Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Traverse City, MI: what to set up and who to call
Traverse City runs its own electric utility, City of Traverse City; its homes paid 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025. Elections in Traverse City are run by Traverse City itself; register with the Traverse City City Clerk.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Traverse City, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Traverse City.
Power comes from City of Traverse City
City of Traverse City (City of Traverse City - (MI)), a municipal utility, serves all of Traverse City. Its homes paid an average of 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025, about $71 a month (its average across Michigan).
Start or move service: www.traversecitymi.gov · (231) 922-4940
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Traverse City water system
The Traverse City water system supplies almost all of Traverse City. It draws surface water and serves 14,532 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 4.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 6.0 ppb. That’s higher than 87% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MI0006640.
6 home internet providers serve Traverse City
98% of 6,088 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 19% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 94% | 1,000/35 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless, DSL | 50% | 100/20 |
| Michigan Broadband Service | Fiber | 20% | 1,000/1,000 |
| 186networks | Fixed wireless | 89% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 77% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 59% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash day in Traverse City depends on your street
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Traverse City, from the town’s own site.
Your pickup week
- TrashEvery week, on your street’s dayLook up your day on traversecitymi.gov
From traversecitymi.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Traverse City is in Traverse City Area Public Schools.
A−School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Nov 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Traverse City spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Traverse City residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Traverse City | ZIP’s residents in Traverse City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49684 | Traverse City, MI | 52% | 37% |
| 49686 | Traverse City, MI | 48% | 29% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Traverse City
Who supplies Traverse City’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Traverse City water system (EPA ID MI0006640). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 4.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Traverse City?
City of Traverse City (City of Traverse City - (MI)), a municipal utility. Its homes paid about 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Traverse City?
Spectrum, AT&T, Michigan Broadband Service, 186networks, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Traverse City?
49684 (52%), 49686 (48%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Traverse City in?
Traverse City Area Public Schools.
How do I register to vote in Traverse City?
In Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Traverse City City Clerk. Check your registration at mvic.sos.state.mi.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: Traverse City’s own website (traversecitymi.gov), read Oct 21, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.