Map of Wixom city

Wixom (/wɪksəm/ WICK-səm) is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population of Wixom was 17,193 at the 2020 census. As a western suburb of Metro Detroit, Wixom is about 20 miles (32.2 km) northwest of the city of Detroit.

The city was home to the now-demolished Wixom Assembly Plant, which operated from 1957–2007. The city is also home to several production and manufacturing businesses, including Trijicon, Discraft, NGK, and Majic Window.

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History

The settlement of Wixom dates back to 1831. In the beginning, Wixom was named Sibley’s Corners after the first settler, 20 year old philanthropist Alonzo Sibley. Sibley settled in what is today called Commerce Township, where he purchased approximately 80 acres of land. Over time, Sibley purchased about 350 more acres of land. In 1837 Sibley donated a portion of his property for a local cemetery; which was called South Commerce Burial Ground; however, was later changed to Wixom Cemetery. Sibley then became the president of the cemetery association.

The establishment of Wixom as a place started in 1871 when Willard Clark Wixom (son of Ahijah C. Wixom and Lucy Clark) granted a right of way through his property for the Holly, Wayne and Monroe Railroad. Willard platted land on both sides of the railroad near the Novi and Commerce Township border. In 1883, Willard opened his property up to become an important railroad junction to make way for the Michigan Airline Railroad Grand Trunk Western Railroad. With the new junction, Willard located the railroad station, union depot (called Wixom Station) and mail drop at the intersection of his property. The construction of the railroad junction attracted many new business investments, stores, a lumber yard and a cider mill ultimately turning this small village into Michigan’s largest grain produce handling points. The name of the town was then change from Sibley’s Corners to Wixom. Sadly on Christmas Eve 1901 Willard was struck and killed by a passenger train while crossing the tracks in his horse and buggy.

The village of Wixom was incorporated in the 1950s following the announcement of plans to construct the Wixom Assembly Plant in Novi Township. Prior to that time, Wixom was an unincorporated place. The village borders included portions of both Novi and Commerce Townships. Efforts by the remainder of Novi Township to incorporate as a village prompted the newly established village of Wixom to incorporate as a city. The city largely follows the borders of the village although a small area of parkland on the north side of the city was annexed from Commerce Township in the 1970s.

On November 13, 1996, Gerald Atkins “shot his way” (according to eyewitness reports) into the Ford Wixom Assembly Plant plant with a CAR-15 semi-automatic rifle, eventually killing plant manufacturing manager Darrell Izzard (aged 57) in a hallway; the shooter wounded three others. Fleeing the plant, Atkins hid in storm drain tunnels while law enforcement surrounded the plant and trained their weapons from as far away as the Interstate 96 freeway. Hours later he surrendered.

Wixom Road Map

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Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.37 square miles (24.27 km), of which 9.15 square miles (23.70 km) is land and 0.21 square miles (0.54 km) is water.

See also