33.5 N Broad St

Hillsdale carries the quiet confidence of a county seat that has been doing things its own way since 1834. Tucked into the rolling hills of South Central Michigan near the Indiana and Ohio borders, this small city of roughly 8,000 residents balances small-town character with the intellectual energy that comes from hosting Hillsdale College, a nationally recognized private liberal arts institution. The college draws students and events from across the country, giving downtown Hillsdale on Howell Street a cultural pulse well beyond its size. Dozens of preserved Victorian-era homes line tree-lined streets, a lasting nod to the city's prosperous railroad days of the late 19th century.

Neighborhoods here range from historic residential blocks near the college to quieter areas closer to Baw Beese Lake.