Litchfield is a city in

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 ...

in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. The population was 1,399 at the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by Litchfield Township, but the two are administered autonomously.

History

The area was first settled by Henry Stevens in 1834. It 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 in 1836 by Hervey Smith and his son David, and the community was named Smithsville. Hervey became the first postmaster when the post office opened on February 3, 1837. The post office was named Columbus, and it was renamed to Litchfield on August 12, 1837. Stevens proposed the name after

Litchfield, Connecticut Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,192 at the 2020 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town. There are also three unincorpora ...

, where many of the early settlers originated. Litchfield incorporated as a village in 1877. The village was part of Litchfield Township until it incorporated as a city in 1970.

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 city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.42%) is water. The St. Joseph River flows through the city. The

North Country Trail The North Country National Scenic Trail, generally known as the North Country Trail or simply the NCT, is a footpath stretching over from Middlebury in central Vermont to Lake Sakakawea State Park in central North Dakota in the United States; ...

also runs through the center of the city.

Major highways

* enters the city from the south and has its northern terminus at M-99. * runs through the downtown area of the city.

Demographics

2010 census

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 1,369 people, 559 households, and 365 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was . There were 616 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.9%

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 o ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.7% Native American, 0.1%

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 ...

, 1.1% 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 0.9% 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 forme ...

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 2.9% of the population. There were 559 households, of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.7% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99. The median age in the city was 38.4 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 15% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.8% male and 50.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,458 people, 568 households, and 362 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 604 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.42%

, 0.21%

, 0.07%

, 0.62% from

, and 0.69% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.99% of the population. There were 568 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.04. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $39,292, and the median income for a family was $47,500. Males had a median income of $34,464 versus $24,671 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 city was $17,362. About 5.6% of families and 10.3% 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 7.2% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The city is served entirely by its own school district,

Litchfield Community Schools Litchfield may refer to: Places Antarctica * Litchfield Island, Palmer Archipelago Australia * Litchfield Municipality, Northern Territory * Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory * Litchfield Station, Northern Territory Canada * Litch ...

, which also serves portions of several adjacent townships.

Notable people

Marion Babcock Baxter Marion Babcock Baxter (April 12, 1850 – November 18, 1910) was an American lecturer and author. At twenty years of age, she delivered her first public address at Jonesville, Michigan. It attracted wide and favorable attention, and fixed her vo ...

, lecturer and author, born in Litchfield

Images

File:Litchfield, MI post office.jpg, File:Litchfield Municipal Offices (Michigan).jpg, File:Congregational Church of Litchfield.jpg, File:Congregational Church of Litchfield historic marker.jpg,

References

External links

City of Litchfield official website
{{Authority control Cities in Hillsdale County, Michigan Populated places established in 1834 1834 establishments in Michigan Territory