Monroe County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers 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 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 t ...

. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 154,809. The largest city and

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 ...

is Monroe. The county was established as the second county (after Wayne County) in the

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit ...

in 1817 and was named for then-President

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

. Monroe County is coterminous with the Monroe, MI micropolitan statistical area.

History

Before the county's formation, the primary settlement was Frenchtown, which was settled in as early as 1784 along the banks of the

River Raisin The River Raisin is a river in southeastern Michigan, United States, that flows through glacial sediments into Lake Erie. The area today is an agricultural and industrial center of Michigan. The river flows for almost ,U.S. Geological Surv ...

. The small plot of land was given to the early

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

settlers by the

Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

Native Americans, and the area was claimed for

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spa ...

. The settlement of Frenchtown and the slight northerly settlement of Sandy Creek drew in a total of about 100 inhabitants. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

, the area was the site of the

Battle of Frenchtown The Battles of Frenchtown, also known as the Battle of the River Raisin and the River Raisin Massacre, were a series of conflicts in Michigan Territory that took place from January 18–23, 1813, during the War of 1812. It was fought between the ...

, which was the worst American defeat in the war and remains the deadliest conflict ever on Michigan soil. The site of the battle is now part of the

River Raisin National Battlefield Park The River Raisin National Battlefield Park preserves the site of the Battle of Frenchtown as the only national battlefield marking a site of the War of 1812. It was established as the 393rd unit of the United States National Park Service under ...

. Monroe County was formed from the southern portion of Wayne County in 1817. At the time, the

, which had not yet received statehood, consisted of only Wayne County since

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

was the only area with a population over 1,000 people. When the area became more populated, the southern portion of Wayne County was broken off to form Monroe County with the settlement of Frenchtown was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...

ted with the name "Monroe". The settlement also incorporated as a village in 1817 and became the

of Monroe County. The county and its county seat were named in honor of then-

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

in anticipation for his upcoming visit to the area. Shortly after its formation, Monroe County's population was recorded at only 336 in the 1820 census. When the county was originally formed, it stretched for inland (twice its current size), but the western half was split off to form Lenawee County in 1826. Monroe County's most famous resident,

George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, b ...

(1839–1876), moved to Monroe as a child and lived with his half-sister and brother-in-law. Although not born in Monroe, he attended school in Monroe and later moved away to attend the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

. He returned to Monroe in 1864 during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

to marry Elizabeth Bacon (1842–1933), whom he met while previously living in Monroe. Much of Custer's family resided in Monroe, included Elizabeth Bacon, Henry Armstrong Reed (1858–1876), and

Boston Custer Boston Custer (October 31, 1848 – June 25, 1876) was the youngest brother of U.S. Army Lt Colonel George Armstrong Custer and two-time Medal of Honor recipient Captain Thomas Custer. He was killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn along ...

(1848–1876). Following their deaths in the

Battle of the Little Bighorn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, No ...

, Henry and Boston were interred and memorialized in Monroe's historic Woodland Cemetery, as are many members of Bacon's family. Although dying in the same battle, George Custer was interred at

West Point Cemetery West Point Cemetery is a historic cemetery in the eastern United States, on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. It overlooks the Hudson River, and served as a burial ground for Revolutionary War soldiers and ear ...

, and Elizabeth Bacon was buried next to him when she died many decades later. In 1910, then-

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

and the widowed Elizabeth Bacon unveiled an equestrian statue of Custer that now rests at the corner of Elm Street and Monroe Street in the heart of downtown Monroe.

Border disputes

When the city of Toledo was incorporated in 1833, it was part of Monroe County instead of the state of

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. The small strip of land surrounding the

mouth In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...

of the

Maumee River The Maumee River (pronounced ) ( sjw, Hotaawathiipi; mia, Taawaawa siipiiwi) is a river running in the United States Midwest from northeastern Indiana into northwestern Ohio and Lake Erie. It is formed at the confluence of the St. Joseph and ...

was under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Territory, because the borders originally drawn up for the

Northwest Ordinance The Northwest Ordinance (formally An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio and also known as the Ordinance of 1787), enacted July 13, 1787, was an organic act of the Congress of the Co ...

of 1787 set a territorial boundary as the southernmost edge of

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

. When Ohio became the first in the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolutionary War. Established in 1 ...

to gain statehood in 1803, the state's northern border claimed this important area, even though the boundaries of the Michigan Territory when it was formally organized in 1805 also included this area. From 1833 to 1836, Toledo belonged to Monroe County, which led to the very heated

Toledo War The Toledo War (1835–36), also known as the Michigan–Ohio War or the Ohio–Michigan War, was an almost bloodless boundary dispute between the U.S. state of Ohio and the adjoining territory of Michigan over what is now known as the Toledo S ...

border dispute A territorial dispute or boundary dispute is a disagreement over the possession or control of land between two or more political entities. Context and definitions Territorial disputes are often related to the possession of natural resources su ...

between the Michigan Territory and the state of Ohio for the area known as the Toledo Strip. In late 1836, President

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 ...

, who disliked the Michigan Territory's "boy governor" Stevens T. Mason, intervened on behalf of Ohio and gave the Toledo Strip to Ohio in exchange for Michigan getting the

Upper Peninsula The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by t ...

, then considered a wasteland, when it became a state on January 26, 1837. While Toledo was part of Monroe County, it surpassed Monroe in terms of size and population. In 1915, Michigan Governor

Woodbridge N. Ferris Woodbridge Nathan Ferris (January 6, 1853March 23, 1928) was an American educator from New York, Illinois and Michigan who served as the 28th governor of Michigan and in the United States Senate as a Democrat. Early life in New York, Michigan a ...

and Ohio Governor Frank B. Willis called a ceremonial truce to the border conflict when new state line markers were erected. The new state line at the end of the Toledo War was established at approximately the 41°44' north

latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...

line just north of the mouth of the

. This gave the river and the city of Toledo to the state of Ohio, but it also created an unintended consequence for a specific area of Michigan. The state line also cut through the smaller

Ottawa River The Ottawa River (french: Rivière des Outaouais, Algonquin: ''Kichi-Sìbì/Kitchissippi'') is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word 'to trade', as it was the major trade route of Eastern ...

and inadvertently cut off a small section of Monroe County, creating an

exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

known as the "

Lost Peninsula The Lost Peninsula is a small exclave of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of Monroe County in the southeasternmost corner of the state. The Lost Peninsula was created as a result of the Toledo War boundary dispute in 1835 and 1836 to deter ...

" (). The few Michigan residents that live on the small peninsula must travel south into

Lucas County, Ohio Lucas County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is bordered to the east by Lake Erie, and to the southeast by the Maumee River, which runs to the lake. As of the 2020 census, the population was 431,279 ...

on a 10-minute drive before going north to get back to the rest of Michigan. The Lost Peninsula is administered by Erie Township and most of the peninsula contains a

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...

. Monroe County's boundary remained unchanged from 1837 to 1973, when a final unresolved dispute from the Toledo War was resolved, 136 years after the conflict. Ownership over the very small, uninhabited Turtle Island in a remote portion of

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...

was disputed for decades after the island's lighthouse was shut down. The island was long controlled by Michigan but still disputed by Ohio. On February 22, 1973, an agreement was met, and state lines were redrawn for the last time to cut exactly through the tiny island, which divided the island between Monroe County and Lucas County. Erie Township has jurisdiction over the Michigan half of Turtle Island, and the city of Toledo controls the other half. What to do with the island remains a contentious issue since neither side can come to any agreement. Today, the island has several abandoned structures, and the recent building of new structures was halted by a court order.

Economic history

Prior to the mid-20th century, Monroe County remained largely agrarian and was well known for its numerous paper mills — the first of which was founded in 1834. In 1916, August Meyer founded Brisk Blast, which was a

bicycle pump A bicycle pump is a type of positive-displacement air pump specifically designed for inflating bicycle tires. It has a connection or adapter for use with one or both of the two most common types of valves used on bicycles, Schrader or Pre ...

manufacturer that was later expanded to produce automotive shocks in 1919 as the Monroe Auto Equipment Company. In 1977, the company merged with the international

Tenneco Tenneco (formerly Tenneco Automotive and originally Tennessee Gas Transmission Company) is an American automotive components original equipment manufacturer and an aftermarket ride control and emissions products manufacturer. It is a Fortune 50 ...

company. Today, their world headquarters are located in Monroe Charter Township and continue to manufacture Monroe Shocks and Struts. In 1927, cousins Edward Knabusch and Edwin Shoemaker founded a small furniture making company in their garage. This would later evolve into the worldwide

La-Z-Boy La-Z-Boy Inc. (pronounced "lazy boy") is an American furniture manufacturer based in Monroe, Michigan, United States, that makes home furniture, including upholstered recliners, sofas, stationary chairs, lift chairs and sleeper sofas. The compa ...

Incorporated, and their world headquarters are located on North Telegraph Road in Monroe. In 1957, the

Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station The Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant on the shore of Lake Erie near Monroe, in Frenchtown Charter Township, Michigan on approximately . All units of the plant are operated by the DTE Energy Electric Company and own ...

first opened in Frenchtown Charter Township near

. Today, the plant is operated by

Detroit Edison DTE Electric Company (formerly The Detroit Edison Company) was founded in 1886. DTE Electric's power generation portfolio includes renewable energy, but is primarily generated by fossil fuels. In 2021, 67.32% of electricity generated by DTE came ...

but is entirely owned by parent company

DTE Energy DTE Energy (formerly Detroit Edison until 1996) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services in the United States and Canada. Its operating units include an elec ...

. In 1974, the

Monroe Power Plant The Monroe Power Plant is a coal-fired power plant located in Monroe, Michigan, on the western shore of Lake Erie. It is owned by the DTE Energy Electric Company, a subsidiary of DTE Energy. The plant was constructed in the early 1970s and began ...

, currently the fourth largest coal firing plant in North America, opened. At tall, the dual smokestacks are visible from over away and are among the tallest structures in the state. A third smokestack — shorter and wider than the other two — was constructed as the plant responds to meet environmental regulations. In 1929, Newton Steel opened a manufacturing plant on Lake Erie in Monroe, and this plant would later be purchased by

Alcoa Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for Aluminum Company of America) is a Pittsburgh-based industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primary ...

in 1942, Kelsey-Hayes in 1947, the

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

in 1949 and subsequently under their

Visteon Visteon Corporation (VC) is an American global automotive electronics supplier and Fortune 500 company spun off from the Ford Motor Company in 2000. Visteon is composed of multiple businesses that design, engineer, and manufacture vehicle cockpit ...

division in 2000 and later as the Automotive Components Holdings in 2005. The plant, one of the most prominent manufacturing job in the county, produces various car parts for Ford. The plant itself is also well known for its high level of chemicals that once polluted Lake Erie and the

. Although threatened to close, the factory remains open with 1,200 employees. Today, the Port of Monroe remains heavily industrialized, and various other industries have moved to Monroe County in recent years. In 2001,

Cabela's Cabela's Inc. is an American retailer that specializes in hunting, fishing, boating, camping, shooting and other outdoor recreation merchandise. The chain is based in Sidney, Nebraska. Cabela's was founded by Richard N. Cabela in 1961. Cabela' ...

built a store in

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

. As one of the largest stores of its kind, this location is a major tourist destination and has greatly improved the economy of Dundee. The

Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance Global Engine Alliance LLC, began as a joint venture of Chrysler, Mitsubishi Motors, and Hyundai Motor Company for developing a line of shared engines. In September 2009, Chrysler purchased Mitsubishi and Hyundai's shares, after 5 years of all ...

was also founded in Dundee in 2002.

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 (19%) is water. Monroe is Michigan's only county on

. The

and Sandy Creek flow through the county.

Sterling State Park William C. Sterling State Park is a public recreation area located in Frenchtown Charter Township with a small portion lying within the city limits of Monroe, Michigan. It is the only Michigan state park located on Lake Erie. The park encomp ...

is the county's only state park and the only of Michigan's 98 state parks located on Lake Erie. The

Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international wildlife refuge in North America. Established in 2001 and managed jointly by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service, it is located in ...

extends south into Monroe County and includes part of the

North Maumee Bay Archeological District The North Maumee Bay Archeological District is a historic district containing archeological sites located in the southeasternmost corner of Erie Township in Monroe County, Michigan. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on D ...

. Monroe County sits at the lowest elevation in state of Michigan, which is the shores of Lake Erie at .

Adjacent counties

* Wayne County (northeast) *

Washtenaw County Washtenaw County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the population was 372,258. The county seat is Ann Arbor. The county was authorized by legislation in 1822 and organized as a county in 1826. Washtenaw ...

(northwest) *

Essex County, Ontario Essex County is a primarily rural county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada comprising seven municipalities: Amherstburg, Kingsville, Ontario, Kingsville, Lakeshore, Ontario, Lakeshore, LaSalle, Ontario, LaSalle, Leamington, Ontario, Leamington, Tec ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

(east) * Lenawee County (west) *

(south)

Climate

Monroe County lies in the

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

zone. The city of Monroe only receives an average of of snow a year — the lowest average snowfall for any large city in the state. July is the warmest month with an average high temperature of , and January is the coldest month with an average low temperature of . The county does not normally have extremely hot or cold temperatures. On average, the temperature only drops below a couple of times during a winter season, and it is even rarer for the temperature to rise above during the summer. The coldest recorded temperature was on February 5, 1918. The highest recorded temperature was on July 24, 1934, with another equal temperature recorded on one occasion many years earlier. Severe weather events are very rare. Monroe County has experienced a total approximately 30

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

es since 1950. Infrequent

waterspout A waterspout is an intense columnar vortex (usually appearing as a funnel cloud, funnel-shaped cloud) that occurs over a body of water. Some are connected to a cumulus congestus cloud, some to a cumuliform cloud and some to a cumulonimbus clou ...

s can also be seen out on

. Many tornadoes have been a part of major outbreaks, and none have directly affected the heavily populated areas. Three separate F4 tornadoes killed 13 people during the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak on April 11, 1965. In the Super Outbreak of April 3–4, 1974, two tornadoes (one F2 and one F3) caused five deaths. The most tornadoes from a single storm came on August 29, 1979, when four tornadoes touched down in and near Monroe. However, the tornadoes were weak (three F1 and one F0), and there were no deaths. The most recent tornado to touchdown and cause significant damage in the county struck Dundee Township in a minor outbreak that caused several tornadoes around the southern portion of Michigan on the morning of June 6, 2010. Since Monroe is too far north and inland, no

hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

have obviously struck Monroe County directly. However, some of the strongest hurricanes have affected the county in the form of a few irregular inches of increased rainfall, although by this point, they have no more power than a depression. Tropical Storm Candy (

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

) traveled unusually far inland and dropped of rain. Other storms, such as

Hurricane Hugo Hurricane Hugo was a powerful Cape Verde tropical cyclone that inflicted widespread damage across the northeastern Caribbean and the Southeastern United States in September 1989. Across its track, Hugo affected approximately 2 million peop ...

(

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

) and

Hurricane Isabel Hurricane Isabel was the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Mitch, and the deadliest, costliest, and most intense hurricane in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Isabel was also the strongest hurricane in the open waters of the Atlanti ...

(

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

) also dropped trace amounts of rain with over winds — long after they lost their hurricane status.

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 145,945 people, 53,772 households, and 39,952 families residing 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 265 people per square mile (102/km²). There were 56,471 housing units at an average density of 102 per square mile (40/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.42%

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 ...

, 1.90%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

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 ...

, 0.28% Native American, 0.47%

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 ...

, 0.01%

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 ...

, 0.62% 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 1.31% from two or more races. 2.13% of the population were

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. 28.5% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, 8.9%

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, 8.3%

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

, 8.2% French, 8.0%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, 7.5%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and 5.7%

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

ancestry, 96.4% spoke

and 1.5%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

as their first language. There were 53,772 households, out of which 36.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% 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, 10.10% had a female household with no husband present, and 25.70% were non-families. 21.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.14. In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.40% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $51,743, and the median income for a family was $59,659. Males had a median income of $46,715 versus $27,421 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 $22,458. About 4.80% of families and 7.00% 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 8.10% of those under age 18 and 8.30% of those age 65 or over. In the 2008 census report, the county's population was estimated at 152,949. The leading nationality was German at 34.9%, with Irish at 15.2% and French at 11.1%. Other national origins include 10.5% Polish and 8.9% English. The smallest population of any large nationality in the United States is

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

with only 45 people of Danish descent in the county. The highest ethnicity reported in the county in 2008 was white at 95.3%. Black people accounted for only 2.4%, while other ethnic groups include 0.7% Asian and 0.3% total for Native Americans and

Alaska Natives Alaska Natives (also known as Alaskan Natives, Native Alaskans, Indigenous Alaskans, Aboriginal Alaskans or First Alaskans) are the indigenous peoples of Alaska and include Iñupiat, Yupik, Aleut, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and a numbe ...

Hispanic and Latino Americans Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spanish and/or Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include all Americans who identify as ...

accounted for 2.7%.

Education

Monroe County contains nine

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

districts. There are approximately 23,000 students in public schools in Monroe County. Public school district boundaries are not conterminous with the county boundary or any municipality boundaries within the county. Monroe County is a "district of choice" county, and students have the option to attend any district in the county, even if they do not live within a particular district. Students near the county line, especially those in northern locations such as

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, Flat Rock, Michigan, Flat Rock, Milan Township, Michigan, Milan Township, and London Township, Michigan, London Township, are assigned to districts in the neighboring counties of Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne and Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw. Located primarily in Monroe County, Airport Community Schools and Whiteford Agricultural Schools have boundaries that extend into neighboring counties, so a small number of out-of-county students attend schools in Monroe County. There are two charter schools in the county with a total of 750 students. There are also 15 parochial schools with approximately 2,200 students enrolled in the private sector. The county is also served by one independent school district, the Monroe County Intermediate School District, which provides education services and staff support at all of the county's schools. Established in 1964 and first opened to students in 1967, Monroe County Community College is the only higher education institution in the county. Marygrove College, sponsored by the local Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM), was founded in Monroe in 1905 as a Roman Catholic Church, Catholic, liberal arts college. The college then moved to its current location in

in 1927. The IHM also operated a boarding school, the Hall of the Divine Child, in Monroe from 1918 to 1980. Students in the county may also be Homeschooling in the United States, homeschooled.

K-12 education

Monroe County is served by 14

districts, with nine of them based in the county. The largest of these is Monroe Public Schools (Michigan), Monroe Public Schools, which enrolls approximately 6,450 students in the city of Monroe and outlying area of the city limits. With around 2,100 students, Monroe High School is one of the largest high schools in the state. The Monroe County Intermediate School District is an independent school district that provides services to both public and private schools in the county. Students in Monroe County can choose to enroll in any public school district in the county, granted the district has available space. If a student attends a school outside of their normal district, the school will usually not provide transportation for the student. The district boundary map is provided by the Michigan Department of Information Technology. All district's athletic teams are governed by the Michigan High School Athletic Association. A small number of schools have been closed down or reused for different purposes, and some of the smaller districts consists of a single elementary school and a combined middle and high school.

Districts

School districts include: * Airport Community School District * Bedford Public Schools (Michigan), Bedford Public Schools * Blissfield Community Schools * Britton Deerfield School District * Flat Rock Community Schools * Dundee Community Schools * Huron School District (Michigan), Huron School District * Ida Public School District * Jefferson Schools * Mason Consolidated Schools * Milan Area Schools * Monroe Public Schools (Michigan), Monroe Public Schools * Summerfield School District * Whiteford Agricultural School District

Schools

: : : : : : :

Politics

Monroe County is a swing county in presidential elections. It has voted for the winning candidate for president in 13 of the last 16 presidential elections, the only exceptions being in 1968, 2000, and 2020. In 2016, Donald Trump received over 58% of the vote, the largest percentage since Ronald Reagan in 1984. In 2020, Trump outdid his 2016 total by winning 60.3% of the vote, possibly marking an end for Monroe's swing county status.

Landmarks and attractions

*Custer Airport *

*Detroit River Light *Dundee Historic District *Eby Log Cabin *East Elm-North Macomb Street Historic District *Edward Loranger House *

*George Armstrong Custer Equestrian Monument *Governor Robert McClelland House *Hall of the Divine Child, now the Norman Towers residence hall *Jefferson Avenue-Huron River and Harbin Drive-Silver Creek Canal Bridges, Jefferson Avenue-Huron River Bridge *

world headquarters *Martha Barker Country Store Museum *Monroe County Fair (Stock Arena) *Monroe County Historical Museum *Monroe County Labor History Museum *Monroe County Vietnam Veterans Historical Museum *Monroe Multi-Sports Complex *

*Navarre-Anderson Trading Post *

*Old Mill Museum (Dundee, Michigan), Old Mill Museum *Old Village Historic District (Monroe, Michigan), Old Village Historic District *Pointe Mouillee State Game Area *River Raisin Battlefield Visitor Center *

*River Raisin Centre for the Arts *Rudolph Nims House *St. Mary's Church Complex Historic District *Saint Michael the Archangel Church (Monroe, MI), St. Michael the Archangel Church *Sawyer House (Monroe, Michigan), Sawyer House *Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary *Southern Michigan Timberwolves are based in Monroe. *

*The Mall of Monroe (formerly known as Frenchtown Square Mall) *Weis Manufacturing Company *Woodland Cemetery (Monroe, Michigan), Woodland Cemetery

Transportation

Portions of Monroe County are served by the Lake Erie Transit public transportation bus system. Established in 1975, Lake Erie Transit currently has a fleet of 31 buses and serves approximately 400,000 riders every year. In 2008, the system logged 764,000 miles. The system operates buses on eight fixed routes in and around the city of Monroe. It also serves several neighboring townships outside of its normal routes should a passenger call ahead for a ride. From Bedford Township, Monroe County, Michigan, Bedford Township, its provides transportation to and from two shopping malls in Toledo, Ohio. * travels through the eastern portion of the county and provides access to Toledo to the south and

to the north. I-75 provides an uninterrupted route as far south as South Florida metropolitan area, South Florida and as far north as the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge. * has its southern terminus just north of Monroe in the northeast portion of the county. Splitting off from I-75, I-275 is a western bypass around Detroit but does not actually merge back with I-75. I-275 serves as a main route to the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Metro Airport. * runs along the western portion of the county, passing right through

and proceeding north through Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ann Arbor. US 23 is a limited-access freeway with interchanges rather than intersections. * travels through Monroe and provides access to Toledo and western portions of Detroit. The road is known locally as North Telegraph and South Telegraph—divided at the

. US 24 also connects to I-275 just north of Monroe. * was the designated name for the portion of Dixie Highway north of Cincinnati, including the portion running through Monroe. Like Dixie Highway, US 25 was largely replaced, and the existing highway was truncated at Cincinnati. * only runs a short distance through the southwestern corner of the county, where it connects Toledo to U.S. Route 127 in Michigan, US 127 in Michigan. In Monroe County, it is known as St. Anthony Road, and the US 223 designation continues on a 90° bend south with US 23. * has its eastern terminus is in Monroe at US 24 and provides a direct route from Monroe to

and further into the state. In Monroe, M-50 is known locally as South Custer Road. In Dundee, it is referred to as East Monroe Street and, after the River Raisin, Tecumseh Road. * travels directly through downtown Monroe before merging into US 24 north of Monroe. South of downtown after Jones Avenue, it is called South Dixie Highway. In the downtown area, it is South Monroe Street. North of the River Raisin, it is North Monroe Street. * was a state highway existing from 1930 to 1955 and ran along the north banks of the River Raisin. M-130 had its eastern terminus at US 24 and ran for just over . In 1955, control of the highway was transferred back to the county and is now called North Custer Road. * was a state highway existing from 1935 to 1977. It ran through the southern portion of the county, connecting US 23 to the now-decommissioned US 25. Today, the road is called Samaria Road, with the eastern portion called Lakeside Road. * Dixie Highway marker

Dixie Highway ran through Monroe County in as early as 1915. Originally one of the few ways to reach places like Florida, the highway was largely replaced by I-75 beginning in the 1960s. Today, the namesake of the highway is used for two non-connecting highways (one being M-125), although the same route and remnants of the original highway are long gone. * Airport Sign

Custer Airport was built in 1946 and is located just west of downtown Monroe. It is a general aviation airport, with no commercial or passenger service. The airport has one paved runway primarily used by small private aircraft. There is also a small aviation school on the site.Custer Airport details
* Airport Sign

Toledo Suburban Airport, not to be confused with the much larger Toledo Express Airport, is located in the southwest portion of the county near Lambertville, Michigan, Lambertville. Like the Custer Airport, this is a general aviation facility with one paved runway and no scheduled flights. It serves as a fueling station, a test center, and a flight instruction center.

Communities

Cities

*Flat Rock, Michigan, Flat Rock (partial) *Luna Pier, Michigan, Luna Pier *

(partial) * Monroe (county seat) *Petersburg, Michigan, Petersburg

Villages

*Carleton, Michigan, Carleton *

*Estral Beach, Michigan, Estral Beach *Maybee, Michigan, Maybee *South Rockwood, Michigan, South Rockwood

Charter townships

*Berlin Charter Township, Michigan, Berlin Charter Township * Frenchtown Charter Township * Monroe Charter Township

Civil townships

*Ash Township, Michigan, Ash Township *Bedford Township, Monroe County, Michigan, Bedford Township * Dundee Township * Erie Township *Exeter Township, Michigan, Exeter Township *Ida Township, Michigan, Ida Township *La Salle Township, Michigan, La Salle Township *London Township, Michigan, London Township *Milan Township, Michigan, Milan Township *Raisinville Township, Michigan, Raisinville Township *Summerfield Township, Monroe County, Michigan, Summerfield Township *Whiteford Township, Michigan, Whiteford Township

Census-designated places

*Detroit Beach, Michigan, Detroit Beach *Ida, Michigan, Ida *Lambertville, Michigan, Lambertville *South Monroe, Michigan, South Monroe *Stony Point, Michigan, Stony Point *Temperance, Michigan, Temperance *West Monroe, Michigan, West Monroe *Woodland Beach, Michigan, Woodland Beach

Other unincorporated communities

* Avalon Beach, Monroe County, Michigan, Avalon Beach * Azalia, Michigan, Azalia * Bolles Harbor, Michigan, Bolles Harbor * Cone, Michigan, Cone * Diann, Michigan, Diann * Erie, Michigan, Erie * Evergreen Acres, Michigan, Evergreen Acres * Exeter, Michigan, Exeter * Golfcrest, Michigan, Golfcrest * Grand View, Michigan, Grand View * Grape, Michigan, Grape * Hillcrest Orchard, Michigan, Hillcrest Orchard * Ida Center, Michigan, Ida Center * La Salle, Michigan, La Salle * Liberty Corners, Michigan, Liberty Corners * London, Michigan, London *

* Lulu, Michigan, Lulu * Newport, Michigan, Newport * North Shores, Michigan, North Shores * Oakville, Michigan, Oakville * Oldport, Michigan, Oldport * Ottawa, Michigan, Ottawa * Ottawa Lake, Michigan, Ottawa Lake * Patterson Gardens, Michigan, Patterson Gardens * Petersburg Junction, Michigan, Petersburg Junction * Pointe aux Peaux, Michigan, Pointe aux Peaux * Rea, Michigan, Rea * Saint Anthony, Michigan, Saint Anthony * Samaria, Michigan, Samaria * Scofield, Michigan, Scofield * Steiner, Michigan, Steiner * Stony Creek, Monroe County, Michigan, Stony Creek * Strasburg, Michigan, Strasburg * Vienna, Michigan, Vienna * Vienna Junction, Monroe County, Michigan, Vienna Junction * Whiteford Center, Michigan, Whiteford Center * Yargerville, Michigan, Yargerville

Notable people

*Betty Whiting (1925–1967), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player *

(1848–1876), younger brother of George Custer, lived in Monroe *Bronco McKart (b. 1971), former World Boxing Organization champion *Carl Ford (American football), Carl Ford (b. 1980), American football player *Charles Blue Jacket (1817–1897), Shawnee chief who lived in northern Monroe County *Christie Brinkley (b. 1954), model (person), model who was born in Monroe *Elizabeth Bacon Custer (1842–1933), wife of General Custer, was born in Monroe *Elizabeth C. Crosby, Elizabeth Caroline Crosby (1888-1983), noted neuroanatomist, was born and lived in Petersburg *Elizabeth McWebb (1904–2004), author of the ''Little Brown Bear'' book series *Elroy M. Avery (1844–1935), politician, author, and historian who was born in Erie Township *Eric Wilson (Canadian football), Eric Wilson (b. 1978), Canadian football player for the Montreal Alouettes *Ernest Ingersoll (1852–1946), environmentalism, environmentalist and natural history, naturalist *

(1839–1876), Major general (United States), Major General who lived much of his early life in Monroe *George Spalding (1836–1915), former teacher and politician *Harry L. Corl (1914–1942), Navy Cross recipient who lived in Lambertville, Michigan, Lambertville * Henry Armstrong Reed (1858–1876), nephew of George Custer, lived in Monroe *Isaac P. Christiancy (1812–1890), former Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court *Julius Sterling Morton, J. Sterling Morton (1832–1902), prominent Conservation (ethic), conservationist who lived in Monroe from 1834 to 1854 *Kaye Lani Rae Rafko (b. 1963), native from Monroe who was the Miss America 1988, 1988 Miss America winner *Mary Harris Jones (1837–1930), union organizer who moved to Monroe from Ireland *Megan Moulton-Levy (b. 1985), collegiate tennis player born in Monroe *Oswald J. Gaynier (1915–1942), Navy Cross recipient who was born in Monroe *Rico Hoye (b. 1974), professional boxer *Robert McClelland (American politician), Robert McCelland (1807–1880), prominent Michigan politician *Vern Sneider (1916–1981), American novelist who lived in Monroe *Vic Braden (b. 1929), former tennis champion and coach

References

External links

official Monroe County website
— ''online photographs collection''. *
Official Website of the Monroe County MI Historical Society
{{Authority control Monroe County, Michigan, Michigan counties Metro Detroit 1817 establishments in Michigan Territory Populated places established in 1817