Buchanan is in Berrien County, and in the West-Southwest Region. Buchanan is located southwest of Kalamazoo between Benton Harbor and the Indiana state line along US Highway 31 on the banks of the St Joseph River near Barron Lake and Lake Michigan.
Buchanan is part of the Benton Harbor, Michigan metro area.
The first pioneers began arriving in the area in 1833. Charles Cowles arrived from Vermont and was followed by John Hatfield and Russell McCoy. Buchanan was first named McCoy Creek and was settled on the 60-foot gradual drop in water level leading to the St. Joseph River. This gave the settlement a constant source of power provided by the water. In 1842 the area was platted as Buchanan by flour mill owner, John Hamilton. Hamilton named the community after soon to be president James Buchanan. The town of Buchanan was incorporated as a village in 1858 and later as a city in 1929.