Eagle River, Michigan | |
|---|---|
 Keweenaw County Courthouse in Eagle River | |
 Location withinKeweenaw County | |
  Eagle River Location within the state of Michigan Show map of Michigan Eagle River Location within the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:47°24′50″N88°17′44″W / 47.41389°N 88.29556°W /47.41389; -88.29556 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Keweenaw |
| Townships | Allouez andHoughton |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.22 sq mi (16.12 km2) |
| • Land | 6.20 sq mi (16.07 km2) |
| • Water | 0.019 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 650 ft (200 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 65 |
| • Density | 10.5/sq mi (4.05/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | 49950 (Mohawk) |
| Area code | 906 |
| GNIS feature ID | 625096[2] |
Eagle River is anunincorporated community andcensus-designated place (CDP) in theU.S. state ofMichigan. It is thecounty seat ofKeweenaw County.[3] Its population was 65 at the2020 census,[4] which makes it by far the least-populated county seat in the state of Michigan.[5] As an unincorporated community, Eagle River has no legal autonomy and is part ofAllouez Township andHoughton Township.
Eagle River was a boom town of the copper mining era in the Keweenaw. Copper was discovered in 1845 at the Cliff Range nearby, the so-called "Cliff Lode". The land of the Eagle River community had been leased by the Keweenaw Copper Company in 1843. It was later platted by the Phoenix Company and sold as individual lots. The first postmaster was named on October 24, 1845. It was part ofHoughton County until Keweenaw County was organized in1861. The profitability of the area's copper mines had begun to decline sharply by around 1870.
TheEagle River Timber Bridge is a woodenarch bridge that carries highwayM-26 over theEagle River. It opened in 1990 as a replacement for the historicLake Shore Drive Bridge that runs parallel to it.
Eagle River is home to the Holy Transfiguration Skete, aByzantine Catholic monastery and community, which is known for producing jams and other foodstuffs from berries collected in the nearby forests. Holy Transfiguration is one of only a few Byzantine Catholic monasteries in the United States.
The community of Eagle River was listed as a newly-organizedcensus-designated place for the2010 census, meaning it now has officially defined boundaries and population statistics for the first time.[6]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Eagle River has a total area of 5.96 square miles (15.44 km2), of which 5.94 square miles (15.38 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) (0.34%) is water.
Eagle River is listed as being part of bothAllouez Township andHoughton Township. Only a very small portion of 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) and no residents are within the Allouez Township portion of the community, while the majority of land and all residents are within Houghton Township.[7]
The community is onM-26 on the north side of theKeweenaw Peninsula on the shores ofLake Superior. It is about 27 miles (43 km) northeast ofHoughton and is situated on the mouth of theEagle River. The Mohawk 49950ZIP Code serves the community.
The decommissionedEagle River Light is on the west bank of the river on a sand bluff overlooking Lake Superior, although the view is partially obscured by condominiums.
As of 2020, its population was 65. Its median household income was $57,500.[4]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 65 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] | |||
Municipalities and communities ofKeweenaw County, Michigan,United States | ||
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| Village |  | |
| Civil townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
