Roscommon County, Michigan | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Roscommon County Building inRoscommon | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMichigan | |
 Michigan's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:44°20′N84°37′W / 44.33°N 84.61°W /44.33; -84.61 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | 1840 (created) 1875 (organized)[1] |
| Named after | County Roscommon, Ireland |
| Seat | Roscommon |
| Largest settlement | Houghton Lake Roscommon (incorporated) |
| Area | |
• Total | 580 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
| • Land | 520 sq mi (1,300 km2) |
| • Water | 60 sq mi (160 km2) 10% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 23,459 |
• Estimate (2024) | 23,932 |
| • Density | 47/sq mi (18/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | roscommoncounty |
Roscommon County (/rɒsˈkɒmən/ross-KOM-ən) is acounty located in theU.S. state ofMichigan. As of the2020 census, the population was 23,459.[2] Thecounty seat isRoscommon.[3] The county was founded in 1840 and organized in 1875.[1] The county is home toHoughton Lake, the largestinland lake in Michigan.
The county was formed by the Michigan Legislature in 1840 asMikenauk County,[5] (fromOjibwemikinaak meaning turtle) then renamed Roscommon County in 1843. It was administered byMichilimackinac (Mackinac),Cheboygan, andMidland counties, in succession, prior to the organization of county government in 1875.[4] Roscommon County was named afterCounty Roscommon,Ireland.[1][6]
There are three official Michigan historical markers in the county:[7]
According to theUS Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 580 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 520 square miles (1,300 km2) is land and 60 square miles (160 km2) (10%) is water.[9]Roscommon County is considered to be part ofNorthern Michigan. Part of Michigan'sAu Sable State Forest falls within the county. The US Forest Service's Roscoe Fire Management Unit includesOgemaw and Roscommon Counties.
During prehistoric times, glacial action helped shape the Michigan-area terrain. A large portion of the area is the Grayling outwash plain, which includes sandy ice-disintegration ridges; jack pine barrens, white pine-red pine forest, and northern hardwood forest. Large lakes were created by glacial action.[10]
Prominent geographic features include:
I-75 – runs south, SE, and east through the NE middle portion of county.
US 127 – runs north–south through west portion of county. Passes on west side of Higgins and Houghton Lakes.
M-18 – runs north–south through center of county. Passes Roscommon and Prudenville. Leaving Roscommon, runs east along north line of county for 5.6 miles (9.0 km) before turning to NE.
M-55 – runs east–west through center of county to intersection with I75, 7 miles (11 km) west of east line of county.
M-157 – short (1.1 mi; 1.8 km) north-south spur connecting M18 to M55, east of Houghton Lake.
F-18 – runs south from Prudenville. Exits the county on the line between Clare and Gladwin counties.[12]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,459 | — | |
| 1890 | 2,033 | 39.3% | |
| 1900 | 1,787 | −12.1% | |
| 1910 | 2,274 | 27.3% | |
| 1920 | 2,032 | −10.6% | |
| 1930 | 2,055 | 1.1% | |
| 1940 | 3,668 | 78.5% | |
| 1950 | 5,916 | 61.3% | |
| 1960 | 7,200 | 21.7% | |
| 1970 | 9,892 | 37.4% | |
| 1980 | 16,374 | 65.5% | |
| 1990 | 19,776 | 20.8% | |
| 2000 | 25,469 | 28.8% | |
| 2010 | 24,449 | −4.0% | |
| 2020 | 23,459 | −4.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 23,932 | [13] | 2.0% |
| US Decennial Census[14] 1790-1960[15] 1900-1990[16] 1990-2000[17] 2010-2018[2] | |||
At the2000 United States census,[18] there were 25,469 people, 11,250 households, and 7,616 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 49 people per square mile (19 people/km2). There were 23,109 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile (17/km2). By the2020 census, the county's population was 23,459.
In 2000, the racial makeup of the county was 97.99%White, 0.32%Black orAfrican American, 0.64%Native American, 0.19%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 0.10% fromother races, and 0.72% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 24.4% were ofGerman, 12.7%English, 9.9%Irish, 9.2%Polish, 9.2%American and 6.7%French ancestry. 97.2% spokeEnglish as their first language. Those citing "American" ancestry in Roscommon County are of overwhelmingly English extraction, however mostEnglish Americans identify simply as having American ancestry because their roots have been in North America for so long, in some cases since the 1600s.[19][20][21][22][23]
The community is centered in the area of two very large lakes, in the middle of large state forests. Wildlife are nearby, including bear, deer, eagles,Kirtland's warblers, and turkeys. Local attractions and activities include:
Roscommon County, Michigan, hosts an event known as Christmas in the Village. This event is held on the first Saturday in December annually. Christmas in the Village began in 1994 when the old Roscommon Middle School was purchased for a dollar and transformed into the community building, called the CRAF Center. The committee for Christmas in the Village was composed of volunteers. Each year features burn barrels, an annual tree lighting, an electric light parade, and more. As time passes, new activities are added annually. Typically, you can find a craft show in the gym of the CRAFT Center and a petting zoo. Vendors set up shops in the CRAF center gym to sell plenty of goods. There is a wide variety, from fudges to quilts. The town gathers to celebrate the holidays together. Santa arrives on the train.[28]
Roscommon County voters tend to vote Republican; they have selected the Republican Party nominee in 75% of national elections (27 of 36).
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1884 | 427 | 48.80% | 435 | 49.71% | 13 | 1.49% |
| 1888 | 360 | 50.00% | 358 | 49.72% | 2 | 0.28% |
| 1892 | 239 | 44.26% | 286 | 52.96% | 15 | 2.78% |
| 1896 | 282 | 65.43% | 141 | 32.71% | 8 | 1.86% |
| 1900 | 327 | 64.50% | 175 | 34.52% | 5 | 0.99% |
| 1904 | 373 | 71.46% | 116 | 22.22% | 33 | 6.32% |
| 1908 | 427 | 69.43% | 147 | 23.90% | 41 | 6.67% |
| 1912 | 134 | 22.60% | 150 | 25.30% | 309 | 52.11% |
| 1916 | 311 | 53.44% | 239 | 41.07% | 32 | 5.50% |
| 1920 | 652 | 75.29% | 182 | 21.02% | 32 | 3.70% |
| 1924 | 484 | 69.64% | 99 | 14.24% | 112 | 16.12% |
| 1928 | 780 | 76.25% | 236 | 23.07% | 7 | 0.68% |
| 1932 | 601 | 42.62% | 757 | 53.69% | 52 | 3.69% |
| 1936 | 836 | 49.64% | 782 | 46.44% | 66 | 3.92% |
| 1940 | 1,360 | 64.21% | 739 | 34.89% | 19 | 0.90% |
| 1944 | 1,292 | 72.22% | 484 | 27.05% | 13 | 0.73% |
| 1948 | 2,055 | 73.89% | 687 | 24.70% | 39 | 1.40% |
| 1952 | 2,547 | 78.64% | 676 | 20.87% | 16 | 0.49% |
| 1956 | 2,674 | 76.20% | 827 | 23.57% | 8 | 0.23% |
| 1960 | 2,731 | 68.93% | 1,226 | 30.94% | 5 | 0.13% |
| 1964 | 1,722 | 42.27% | 2,345 | 57.56% | 7 | 0.17% |
| 1968 | 2,635 | 55.91% | 1,639 | 34.78% | 439 | 9.31% |
| 1972 | 4,136 | 64.17% | 2,187 | 33.93% | 122 | 1.89% |
| 1976 | 4,608 | 54.85% | 3,691 | 43.94% | 102 | 1.21% |
| 1980 | 5,280 | 54.66% | 3,763 | 38.96% | 616 | 6.38% |
| 1984 | 6,419 | 65.35% | 3,359 | 34.20% | 45 | 0.46% |
| 1988 | 5,866 | 56.93% | 4,394 | 42.65% | 43 | 0.42% |
| 1992 | 4,170 | 34.73% | 5,243 | 43.67% | 2,594 | 21.60% |
| 1996 | 4,135 | 34.94% | 6,092 | 51.48% | 1,607 | 13.58% |
| 2000 | 6,190 | 47.88% | 6,433 | 49.76% | 305 | 2.36% |
| 2004 | 7,364 | 51.28% | 6,810 | 47.43% | 185 | 1.29% |
| 2008 | 6,727 | 47.72% | 7,082 | 50.24% | 287 | 2.04% |
| 2012 | 6,701 | 51.24% | 6,198 | 47.40% | 178 | 1.36% |
| 2016 | 8,141 | 62.16% | 4,287 | 32.74% | 668 | 5.10% |
| 2020 | 9,670 | 64.32% | 5,166 | 34.36% | 198 | 1.32% |
| 2024 | 10,582 | 65.79% | 5,290 | 32.89% | 212 | 1.32% |
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.
(information as of January 2021)
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Municipalities and communities ofRoscommon County, Michigan,United States | ||
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