Muskegon Heights is bordered on the north by Muskegon and on the south by Norton Shores, and is four miles from the shores of Lake Michigan. Early in the 20th century, it developed quietly as a suburban enclave for the middle management and more upscale workers in the mills and factories then located in downtown Muskegon. It was chartered in 1903, and with its broad streets and unique architecture, Muskegon Heights continued as a pleasant bedroom community for several years. Gradually, industries moved into the Heights, and it became home to two large foundries, auto manufacturing plants, the Alaskan Refrigeration Company, and the Shaw Electric Crane Company (now Lift-Tech International), makers of the first crane to help build the Panama Canal.

Then, in the 1960s and 1970s, Muskegon Heights, once an attractive suburb, fell victim to outmigration as people moved to newer, more beautiful outlying suburbs. That was the first blow. In the 1980s and 1990s, the second blow landed, as the automotive industry began to leave west Michigan, taking with it thousands of jobs. Without jobs, people left. Without people, businesses left. What remained were blocks of empty storefronts and boarded-up buildings. Blight took over.

Today, the Heights is making a comeback. The Muskegon Heights Downtown Development Authority and many community development organizations are working together to bring new businesses and new vitality back to the area. The city is now home to a global manufacturing company, a large communications firm, and several more diverse, high-tech companies. A new, state-of-the-art high school stands as a testament to Muskegon Heights’ renewed commitment to the importance of a good education. Renovation projects are also returning the city to its earlier charm.