Wayne County was thesixth county in theNorthwest Territory, formed August 15, 1796, from portions ofterritorial Hamilton County,territorial Knox County and unorganized territory. It was named for the U.S. general"Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of theLower Peninsula of Michigan, most of theUpper Peninsula, as well as smaller sections that are now part of northernOhio,Indiana,Illinois andWisconsin. By proclamation of the Territorial Secretary and Acting Governor,Winthrop Sargent, on August 15, 1796, the boundaries of Wayne County were declared to begin at the mouth of theCuyahoga River then west toFort Wayne, then to the southernmost point ofLake Michigan and along the western shore north to the territorial boundary inLake Superior and then along the territorial boundary throughLake Huron,Lake St. Clair, andLake Erie back to the starting point.[6] The first division of the county into townships occurred November 1, 1798, into the four townships ofDetroit,Hamtramck,Mackinaw, and Sargent. The extent of Wayne county at that time included all the present state of Michigan in addition to parts of Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin, so that the townships erected at that time were vastly larger than the corresponding divisions of the present time.[7]
On January 14, 1803, the Governor ofIndiana Territory,William Henry Harrison, issued a similar proclamation defining the boundaries as beginning at a point where an east and west line passing through the southernmost extreme of Lake Michigan would intersect a north and south line, passing through the westernmost extreme of the lake, then north to the territorial boundary, then along said boundary line to a point where an east and west line passing through the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan would intersect the same, then along this last mentioned line to the place of beginning. This boundary would includeChicago, Illinois, and a sizable strip ofWisconsin along Lake Michigan.[8]
These boundaries would be adjusted asIndiana and Illinois became states and as other counties were formed withinMichigan Territory.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 673 square miles (1,740 km2), of which 612 square miles (1,590 km2) is land and 61 square miles (160 km2) (9.0%) is water.[9] Its water area includes parts of theDetroit River andLake St. Clair.
The eastern (and sometimes southern) boundary is a water boundary in the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair with Essex County,Ontario. Automotive traffic crosses this boundary at theDetroit–Windsor Tunnel and theAmbassador Bridge. Due to the southwestern course of the river, this small portion of Canada actually lies to the south of Wayne County. The southern communities of the county are usually referred to asDownriver, in reference to their location downstream of downtown Detroit.
TheWayne County Department of Public Services was formed in 1906 as theWayne County Road Commission. It was the government agency in Wayne County, Michigan responsible for building and maintaining the county's roads and highways.[10]
Its first commissioners wereEdward N. Hines, Cassius R. Benton, and automobile manufacturerHenry Ford. While the commission was authorized by an 80% positive vote of county voters in a 1906 referendum, it was controversial and there was a Michigan state supreme court case pressed which found it unconstitutional. Commissioners Benton and Ford quit, but commissioner Hines persisted and led the commission through reorganization getting around the obstacles.[11]: 33 Hines was a commissioner continuously from 1906 to 1938. Hines is credited with the idea of putting a painted line down a roadway's center to divide traffic, and other innovations that were later widely adopted.[12]
The commission claims credit for constructing the country's first mile of concrete-paved rural highway, a section of Woodward Avenue just outside the Detroit city limits.[11]
The county road commission was merged into the general county government,[11]: 42 becoming the Roads Division of the Department of Public Services.[14]
I-75 through theDownriver communities, then through the southwest-side neighborhoods ofDetroit and serves as the northern border ofDowntown Detroit as the Fisher Freeway. It then turns away from the Fisher onto the Chrysler Freeway at a complex interchange with I-375 and an unnumbered extension which connects with M-3, then follows M-1, which is less than a mile away through the remainder of Detroit, connecting eastern Wayne County toToledo andFlint to the south and north respectively. It runs non-stop to theSault Ste. Marie International Bridge to the north and toFlorida to the south.
I-94 runs east–west through the central parts of Wayne County, connecting it toPort Huron eastbound andChicago westbound. To the west it provides an uninterrupted route as far asMontana and connects to the northern side of theDetroit Metro Airport. In Detroit it is known as the Edsel Ford Freeway.
I-96 has its eastern terminus in the county, inDetroit. It followsGrand River Avenue until the city's northwest side, there it turns due west to I-275, where it turns north to concurrent with I-275. West of Detroit to I-275 it is known as the Jeffries Freeway; in Detroit it is the Rosa Parks Memorial Highway, but it is sometimes still known as the Jeffries.
I-375 is the nation's shortest Interstate Highway to besigned. However some highways are shorter but are not signed at all. It serves as the eastern boundary ofDowntown Detroit and is a southern extension of the Chrysler Freeway. There are currently plans in the works to turn I-375 into a 6-lane boulevard.[15] Construction will start in 2025 and is expected to finish by 2028.[16]
US 12 has its eastern terminus inDowntown Detroit at Cass Avenue. From there it travels through the west side ofDetroit and throughDearborn and other points west and is a useful alternative to I-94. US 12 continues west through Michigan, passing through several US cities including Chicago and Minneapolis, eventually ending in the Pacific Northwest in Aberdeen, Washington. Locally it is known as Michigan Avenue.
US 24 traverses throughDownriver and the far west sides ofDearborn andDetroit and is a useful alternative to I-75. Locally it is known as Telegraph Road.
US 10 entered the county by two ways. Initially it was via Woodward Avenue but when the Lodge Freeway was completed U.S. Route 10 was relocated onto it; the Woodward route became M-1. Later the existing highway was truncated inBay City and M-10 replaced it on the Lodge.
US 25 was the designated name for Dix-Toledo Highway inDownriver and Fort Street and Gratiot Avenue inDetroit. The construction of I-75 resulted in the truncation of U.S. Route 25 toCincinnati.
US 112 followed Michigan Avenue out ofDowntown Detroit and out of Wayne County. Is now a routing of U.S. Route 12.
M-1 has its southern terminus inDowntown Detroit at Adams Street. It travels through Midtown Detroit and New Center and throughHighland Park. It serves as an alternative to I-75 and M-10. Locally known as Woodward Avenue. M-1 was a result of US-10 being redesignated to the Lodge Freeway.
M-3 has its southern terminus inDowntown Detroit at Randolph andJefferson Avenue. It proceeds northeasterly through Detroit's northeast side and beyond towardsMount Clemens and points further north. Locally known as Gratiot Avenue. M-3 was the result of the removal of US-25 from Michigan.
M-5 begins at the northern intersection with I-96 on Detroit's northwest side and followsGrand River Avenue out of the county.
M-8 runs from I-96 to Conant Street inDetroit, passing throughHighland Park. The freeway portion is known as the Davison Freeway.
M-10 starts at the same intersection where M-3 starts inDowntown Detroit and travels further into the city on the Lodge Freeway and connects it toSouthfield.
M-14 starts at the interchange with I-96 and I-275 inLivonia and travels out into rural areas, servingPlymouth andAnn Arbor.
M-39 starts inLincoln Park's city center and runs along Southfield Road toAllen Park and becomes the Southfield Freeway, traveling through the west side ofDetroit.
M-53 begins at M-3 inDetroit, running through the city and connecting it to the Thumb area of the state. Locally known as Van Dyke Avenue.
M-85, which is entirely in Wayne County, starts atGriswold Street inDowntown Detroit and connects the city's southwest side toDownriver, ending nearFlat Rock at I-75, for whom which M-85 serves as an alternative. Locally known as West Fort and South Fort, divided at theRiver Rouge.
M-97 only runs a short distance through Detroit's northeast side, starting at M-3. In the city it follows Gunston Street and Hoover Street.
M-102 follows the county line between M-5 and I-94. Locally known as West 8 Mile and East 8 Mile, divided at John R. Street.
M-153 starts at Wyoming Street on the Detroit-Dearborn limit and continues through the western suburbs as Ford Road.
M-16 became part of US 16, which is also removed from Michigan.
Dixie Highway ran through Wayne County as early as 1915. Back then it was one of the only routes that connected the county to theSouthern United States. Today there are no traces of the old highway in the county.
Grosse Ile Municipal Airport is located about two miles (3.2 km) south ofGrosse Ile Township's downtown area. It has two paved runways. No scheduled flights operate out of this airport as well.
Coleman A. Young International Airport is also known as the Detroit City Airport, which is not to be confused with the larger and nearby Detroit Metro Airport. It is located just a short drive fromDowntown Detroit along M-3. It also has two runways and no scheduled flights, although it has been attempted in the past.
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
The2010 United States census[25] indicates Wayne County had a 2010 population of 1,820,584. This is a decrease of 240,578 people from the2000 United States census. Overall, the county had an -11.7% growth rate during this ten-year period. In 2010 there were 702,749 households and 450,651 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 2,974.4 per square mile (1,148.4 per square kilometer). There were 821,693 housing units at an average density of 1,342.5 per square mile (518.3 per square kilometer). 52.3% wereWhite, 40.5%Black or African American, 2.5%Asian, 0.4%Native American, 0.8% of some other race and 2.4%of two or more races. 5.2% wereHispanic or Latino (of any race). 7.5% were ofGerman, 6.8%Polish and 5.2%Irish ancestry.[26]
There were 702,749 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% werehusband and wife families, 20.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.9% were non-families, and 30.7% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the county, 25.4% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.7% was from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.
The2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimate[25] indicates the median income for a household in the county was $39,408 and the median income for a family was $49,176. Males had a median income of $26,823 versus $17,744 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $20,948. About 18.6% of families and 23.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 34.8% of those under the age 18 and 11.7% of that age 65 or over.
According to 2010 statistics, the largest religious group in Wayne County was theArchdiocese of Detroit, with 297,283 Catholics worshipping at 149 parishes, followed by 92,394non-denominational adherents with 144 congregations, 76,422NBC Baptists with 110 congregations, an estimated 67,775Muslims with 38 congregations, 28,021ABCUSA Baptists with 32 congregations, 22,687Missouri Synod Lutherans with 52 congregations, 16,043CoGiC Pentecostals with 66 congregations, 14,689UMC Methodists with 53 congregations, 14,107PC-USA Presbyterians with 36 congregations, and 13,199AME Methodists with 29 congregations. Altogether, 43.3% of the population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information.[27] In 2014, Wayne County had 780 religious organizations, the 12th most among all US counties.[28]
Wayne County is Michigan's first "charter county", with ahome rule charter setting up its structures within limits set in state law and constitution. Most Michigan county governments are structured according to state law, without a locally adopted charter. The county is governed pursuant to theHome Rule Charter of Wayne County, Michigan, and theWayne County Code is thecodification of Wayne County'slocal ordinances. Unless a violation of the code or other ordinance is specifically designated as a municipal civil infraction (or unless expressly otherwise required by applicable state or federal laws), the violation is amisdemeanor.[29]
The county government operates thejail, maintains rural roads, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintainsvital records for all areas except Detroit, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. Most other local government functions – police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. – are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
The Wayne County Jail Division operates The Andrew C. Baird Detention Facility inDowntown Detroit, The Old Wayne County Jail in Downtown Detroit, and The William Dickerson Detention Facility inHamtramck.[30]
Wayne County has backed theDemocratic candidate for president in every election from 1932 onward, at times by large margins. From 1896 to 1928, it had always voted Republican for president, or at least more Republican than Democratic. Its large population has helped swing the election to Democrats in many statewide elections since then, with candidates running up large margins here offsetting Republican majorities in most rural counties of Michigan. In fact, between 1944 and 2012, the county had the largest margin of victory for the Democratic candidate in Michigan in every presidential election except for 1976 and 1984, both times coming in second place toGogebic County in theUpper Peninsula by less than 1.5%.
More recently, however, the margin of victory for the Democrats has started to shrink. Beginning in 2016, neighboringWashtenaw County, home of theUniversity of Michigan, has surpassed Wayne County as the most Democratic county in Michigan; and in 2024,Ingham County, home ofMichigan State University, also voted more Democratic than Wayne County. In 2020,Donald Trump became the first Republican since 1988 to crack 30% of the vote in the county. The 2024 election saw an even bigger shift, with Trump taking more than one-third of the county's vote, andKamala Harris turning in the worst performance for a Democrat in Wayne County in 36 years, winning by less than 30% for the first time since 1988.
The last Republican candidate to carry Wayne County in a statewide election wasCandice Miller when she won re-election to theSecretary of State office in1998.
^Fuller, George Newman (1924).Historic Michigan, land of the Great Lakes; its life, resources, industries, people, politics, government, wars, institutions, achievements, the press, schools and churches, legendary and prehistoric lore. Dayton Ohio United: National Historical Association, Inc. p. 101.
^Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS)."U.S. Census website".census.gov.Archived from the original on December 27, 1996. RetrievedMarch 24, 2017.
^"Social Capital Variables Spreadsheet for 2014".PennState College of Agricultural Sciences, Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development. December 8, 2017.Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. RetrievedDecember 30, 2019.
^"Jail DivisionArchived 2012-10-29 at theWayback Machine." Wayne County. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "570 Clinton Street, Detroit, MI 48226" and "525 Clinton Street, Detroit, MI 48226" and "3501 Hamtramck Dr, Hamtramck, MI 48212"
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