Located on Lake Huron, it is an official Michigan Department of Natural Resources Harbor of Refuge.

Benjamin Harris and his sons, Levi and Henry, of West Bloomfield, New York bought out the partners.

A post office established on September 16, 1857, was named Harrisville, with Levi as the first postmaster.

[11][12] Ki Cuyler's Bar was a long time popular landmark which burnt in 2018.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.61 square miles (1.58 km2), all land.

The city is on the western shore of Lake Huron and has a harbor for recreational boaters.

[15] It is also a designated "Harbor of Refuge" on Lake Huron by the United States Coast Guard.

The town also boasts Harrisville State Park, which includes a wooded campground along the beach.

Sturgeon Point Light, a lighthouse and museum, is a few miles to the north, and is open to the public.

Harrisville is on the edge of Huron National Forest, which offers outdoor recreational opportunities such as hunting, swimming, cross-country skiing and trout fishing.

The Huron and Manistee National Forests were separately designated but were combined in 1945 for administrative purposes.

The Lake Huron beaches in and around Harrisville (including two state parks) have been recognized as being among the "top ten in Michigan."

[17] As of 2023, it is privately maintained by local citizens as part of the municipality's historical legacy.

[20][22][23] The racial makeup of the city was 97.6% White and 0.2% Black or African American, with 2.2% from two or more races.

People of English descent made up 25.8% of the population of the town, followed by German at 22.6%, Irish at 21.8%, Polish at 9.2%, Scottish at 6.4%, American at 6.2%, French at 6.0%, Czech at 5.0%, Italian at 4.0%, Dutch at 3.0%, French Canadian at 3.0%, Norwegian at 2.2%, Swedish at 1.6%, Hungarian at 1.0%, and Greek at 0.6%.