Harbor Springs is a city and resort community located in Emmet County, Michigan, within the United States. It sits on the north shore of Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan, occupying a sheltered bay that contains the deepest natural harbor on the Great Lakes. The area is part of the Mackinac Area of Northern Michigan and serves as a significant local hub for tourism and residential life in this region.

European-American settlement began with a mission by French Catholic Jesuits who named the area L'Arbre Croche, meaning Crooked Tree. French traders later called it Petit Traverse before eastern settlers incorporated the village as Harbor Springs in 1881. The federally recognized Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians are descendants of the numerous bands that occupied this area and maintain tribal offices here.

The community is defined by historic summer resorts like Wequetonsing, founded by Illinois businessmen connected to the Jacob Bunn industrial dynasty. Notable landmarks include the Little Traverse Lighthouse on Harbor Point and the hexagonal house built by Ephraim Shay, inventor of the Shay locomotive. The Douglas House, designed by Richard Meier, is listed as one of America's Favorite Architecture structures.

Harbor Springs attracts visitors with its historic summer resorts and cultural sites such as the Harbor Springs History Museum and the Andrew J. Blackbird Museum. The area offers recreational activities including skiing at Nub's Nob and Boyne Highlands, and summer bicycle or foot travel in the exclusive Harbor Point community where cars are prohibited during warmer months.

The population was 1,274 in the 2020 census, with the city covering 1.30 square miles of land. Access is provided via M-119 connecting to US 31 near Petoskey, with nearest commercial airports in Pellston and Traverse City. The climate is Humid Continental, classified as Dfb by the Köppen system, supporting the seasonal resort economy.