This paper presents in-depth case studies of climate adaptation in two Michigan cities, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids. We identify eight factors that determine cities’ ability to respond to climate impacts (determinants of adaptive capacity), and gather data from 46 interviews with officials from local government and non-governmental organizations. We propose a framework for analyzing adaptive capacity (AC) not only in our case cities but also in other Great Lakes cities, highlighting the influence of and relationships between eight determinants of adaptive capacity—institutions, infrastructure, wealth and financial capital, social capital, political capital, human capital, information, and technology. We identify adaptation activities these cities are undertaking, highlight the factors contributing to their success, and consider constraints to future adaptation that both our case cities and other cities may experience