Located near the center of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, the city is located mostly in Clare County, while a small portion extends south into Isabella County.

The convergence of these highways as well as the historic junction of the Ann Arbor and Pere Marquette railroads has led to the city being nicknamed the "Crossroads of Michigan".

[7][8] Clare was founded with the coming of the Pere Marquette railroad in 1870.

[2] The south branch of the Tobacco River flows through the city and also contains Lake Shamrock.

[10] This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters.

[11] As of the census[14] of 2010, there were 3,118 people, 1,354 households, and 764 families residing in the city.

36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,173 people, 1,380 households, and 783 families residing in the city.

38.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.