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is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 47,386. In 2007, the city completed a special census which places the current population at 52,231. The city is located approximately northwest from the center of Detroit. The city is located within the boundaries of the survey township of Novi Township. Presently, the remaining unincorporated township is only a tiny fraction surrounded by the city.
Novi is one of the fastest growing cities in Michigan. The construction of Twelve Oaks Mall in the 1970s made the city a major shopping destination in the Detroit metropolitan area and is often credited with ushering in an era of growth that continues to this day (although, in fact, the community had been growing rapidly since the 1950s). This growth has led to substantial increases in the city's population, as well as commercial and industrial developments in the city.
The City of Novi was incorporated in 1969 after the approval of a city charter by Village of Novi voters. The approval of incorporation and the city charter followed several previous attempts at incorporation that were rejected by Novi voters. The city was incorporated along the boundaries of the existing Village of Novi. In the 1970s, the city annexed portions of Novi Township that had been detached from the Village of Novi after the village incorporated in 1958. A lengthy legal battle ensued between the city and the township which ultimately was decided by the Michigan Supreme Court in favor of the city. The legal disputes around the annexation battles were not fully resolved until 1984.
The name Novi was taken from the township, which was organized in 1832 from Farmington Township. The name was offered by resident Dr. J. C. Emery, at the suggestion of his wife. Residents were reportedly looking for a shorter name than Farmington.
Several popular but historically inaccurate explanations have been given for the origin of the name Novi. One version is that it was named after the 6th tollgate (No. VI) on the Grand River toll road. However, the township was named in 1832 and the toll road was not constructed until the 1850s. A similar claim is made about the township being stop number 6 on the railroad. However, the Holly, Wayne and Monroe Railway (now CSX Transportation) was not constructed through the township until 1870–71, almost 40 years after it was named.