Free Online Michigan City Directories

The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is August 2025)

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City and business directories are available online from all over the U.S. and are another important source of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.

This activity of presenting links is a collaborative effort between The Ancestor Hunt and Miriam Robbins. For years, Miriam has made available the Online Historical Directories website, which presents links to directories of all types that are available online, including free collections as well as those available only via subscription. I wish to thank Miriam for her help in launching this category of records at The Ancestor Hunt.

So, what kinds of directories are available to the researcher?  Naturally city and business directories, but also telephone directories, and alumni, farm, lodge, rural, and social directories.

What can you find in these records? How about:

  • Full names, including middle names
  • Spouse name
  • Occupation
  • Widows, working women, and adult children at home.
  • Maps
  • Businesses (and index to advertisers).
  • Addresses and maps of churches, schools, funeral homes, cemeteries, post offices, courts, hospitals, benevolent associations, and newspapers.
  • Whether a woman is a widow (including the name of husband).
  • List of marriages and deaths of the previous year.
  • Death date.
  • etc.

Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching historical city and other directories:​

And here are various places where you can find other city directories online: 

Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page, under Film/Digital Notes, is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon to the right of the name (in the Format column), then the collection’s images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.

Michigan City Directories

Links to these free collections are presented initially with statewide collections, followed in alphabetical order by city or county. Generally, the publishing company is included in the reference to the collection, along with the collection title, and the date(s) of the directory:

Statewide

Adrian

Adrian and Hudson

Albion

Albion-Marshall

Allegan County

Ann Arbor

Antrim County

Baldwin

Bangor

    Baraga County

    Barry County

    Battle Creek

    Bay City

    Bay County

    Benton Harbor

    Bergland

    Berlin Township

    Berrien County

    Bessemer

    Bessemer Township

    Branch County

    Calhoun County

    Cass County

    Cheboygan County

    Clinton County

    Coldwater

    Detroit

    Eaton County

    Erwin Township

    Flint

    Genesee County

    Gogebic

    Gogebic County

    Grand Rapids

    Grand Rapids and Kent County

    Grand Traverse County

    Gratiot County

    Hersey

    Hillsdale

    Hillsdale County

    Houghton County

    Ingham County

    Ionia

    Ionia County

    Irondale

    Ironwood

    Ironwood Township

    Isabella County

    Jackson

    Jackson County

    Jessieville

    Kalamazoo

    Kalamazoo County

    Kent County

    Lansing

    Lapeer County

    Lenawee County

    Leroy

    Luther

    Macomb County

    Marenisco

    Marenisco Township

    Marshall

    Mecosta County

    Midland County

    Monroe County

    Montcalm County

    Muskegon

    Muskegon County

    Newaygo County

    Ottawa County

    Pontiac

    Port Huron

    Portsmouth

    Purtian

    Reed City

    Saginaw

    Saginaw County

      Sault Ste. Marie

      Shiawassee County

      Siemens

      St. Clair County

      St. Joseph

      St. Joseph County

      Three Rivers

      Traverse City

      Union City

      Van Buren County

      Wakefield

      Wakefield City

      Wakefield Township

      Washtenaw County

      Watersmeet

      Wenona


      For all Free Michigan Collection Links in 24 Genealogy Categories, go to the By Location Page, click on Michigan, and then click on the category of interest.

      Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

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