Calhoun County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
. As of the
2020 Census, the population was 134,310.
The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
.
The county was established on October 19, 1829, and named after
John C. Calhoun, who was at the time
Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
under
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
, making it one of Michigan's
Cabinet counties. County government was first organized on March 6, 1833.
Calhoun County comprises the
Battle Creek
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which en ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
and is included in the
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...
-Battle Creek-
Portage
Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...
Combined Statistical Area
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...
.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.7%) is water.
Geographic features
*
Kalamazoo River
The Kalamazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river is long from the junction of its North and South branches to its mouth at Lake Michigan, with a total length extending to when one includes the South Branch.U.S. Geologica ...
*
Battle Creek River
The Battle Creek River (simply Battle Creek on federal maps) is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a tributary of the Kalamazoo River, joining it at Battle Creek, Michigan; the Kalamazoo River empties into Lake Michigan.
The river's dr ...
*
St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)
The St. Joseph River (known locally as the St. Joe) is a tributary of Lake Michigan with a length of .U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map Retrieved May 19, 2011 The river flows in a ...
*
Goguac Lake
Goguac Lake is a lake in the city of Battle Creek, located in Calhoun County in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of Michigan. With a maximum depth of , the lake is home to many fish species, including Crappie, Bluegill, Pike, Largemout ...
Adjacent counties
*
Eaton County
Eaton County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 109,175. The county seat is Charlotte. The county was organized in 1837 and was named for John Eaton, who was Secretary of War under ...
- north
*
Barry County - northwest
*
Jackson County - east
*
Kalamazoo County
Kalamazoo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. , the population was 261,670. The county seat is Kalamazoo.
Kalamazoo County is included in the Kalamazoo– Portage, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Kalamazoo Count ...
- west
*
Hillsdale County
Hillsdale County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 45,746. The county seat is Hillsdale.
Hillsdale County is the only county in Michigan to border both Indiana and Ohio. Due to an ...
- southeast
*
Branch County - south
*
St. Joseph County - southwest
History
The
Kalamazoo River oil spill
The Kalamazoo River oil spill occurred in July 2010 when a pipeline operated by Enbridge (Line 6B) burst and flowed into Talmadge Creek, a tributary of the Kalamazoo River. A break in the pipeline resulted in one of the largest inland oil spills ...
occurred in July 2010 when a pipeline operated by
Enbridge
Enbridge Inc. is a multinational pipeline and energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Enbridge owns and operates pipelines throughout Canada and the United States, transporting crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. ...
(Line 6B) burst and flowed into Talmadge Creek, a tributary of the Kalamazoo River. A six-foot break in the pipeline resulted in the largest inland oil spill, and one of the costliest spills in U.S. history. The pipeline carries diluted bitumen (
dilbit
Dilbit (diluted bitumen) is a bitumen diluted with one or more lighter petroleum products, typically natural-gas condensates such as naphtha. Diluting bitumen makes it much easier to transport, for example in pipelines. Per the Alberta Oil Sands B ...
), a
heavy crude oil
Heavy crude oil (or extra heavy crude oil) is highly-viscous oil that cannot easily flow from production wells under normal reservoir conditions.
It is referred to as "heavy" because its density or specific gravity is higher than that of light cru ...
from Canada's
Athabasca oil sands to the United States. Following the spill, the volatile hydrocarbon diluents evaporated, leaving the heavier bitumen to sink in the water column. Thirty-five miles of the Kalamazoo River were closed for clean-up until June 2012, when portions of the river were re-opened. On March 14, 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered Enbridge to return to dredge portions of the river to remove submerged oil and oil-contaminated sediment.
Demographics
The
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
indicates Calhoun County had a 2010 population of 136,146. This is a decrease of -1,839 people from the
2000 United States Census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
. Overall, the county had a -1.3% growth rate during this ten-year period. In 2010 there were 54,016 households and 35,220 families in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 192.8 per square mile (74.4 square kilometers). There were 61,042 housing units at an average density of 86.4 per square mile (33.4 square kilometers). The
racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 79.8% White, 10.7% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races.
There were 54,016 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were
husband and wife families, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.8% were non-families, and 28.8% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.
The
2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimate[ indicates the median income for a household in the county was $42,921 and the median income for a family was $49,964. Males had a median income of $25,712 versus $18,298 for females. The ]per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the county was $20,661. About 11.7% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 23.9% of those under the age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The county government operates the jail
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...
, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts,
keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records
Vital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses (or marriage certificates), separation agreements, divorce certificates or divorce party and death certificates. In some ...
, administers public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
regulations, and
participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county
board of commissioners controls the budget but has only 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.
Elected officials
* Prosecuting Attorney
A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal tria ...
: David E. Gilbert
* Sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
: Steven Hinkley
* County Clerk
A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...
/Register of Deeds
Recorder of deeds or deeds registry is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over ...
: Kimberly A. Hinkley
* County Treasurer: Brian Wensauer
* Water Resource Commissioner: Ron Smith
(information as of October 2020)
Communities
Cities
* Albion
Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...
* Battle Creek
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which en ...
* Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
(county seat)
* Springfield
Springfield may refer to:
* Springfield (toponym), the place name in general
Places and locations Australia
* Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast)
* Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council)
* Springfield, Queenslan ...
Villages
* Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
* Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
Places Canada Geography
* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
* Burlington, Prince Edward Island
* Burlington Bay, no ...
* Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
* Tekonsha
* Union City (partial)
Census-designated places
* Brownlee Park
* Level Park-Oak Park
Other unincorporated communities
* Albion Landing
* Babcock
* Beadle Lake
* Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
* Bentleys Corners
* Ceresco
* Charlotte Landing
* Clarence Center
* Clarendon
* Condit Condit or Conditt is a surname.
People
Notable people with the surname include:
* Azubah Caroline Condit (1810-1844), American missionary in Indonesia
* Carl W. Condit (1914–1997), historian of Chicago architecture
* Carlos Condit (born 1984 ...
* Duck Lake
* East Leroy
* Eckford
* Greenfield Park
* Joppa
* Lee Center
* Maplehurst
* Marengo
* Old Mill Gardens
* Orchard Park
* Partello
* Pennfield
* Pine Creek
* Pine Creek Indian Reservation
* Rice Creek
* Sonoma
* Springfield Place
* Stanley Corners
* Sunrise Heights (subdivision)
* Verona
Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...
* Walnut Point
A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, ''Juglans regia''.
Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true bo ...
* Wattles Park
* West Leroy
* Wrights Corners
Townships
* Albion Township
* Athens Township
* Bedford Charter Township
* Burlington Township
* Clarence Township
* Clarendon Township
* Convis Township
* Eckford Township
* Emmett Charter Township
* Fredonia Township
* Homer Township
* Lee Township
* Leroy Township
* Marengo Township
* Marshall Township
* Newton Township
* Pennfield Charter Township
* Sheridan Township
* Tekonsha Township
Historical markers
There are 83 recognized Michigan historical markers in the county.
See also
* List of Michigan county name etymologies
There are 83 counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The boundaries of these counties have not changed substantially since 1897. However, throughout the 19th century, the state legislature frequently adjusted county boundaries. County creation wa ...
*
*
References
External links
Calhoun Intermediate School District
*
Calhoun County courts
Calhoun County government
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places.com
- unofficial website
{{Coord, 42.25, -85.00, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MI_source:UScensus1990
Michigan counties
1833 establishments in Michigan Territory
Populated places established in 1833