Antrim County, Michigan | |
|---|---|
 Antrim County Courthouse | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMichigan | |
 Michigan's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:45°01′N85°11′W / 45.01°N 85.18°W /45.01; -85.18 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | 1840 (authorized) 1863 (organized)[1] |
| Named after | County Antrim |
| Seat | Bellaire |
| Largest village | Elk Rapids |
| Area | |
• Total | 602 sq mi (1,560 km2) |
| • Land | 476 sq mi (1,230 km2) |
| • Water | 126 sq mi (330 km2) 21% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 23,431 |
• Estimate (2024) | 24,536 |
| • Density | 49.2/sq mi (19.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | https://www.antrimcounty.org/ |
Antrim County (/ˈæntrəm/AN-trəm) is acounty located in theU.S. state ofMichigan. As of the2020 census, the population was 23,431.[2] Thecounty seat isBellaire.[3] The name is taken fromCounty Antrim inNorthern Ireland. Antrim County is home toTorch Lake, Michigan's deepest and second-largestinland lake. Torch Lake, famous for its clear and blue waters,[4][5][6] is part of theChain of Lakes Watershed, most of which lies within Antrim County. The county is bordered to the west byGrand Traverse Bay, a bay ofLake Michigan.
Meegisee County (/miːɡəsi/MEE-gə-see) was separated fromMichilimackinac County as an unorganized county in 1840.[7][8] It took its name from aChippewa chief who signed the1821 Treaty of Chicago and the 1826Treaty of Mississinewas. Meegisee also derives from theOjibwemigizi, meaningbald eagle.[9] The county was renamedAntrim County in 1843,[7] one of the Irish names given to five renamed Michigan counties at that time, supposedly in deference to the increasing number of settlers of Irish heritage in Michigan at that time. In the text of the 1843 legislative act, the name was misspelled as "Antim".[1] In 1851, for governmental purposes, Antrim County was attached toGrand Traverse County.[10]
Separate county government was organized in 1863.[1][11] The county seat was originally located in Elk Rapids, but was moved to Bellaire in 1904 after 25 years of litigation.[12] In 1950 its population was 10,721.[13]
YMCA Camp Hayo-Went-Ha, the oldest American summer camp that sits on its original site, was opened on the shore ofTorch Lake in Central Lake Township in 1904.
Antrim County, which has reliably elected Republicans, was in national headlines during the 2020 presidential election because theunofficial tally showed Biden surprisingly ahead on election night. When the County Clerk realized that it was caused by human error, she corrected the tally before submitting to the Secretary of State forcertification. Nonetheless, this error and arelated lawsuit have been cited in multiple election conspiracies.[14]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 602 square miles (1,560 km2), of which 476 square miles (1,230 km2) is land and 126 square miles (330 km2) (21%) is water.[15]
Antrim County is flanked to the west byGrand Traverse Bay, a bay ofLake Michigan. Most of the bodies of water within theChain of Lakes, includingTorch Lake, are within Antrim County.
By land
By water
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 179 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,985 | 1,008.9% | |
| 1880 | 5,237 | 163.8% | |
| 1890 | 10,413 | 98.8% | |
| 1900 | 16,568 | 59.1% | |
| 1910 | 15,692 | −5.3% | |
| 1920 | 11,543 | −26.4% | |
| 1930 | 9,979 | −13.5% | |
| 1940 | 10,964 | 9.9% | |
| 1950 | 10,721 | −2.2% | |
| 1960 | 10,373 | −3.2% | |
| 1970 | 12,612 | 21.6% | |
| 1980 | 16,194 | 28.4% | |
| 1990 | 18,185 | 12.3% | |
| 2000 | 23,110 | 27.1% | |
| 2010 | 23,580 | 2.0% | |
| 2020 | 23,431 | −0.6% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 24,536 | [16] | 4.7% |
| US Decennial Census[17] 1790-1960[18] 1900-1990[19] 1990-2000[20] 2010-2018[2] | |||
As of the2010 United States census, there were 23,580 people, 9,890 households, and 6,925 families in the county. By 2020, its population was 23,431.
Antrim County has been reliably Republican since its organization. Since 1884 its voters have selected the Republican Party nominee in 94% (34 of 36) of the national elections through 2024.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1884 | 1,066 | 58.44% | 721 | 39.53% | 37 | 2.03% |
| 1888 | 1,305 | 56.74% | 881 | 38.30% | 114 | 4.96% |
| 1892 | 1,140 | 52.17% | 814 | 37.25% | 231 | 10.57% |
| 1896 | 1,886 | 58.05% | 1,228 | 37.80% | 135 | 4.16% |
| 1900 | 2,575 | 74.90% | 729 | 21.20% | 134 | 3.90% |
| 1904 | 2,608 | 82.90% | 436 | 13.86% | 102 | 3.24% |
| 1908 | 2,020 | 73.21% | 574 | 20.80% | 165 | 5.98% |
| 1912 | 603 | 24.22% | 450 | 18.07% | 1,437 | 57.71% |
| 1916 | 1,336 | 53.91% | 932 | 37.61% | 210 | 8.47% |
| 1920 | 2,260 | 77.53% | 518 | 17.77% | 137 | 4.70% |
| 1924 | 2,246 | 76.79% | 371 | 12.68% | 308 | 10.53% |
| 1928 | 2,756 | 84.46% | 484 | 14.83% | 23 | 0.70% |
| 1932 | 2,308 | 55.51% | 1,686 | 40.55% | 164 | 3.94% |
| 1936 | 2,391 | 51.89% | 2,032 | 44.10% | 185 | 4.01% |
| 1940 | 3,027 | 66.48% | 1,497 | 32.88% | 29 | 0.64% |
| 1944 | 2,626 | 67.66% | 1,206 | 31.07% | 49 | 1.26% |
| 1948 | 2,588 | 67.24% | 1,129 | 29.33% | 132 | 3.43% |
| 1952 | 3,533 | 76.50% | 1,046 | 22.65% | 39 | 0.84% |
| 1956 | 3,623 | 72.34% | 1,376 | 27.48% | 9 | 0.18% |
| 1960 | 3,398 | 67.26% | 1,647 | 32.60% | 7 | 0.14% |
| 1964 | 2,172 | 44.66% | 2,684 | 55.19% | 7 | 0.14% |
| 1968 | 3,002 | 59.23% | 1,690 | 33.35% | 376 | 7.42% |
| 1972 | 4,068 | 64.77% | 2,000 | 31.84% | 213 | 3.39% |
| 1976 | 4,369 | 58.11% | 3,032 | 40.33% | 117 | 1.56% |
| 1980 | 4,706 | 56.26% | 2,909 | 34.78% | 749 | 8.96% |
| 1984 | 5,726 | 69.18% | 2,507 | 30.29% | 44 | 0.53% |
| 1988 | 5,231 | 61.95% | 3,159 | 37.41% | 54 | 0.64% |
| 1992 | 3,984 | 39.88% | 3,431 | 34.34% | 2,576 | 25.78% |
| 1996 | 4,630 | 45.85% | 4,226 | 41.85% | 1,242 | 12.30% |
| 2000 | 6,780 | 58.92% | 4,329 | 37.62% | 398 | 3.46% |
| 2004 | 8,379 | 61.52% | 5,072 | 37.24% | 168 | 1.23% |
| 2008 | 7,506 | 54.19% | 6,079 | 43.89% | 267 | 1.93% |
| 2012 | 7,917 | 60.00% | 5,107 | 38.70% | 171 | 1.30% |
| 2016 | 8,469 | 61.97% | 4,448 | 32.55% | 750 | 5.49% |
| 2020 | 9,748 | 61.03% | 5,960 | 37.32% | 264 | 1.65% |
| 2024 | 10,341 | 61.15% | 6,330 | 37.43% | 241 | 1.43% |
Antrim County operates the County jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, andvital records, administerspublic health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget and has 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.
(information as of March 2025)[22]
TheNorthwest Educational Services, based inTraverse City, services the students in the county along with those ofBenzie,Grand Traverse,Leelanau, andKalkaska. Theintermediate school district offers regionalspecial education services,early education andEnglish learner programs, andtechnical career pathways for students of its districts.[23]
Antrim County is served by the following regularpublicschool districts:[24][25]
Antrim County has the oneprivate school, the Ebenezer Christian School (Christian).[26]
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US 31 is a north–south highway that runs along the shore ofGrand Traverse Bay in western Antrim County, passing through the communities ofElk Rapids,Torch Lake,Eastport, andAtwood. South of Antrim County, US 31 entersTraverse City, and continues further south along theLake Michigan, passing cities such asManistee,Ludington,Muskegon,Grand Haven,Holland, andBenton Harbor. North of Antrim County, US 31 passes throughCharlevoix andPetoskey before terminating atInterstate 75 south ofMackinaw City.
US 131 in Antrim County follows a largely southwest–northeast route in the pastoral east of the county, passing through the communities ofMancelona andAlba. Following a north–south route further inland than US 31, the highway passes through cities to the south such asKalamazoo,Grand Rapids andCadillac. North of Antrim County, the highway terminates at US 31 in Petoskey.
M-32 is an east–west highway in northeastern Antrim County. The highway begins atEast Jordan, just north of the Antrim County line, and continues east towardElmira,Gaylord,Atlanta,Hillman, andAlpena. In Antrim County, M-32 shares a briefconcurrency with US 131.
M-66 is a north–south highway that runs through central Antrim County. The highway enters from the south via a concurrency with US 131. At Mancelona, M-66 takes on an independent route, running north to East Jordan before terminating at US 31 at Charlevoix. South of Antrim County, M-66 runs through communities such asSturgis,Battle Creek,Ionia,Lake City, andKalkaska.
M-88 is an s-shaped highway, signed as an east–west route, that runs entirely within Antrim County. The highway serves to connect Antrim County's interior villages,Bellaire andCentral Lake, with US 31 at Eastport and US 131/M-66 at Mancelona..jpg)
C-38 serves as an easterly extension of M-88. The highway begins at US 131/M-66 in Mancelona, and continues east toOtsego County.
C-42 serves as a cutoff between US 131 at Alba and M-32 west ofGaylord in Otsego County.
C-48 is an east–west route in northwest Antrim County, connecting US 31 near Atwood to the village ofEllsworth and M-66 at East Jordan.
C-65 is a north–south route in northern Antrim County, connecting Ellsworth to US 31 in Charlevoix County.
C-73 is a short route in northeastern Antrim County, serving as a direct route between M-32 and M-75 nearBoyne City.Places adjacent to Antrim County, Michigan | |
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Municipalities and communities ofAntrim County, Michigan,United States | ||
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| Villages |  | |
| Civil townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Central cities | |
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| Counties | |
| Geography | |
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