St. Clair County, Michigan | |
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 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMichigan | |
| Coordinates:42°56′N82°40′W / 42.93°N 82.67°W /42.93; -82.67 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | March 28, 1820 (created) 1821 (organized)[1][2] |
| Named after | St. Clare of Assisi |
| Seat | Port Huron |
| Largest city | Port Huron |
| Area | |
• Total | 837 sq mi (2,170 km2) |
| • Land | 721 sq mi (1,870 km2) |
| • Water | 115 sq mi (300 km2) 14% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 160,383 |
• Estimate (2024) | 160,308 |
| • Density | 190/sq mi (73/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Area code | 810 |
| Congressional district | 9th |
| Website | www |
St. Clair County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofMichigan and bordering the west bank of theSt. Clair River. As of the2020 census, the population was 160,383.[3] It is the 13th-most populous county in the state. Thecounty seat isPort Huron, located at the north end of the St. Clair River atLake Huron.[1][4] The county was created September 10, 1820, and its government was organized in 1821.[1] It is located northeast ofDetroit. It is considered by the State of Michigan to be a part ofThe Thumb, a peninsula that is surrounded byLake Huron in the east-central area of the state.[5] This area is sometimes dubbed the Blue Water Area.[6]
French explorerRené-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle led an expedition to this area on August 12, 1679. They named the lake asLac Sainte-Claire, because it was thefeast day ofSaint Clare of Assisi, whom they venerated.[1][7] English mapmakers adopted the French name, identifying the lake feature as Saint Clare on maps dated as early as 1710. By theMitchell Map of 1755, the spelling was given as St. Clair, which later became the current version in 1924.[8] Located along the western shores ofLake St. Clair and theSt. Clair River, the county was named for them by European-American settlers.
The name is sometimes mistakenly attributed to honoringArthur St. Clair, anAmerican Revolutionary War general and governor of theNorthwest Territory, but it was established long before he was considered a notable figure.[9] The earlier spelling of the lake's name may have been conflated with English practice and the name of the general, as several political jurisdictions near the lake and the river, such as St. Clair County,St. Clair Township, and the cities ofSt. Clair andSt. Clair Shores, share this spelling (seeList of Michigan county name etymologies).
The name has sometimes been mistakenly attributed to honoringPatrick Sinclair, a British officer who purchased land on theSt. Clair River at the mouth of thePine River. In 1764, he built Fort Sinclair there, which was in use for nearly 20 years before being abandoned.[10] As noted, the name was established before he was active in the area.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 837 square miles (2,170 km2), of which 721 square miles (1,870 km2) is land and 115 square miles (300 km2) (14%) is water.[11] St. Clair County is one of five counties that form the peninsula, known asthe Thumb, that projects intoLake Huron. St. Clair County is closely connected in terms of economy with its neighbors,Metro Detroit andSanilac County in Michigan, andLambton County across the river inOntario, Canada. Saint Clair County is the principal county inThe Blue Water Area, a sub-region of the Thumb.
I-69 enters the county from the west, coming fromLansing andFlint, terminating at the approach to theBlue Water Bridge in Port Huron. (Once fully completed, the mainline of I-69 will span fromBrownsville, Texas to Port Huron, Michigan.)
I-94 enters St. Clair County from the southwest, having traversed the entire Metro Detroit region, and terminates at the approach to theBlue Water Bridge in Port Huron. On theCanadian side of the border, inSarnia, Ontario, the route heads easterly, designated asHighway 402.
BL I-69
BL I-94
M-19
M-25 follows the Lake Huron–Saginaw Bay shoreline, beginning inBay City and ending at a junction with |I-94/|I-69, and BL I-94/BL I-69 on the north side of Port Huron.
M-29
M-136
M-154 servesHarsens Island, in Lake St. Clair.| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 1,114 | — | |
| 1840 | 4,606 | 313.5% | |
| 1850 | 10,420 | 126.2% | |
| 1860 | 26,604 | 155.3% | |
| 1870 | 36,661 | 37.8% | |
| 1880 | 46,197 | 26.0% | |
| 1890 | 52,105 | 12.8% | |
| 1900 | 55,228 | 6.0% | |
| 1910 | 52,341 | −5.2% | |
| 1920 | 58,009 | 10.8% | |
| 1930 | 67,563 | 16.5% | |
| 1940 | 76,222 | 12.8% | |
| 1950 | 91,599 | 20.2% | |
| 1960 | 107,201 | 17.0% | |
| 1970 | 120,175 | 12.1% | |
| 1980 | 138,802 | 15.5% | |
| 1990 | 145,607 | 4.9% | |
| 2000 | 164,235 | 12.8% | |
| 2010 | 163,040 | −0.7% | |
| 2020 | 160,383 | −1.6% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 160,308 | [12] | 0.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] 1790–1960[14] 1900–1990[15] 1990–2000[16] 2010–2019[3] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 160,383 and a median age of 44.5 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.6 males.[17]
The racial makeup of the county was 90.1%White, 2.5%Black or African American, 0.4%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.9% from some other race, and 5.6% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.4% of the population.[18]
60.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 39.5% lived in rural areas.[19]
There were 65,724 households in the county, of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.5% were married-couple households, 19.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[17]
There were 72,092 housing units, of which 8.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.0% were owner-occupied and 23.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.5%.[17]
The2010 United States census indicates St. Clair County had a 2010 population of 163,040, a decrease of 1,195 people from the2000 United States census and an overall growth rate of −0.7% during that decade. In 2010 there were 63,841 households and 44,238 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 226.1 per square mile (87.3 per square kilometer). There were 71,822 housing units at an average density of 99.6 per square mile (38.5 per square kilometer).[20]
93.9% wereWhite, 2.4%Black or African American, 0.5%Asian, 0.4%Native American, 0.7% of some other race, and 2.0%of two or more races. 2.9% wereHispanic or Latino (of any race). 25.9% identified as ofGerman, 10.2%Polish, 9.3%Irish, 8.5%English, 6.5%French, 6.5%American, and 5.1%Italian ancestry.[20]
Of the 63,841 households, 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were opposite-sexfamilies, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.7% were non-families, and 25.5% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.01.[20]
In the county, 23.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.0% was from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.[20]
The2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimate indicates themedian income for a household in the county was $44,369 and the median income for a family was $53,207. Males had a median income of $30,056 versus $16,771 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $22,390. About 10.4% of families and 15.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 22.7% of those under the age of 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.[20]
The county government operates thejail, maintains rural roads, operates themajor local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintainsvital records, administerspublic health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare andother social services. Thecounty board of commissioners controls thebudget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most localgovernment functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, streetmaintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
(information as of February 2023[update])
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1884 | 4,017 | 44.21% | 4,668 | 51.38% | 401 | 4.41% |
| 1888 | 5,419 | 49.04% | 5,286 | 47.83% | 346 | 3.13% |
| 1892 | 5,371 | 48.82% | 5,248 | 47.70% | 382 | 3.47% |
| 1896 | 7,160 | 56.86% | 5,130 | 40.74% | 303 | 2.41% |
| 1900 | 7,432 | 61.41% | 4,403 | 36.38% | 268 | 2.21% |
| 1904 | 8,305 | 69.01% | 3,248 | 26.99% | 482 | 4.00% |
| 1908 | 7,287 | 62.23% | 3,756 | 32.08% | 666 | 5.69% |
| 1912 | 2,958 | 27.48% | 3,008 | 27.95% | 4,798 | 44.57% |
| 1916 | 6,538 | 57.39% | 4,617 | 40.53% | 237 | 2.08% |
| 1920 | 14,938 | 75.14% | 4,566 | 22.97% | 375 | 1.89% |
| 1924 | 17,435 | 76.54% | 3,600 | 15.80% | 1,745 | 7.66% |
| 1928 | 18,177 | 71.57% | 7,151 | 28.15% | 71 | 0.28% |
| 1932 | 14,883 | 53.08% | 12,776 | 45.56% | 382 | 1.36% |
| 1936 | 12,760 | 45.93% | 12,663 | 45.58% | 2,359 | 8.49% |
| 1940 | 18,635 | 60.16% | 12,259 | 39.58% | 82 | 0.26% |
| 1944 | 19,175 | 61.61% | 11,813 | 37.96% | 135 | 0.43% |
| 1948 | 17,883 | 61.79% | 10,647 | 36.79% | 412 | 1.42% |
| 1952 | 27,894 | 69.29% | 12,268 | 30.47% | 94 | 0.23% |
| 1956 | 29,116 | 69.46% | 12,753 | 30.42% | 51 | 0.12% |
| 1960 | 27,366 | 59.79% | 18,332 | 40.05% | 76 | 0.17% |
| 1964 | 17,011 | 40.76% | 24,662 | 59.09% | 62 | 0.15% |
| 1968 | 21,084 | 49.41% | 16,251 | 38.09% | 5,334 | 12.50% |
| 1972 | 28,471 | 63.05% | 15,712 | 34.79% | 976 | 2.16% |
| 1976 | 26,311 | 52.74% | 22,734 | 45.57% | 844 | 1.69% |
| 1980 | 31,021 | 55.61% | 20,410 | 36.59% | 4,348 | 7.80% |
| 1984 | 36,114 | 67.63% | 16,998 | 31.83% | 287 | 0.54% |
| 1988 | 32,336 | 60.26% | 20,909 | 38.97% | 413 | 0.77% |
| 1992 | 24,508 | 36.67% | 23,385 | 34.99% | 18,939 | 28.34% |
| 1996 | 22,495 | 37.42% | 28,881 | 48.04% | 8,742 | 14.54% |
| 2000 | 33,571 | 49.00% | 33,002 | 48.17% | 1,943 | 2.84% |
| 2004 | 42,740 | 53.60% | 36,174 | 45.36% | 829 | 1.04% |
| 2008 | 38,536 | 47.63% | 40,677 | 50.28% | 1,687 | 2.09% |
| 2012 | 39,271 | 52.94% | 33,983 | 45.81% | 927 | 1.25% |
| 2016 | 49,051 | 62.88% | 24,553 | 31.48% | 4,399 | 5.64% |
| 2020 | 59,185 | 64.19% | 31,363 | 34.02% | 1,654 | 1.79% |
| 2024 | 64,277 | 66.50% | 30,844 | 31.91% | 1,542 | 1.60% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 59,992 | 63.53% | 31,519 | 33.38% | 2,921 | 3.09% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2022 | 42,731 | 57.35% | 30,170 | 40.49% | 1,604 | 2.15% |
St. Clair County is home to five county parks: Columbus County Park, Fort Gratiot County Park, Fort Gratiot Light station, Goodells County Park, and Woodsong County Park. St. Clair County also operates the Wadhams to Avoca Trail and works with local units of government to develop the Bridge to Bay Trail.[34]
Places adjacent to St. Clair County, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofSt. Clair County, Michigan,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| Detroit | ||
| Municipalities over 80,000 | ||
| Municipalities 40,000 to 80,000 | ||
| Cultural enclaves | ||
| Satellite cities | ||
| Counties in MSA | ||
| Counties in CSA | ||
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