Wayne County is the most populous

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 2020, the United States Census placed its population at 1,793,561, making it the 19th-most populous county in the United States. 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 ...

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 ...

. The county was founded in 1796 and organized in 1815. Wayne County is included in the

- Warren- Dearborn, MI

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 as a city or tow ...

. It is one of several U.S. counties named after Revolutionary War-era general Anthony Wayne.

History

Wayne County was the sixth county 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 ...

, formed August 15, 1796 from portions of territorial Hamilton County, territorial Knox County and unorganized territory. It was named for the U.S. general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, most of the Upper Peninsula, as well as smaller sections that are now part of northern

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. By proclamation of the Territorial Secretary and Acting Governor,

Winthrop Sargent Winthrop Sargent (May 1, 1753 – June 3, 1820) was a United States patriot, politician, and writer; and a member of the Federalist party. Early life Sargent was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts on May 1, 1753. He was one of eight children ...

, on August 15, 1796, the boundaries of Wayne County were declared to begin at the mouth of the

Cuyahoga River The Cuyahoga River ( , or ) is a river located in Northeast Ohio that bisects the City of Cleveland and feeds into Lake Erie. As Cleveland emerged as a major manufacturing center, the river became heavily affected by industrial pollution, so m ...

then west to

Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Cens ...

, then to the southernmost point 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 ...

and along the western shore north to the territorial boundary in

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

and then along the territorial boundary through

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Straits of Mack ...

, Lake St. Clair, and

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 ha ...

back to the starting point. The first division of the county into townships occurred November 1, 1798, into the four townships of

, Hamtramck, Mackinaw, and Sargent. The extent of Wayne county at that time included all the present state of Michigan in addition to parts of Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin, so that the townships erected at that time were vastly larger than the corresponding divisions of the present time. On January 14, 1803, the Governor of Indiana Territory,

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...

, issued a similar proclamation defining the boundaries as beginning at a point where an east and west line passing through the southernmost extreme of Lake Michigan would intersect a north and south line, passing through the westernmost extreme of the lake, then north to the territorial boundary, then along said boundary line to a point where an east and west line passing through the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan would intersect the same, then along this last mentioned line to the place of beginning. This boundary would include

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

and a sizable strip of

along Lake Michigan. These boundaries would be adjusted as

and

became states and as other counties were formed within

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 ...

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 (9.0%) is water. Its water area includes parts of the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair. Wayne County borders on

Oakland County Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395, making it the second-most populous county in Michigan ...

and Macomb County to the north, Washtenaw County to the west, Essex County,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada to the east, and

Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: *Monroe County, Alabama * Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida *Monroe County, Georgia * Monroe County, Illinois * Monroe County, Indi ...

to the south. The eastern (and sometimes southern) boundary is a water boundary in the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair with Essex County, Ontario. Automotive traffic crosses this boundary at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the

Ambassador Bridge The Ambassador Bridge is a tolled international suspension bridge across the Detroit River that connects Detroit, Michigan, United States, with Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1929, it is the busiest international border crossing in Nort ...

. Due to the southwestern course of the river, this small portion of Canada actually lies to the south of Wayne County. The southern communities of the county are usually referred to as " Downriver", in reference to their location downstream of downtown Detroit. Grosse Ile is the largest island in Wayne County and is connected to the mainland by the Wayne County Bridge and the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge.

Adjacent counties

* Washtenaw County (west) *

(south/southwest) * Macomb County (northeast) *

(northwest) *

Essex County, Ontario Essex County is a primarily rural county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada comprising seven municipalities: Amherstburg, Kingsville, Lakeshore, LaSalle, Leamington, Tecumseh and the administrative seat, Essex. Administrative divisions Essex Co ...

, Canada (east/southeast)

National protected area

* Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (part)

Transportation

Wayne County Department of Public Services

The Wayne County Department of Public Services was formed in 1906 as the Wayne County Road Commission. It was the government agency in Wayne County, Michigan responsible for building and maintaining the county's roads and highways. Its first commissioners were Edward N. Hines, Cassius R. Benton, and automobile manufacturer

Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that ...

. While the commission was authorized by an 80% positive vote of county voters in a 1906 referendum, it was controversial and there was a Michigan state supreme court case pressed which found it unconstitutional. Commissioners Benton and Ford quit, but commissioner Hines persisted and led the commission through reorganization getting around the obstacles. Hines was a commissioner continuously from 1906 to 1938. Hines is credited with the idea of putting a painted line down a roadway's center to divide traffic, and other innovations that were later widely adopted. The commission claims credit for constructing the country's first mile of concrete-paved rural highway, a section of Woodward Avenue" just outside the Detroit city limits. A number of the county road commissions' works are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. The county road commission was merged into the general county government, becoming the Roads Division of the Department of Public Services.

Major highways

* through the Downriver communities, then through the southwest-side neighborhoods of

and serves as the northern border of

Downtown Detroit Downtown Detroit is the central business district and a residential area of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Locally, downtown tends to refer to the 1.4 square mile region bordered by M-10 (Lodge Freeway) to the west, Interstate 75 ...

as the Fisher Freeway. It then turns away from the Fisher onto the Chrysler Freeway at a complex interchange with I-375 and an unnumbered extension which connects with M-3, then follows M-1, which is less than a mile away through the remainder of Detroit, connecting eastern Wayne County to Toledo and

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start ...

to the south and north respectively. It runs non-stop to the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge to the north and to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

to the south. * runs east–west through the central parts of Wayne County, connecting it to Port Huron eastbound and

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

westbound. To the west it provides an uninterrupted route as far as

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

and connects to the northern side of the Detroit Metro Airport. In Detroit it is known as the Edsel Ford Freeway. * has its eastern terminus in the county, in

. It follows

Grand River Avenue Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and c ...

until the city's northwest side, there it turns due west to I-275, where it turns north to concurrent with I-275. West of Detroit to I-275 it is known as the Jeffries Freeway; in Detroit it is the Rosa Parks Memorial Highway, but it is sometimes still known as the Jeffries. * , most of whose mileage is in Wayne County, serves the southern side of the Detroit Metro Airport. * is the nation's shortest Interstate Highway to be ''signed''. However some highways are shorter but are not signed at all. It serves as the eastern boundary of

and is a southern extension of the Chrysler Freeway. * has its eastern terminus in

at Cass Avenue. From there it travels through the west side of

and through Dearborn and other points west and is a useful alternative to I-94. US 12 continues west through Michigan, passing through several US cities including Chicago and Minneapolis, eventually ending in the Pacific Northwest in Aberdeen, Washington. Locally it is known as Michigan Avenue. * traverses through Downriver and the far west sides of Dearborn and

and is a useful alternative to I-75. Locally it is known as Telegraph Road. * entered the county by two ways. Initially it was via Woodward Avenue but when the Lodge Freeway was completed U.S. Route 10 was relocated onto it; the Woodward route became M-1. Later the existing highway was truncated in Bay City and M-10 replaced it on the Lodge. * entered Wayne County on

and ended in

. * was the designated name for Dix-Toledo Highway in Downriver and Fort Street and Gratiot Avenue in

. The construction of I-75 resulted in the truncation of U.S. Route 25 to

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

. * followed Michigan Avenue out of

and out of Wayne County. Is now a routing of U.S. Route 12. * has its southern terminus in

at Adams Street. It travels through Midtown Detroit and New Center and through Highland Park. It serves as an alternative to I-75 and M-10. Locally known as Woodward Avenue. M-1 was a result of US-10 being redesignated to the Lodge Freeway. * has its southern terminus in

at Randolph and Jefferson Avenue. It proceeds northeasterly through Detroit's northeast side and beyond towards

Mount Clemens Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 16,314 at the 2010 census. It is the seat of government of Macomb County. History Mount Clemens was first surveyed in 1795 after the American Revolutionary War by Christi ...

and points further north. Locally known as Gratiot Avenue. M-3 was the result of the removal of US-25 from Michigan. * begins at the northern intersection with I-96 on Detroit's northwest side and follows

out of the county. * runs from I-96 to Conant Street in

, passing through Highland Park. The freeway portion is known as the Davison Freeway. * starts at the same intersection where M-3 starts in

and travels further into the city on the Lodge Freeway and connects it to Southfield. * starts at the interchange with I-96 and I-275 in Livonia and travels out into rural areas, serving

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to ...

and

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

. * starts in

Lincoln Park Lincoln Park is a park along Lake Michigan on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Named after US President Abraham Lincoln, it is the city's largest public park and stretches for seven miles (11 km) from Grand Avenue (500 N), on the south, ...

's city center and runs along Southfield Road to Allen Park and becomes the Southfield Freeway, traveling through the west side of

. * begins at M-3 in

, running through the city and connecting it to the Thumb area of the state. Locally known as Van Dyke Avenue. * , which is entirely in Wayne County, starts at Griswold Street in

and connects the city's southwest side to Downriver, ending near Flat Rock at I-75, for whom which M-85 serves as an alternative. Locally known as West Fort and South Fort, divided at the River Rouge. * only runs a short distance through Detroit's northeast side, starting at M-3. In the city it follows Gunston Street and Hoover Street. * follows the county line between M-5 and I-94. Locally known as West 8 Mile and East 8 Mile, divided at John R. Street. * starts at Wyoming Street on the Detroit-Dearborn limit and continues through the western suburbs as Ford Road. * became part of US 16, which is also removed from Michigan. * once followed Ecorse Road into

, then ran concurrently with U.S. Route 25 to

. * connected US 24 in Monroe to Flat Rock; it once connected to US 112 in

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...

along Huron River Drive and Belleville Road. * entered Wayne County during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, and the years following, on an expressway, providing access to the Willow Run Airport in Van Buren Township and turned onto present-day Interstate 94 in Romulus Township. In Taylor Township it had interchanges with both M-17 and US 24, then ended at US 112 in Dearborn. * Dixie Highway marker

Dixie Highway ran through Wayne County as early as 1915. Back then it was one of the only routes that connected the county to the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. Today there are no traces of the old highway in the county.

Airports

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is located in the Downriver community of

Romulus Romulus () was the legendary founder and first king of Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus and his contemporaries. Although many of these ...

. It serves as a hub for

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along ...

and Spirit Airlines and is one of the two airports operated by the

Wayne County Airport Authority The Wayne County Airport Authority is a governmental entity that operates airports in Metro Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan. The authority operates Detroit Metropolitan Airport and Willow Run Airport. Willow Run Airport is located in Van Buren Township and has four runways (a fifth was recently converted into a taxiway). No scheduled flights operate out of Willow Run and is one of the two airports operated by the

Wayne County Airport Authority The Wayne County Airport Authority is a governmental entity that operates airports in Metro Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan. The authority operates Detroit Metropolitan Airport and Willow Run Airport. Grosse Ile Municipal Airport is located about two miles (3.2 km) south of Grosse Ile Township's downtown area. It has two paved runways. No scheduled flights operate out of this airport as well. * Airport Sign

Coleman A. Young International Airport Coleman A. Young International Airport (Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport, formerly Detroit City Airport until 2003) is six miles northeast of downtown Detroit, in Wayne County, Michigan. It is owned by the City of Detroit. The Federal Aviation ...

is also known as the Detroit City Airport, which is not to be confused with the larger and nearby Detroit Metro Airport. It is located just a short drive from

along M-3. It also has two runways and no scheduled flights, although it has been attempted in the past.

Demographics

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

2010 Census

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 serving ...

indicates Wayne County had a 2010 population of 1,820,584. This is a decrease of 240,578 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 c ...

. Overall, the county had an -11.7% growth rate during this ten-year period. In 2010 there were 702,749 households and 450,651 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 2,974.4 per square mile (1,148.4 square kilometers). There were 821,693 housing units at an average density of 1,342.5 per square mile (518.3 square kilometers). 52.3% were

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 ...

, 40.5% Black or African American, 2.5% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% of some other race and 2.4% of two or more races. 5.2% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 7.5% 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 **Ge ...

, 6.8% Polish and 5.2% Irish ancestry. There were 702,749 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% were husband and wife families, 20.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.9% were non-families, and 30.7% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.22. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males. The 2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimate indicates the median income for a household in the county was $39,408 and the median income for a family was $49,176. Males had a median income of $26,823 versus $17,744 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 $20,948. About 18.6% of families and 23.7% 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 34.8% of those under the age 18 and 11.7% of that age 65 or over.

Religion

According to 2010 statistics, the largest religious group in Wayne County was the Archdiocese of Detroit, with 297,283 Catholics worshipping at 149 parishes, followed by 92,394

non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...

adherents with 144 congregations, 76,422 NBC Baptists with 110 congregations, an estimated 67,775

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

with 38 congregations, 28,021 ABCUSA Baptists with 32 congregations, 22,687

Missouri Synod Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas to th ...

Lutherans with 52 congregations, 16,043 CoGiC Pentecostals with 66 congregations, 14,689 UMC Methodists with 53 congregations, 14,107 PC-USA Presbyterians with 36 congregations, and 13,199 AME Methodists with 29 congregations. Altogether, 43.3% of the population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information. In 2014, Wayne County had 780 religious organizations, the 12th most among all US counties.

Government

Wayne County is Michigan's first " charter county", with a home rule charter setting up its structures within limits set in state law and constitution. Most Michigan county governments are structured according to state law, without a locally adopted charter. The city is governed pursuant to the ''Home Rule Charter of Wayne County, Michigan'', and the ''Wayne County Code'' is the codification of Wayne County's

local ordinance A local ordinance is a law issued by a local government. such as a municipality, county, parish, prefecture, or the like. China In Hong Kong, all laws enacted by the territory's Legislative Council remain to be known as ''Ordinances'' () a ...

s. Unless a violation of the code or other ordinance is specifically designated as a municipal civil infraction (or unless expressly otherwise required by applicable state or federal laws), the violation is a

misdemeanor A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than adm ...

. The county government operates the

jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, English language in England, standard English, Australian English, Australian, and Huron Historic Gaol, historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention cen ...

, maintains rural roads, 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 ...

for all areas except Detroit, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. Most other local government functions – police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. – are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

Elected officials

* County Executive: Warren Evans ( Democratic) * Prosecuting Attorney: Kym Worthy ( Democratic) *

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 ...

: Raphael Washington ( Democratic) *

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 ...

: Cathy M. Garrett ( Democratic) *

County Treasurer 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 ...

: Eric Sabree ( Democratic) *

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 ...

: Bernard J. Youngblood ( Democratic) * Wayne County Commission: Alisha Bell, Chair ( Democratic) 15 members, elected from districts (14 Democrats, 1 Republican) * Circuit Court (3rd Circuit encompasses Wayne County): 61 judges (non-partisan) * Probate Court: 8 judges (non-partisan) (information as of February 2021)

Department of Public Services

Formerly the Wayne County Road Commission, the Department of Public Services is the government agency in Wayne County responsible for building and maintaining the county's roads and highways. A number of the former agency's works are listed on the

Corrections

The Wayne County Jail Division operates The Andrew C. Baird Detention Facility in

, The Old Wayne County Jail in Downtown Detroit, and The William Dickerson Detention Facility in Hamtramck.

Politics

Wayne County has backed the Democratic Party candidate for president in every election from 1932 onward, often and more recently by wide margins. From 1896 to 1928, it had always voted Republican for president, or at least more Republican than Democratic. Its large population has helped swing the election to Democrats in many statewide elections since then, with candidates running up large margins here offsetting Republican majorities in most rural counties of Michigan. The last Republican candidate to carry Wayne County in a statewide election was

Candice Miller Candice Sue Miller (née McDonald; born May 7, 1954) is an American politician serving as the Public Works Commissioner of Macomb County, Michigan since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Miller previously served as the U.S. representative ...

when she won re-election to the Secretary of State office in 1998.

Communities

Cities

* Allen Park * Belleville * Dearborn *

Dearborn Heights Dearborn Heights is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. With a population of 63,292 at the 2020 census., Dearborn Heights is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, and is considered a bedroom community. History Dearborn Heigh ...

(county seat) *

Ecorse Ecorse ( ') is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,512 at the 2010 census. Ecorse is part of the Downriver community within Metro Detroit. The city shares a northwestern border with the city of Detroit ...

* Flat Rock (partially in Monroe County, Michigan) * Garden City *

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = "Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gibr ...

* Grosse Pointe * Grosse Pointe Farms * Grosse Pointe Park * Grosse Pointe Shores (partially in Macomb County) *

Grosse Pointe Woods Grosse Pointe Woods is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 16,135 at the 2010 census. The city is a northeastern suburb of Metro Detroit and shares a small southern border with the city of Detroit. It is ...

* Hamtramck * Harper Woods * Highland Park * Inkster *

* Livonia * Melvindale * Northville (partially in

) *

* River Rouge * Riverview * Rockwood *

* Southgate * Taylor * Trenton * Wayne * Westland * Woodhaven * Wyandotte

Charter townships

* Brownstown Charter Township * Canton Charter Township * Huron Charter Township *

Northville Charter Township Northville Township, officially the Charter Township of Northville, is a charter township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb in Metro Detroit. The population was 28,497 at the 2010 census. The City of Northville is ...

* Plymouth Charter Township * Redford Charter Township * Van Buren Charter Township

Civil townships

* Grosse Ile Township * Sumpter Township

Unincorporated communities

Beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engl ...

* Belleville North * Cherry Hill * Cherry Island * Conners Creek (former) * Denton * Duboisville (former) * East Rockwoood * Edgewater Heights * French Landing * Grand View Acres * Maple Beach * Martinsville * Milleville Beach * New Boston *

Rawsonville Rawsonville is a small wine growing and farming community in the Breede River Valley of the Western Cape province of South Africa. The town forms part of the Breede Valley Local Municipality, and is located in a scenic portion of the valley on ...

(partially in Washtenaw County) * Roulo *

Sheldon Sheldon may refer to: * Sheldon (name), a given name and a surname, and a list of people with the name Places Australia *Sheldon, Queensland *Sheldon Forest, New South Wales United Kingdom *Sheldon, Derbyshire, England *Sheldon, Devon, England *S ...

Waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...

* West Sumpter *

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...

Education

School districts: *

Airport Community School District Airport Community Schools is a public school district in Carleton, Michigan. It is the largest district in Monroe County in terms of area. The districts includes the village of Carleton and the surrounding Ash Township, as well as portio ...

* Allen Park Public Schools * Crestwood School District * Flat Rock Community Schools *

Clarenceville School District Clarenceville School District is a school district headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, in the Detroit metropolitan area. Founded in 1837, it serves portions of Livonia, Farmington Hills, and Redford. As of 2006, the district has approxima ...

* Dearborn City School District * Dearborn Heights School District 7 *

Detroit Public Schools Community District Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is a school district that covers all of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States and high school students in the insular city of Highland Park. The district, which replaced the original Detr ...

Ecorse Public School District Ecorse Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Ecorse, Michigan, Ecorse, Michigan, United States. The district serves Ecorse. In 2015 the district stated that it eliminated its budget deficit.Hicks, Mark.Officials: Ecorse Public Sch ...

* Garden City School District * Gibraltar School District *

Grosse Ile Township Schools Grosse Ile Township Schools is a school district in Grosse Ile Township, Michigan. In 2001, Grosse Ile was ranked the highest out of 88 school districts in Michigan by the Detroit News. Schools * Grosse Ile High School Grosse Ile High Sc ...

Grosse Pointe Public Schools The Grosse Pointe Public School System (GPPSS) is a school district headquartered in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Grosse Pointe, Michigan in Metro Detroit. Schools High schools: * Grosse Pointe North High School (Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, ...

* Hamtramck Public Schools * Harper Woods City Schools * Highland Park City Schools * Huron School District * Lincoln Consolidated School District * Lincoln Park Public Schools *

Livonia Public Schools Livonia Public Schools (LPS) is a public school district in southeastern Michigan Metro Detroit area, serving most of the city of Livonia and the northernmost portions of Westland. The district was formed in 1944 with other areas consolidated i ...

* Melvindale-North Allen Park School District * Northville Public Schools *

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools The Plymouth-Canton Community Schools (P-CCS) is a school district headquartered at E. J. McClendon Educational Center in Plymouth, Michigan, Plymouth, Michigan. The district's boundary includes areas in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County and Wa ...

Redford Union School District Redford Union is a school district in Redford, Michigan, a Township along the west of Detroit. The school district includes Hilbert Middle School, Redford Union High School, Keeler Elementary, Stuckey Elementary, MacGowan Elementary, and former ...

River Rouge School District River Rouge School District is a public school district in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The district serves the entire city of River Rouge just south of the city of the Detroit. The district encompasses of the city of River ...

Riverview Community School District Riverview Community School District (RCSD) is a school district headquartered in Riverview, Michigan, United States. It is responsible for Riverview Community High School Riverview Community High School (RCHS) is a public high school in Riv ...

Romulus Community Schools Romulus Community School District, also referred to as Romulus Community Schools (RCS), is a public school district in Romulus, Michigan in Metro Detroit. The district's Administration Offices & Transportation Department is located at 36540 Grant ...

South Redford School District The South Redford School District is in Redford, a suburb of Detroit. In May 2005, residents of the South Redford School District passed the 2005 Bond Facilities Proposal. The $32.65 million bond allowed the District to make substantial up gra ...

Southgate Community School District The Southgate Community School District is a school district in Southgate, Michigan. The district serves the entire city of Southgate, Michigan and Allen Park south of the Sexton-Kilfoil Drain. Taylor School District *

Trenton Public Schools The Trenton Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Trenton, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. The district is one of 31 former Abbott distr ...

* Van Buren Public Schools *

Wayne-Westland Community School District Wayne-Westland Community Schools is a school district headquartered in Westland, Michigan in Metro Detroit. The district service area includes all and/or portions of Westland, Wayne, Canton, Dearborn Heights, Inkster, and Romulus. As of 201 ...

* Westwood Community Schools * Woodhaven-Brownstown School District * Wyandotte City School District Former school districts: * Inkster City School District - Page
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/ref> Tertiary institutions: *

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

* Henry Ford College *

University of Detroit Mercy The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catholic univers ...

References

External links

Wayne County Government

*

Wayne County Road Commission Photos

* ttp://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=13032 Wayne County Codefrom Municode {{Coord, 42.28, -83.26, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MI_source:UScensus1990 Michigan counties Metro Detroit 1815 establishments in Michigan Territory Populated places established in 1815 Majority-minority counties in the United States