Chippewa County, Michigan | |
|---|---|
 Chippewa County Courthouse, Sault Ste. Marie | |
 Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMichigan | |
| Coordinates:46°19′N84°31′W / 46.32°N 84.52°W /46.32; -84.52 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | December 22, 1826[1][2] |
| Named after | Ojibwe people |
| Seat | Sault Ste. Marie |
| Largest city | Sault Ste. Marie |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,698 sq mi (6,990 km2) |
| • Land | 1,558 sq mi (4,040 km2) |
| • Water | 1,140 sq mi (3,000 km2) 42% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 36,785 |
• Estimate (2024) | 36,253 |
| • Density | 23.61/sq mi (9.116/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Chippewa County (/ˈtʃɪpəwɑː/CHIH-pə-wah) is acounty in the easternUpper Peninsula of theU.S. state ofMichigan. As of the2020 census, the population was 36,785.[3] Thecounty seat isSault Ste. Marie.[4] The county is named for theOjibwe (Chippewa) people, and was set off and organized in 1826.[1] Chippewa County comprises the Sault Ste. Marie, MImicropolitan statistical area. With shorelines onLake Huron andLake Superior, Chippewa County is one of two U.S. counties to contain shorelines on two Great Lakes, the other being neighboringMackinac County. The county's irregular shape follows theCanadian border, itself following theSt. Marys River.Drummond Island is part of Chippewa County.
Chippewa County was much larger when it was created in 1826. Its original bounds included "the Mesaba iron range of Minnesota, the sites of Duluth, Superior, Marquette, Houghton, and all the famous Copper Country." Those regions reorganized when "this tremendous and unwieldy empire of a county was reduced by the Act of March 9, 1843."[5]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,698 square miles (6,990 km2), of which 1,558 square miles (4,040 km2) is land and 1,140 square miles (3,000 km2) (42%) is water.[6] It is the second-largest county in Michigan by land area and fifth-largest by total area.
TheMichigan Meridian runs through the eastern portion of the county. South of Nine Mile Road,M-129 (Meridian Road) overlays the meridian. In Sault Ste. Marie, Meridian Street north of 12th Avenue overlays the meridian.
By land
By water
The Munuscong Bay is open for hunting, boating and bird watching. The area is known for its duck hunting, including mallards, divers andgreen-winged teal ducks. The Bay is most known for its icefishing and duck hunting. During opening weekend of duck season (late September), hundreds of hunters come from all over the state to begin their season on the Bay.[citation needed]This area has many types of waterfowl pass through it on their annual migrations.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 626 | — | |
| 1840 | 534 | −14.7% | |
| 1850 | 898 | 68.2% | |
| 1860 | 1,603 | 78.5% | |
| 1870 | 1,689 | 5.4% | |
| 1880 | 5,248 | 210.7% | |
| 1890 | 12,019 | 129.0% | |
| 1900 | 21,338 | 77.5% | |
| 1910 | 24,472 | 14.7% | |
| 1920 | 24,818 | 1.4% | |
| 1930 | 25,047 | 0.9% | |
| 1940 | 27,807 | 11.0% | |
| 1950 | 29,206 | 5.0% | |
| 1960 | 32,655 | 11.8% | |
| 1970 | 32,412 | −0.7% | |
| 1980 | 29,029 | −10.4% | |
| 1990 | 34,604 | 19.2% | |
| 2000 | 38,543 | 11.4% | |
| 2010 | 38,520 | −0.1% | |
| 2020 | 36,785 | −4.5% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 36,253 | [7] | −1.4% |
| US Decennial Census[8] 1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10] 1990–2000[11] 2010–2018[3] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 36,785, the median age was 41.4 years, 18.6% of residents were under the age of 18, and 19.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 123.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 128.3 males age 18 and over.[12]
The racial makeup of the county was 67.4%White, 7.1%Black or African American, 15.4%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 8.9% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.1% of the population.[13]
48.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 51.1% lived in rural areas.[14]
There were 13,837 households in the county, of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.7% were married-couple households, 22.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 20,268 housing units, of which 31.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.5% were owner-occupied and 27.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%.[12]
The2010 American Community Survey 3-year estimate indicated the median income for a household in the county was $39,351 and the median income for a family was $54,625.[15] Males had a median income of $25,760 versus $16,782 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $19,334. About 2.3% of families and 18.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 26.0% of those under the age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
Chippewa County voters have been reliably Republican from the start. Since 1876, they have selected the Republican Party nominee in 86% of national elections (31 of 36).
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1876 | 172 | 37.80% | 283 | 62.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1880 | 396 | 53.15% | 347 | 46.58% | 2 | 0.27% |
| 1884 | 686 | 51.12% | 635 | 47.32% | 21 | 1.56% |
| 1888 | 1,055 | 51.56% | 909 | 44.43% | 82 | 4.01% |
| 1892 | 1,247 | 52.33% | 1,083 | 45.45% | 53 | 2.22% |
| 1896 | 2,105 | 65.52% | 1,001 | 31.15% | 107 | 3.33% |
| 1900 | 2,477 | 71.59% | 893 | 25.81% | 90 | 2.60% |
| 1904 | 2,920 | 77.78% | 662 | 17.63% | 172 | 4.58% |
| 1908 | 2,418 | 64.19% | 1,175 | 31.19% | 174 | 4.62% |
| 1912 | 889 | 23.31% | 879 | 23.05% | 2,046 | 53.64% |
| 1916 | 2,365 | 54.64% | 1,768 | 40.85% | 195 | 4.51% |
| 1920 | 4,732 | 74.36% | 1,266 | 19.89% | 366 | 5.75% |
| 1924 | 5,443 | 77.44% | 516 | 7.34% | 1,070 | 15.22% |
| 1928 | 5,326 | 68.68% | 2,355 | 30.37% | 74 | 0.95% |
| 1932 | 5,252 | 54.34% | 4,221 | 43.67% | 192 | 1.99% |
| 1936 | 4,901 | 47.13% | 5,259 | 50.58% | 238 | 2.29% |
| 1940 | 5,851 | 51.54% | 5,473 | 48.21% | 29 | 0.26% |
| 1944 | 5,335 | 54.86% | 4,344 | 44.67% | 46 | 0.47% |
| 1948 | 4,977 | 53.34% | 3,860 | 41.37% | 494 | 5.29% |
| 1952 | 7,075 | 62.12% | 4,257 | 37.38% | 57 | 0.50% |
| 1956 | 6,957 | 62.81% | 4,106 | 37.07% | 14 | 0.13% |
| 1960 | 6,490 | 55.23% | 5,239 | 44.58% | 22 | 0.19% |
| 1964 | 4,098 | 38.45% | 6,537 | 61.33% | 23 | 0.22% |
| 1968 | 5,359 | 52.04% | 4,132 | 40.13% | 806 | 7.83% |
| 1972 | 7,028 | 59.03% | 4,744 | 39.85% | 134 | 1.13% |
| 1976 | 7,025 | 53.32% | 6,022 | 45.71% | 128 | 0.97% |
| 1980 | 7,059 | 52.31% | 5,268 | 39.04% | 1,167 | 8.65% |
| 1984 | 8,135 | 63.77% | 4,575 | 35.86% | 47 | 0.37% |
| 1988 | 6,786 | 56.23% | 5,222 | 43.27% | 60 | 0.50% |
| 1992 | 5,462 | 40.02% | 5,434 | 39.82% | 2,751 | 20.16% |
| 1996 | 5,137 | 38.74% | 6,532 | 49.26% | 1,590 | 11.99% |
| 2000 | 7,526 | 52.43% | 6,370 | 44.38% | 458 | 3.19% |
| 2004 | 9,122 | 55.33% | 7,203 | 43.69% | 163 | 0.99% |
| 2008 | 8,267 | 49.48% | 8,184 | 48.98% | 257 | 1.54% |
| 2012 | 8,278 | 52.86% | 7,100 | 45.34% | 282 | 1.80% |
| 2016 | 9,122 | 58.65% | 5,379 | 34.59% | 1,051 | 6.76% |
| 2020 | 10,681 | 60.44% | 6,648 | 37.62% | 342 | 1.94% |
| 2024 | 11,249 | 61.18% | 6,796 | 36.96% | 342 | 1.86% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 10,751 | 59.68% | 6,689 | 37.13% | 573 | 3.18% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2022 | 7,902 | 54.36% | 6,303 | 43.36% | 332 | 2.28% |
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.
(Current as of July 30, 2024)[19]
All Interstate and US Highways in Michigan are all state-maintained highways and part of theMichigan State Trunkline Highway System.
I-75 is Michigan's longest state highway overall; it ends on theSault Ste. Marie International Bridge at theCanada border.
BS I-75 travels from I-75 into downtown Sault Ste. Marie, and ends at the ferry toSugar Island.
M-28 is Michigan's longest state highway; it ends at M-129 eight miles (13 km) south of Sault Ste. Marie.
M-48 is a highway that goes through Pickford and Rudyard, and ends at exit 373 on I-75.
M-80 is a highway that begins at exit 378 on I-75, goes through the former base inKincheloe, and terminates at M-129.
M-123 is a highway that is the main connector fromTahquamenon Falls to M-28.
M-129 (also known asMeridian Road) runs through the eastern part of the county, and ends at BS I-75 just south of Sault Ste. Marie.
M-134 is a highway that goes to and terminates onDrummond Island.
M-221 is the shortest highway in Chippewa County, just going throughBrimley and ending at M-28.The following highways are maintained by the Chippewa County Road Commission as part of the county road system. They are assigned numbers by theMichigan Department of Transportation as part of the County-Designated Highway System.
H-40
H-63 runs viaMackinac Trail, the former route of US 2 before it was replaced by I-75 in 1962.
FFH 42(Whitefish Bay National Forest Scenic Byway), is aNational Forest Scenic Byway with theUS Forest Service the Chippewa County Road Commission jointly maintains.TheMichigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association announced that Chippewa County will house its new command and control center. In last year, this is the third major announcement from the organization — guiding Michigan's aerospace and defense manufacturing community within the global industry. Previously, MAMA announced plans for aOscoda, MichiganWurtsmith Airport horizontal launch site at and aMarquette, Michigan vertical launch site.[20][21]
Places adjacent to Chippewa County, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofChippewa 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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