Mackinac Island, Michigan

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Mackinac Island, Michigan
—  City  —
Downtown Mackinac Island along M-185
Location of Mackinac Island, Michigan
Coordinates: 45°50′57″N 84°37′08″W / 45.84917°N 84.61889°W / 45.84917; -84.61889
Country United States
State Michigan
County Mackinac
Settled 1671
Incorporated 1899
Area
 • Total 5.6 sq mi (14.5 km2)
 • Land 4.4 sq mi (11.3 km2)
 • Water 1.2 sq mi (3.2 km2)  21.86%
Elevation 594 ft (181 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 492
 • Density 111.8/sq mi (43.5/km2)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 49757
Area code(s) 906
FIPS code 26-50280[1]
GNIS feature ID 1620659[2]
Website Official website

Mackinac Island (play /ˈmækɨnɔː/ mak-in-aw) is a city in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. In the 2010 census, the city had a permanent population of 492, although there are thousands more seasonal workers and tourists during the summer months. From 1818–1882, the city was the county seat of the former Michilimackinac County, which was later organized into Mackinac County with St. Ignace as the county seat. The city includes all of Mackinac Island and the unpopulated Round Island, which is federally owned and part of Hiawatha National Forest. The city also includes all of Mackinac Island State Park, which includes 80% of Mackinac Island and is governed by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission. The city is served by the Mackinac Island Public School.

A unique local ordinance prohibits the use of any motor vehicles on the island. The most common means of travel are foot, bicycle, or horseback. Certain enumerated exceptions include emergency vehicles, electric wheelchairs for those with disabilities, snowmobiles in winter, and golf carts for on-course use only. Mackinac Island is home to the famed Grand Hotel, where the 1980 movie Somewhere in Time was filmed. That film presents a rare exception in which motorized vehicles were allowed on the island.

Mackinac Island is also famous for the many fudge shops on the island. The island has a very large industry making fudge in a traditional manner, creating them on cold marble slabs. The many varieties are a delicious tourist draw and common gift throughout Michigan.*

Contents

[edit] Boating

Mackinac Island is the destination of both the annual Chicago to Mackinac Sailboat Race, run by the Chicago Yacht Club, and the annual Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race, sponsored by the Bayview Yacht Club of Detroit, Michigan.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.6 square miles (15 km2), of which, 4.4 square miles (11 km2) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) of it (21.86%) is water. Interestingly, the City of Mackinac Island not only exists on the island of the same name, but also takes in the entirety of nearby Round Island, situated in the Straits of Mackinac immediately to the south. Round Island is currently uninhabited and is owned by the U.S. Forest Service in its entirety, and is managed as part of the Hiawatha National Forest.

City & Harbor

The Michigan Legislature created the City of Mackinac Island in 1899 via L.A. 437 of 1899 as a "special charter city." At that time, all of nearby Round Island was included in the corporate limits, although for reasons not currently clear. While all of Mackinac Island, the landform, is located within the corporate limits of the City of Mackinac Island, 82 percent of the island's landmass is owned by the State of Michigan and managed by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission (MISPC), so that the City itself has direct jurisdiction over only 18 percent of the island, the remainder being under direct control of the Commission. The City and the Commission do, however, work together on the many issues affecting both the City and the State Park, such as the longtime ban on most motorized vehicles on the island.

[edit] Demographics

Grand Hotel

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 523 people, 252 households, and 143 families residing in the city. The population density was 119.8 people per square mile (46.2/km²). There were 565 housing units at an average density of 129.4 per square mile (49.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.72% White, 18.36% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 5.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.

There were 252 households out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.69.

In the city the population was spread out with 18.0% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 109.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,964, and the median income for a family was $50,536. Males had a median income of $39,219 versus $25,313 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,965. About 1.4% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Housing

In addition to the permanent residences, there is dormitory-style housing throughout the city for the seasonal employees of the tourist industry, generally provided by the local businesses.

[edit] Education

The island is served by the Mackinac Island Public School.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 45°50′57″N 84°37′08″W / 45.84917°N 84.61889°W / 45.84917; -84.61889

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