Kalkaska County, Michigan | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kalkaska County Government Offices inKalkaska | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMichigan | |
 Michigan's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:44°41′N85°05′W / 44.69°N 85.08°W /44.69; -85.08 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | 1840 (established) 1871 (organized)[1] |
| Seat | Kalkaska |
| Largest village | Kalkaska |
| Area | |
• Total | 571 sq mi (1,480 km2) |
| • Land | 560 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
| • Water | 11 sq mi (28 km2) 1.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 17,939 |
• Estimate (2024) | 18,618 |
| • Density | 31/sq mi (12/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | kalkaskacounty |
Kalkaska County (/kælˈkæskə/kal-KASS-kə) is located in theU.S. state ofMichigan. As of the2020 census, its population was 17,939.[2] Thecounty seat isKalkaska.[3]
Kalkaska County is part of theTraverse City metropolitan area. Although it is located on Michigan's Lower Peninsula, Kalkaska County is considered part ofNorthern Michigan.
Kalkaska County, originally namedWabassee County (fromwaabizii meaning swan inOjibwe) was separated fromMichilimackinac County in 1840,[5] renamed in 1843.[4][1] In 1851, Kalkaska County was attached toGrand Traverse County for legal purposes.[6] The first settler in Kalkaska County was William Copeland, from England, who purchased land in the northwest corner of the county in 1855. Kalkaska County was organized in its own right on January 27, 1871.Crawford County was then temporarily attached to Kalkaska County for legal purposes.[7]
The county's name is a pseudo-Native Americanneologism coined byHenry Schoolcraft, a Michigan geographer and ethnologist.[8]Some theorists suggest this is word play. Schoolcraft's family name had been Calcraft, and the Ks may have been added to make the name appear more like a Native American word.[9]Alternatively, the name may be derived from aChippewa word meaning flat or burned-over country.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 571 square miles (1,480 km2), of which 11 square miles (28 km2) (1.9%) are covered by water.[10]
Kalkaska sand, thestate soil of Michigan, was named after the county because of the large amounts deposited in the area fromglaciers in theIce Age.
Kalkaska County has over 80 lakes and 275 miles (443 km) of streams and rivers. Much of the county is marshland. County elevation ranges from 595 feet (181 m) to about 1,246 feet (380 m). This makes it one of the more uneven counties in theLower Peninsula.
ThePere Marquette State Forest covers much of the county. Glaciers shaped the area, creating a unique regional ecosystem. A large portion of the area is the Grayling outwash plain, a broad outwash plain including sandy ice-disintegration ridges, jack pine barrens, some white pine-red pine forest, and northern hardwood forest. Large lakes were created by glacial action.[11]
US 131 – runs NE through the western part of the county. Enters at 4 miles (6.4 km) north of SW corner; exits intoAntrim County near midpoint of north county line.
M-66 – runs north–south through west-central part of county. Passes Kalkaska.
M-72 – runs east and ESE through middle portion of county. Passes Kalkaska.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 424 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,937 | 592.7% | |
| 1890 | 5,160 | 75.7% | |
| 1900 | 7,133 | 38.2% | |
| 1910 | 8,097 | 13.5% | |
| 1920 | 5,577 | −31.1% | |
| 1930 | 3,799 | −31.9% | |
| 1940 | 5,159 | 35.8% | |
| 1950 | 4,597 | −10.9% | |
| 1960 | 4,382 | −4.7% | |
| 1970 | 5,272 | 20.3% | |
| 1980 | 10,952 | 107.7% | |
| 1990 | 13,497 | 23.2% | |
| 2000 | 16,571 | 22.8% | |
| 2010 | 17,153 | 3.5% | |
| 2020 | 17,939 | 4.6% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 18,618 | [12] | 3.8% |
| US Decennial Census[13] 1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15] 1990-2000[16] 2010-2018[2] | |||
At the2010 United States census[17] there were 16,571 people, 6,428 households, and 4,634 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 inhabitants per square mile (12/km2). There were 10,822 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (7.3/km2). By the2020 census, its population was 17,939.
In 2010, the racial makeup of the county was 98.44%White, 0.21%Black orAfrican American, 0.78%Native American, 0.22%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 0.10% fromother races, 0.86% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 24.6% were ofGerman, 12.4%English, 10.4%Irish, 10.0%American, 6.3%Polish and 5.1%French ancestry. 98.8% spoke English as their first language.
Kalkaska County voters have been reliably Republican from the start. They have selected the Republican Party nominee in 86% of national elections (31 of 36).
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1884 | 630 | 60.93% | 369 | 35.69% | 35 | 3.38% |
| 1888 | 798 | 62.34% | 400 | 31.25% | 82 | 6.41% |
| 1892 | 717 | 59.45% | 389 | 32.26% | 100 | 8.29% |
| 1896 | 940 | 66.38% | 422 | 29.80% | 54 | 3.81% |
| 1900 | 1,312 | 75.45% | 361 | 20.76% | 66 | 3.80% |
| 1904 | 1,354 | 83.89% | 184 | 11.40% | 76 | 4.71% |
| 1908 | 1,153 | 69.33% | 356 | 21.41% | 154 | 9.26% |
| 1912 | 448 | 32.28% | 293 | 21.11% | 647 | 46.61% |
| 1916 | 724 | 57.46% | 430 | 34.13% | 106 | 8.41% |
| 1920 | 890 | 73.19% | 224 | 18.42% | 102 | 8.39% |
| 1924 | 966 | 70.46% | 205 | 14.95% | 200 | 14.59% |
| 1928 | 988 | 84.59% | 160 | 13.70% | 20 | 1.71% |
| 1932 | 705 | 47.47% | 649 | 43.70% | 131 | 8.82% |
| 1936 | 855 | 45.72% | 952 | 50.91% | 63 | 3.37% |
| 1940 | 1,155 | 61.27% | 718 | 38.09% | 12 | 0.64% |
| 1944 | 992 | 70.25% | 409 | 28.97% | 11 | 0.78% |
| 1948 | 837 | 65.54% | 400 | 31.32% | 40 | 3.13% |
| 1952 | 1,326 | 72.74% | 483 | 26.49% | 14 | 0.77% |
| 1956 | 1,443 | 69.11% | 636 | 30.46% | 9 | 0.43% |
| 1960 | 1,341 | 65.77% | 693 | 33.99% | 5 | 0.25% |
| 1964 | 861 | 41.31% | 1,220 | 58.54% | 3 | 0.14% |
| 1968 | 1,190 | 53.29% | 753 | 33.72% | 290 | 12.99% |
| 1972 | 1,855 | 64.39% | 924 | 32.07% | 102 | 3.54% |
| 1976 | 2,280 | 53.13% | 1,957 | 45.61% | 54 | 1.26% |
| 1980 | 2,802 | 56.42% | 1,807 | 36.39% | 357 | 7.19% |
| 1984 | 3,623 | 69.15% | 1,595 | 30.44% | 21 | 0.40% |
| 1988 | 3,369 | 61.21% | 2,092 | 38.01% | 43 | 0.78% |
| 1992 | 2,173 | 33.82% | 2,297 | 35.75% | 1,956 | 30.44% |
| 1996 | 2,455 | 40.28% | 2,666 | 43.74% | 974 | 15.98% |
| 2000 | 3,842 | 56.10% | 2,774 | 40.50% | 233 | 3.40% |
| 2004 | 5,084 | 60.67% | 3,189 | 38.05% | 107 | 1.28% |
| 2008 | 4,527 | 53.27% | 3,780 | 44.48% | 192 | 2.26% |
| 2012 | 4,901 | 59.06% | 3,272 | 39.43% | 126 | 1.52% |
| 2016 | 6,116 | 69.24% | 2,280 | 25.81% | 437 | 4.95% |
| 2020 | 7,436 | 69.95% | 3,002 | 28.24% | 193 | 1.82% |
| 2024 | 8,149 | 70.55% | 3,206 | 27.76% | 195 | 1.69% |
The county government operates thejail, 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. Thecounty 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.
TheNational Trout Festival is an annual festival since 1936, held in April. It notes the heritage and sportsmanship of Kalkaska.[19]
TheNorthwest Educational Services, based inTraverse City, services the students in the county along with those ofAntrim,Benzie,Grand Traverse, andLeelanau. Theintermediate school district offers regionalspecial education services,early education andEnglish learner programs, andtechnical career pathways for students of its districts.[20]
Kalkaska County is served by the following regularpublicschool districts:[21]
Places adjacent to Kalkaska County, Michigan | |
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Municipalities and communities ofKalkaska County, Michigan,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| 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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