Ira Township is a

civil township A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States that is subordinate to a county, most often in the northern and midwestern parts of the country. The term town is used in New England, New York, and Wisconsin to ref ...

of St. Clair County 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 ...

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 ...

. The population was 5,178 at the 2010 Census.

Communities

Four

unincorporated communities An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

are within the township: *Anchorville is on M-29 situated on northern shore of

Lake St. Clair Lake St. Clair (french: Lac Sainte-Claire) is a freshwater lake that lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named in 1679 by French Catholic explorers after Saint Clare of Assisi, on whose feast day ...

at . The Anchorville ZIP code 48004 provides P.O. Box service. The Rev. Charles Chambille arrived in 1853 to serve the French living in the area, which was then called the "Swan Creek Settlement." Chambille dedicated a church in 1854, which became the nucleus of a village. In 1876, it was renamed to describe its location on Anchor Bay. A post office was established in December 1885. *Copeland Corner is on M-29 at Perch Road ( Elevation: 577 ft./176m.). *Fair Haven is about a mile and a half east-southeast of Anchorville on M-29 at . The Fairhaven ZIP code 48023 serves most of Ira Township. The community was the site of a French-speaking Metis settlement dating from before 1837 and named after the nearby stream, ''Rivière des Cygnes''. This was translated by American settlers as Swan Creek and was given a post office with that name in October 1857. In February 1862, it was renamed Fair Haven. * Perch Point is on M-29 at the southeast corner of Ira Township on the boundary with Clay Township at .

History

The township was created in 1837 and was named for Ira Marks, an early settler. A post office named Ira was established at a settlement on the north shore of

in May 1851 and operated until June 1853.

Geography

According to the

United States 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 township has a total area of , of which is land and (21.42%) is water. Ira township is flat and rises slightly from the shoreline of Lake Saint Clair. Most of the township is rural and made up of woods, open space, and farms. The shoreline is developed along the Dixie Hwy which hugs the shore and there are small clusters of homes at Fair Haven and Anchorville. There is a small industrial area in the northwest section of the township. The primary tributary which is centered geographically is the Swan Creek which branches off to the east and west, out to the north of the township limits. The drainage area of these creeks is small but makes up most of the township's watershed. The shoreline is often sandy or has seawalls along private homes and the water is shallow near the land. There are a number of marshes in the township along the lake and the creeks.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 6,966 people, 2,677 households, and 1,833 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 2,871 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 96.87%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.82%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.63% Native American, 0.26%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.32% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.06% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.26% of the population. There were 2,677 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12. In the township the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.6 males. The median income for a household in the township was $45,525, and the median income for a family was $49,741. Males had a median income of $43,472 versus $27,383 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 township was $22,115. About 7.8% of families and 9.4% 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 11.5% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notes

{{authority control Townships in St. Clair County, Michigan Populated places established in 1837 Townships in Michigan Michigan populated places on Lake St. Clair