About Brightwater
The City of Innovation
Brightwater was founded in 1871 where the mill race met the falls, and the water that once turned grindstones now frames the busiest park in the county. We are a city of 52,400 that likes to build things: the first municipal fiber network in the region, a downtown innovation district in the old mill blocks, and a city hall that answers a service request in hours, not weeks.
We are big enough to have a symphony, a maker space, and forty-one miles of trail — and small enough that the mayor still judges the chili cook-off.
1871
incorporated at the falls of the Bright River
1,900+
local businesses, from bakeries to biotech
12 min
average commute — leave the second cup at home
City facts at a glance
Population 52,400 (2025 estimate). Area 18.4 square miles. 27 parks, 41 miles of trails, 3 fire stations, 1 very good library. Council–manager government with a seven-member council elected by ward.
Photo credits
Photography on this site is drawn from the Carol M. Highsmith Archive at the Library of Congress and is in the public domain. Locations depicted are illustrative of this demonstration city.