Fenton, Michigan
Fenton is a booming Genesee County community located near several exits along U.S. 23, which provides residents easy access to Ann Arbor, Flint, Lansing and Detroit.
Home to the popular gourmet French Laundry restaurant, Fenton’s core is a mix of retail and housing on beautifully rolling land.
Originally named “Dibbleville” after Clark Dibble, the area’s first settler, local legend says the community was renamed “Fenton” as the result of a card game won by William M. Fenton. The city’s main street, LeRoy Street, was named after the game’s loser, Robert LeRoy. Dibbleville remains as the name of one of Fenton’s oldest neighborhoods.
An urban renewal project in the 1960s took down four blocks of Fenton’s downtown. After a period of struggle, the community bounced back from the loss; the restored health of its downtown is seen in a number of popular community events, including a thriving farmers market that draws visitors from throughout the area during the season, the wildly popular Fourth of July festival, the Taste of Fenton, Art in the Park, and the Jingle Fest and a New Year’s Eve celebrations during the holidays.
Fenton’s beautiful public spots include its Community Center, which was designed by Eliel Saarinen, designer of the renowned Cranbrook educational campus in Bloomfield Hills.
The Fenton Area Public Schools District is a huge draw for families. It’s the first district in Michigan to receive the prestigious International Baccalaureate designation district-wide. International Baccalaureate offers a rigorous program of international education to a community of schools in over 140 countries.