Charlevoix County, Michigan | |
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 Charlevoix County Building | |
 Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMichigan | |
 Michigan's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:45°28′N85°28′W / 45.47°N 85.46°W /45.47; -85.46 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | 1840 (created) 1869 (organized)[1] |
| Named after | Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix |
| Seat | Charlevoix |
| Largest city | Boyne City |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,390 sq mi (3,600 km2) |
| • Land | 416 sq mi (1,080 km2) |
| • Water | 974 sq mi (2,520 km2) 70% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 26,054 |
• Estimate (2024) | 26,105 |
| • Density | 62.6/sq mi (24.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Charlevoix County (/ˈʃɑːrləvɔɪ/SHAR-lə-voy) is acounty in theU.S. state ofMichigan. Thecounty seat isCharlevoix, and the largest city isBoyne City.[2] Located in theNorthern Lower Peninsula, Charlevoix County is bisected byLake Charlevoix, Michigan's third largest inland lake. As of the2020 census, the county's population was 26,054.[3]Beaver Island, the largest island inLake Michigan, is located within Charlevoix County.
Between 1840 and 1841, surveyorsWilliam Austin Burt,[4]John Mullett andCharles W. Cathcart, surveyed much ofNorthern Michigan. Cathcart oversaw theinternal lines survey for 34N 08W,[5] the region which would later be known as Charlevoix. Mullett and Cathcart laid out many of the townships in the new county including Charlevoix Township.[6]
The county was originally organized in 1840 as Kesk-kauko[7][8] in honor of a great chief of the Saginaw tribe,[9] and name was changed from Resh-kanko to Charlevoix County in 1843.[1] The county was named in 1843 forPierre François Xavier de Charlevoix, a Jesuit missionary of the French colonial era.[7]
In 1847, a group of"Strangite" Mormons settled onBeaver Island and established a "kingdom" led by "King"James Jesse Strang. There were bitter disputes between Strang's followers and other white settlers. Strang, seeking to strengthen his position, gained election to theMichigan State House of Representatives. In January 1853, he pushed through legislation titled, "An act to organize the County of Emmet", which enlarged Emmet County by attaching the nearby Lake Michigan islands to Emmet county, as well as a portion of Cheboygan County and Keskkauko/Resh-kanko/ Charlevoix. Charlevoix was thus organized in 1853 as a township under Emmet County and consisted all of the nine townships in the southern half of Emmet County.
Due to Strang's influence, Mormons came to dominate Emmet county government, causing an exodus of many non-Mormon settlers to neighboring areas. In 1855, the non-Mormon resistance succeeded in getting the Michigan Legislature to reorganize Emmet County. The islands, including Beaver Island andNorth andSouth Manitou Islands, were transferred into the separateManitou County, which effectively eliminated Mormons from Emmet County government. After an assassination attempt on June 20, 1856, Strang died three weeks later.
Emmet County continued to experience tensions as citizens clashed over whether to put the county seat at Little Traverse (Harbor Springs) versusMackinaw City. In a contested election in 1867, residents voted to move the county seat toCharlevoix, which was upheld by a Circuit Court decision in 1868. However, in 1869, Charlevoix County was split from Emmet County, resulting in Charlevoix being the official county seat for Emmet county as well as for the newly formed Charlevoix County.
In 1873, the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad was completed through the eastern side of Charlevoix county up to Petoskey, and the east side of Pine Lake became more and more populated. For example,Resort Township andSpringvale Township, Michigan were formed in 1880 as a part of Charlevoix County. As new townships became established, Boyne City colluded with East Jordan to gain a requisite 2/3 majority of township supervisors to vote to move the county seat to East Jordan. In October 1884, 11 of the existing 16 township supervisors designatedEast Jordan to be the county seat. In October 1886, Boyne City convinced 2/3 of township supervisors to move the county seat to Boyne City.
Finally, in a January 1897 land deal with Emmet County and the state legislature, Charlevoix County took on three townships on Beaver Island while giving up Resort, Bear Lake, and Springvale townships to Emmet County. The resulting balance of township supervisor votes gave the City of Charlevoix enough votes to obtain the county seat after a 13-year hiatus.[10]
TheIronton Ferry began operation in 1876, and Ironton soon became a location for iron manufacture.[11]
There are ten Michigan state historical markers in the county, and the area was once home to a thriving culture ofOdawa fishers, hunters, and fur trappers.:[12]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,390 square miles (3,600 km2), of which 416 square miles (1,080 km2) is land and 974 square miles (2,520 km2) (70%) is water.[13] It is the fourth-smallest county in Michigan by land area.
Mainland Charlevoix County features a shoreline on both Traverse Bays (Grand Traverse Bay andLittle Traverse Bay) ofLake Michigan.
Lake Charlevoix, with 17,200 acres (7,000 ha) surface area and 56 miles (90 km) of shoreline, is a very prominent feature of the county.Gull,Hat,Pismire, andShoe Islands, which are part of theBeaver Island archipelago, form the Lake Michigan division of theMichigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and two of them are part of theMichigan Islands Wilderness Area.
The county is considered to be part ofNorthern Michigan.
By land
By water
Charlevoix County contains portions of two Indian reservations, both of which are branches of the federally-recognizedOdawa tribe. TheGrand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians occupies a small reservation in southwestEvaline Township. TheLittle Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians has four scattered reservations throughout the county—three small sections inHayes Township and one isolated section inSt. James Township onBeaver Island.[14]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 1,724 | — | |
| 1880 | 5,115 | 196.7% | |
| 1890 | 9,686 | 89.4% | |
| 1900 | 13,956 | 44.1% | |
| 1910 | 19,157 | 37.3% | |
| 1920 | 15,788 | −17.6% | |
| 1930 | 11,981 | −24.1% | |
| 1940 | 13,031 | 8.8% | |
| 1950 | 13,475 | 3.4% | |
| 1960 | 13,421 | −0.4% | |
| 1970 | 16,541 | 23.2% | |
| 1980 | 19,907 | 20.3% | |
| 1990 | 21,468 | 7.8% | |
| 2000 | 26,090 | 21.5% | |
| 2010 | 25,949 | −0.5% | |
| 2020 | 26,054 | 0.4% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 26,105 | [15] | 0.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[16] 1790–1960[17] 1900–1990[18] 1990–2000[19] 2010–2018[3] | |||
As of the census[20] of 2000, there were 26,090 people, 10,400 households, and 7,311 families residing in the county. The population density was 63 people per square mile (24 people/km2). There were 15,370 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (14/km2). By 2020, its population was 26,054.
In 2000, the racial makeup of the county was 96.31%White, 0.17%Black orAfrican American, 1.54%Native American, 0.23%Asian, 0.09%Pacific Islander, 0.41% fromother races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 21.8% were of German, 12.0% English, 11.0% American, 10.6% Irish and 8.4%Polish ancestry. 97.3% spoke English and 1.1% Spanish as their first language.
There were 10,400 households, out of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.40% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.80% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county, 25.90% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 25.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.80 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $39,788, and the median income for a family was $46,260. Males had a median income of $32,457 versus $22,447 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,130. About 5.40% of families and 8.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.00% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1876 | 411 | 66.72% | 205 | 33.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1880 | 784 | 67.12% | 304 | 26.03% | 80 | 6.85% |
| 1884 | 1,043 | 54.21% | 825 | 42.88% | 56 | 2.91% |
| 1888 | 1,270 | 56.70% | 874 | 39.02% | 96 | 4.29% |
| 1892 | 1,101 | 53.14% | 688 | 33.20% | 283 | 13.66% |
| 1896 | 1,653 | 61.06% | 978 | 36.13% | 76 | 2.81% |
| 1900 | 2,268 | 71.28% | 776 | 24.39% | 138 | 4.34% |
| 1904 | 2,772 | 81.39% | 469 | 13.77% | 165 | 4.84% |
| 1908 | 2,530 | 68.92% | 801 | 21.82% | 340 | 9.26% |
| 1912 | 1,296 | 36.82% | 566 | 16.08% | 1,658 | 47.10% |
| 1916 | 1,877 | 54.72% | 1,152 | 33.59% | 401 | 11.69% |
| 1920 | 3,079 | 77.07% | 704 | 17.62% | 212 | 5.31% |
| 1924 | 3,346 | 79.65% | 406 | 9.66% | 449 | 10.69% |
| 1928 | 3,489 | 79.97% | 842 | 19.30% | 32 | 0.73% |
| 1932 | 2,623 | 49.57% | 2,344 | 44.30% | 324 | 6.12% |
| 1936 | 2,814 | 49.18% | 2,669 | 46.64% | 239 | 4.18% |
| 1940 | 3,522 | 61.40% | 2,163 | 37.71% | 51 | 0.89% |
| 1944 | 3,039 | 61.10% | 1,893 | 38.06% | 42 | 0.84% |
| 1948 | 2,911 | 59.47% | 1,847 | 37.73% | 137 | 2.80% |
| 1952 | 3,895 | 68.07% | 1,778 | 31.07% | 49 | 0.86% |
| 1956 | 3,924 | 66.80% | 1,935 | 32.94% | 15 | 0.26% |
| 1960 | 3,987 | 62.11% | 2,422 | 37.73% | 10 | 0.16% |
| 1964 | 2,664 | 41.44% | 3,757 | 58.45% | 7 | 0.11% |
| 1968 | 3,696 | 55.14% | 2,446 | 36.49% | 561 | 8.37% |
| 1972 | 4,522 | 59.04% | 2,831 | 36.96% | 306 | 4.00% |
| 1976 | 5,145 | 55.57% | 3,953 | 42.70% | 160 | 1.73% |
| 1980 | 5,053 | 51.58% | 3,741 | 38.19% | 1,002 | 10.23% |
| 1984 | 6,355 | 66.23% | 3,175 | 33.09% | 65 | 0.68% |
| 1988 | 5,802 | 59.43% | 3,875 | 39.69% | 85 | 0.87% |
| 1992 | 4,017 | 34.85% | 4,063 | 35.25% | 3,445 | 29.89% |
| 1996 | 4,864 | 44.23% | 4,689 | 42.64% | 1,443 | 13.12% |
| 2000 | 7,018 | 56.20% | 4,958 | 39.71% | 511 | 4.09% |
| 2004 | 8,214 | 58.09% | 5,729 | 40.52% | 196 | 1.39% |
| 2008 | 7,306 | 50.74% | 6,817 | 47.35% | 275 | 1.91% |
| 2012 | 8,000 | 56.64% | 5,939 | 42.05% | 186 | 1.32% |
| 2016 | 8,674 | 59.19% | 5,137 | 35.06% | 843 | 5.75% |
| 2020 | 9,841 | 57.79% | 6,939 | 40.75% | 250 | 1.47% |
| 2024 | 10,183 | 57.60% | 7,197 | 40.71% | 299 | 1.69% |
The county government operates thejail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts,keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintainsvital records, administerspublic health regulations, andparticipates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. Thecounty 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. Charlevoix is part of the 114th district.
US 31 is a route that parallels the shore of Lake Michigan. The route passes through the city of Charlevoix, and can be used to accessTraverse City to the south, andPetoskey and theMackinac Bridge to the north.
US 131 is a north–south route in the east of the county. The route passes throughBoyne Falls.
M-32 is an east–west route that begins inEast Jordan, and continues southeast into Antrim County. The highway can be used to accessGaylord andAlpena, to the east.
M-66 is a north–south route that terminates at US 31 in Charlevoix. The highway is the longeststate trunkline highway in theLower Peninsula, and continues south to theIndiana border nearSturgis.
M-75 is a highway that runs entirely within Charlevoix County. The highway begins at US 131 in Boyne Falls, and continues northwest to Boyne City. The highway then turns northeasterly, and terminates once more at US 31 inWalloon Lake.Early in the 1840s, Burt, along with fellow surveyor John Mullett, made a federal survey of northern Michigan's Cheboygan and Emmett counties, where there are now two lakes, one named after each man
the Ironton Ferry is the short sweet ride across the narrows of the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix—a ride that's been a tradition up here since 1876.
Places adjacent to Charlevoix County, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofCharlevoix County, Michigan,United States | ||
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| Indian reservations | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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