Nestled in the heart of southwest Michigan, Decatur offers visitors a unique opportunity… the opportunity to slow down and enjoy a different pace of life. While we’d like you to notice our beautiful parks and our quaint downtown district, we’re certain that what you’ll notice most is how relaxing and friendly our community is. At a time when lifestyles are too busy to even make eye contact with someone on the street, our residents take a different attitude, one that starts with a smile and a hearty “Hello.”
Decatur is situated on I-94 midway between Detroit and Chicago. A quick 30 minutes from Kalamazoo or Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, Decatur offers visitors a great central location to shopping, antiquing, golfing and more. Come stay at one of our many family-friendly campgrounds, take a dip at our Red Woolfe Park beach, laze near one of the dozen lakes that surround Decatur, or set out for an afternoon of fun at a local U-pick Farm. Whatever is on your agenda, we’re sure you’ll find Decatur is a great place to start.
POPULATION
AREA | CENSUS 1990 | CENSUS 2000 | CENSUS 2010 | CENSUS 2020 |
Village of Decatur | 1,760 | 1,858 | 1,819 | 1,651 |
Decatur Township | 3,269 | 2,916 | 3,726 | 3,575 |
Van Buren County | 70,060 | 76,263 | 76,258 | 75,587 |
UTILITIES
UTILITY | COMPANY |
Electric | Michigan Power Company (AEP) |
Gas | Consumers Energy Company |
Phone | Frontier |
Water | Village of Decatur |
Sewer | Village of Decatur |
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
- First State Bank
- Honor Credit Union
INSTITUTION | LOCATION | WEBSITE |
Western Michigan | Kalamazoo | www.wmich.edu |
Kalamazoo College | Kalamazoo | www.kzoo.edu |
KVCC | Kalamazoo | www.kvcc.edu |
Davenport College | Kalamazoo | www.davenport.edu |
Notre Dame | South Bend | www.nd.edu |
Andrews University | Berrien Springs | www.andrews.edu |
Lake Michigan University | Benton Harbor | www.lmc.cc.mi.us |
Hope College | Holland | www.hope.edu |
Southwestern Michigan College | Dowagiac | www.swmich.edu |
HOSPITALS
HOSPITAL | LOCATION | DISTANCE |
Bronson-Lakeview | Paw Paw | 8 Miles |
Borgess-Lee Memorial | Dowagiac | 15 Miles |
Bronson | Kalamazoo | 30 Miles |
Borgess | Kalamazoo | 35 Miles |
VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
Van Buren Vocational-Technical Center located in Lawrence (15 miles) provides programs for high school students in agriculture, business, and office, communications and media, construction, health, manufacturing, marketing and distribution, science and technology, personal service and transportation; evening adult vocational-technical education and high school completion courses.
CHURCHESThere are 7 Catholic and 70 Protestant churches located in Van Buren County. The nearest synagogue is in Kalamazoo. Inside the Village, there are 12 churches varying in denominations.
RECREATIONDecatur opportunities include five parks, one lake for swimming, boating and diving, and campgrounds. Nearby Lake Michigan and Van Buren State Park offer beaches, swimming, sand dunes, camping, nature trails, fishing, marinas, picnicking, cross-country skiing, and snowmobile trails. Within the county, there are six golf courses; the 34-mile Kal-Haven Trail; numerous inland lakes, rivers, and streams; downhill skiing, and two museums.
Lake of the Woods Improvement Association: www.lakeofthewoodsmi.org