. Trips must be scheduled a minimum of 24 hours ahead. Many County residents who are elderly, have disabilities, or do not drive use this service for medical appointments. Some special needs children (wheel chair dependent) use the LETS system for transportation to school.
There are several commerical cab and limosine service companies in Livingston County that service the Hamburg Township area.

There are no public transportation bus services in Livingston County.

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