Chippewa County, Michigan

Chippewa County, Michigan
Logo
Location in the state of Michigan
Michigan's location in the U.S.
Founded	1826
Seat	Sault Ste. Marie
Largest city	Sault Ste. Marie
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	2,697.98 sq mi (6,988 km²) 1,561.06 sq mi (4,043 km²) 1,136.92 sq mi (2,945 km²), 42.14%
Population  - (2000)  - Density	38,543 26/sq mi (10/km²)
Website	www.chippewacountymi.gov

Chippewa County Courthouse, Sault Ste. Marie

Chippewa County, Michigan from 1904 Michigan County Maps

Chippewa County is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 38,543. The county seat is Sault Ste. Marie.

Geography

• According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 2,697.98 square miles (6,987.7 km²), of which 1,561.06 square miles (4,043.1 km²) (or 57.86%) is land and 1,136.92 square miles (2,944.6 km²) (or 42.14%) is water.
• The Michigan Meridian runs through the eastern portion of the county. South of Nine Mile Road, M-129 (Meridian Road) overlays the meridian. In Sault Ste. Marie, Meridian Street north of 12th Avenue overlays the meridian.

Transportation

Michigan State Trunklines

All Interstate and US Highways in Michigan, like all state-maintained highways, are part of the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System.

• I-75 ends at the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge at the Canada border.
• M-28
• M-48
• M-80
• M-123
• M-129
• M-134
• M-221
• BS I-75 travels from I-75 into downtown Sault Ste. Marie.

County-Designated Highways

The following highways are maintained by the Chippewa County Road Commission as part of the county road system. They are assigned numbers by the Michigan Department of Transportation as part of the County-Designated Highway System.

• H-40
• H-63 runs via Mackinac Trail, the former route of US 2 before it was replaced by I-75 in 1962.

In addition, the county road commission jointly maintains Whitefish Bay National Forest Scenic Byway, a National Forest Scenic Byway with the US Forest Service.

Adjacent counties

• Algoma District, Ontario, Canada (northeast, east)
• Manitoulin District, Ontario, Canada (east)
• Presque Isle County (southeast, water boundary only, in Lake Huron)
• Mackinac County (south)
• Luce County (west)

National protected areas

• Harbor Island National Wildlife Refuge
• Hiawatha National Forest (part)
• Whitefish Point Unit of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge

State of Michigan game areas

• Munuscong Bay

This bay is open for recreation uses, such as hunting, boating and bird watching. The area is particularly known for its duck hunting, including mallards, divers and green-winged teal ducks. The Bay is most known for its icefishing and duck hunting. During opening weekend of duck season(late September)hundreds of hunters come from all over the state to begin there season on the Bay.^{[citation needed]} This area has many types of waterfowl pass through it each year on their southern and northern migrations

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census indicates Chippewa County had a 2010 population of 38,520. This is a decrease of -23 people from the 2000 United States Census. Overall, the county had a -0.1% growth rate during this ten year period. In 2010 there were 14,329 households and 9,106 families in the county. The population density was 24.7 per square mile (9.5 square kilometers). There were 21,253 housing units at an average density of 13.6 per square mile (5.3 square kilometers). The racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 71.5% White, 6.5% Black or African American, 15.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 1.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races.

There were 14,329 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were husband and wife families, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.5% were non-families, and 29.5% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county the population was spread out with 20.1% under age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 122.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 127.4 males.

The 2010 American Community Survey 3-year estimate indicates the median income for a household in the county was $39,351 and the median income for a family was $54,625. Males had a median income of $25,760 versus $16,782 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,334. About 2.3% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.0% of those under the age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

Chippewa County elected officials

• Prosecuting Attorney: Brian Peppler
• Sheriff: Robert Savoie
• County Clerk: Diane Cork
• County Treasurer: Marilyn McDonald
• Register of Deeds: Sharon Kennedy
• Drain Commissioner: Anthony Bosley
• County Surveyor: William Karr

(information updated July 2010)

Cities, villages, and townships

Cities

• Sault Ste. Marie

Villages

• De Tour Village

Unincorporated communities

Barbeau Bay Mills Bay Mills Indian Community

Brimley Dafter Drummond

Keldon Kincheloe Paradise

Pickford Rudyard Stirlingville

Townships

Bay Mills Township Bruce Township Chippewa Township Dafter Township Detour Township

Drummond Township Hulbert Township Kinross Charter Township

Pickford Township Raber Township Rudyard Township Soo Township Sugar Island Township

Superior Township Trout Lake Township Whitefish Township

See also

• Delirium Wilderness
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Chippewa County, Michigan

External links

• Chippewa County Government
• Clarke Historical Library, Central, Michigan University, Bibliography for Chippewa County