About the City of Dowagiac, MI
Dowagiac is situated at the corner of four townships: Wayne Township to the northeast, LaGrange Township to the southeast, Pokagon Township to the southwest, and Silver Creek Township to the northwest. Dowagiac is a bedroom community to Kalamazoo and the South Bend, Granger and Mishawaka, refered to as Michiana.
“The citizens of Dowagiac are dedicated to saving and building on their historical heritage, while at the same time embracing and encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit that creates opportunities for all of her citizens.
With excellent schools, an outstanding community college, a quality full-service hospital, a healthy industrial and commercial base and a community wide commitment to the arts, Dowagiac has all the amenities of a city many times its size while retaining and enjoying its small town warmth and charm.” – Donald D. Lyons, Mayor
Business in Dowagiac
Schools
- Southwestern Michigan College
- Dowagiac-Union Schools
- Lewis Cass Intermediate School District (special education, instructional services, and career technical education coordination for local Cass and Berrien County school districts)
Cultural Venues
Lakes
These clean and mostly spring-fed lakes are popular summer and weekend retreats for residents of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and eastern Michigan because of the easy weekend commute. The most popular lakes in the Dowagiac zipcode are:
- Dewey Lake
- Indian Lake
- Magician Lake
- Sister Lakes
- Twin Lakes
Parks & Recreation
The parks of Cass County Michigan are one of the little-known natural wonders of southwestern Lower Michigan. Cass County’s mission is to provide quality park facilities for all segments of our population. They strive to enhance the quality of life for county residents and park visitors through active citizen involvement, planned growth, and professional stewardship of Cass County parks. Check out the diverse number of recreational activities offered by Cass County Parks & Recreation Department.
Air Transportation
Dowagiac Municipal Airport has a 4,700-foot (1,400 m) long paved runway for private pilots, and a turf runway, as well.
Highways
The city is at the junction of M-51 and M-62. M-51 connects with Niles 17 miles (27 km) to the southwest and with I-94 21 miles (34 km) to the northeast. M-62 connects with Cassopolis eight miles (13 km) to the southeast and with M-140 nine miles (14 km) to the west.
Bus Transportation
One of the oldest dial-a-ride services in Michigan, Dowagiac DART began service in June 1975 with a three bus fleet. The service is provided to the community of Dowagiac with service extended out to Southwestern Michigan College. The service is provided by the city administration and is operated from a multi-modal terminal located on an Amtrak line. In its former life, the building was originally a Michigan Central, and later a Penn Central, train station. The building has been preserved and is carefully maintained by the City of Dowagiac.
Rail Transportation
Dowagiac is served by Amtrak trains with daily service to Chicago and Detroit. The historic depot is located at 200 Depot Drive in the downtown area. Baggage cannot be checked at this location; however, up to two suitcases in addition to any personal items such as briefcases, purses, laptop bags, and infant equipment are allowed aboard as carry-ons.
