Mackinac County

The county's name is shortened from "Michilimackinac", which referred to the Straits of Mackinac area as well as the French settlement at the tip of the lower peninsula. One of two U.S. counties to feature shorelines on two Great Lakes, being Lake Huron and Lake Michigan (the other county being neighboring Chippewa County).

• County — Mackinac County • State — Michigan • Established Title — Founded • Established Date — October 26, 1818 • Established Title1 — Organized • Established Date1 — 1849 • Seat Wl — St. Ignace • Largest City Wl — St. Ignace • Area Total Sq Mi — 2101 • Area Land Sq Mi — 1022 • Area Water Sq Mi — 1079 • Area Water Percent — 51% • Population As Of — 2020 • Population Total — 10834 • Pop Est As Of — 2025 • Population Est — 11236 • Population Density Sq Mi — auto • Time Zone — Eastern • Website — www.mackinaccounty.net • District — 1st • Named For — Straits of Mackinac

Michilimackinac County was created on October 26, 1818, by proclamation of territorial governor Lewis Cass. The county originally encompassed the Lower Peninsula of Michigan north of Macomb County and almost the entire present Upper Peninsula. As later counties were settled and organized, they were divided from this territory. On April 1, 1840, areas in the Lower Peninsula were laid off to create 30 new counties. By 1841, the County of Michilimackinac was confined to the Upper Peninsula and its nearby islands, bordering Chippewa and Menominee counties. On March 9, 1843, Michigan further divided the Upper Peninsula into six counties. At this time, the County of Michilimackinac more closely resembled its modern configuration, including only a portion of the Upper Peninsula closest to the Straits of Mackinac, plus several islands. At the time of founding, the county seat was the community of Michilimackinac Island on Michilimackinac Island, later known as Mackinac Island, Michigan. This has been an important center for fur trading before the 1830s, when European demand declined. The county was organized in 1849 as Mackinac County. In 1882 the county seat was moved from Mackinac Island to St. Ignace, Michigan, which had been founded as a French Jesuit mission village during the colonial years. Mackinac County is home to the Mackinac Bands of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians, a Native American state recognized tribe located in St. Ignace.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2101 sqmi, of which 1022 sqmi is land and 1079 sqmi (51%) is water. Mackinac County lies at the boundary of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. St. Ignace is the northern terminus of the Mackinac Bridge. Mackinac Island is within the county. Due to its sparse population, the county has no weather stations.

• Illustration — Taken on April 10, 2022, during Expedition 67 of the International Space Station; north is oriented to the right. Mackinac County's border with Emmet and Charlevoix counties is at the center. By land • Chippewa County (northeast) • Luce County (northwest) • Schoolcraft County (west) By water • Presque Isle County (southeast) • Cheboygan County (south) • Emmet County (south) • Charlevoix County (southwest)

• Hiawatha National Forest (part)

• Illustration — U.S. Census data map showing local municipal boundaries within Mackinac County. Shaded areas represent incorporated cities.

• Mackinac Island • St. Ignace (county seat)

• Bois Blanc Township • Brevort Township • Clark Township • Garfield Township • Hendricks Township • Holmes Township (Defunct) • Hudson Township • Marquette Township • Moran Township • Newton Township • Portage Township • St. Ignace Township

• Naubinway • Illustration — The coastline along Gros Cap, Michigan, in Moran Township, at sunset

• Allenville • Brevort • Caffey • Caffey Corner • Cedarville • Charles • Curtis • Engadine • Epoufette • Evergreen Shores • Garnet • Gilchrist • Gould City • Gros Cap • Hessel • Huntspur • Kenneth • Millecoquins • Moran • Ozark • Patrick Landing • Pickford • Pointe Aux Pins • Pontchartrain Shores • Port Dolomite • Port Inland • Rexton • Rockview • Simmons

• Mackinac Bands of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians • The Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, which is headquartered in Sault Ste. Marie in Chippewa County to the north, occupies two small territories within Mackinac County. One is located in St. Ignace Township about 3 mi north of the city of St. Ignace on the shores of Lake Huron. The other portion is located in rural northwest Clark Township.

• Illustration — 2020 population density of Mackinac County MI by census block

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 10,834. The median age was 53.7 years, 16.3% of residents were under the age of 18, and 29.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.7 males age 18 and over. The racial makeup of the county was 74.6% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 15.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 8.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.5% of the population. 25.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 74.7% lived in rural areas. There were 5,040 households in the county, of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.8% were married-couple households, 21.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 10,519 housing units, of which 52.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.3% were owner-occupied and 20.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.3%.

As of the 2010 United States census, Mackinac County had a population of 11,113, a decrease of 830 (-6.9%) from the 2000 census. There were 5,024 households and 3,219 families in the county. The population density was 11 /mi2. There were 11,010 housing units at an average density of 11 /mi2. Racially, 76.5% of the population were White, 17.3% Native American, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% of some other race and 5.3% of two or more races; 1.1% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). Culturally, 18.5% were of German, 8.8% English, 8.0% French, French Canadian or Cajun, 7.6% Irish and 5.1% Polish ancestry. In 2010, there were 5,024 households, of which 20.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.7. Among them, 18.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 19.3% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. The population was 50.5% male and 49.5% female. The median household income was $39,055 and the median family income was $50,984. The per capita income was $22,195. About 10.5% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Religiously, Christianity is the predominant religion for the county and region of the Upper Peninsula. Mackinac County is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette.

School districts include: K-12: • Engadine Consolidated Schools • Les Cheneaux Community Schools • Mackinac Island Public Schools • Pickford Public Schools • Rudyard Area Schools • St. Ignace Area Schools • Tahquamenon Area Schools Elementary: • Bois Blanc Pines School District • Moran Township School District

• The Mackinac Island Town Crier is the weekly seasonal newspaper of Mackinac Island. • The St. Ignace News is the weekly newspaper for the Upper Peninsula area of the Mackinac Straits.

The following television stations can be received in St. Ignace: • Channel 4:WTOM-TV "TV 7&4" (NBC) (Cheboygan) (simulcasted in Channel 7, Harrietta) • Channel 8:WGTQ "ABC 29&8" (ABC) (Goetzville) (simulcasted in Channel 29, Kalkaska) • Channel 10:WWUP-TV "9&10 News" (CBS) (Goetzville) (simulcasted in Channel 9, Tustin)

The following stations can be heard in St. Ignace:

• Call sign — Frequency — City broadcast from • WIAB — 88.5 — Mackinaw City • WSBX — 94.5 — Mackinaw City • WLXT — 96.3 — Petoskey • WWMK — 106.3 — Cheboygan • WAWM — 98.9 — Petoskey • WCBY - W264CF — 100.7 — St.Ignace, Michigan • WMKC — 102.9 — Indian River • WCMW — 103.9 — Harbor Springs • WKHQ — 105.9 — Petoskey

• Call sign — Frequency — City broadcast from • WTCM — 580 — Traverse City • WOUF — 750 — Petoskey • WIDG — 940 — St. Ignace • WWMN — 1100 — Petoskey • WCBY — 1240 — Cheboygan

• Illustration — Mackinac County Courthouse in St. Ignace Mackinac County is reliably Republican. Since the 1964 landslide of Lyndon B. Johnson, it has only supported a Democrat twice, and neither time with a majority of the vote. Bill Clinton won the county in his 1992 and 1996 victories; the latter remains the last time a Democratic presidential candidate has won the county. Republican 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.

• Prosecuting Attorney: J. Stuart Spencer • Sheriff: Edward Wilk • County Clerk: Hillary Vowell • County Treasurer: Jennifer Goudreau • Register of Deeds: Mary Jo Savard • County Surveyor: Jeffrey M. Davis (information as of April 2015)

There are 34 official state historical markers in the county: • Across the Peninsula • American Fur Company Store • Battlefield of 1814 • Biddle House • Bois Blanc Island • British Cannon • British Landing • Early Missionary Bark Chapel • Epoufette • Fort de Buade • Fort Holmes • Grand Hotel • Gros Cap Island & St. Helena Island • Historic Fort Mackinac • Indian Dormitory • Island House (Mackinac Island) • Lake Michigan • Lake View Hotel • Little Stone Church • Mackinac Conference • Mackinac Island • Mackinac Straits • Market Street • Mission Church • Mission House • Northernmost Point of Lake Michigan • Old Agency House • Round Island Lighthouse • Sainte Anne Church • St. Ignace • St. Ignace Mission • Skull Cave • Trinity Church (Mackinac Island) • Wawashkamo Golf Club

The Mackinac County Airport (83D) in St. Ignace and Mackinac Island Airport (MCD) on Mackinac Island are located within Mackinac County. The nearest airports with scheduled commercial passenger service are Chippewa County International Airport (CIU) in Sault Ste. Marie and Pellston Regional Airport (PLN).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * M-185 does not allow motor vehicles with the exception of emergency vehicles and service vehicles.

Numerous companies operate ferries to Bois Blanc Island and Mackinac Island. Ferries to and from Mackinac Island sail from St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, while the Bois Blanc Island ferry sails from Cheboygan.

• Canadian National Railway

• British Landing • Fort Mackinac • Garlyn Zoo • Straits State Park • Deer Ranch • Castle Rock (Michigan)