Brief History
Novi’s Grand River Road was first surveyed in 1832 as a link between Detroit and Lake Michigan. Built over an old Indian trail, the road was an important east-west highway throughout the nineteenth century. The small village of Novi grew up along the road and remained a small farming community until the 1950s, when the Michigan State Highway Department greatly developed the highways and interstates in the region making Novi much more accessible to Detroit. The village began to grow rapidly until it had become a “bedroom community” of commuters to the big city. After two unsuccessful attempts in 1959 and 1962, Novi was incorporated in 1969. The name Novi was taken from the township, which was organized in 1832 from Farmington Township. The name was offered by resident Dr. J.C. Emory, at the suggestion of his wife. Residents were reportedly looking for a shorter name than Farmington. Several popular but historically inaccurate explanations have been given for the origin of the name Novi. One version is that it was named after the 6th tollgate on the Grand River toll road (No. VI). However, the township was named in 1832 and the toll road wasn’t constructed until the 1850s. A similar claim is made about the Township being stop number 6 on the railroad. However, the railroad was not constructed through the Township until 1870 – 1871, almost 40 years after it was named.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Novi has a total area of 31.3 mi². 30.4 mi² of it is land and 0.9 mi² of it is water. The total area is 2.74% water. Walled Lake is the largest lake in Novi. It also serves as the headwaters of the Middle Branch of the Rouge River. Shawood Lake lies just southwest of Walled Lake. Most of Novi lies within the Rouge River watershed. However, some areas on the north and west side of Novi are part of the Huron River watershed.
Special Events
The highlight of Novi’s social calendar is its “Music & Motor Festival,” held annually at the Novi Expo Center. The Expo Center is host to convention-style events year round.
Shopping
Novi is home to Twelve Oaks Mall, the primary shopping location in the area, West Oaks, Novi Town Center, and Fountain Walk, the area’s largest shopping outlets.
Restaurants
Novi is home to some of metro Detroit’s finest dining, including Andiamo’s and Steve & Rocky’s.
Recreation
The area is also home to several recreation facilities, such as the Farmington Hills Ice Arena and Costick Activities Center. The William Costick Activities Center provides a community-oriented, multi-purpose facility where citizens of all ages from Farmington, Farmington Hills and surrounding communities can enjoy a wide variety of social, recreational and cultural activities, events, programs and services. It serves the recreational needs of local residents with a swimming pool, multi-purpose gymnasium, three soccer fields and meeting rooms. Farmington Hills’ Parks and Recreation officials take pride in offering diverse programming for those interested in hockey, softball, tennis, golf volleyball and soccer.
Location
Novi is ideally located approximately 35 miles west of the heart of downtown Detroit, and approximately 30 miles east of Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan. It is also approximately 25 miles from Metro Airport. It has convenient access to I-275, Michigan’s busiest expressway, I-696, which connects Novi to Troy, and I-96, which connects Detroit to Ann Arbor, Lansing and Grand Rapids.
Schools
Novi’s school system consistently ranks in the highest rating category of all schools in metro Detroit. Currently the district has over 6,000 students enrolled in five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. Some areas of Novi are served by other school districts, including the Northville school district, Walled Lake school district and the South Lyon school district.
Novi is home to several private schools, including Franklin Road Christian School, Koby International Academy, Novi Christian School, and Novi Northville Montessori Center.
Community Statistics
If you are new to the area, we thought it might be useful for you to see how the communities in our immediate area relate to one another in terms of pricing and how various subdivisions within the same city compare, as well as some other useful statistics and demographics. If you already live here, this information might be useful to help you understand the value of your home.
For the latest information please Email our Sales Dept.
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