Buchanan 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 Berrien 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 sove ...

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 2010 census, the township population was 3,523. The city of

Buchanan Buchanan may refer to: People * Buchanan (surname) Places Africa * Buchanan, Liberia, a large coastal town Antarctica * Buchanan Point, Laurie Island Australia * Buchanan, New South Wales * Buchanan, Northern Territory, a locality * Bucha ...

is located in the southeast portion of the township. Buchanan Township is bounded by Oronoko Charter Township to the north, Berrien Township to the north and northeast, Niles Township to the east, Bertrand Township to the south and southeast, Galien Township to the southwest, Weesaw Township to the west, and Baroda Township to the northwest. No major highways transit the township, although

US 12 U.S. Route 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) and I-94, but unlike most U.S. routes that ...

parallels the southern edge and

US 31 U.S. Route 31 or U.S. Highway 31 (US 31) is a major north–south U.S. highway connecting southern Alabama to northern Michigan. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with US 90/ US 98 in Spanish Fort, Alabama. It ...

passes just to the east.

Communities

*Fort Sumter was a settlement on the south side of the St. Joseph River founded in the early 1860s.Walter Romig, ''Michigan Place Names'', p. 206

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 th ...

, the township has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.11%, is water. The St. Joseph River enters the township from the southeast, bends north by the city of Buchanan, and then flows mostly north through the eastern portion of the township.

Nature

The

Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve The Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve is an arboretum, botanical garden, and nature preserve located at 13988 Range Line Road in Buchanan Township, Michigan. It covers an area of . It is open to the public; an admission fee is charged ...

is located on the eastern bank of the St. Joseph River in the northeast corner of the township and is open year-round.

Madron Lake Madron Lake is a lake situated on the northwestern quadrant (Sections 8 and 9) of Buchanan Township in Berrien County, Michigan, United States. The outlet of Madron Lake drains west into the East Branch of the Galien River. Buchanan Township m ...

is also located within the township.

Sports

Red Bud MX Red Bud MX is a US motocross race track located in Buchanan, Michigan, USA. The track is located just north of town, surrounded the agricultural farming fields. It is home to one of the largest motocross tracks in the Midwest, is favorite to many p ...

motocross track is located in the northern portion of the township.

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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 3,510 people, 1,317 households, and 1,023 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 1,554 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 96.18%

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 ...

, 1.20%

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 ...

, 0.48% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.43% 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 1.45% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.25% of the population. There were 1,317 households, out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% 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 ...

living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.00. In the township the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.9 males. The median income for a household in the township was $40,503, and the median income for a family was $46,797. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $24,274 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 $19,572. About 4.6% of families and 5.2% 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 ...

, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 1.0% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Buchanan Township official website
{{authority control Townships in Berrien County, Michigan Townships in Michigan Populated places on the Underground Railroad