Chippewa County ( ) is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the eastern

Upper Peninsula The Upper Peninsula of Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop—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 b ...

of 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 so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,785. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie may refer to: People * Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, a Native American tribe in Michigan Places * Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada ** Sault Ste. Marie (federal electoral district), a Canadian federal electora ...

. The county is named for the Ojibwe (Chippewa) people, and was set off and organized in 1826. Chippewa County comprises the Sault Ste. Marie, MI micropolitan statistical area. With shorelines on

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...

and

Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...

, Chippewa County is one of two U.S. counties to contain shorelines on two Great Lakes, the other being neighboring

Mackinac County Mackinac County ( , ) is a County (United States), county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 10,834. The county seat is St. Ignace, Michigan, St. Ignace. F ...

. The county's irregular shape follows the

Canadian border The borders of Canada include: * To the south and west: An international boundary with the United States, forming the Canada–United States border, longest shared border in the world, ; (Informally referred as the 49th parallel north which make ...

, itself following the St. Marys River.

Drummond Island Drummond may refer to: Places Antarctica * Drummond Peak, King Edward VII Land * Drummond Glacier, Graham Land Canada * Drummond (federal electoral district), a Quebec federal riding * Drummond (provincial electoral district), Quebec ...

is part of Chippewa County.

History

Chippewa County was much larger when it was created in 1826. Its original bounds included "the Mesaba iron range of Minnesota, the sites of Duluth, Superior, Marquette, Houghton, and all the famous Copper Country." Those regions reorganized when "this tremendous and unwieldy empire of a county was reduced by the Act of March 9, 1843."

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (42%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Michigan by land area and fifth-largest by total area. The Michigan Meridian runs through the eastern portion of the county. South of Nine Mile Road, M-129 (Meridian Road) overlays the meridian. In Sault Ste. Marie, Meridian Street north of 12th Avenue overlays the meridian.

Adjacent counties & districts

By land *

(south) * Luce County (west) By water *

Presque Isle County Presque Isle County ( ) is a county in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. State of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,982. The county seat is Rogers City. The county was authorized by State legislation on April 1, 1840, but t ...

(south) *

Algoma District Algoma District is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The name was created by an American ethnologist, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (1793–1864), who was appointed Indian agent to the Ojibwe ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada (north) *

Manitoulin District Manitoulin District is a district in Northeastern Ontario within the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1888 from part of the Algoma District. The district seat is in Gore Bay. It comprises Manitoulin Island primarily, as well as a ...

, Ontario, Canada (east)

National protected areas

* Harbor Island National Wildlife Refuge *

Hiawatha National Forest Hiawatha National Forest is a National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan in the United States. Commercial logging is conducted in some areas. The United States Forest Service administers this National Forest; it is physical ...

(part) * Whitefish Point Unit of the

Seney National Wildlife Refuge The Seney National Wildlife Refuge is a managed wetland in Schoolcraft County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It has an area of 95,212 acres (385 km2). It is bordered by M-28 and M-77. The nearest town of any size is Seney, Michigan. Th ...

Game areas

The Munuscong Bay is open for hunting, boating and bird watching. The area is known for its duck hunting, including mallards, divers and

green-winged teal The green-winged teal (''Anas carolinensis'') or American teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of North America except on the Aleutian Islands. It was considered conspecific with the Eurasian teal (''A. crecca'' ...

ducks. The Bay is most known for its icefishing and duck hunting. During opening weekend of duck season (late September), hundreds of hunters come from all over the state to begin their season on the Bay. This area has many types of waterfowl pass through it on their annual migrations.

Communities

City

(county seat)

Village

* DeTour Village

Charter township

* Kinross Charter Township

Civil townships

* Bay Mills Township * Bruce Township * Chippewa Township * Dafter Township * Detour Township * Drummond Township * Hulbert Township * Pickford Township * Raber Township * Rudyard Township * Soo Township * Sugar Island Township * Superior Township * Trout Lake Township * Whitefish Township

Census-designated places

* Brimley * Kincheloe

Unincorporated communities

* Barbeau * Bay Mills *

Bay Mills Indian Community The Bay Mills Indian Community (BMIC) (Ojibwe: Gnoozhekaaning, lit. "Place of the Pike"), is an Indian reservation forming the land base of one of the many federally recognized Sault Ste. Marie bands of Ojibwe. The largest section of the reservati ...

(Indian Reservation) * Cartonville (ghost town) * Dafter (named ''Stevensburg'' until 1893) * Drummond * Eckerman * Emerson * Goetzville (named ''Gatesville'' until 1917) *

Homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (building), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Nguni homestead, a cluster of houses inhabited by a single extended family, typically with a kraal ...

* Johnswood * Hulbert * Kelden (also spelled ''Keldon'') *

Kinross Kinross (, ) is a burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, around south of Perth, Scotland, Perth and around northwest of Edinburgh. It is the traditional county town of the Counties of Scotland, historic county of Kinross-shire. History Kinro ...

Mission Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada *Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality * Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * ...

Neebish Island Neebish Island is located in the United States of America, U.S. state of Michigan, in the St. Marys River (Michigan-Ontario), St. Marys River, which connects Lake Superior and Lake Huron at the easternmost point of Michigan's Upper Peninsula of Mi ...

Paradise In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...

Pickford Pickford is a surname, and may refer to * Sir Alfred Pickford (1872–1947), Scouting luminary and friend of Lord Baden-Powell * Charlotte Hennessey (1873–1928), aka Charlotte Smith Pickford, Canadian-American actress, mother of Mary, Lottie, and ...

* Raber * Raco * Rudyard (named ''Pine River'' until 1890) * Shelldrake (Ghost town) *

Stalwart Stalwart may refer to: Ships * , several Royal Australian Navy ships * , several US Navy ships * ''Stalwart''-class ocean surveillance ship, a US Navy class ** , lead ship of the class * RSS ''Stalwart'', a Singapore Navy frigate Places * Sta ...

* Stirlingville (named ''Jolly's Landing'' until 1888) * Strongs * Trout Lake *

Whitefish Point Whitefish Point is a cape of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, United States, marking the entry point of Whitefish Bay. It is north of the unincorporated community of Paradise, Michigan. Whitefish Point is known for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum ...

Vermilion Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color family and pigment most often used between antiquity and the 19th century from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide). It is synonymous with red orange, which often takes a moder ...

Indian reservations

* The

occupies a portion of land within Bay Mills Township and Superior Township, within another smaller portion within Sugar Island Township. * The

Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (pronounced "Soo Saint Marie", ), commonly shortened to Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians or the more colloquial Soo Tribe, is a federally recognized Native American tribe in what is now known as Michig ...

occupies scattered pieces of land within Kinross Charter Township, Sugar Island Township, and in the city limits of

Demographics

In 2020, the county had a population of 36,785. The 2010 American Community Survey 3-year estimate indicated the median income for a household in the county was $39,351 and the median income for a family was $54,625. Males had a median income of $25,760 versus $16,782 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $19,334. About 2.3% of families and 18.6% 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 26.0% of those under the age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Chippewa County voters have been reliably Republican from the start. Since 1876, they have selected the Republican Party nominee in 86% of national elections (31 of 36). The county government operates the

jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are imprisoned under the authority of the state, usually as punishment for various cr ...

, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and

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 j ...

, administers

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget and has limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

Elected officials

Prosecuting Attorney A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in civil law. The prosecution is the legal party responsible ...

: Robert L. Stratton III (AKA Rob Stratton) *

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, the , which is common ...

: Michael Bitnar *

County Clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keepin ...

: Steve Woodgate * County Treasurer: Carmen Fazzari *

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 ove ...

: Gigi Ferro *

Drain Commissioner A drain commissioner is an elected official in county government of the U.S. state of Michigan who is responsible for planning, developing and maintaining surface water drainage systems under Public Act 40 of 1956. In counties with a population und ...

: Anthony Stackpoole * County Surveyor: Robert Laitinen (Current as of July 30, 2024)

Transportation

Major highways

All Interstate and US Highways in Michigan are all state-maintained highways and part of the

Michigan State Trunkline Highway System The State Trunkline Highway System consists of all the state highways in Michigan, including those designated as Interstate, United States Numbered (US Highways), or State Trunkline highways. In their abbreviated format, these classifications ...

. * is Michigan's longest state highway overall; it ends on the

Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge spans the St. Marys River between the United States and Canada connecting the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The bridge is operated by the International Bri ...

at the

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

border. * travels from I-75 into downtown Sault Ste. Marie, and ends at the ferry to Sugar Island. * is Michigan's longest state highway; it ends at M-129 south of Sault Ste. Marie. * is a highway that goes through Pickford and Rudyard, and ends at exit 373 on I-75. * is a highway that begins at exit 378 on I-75, goes through the former base in Kincheloe, and terminates at M-129. * is a highway that is the main connector from Tahquamenon Falls to M-28. * (also known as Meridian Road) runs through the eastern part of the county, and ends at BS I-75 just south of Sault Ste. Marie. * is a highway that goes to and terminates on

. * is the shortest highway in Chippewa County, just going through Brimley and ending at M-28.

County-designated highways

The following highways are maintained by the Chippewa County Road Commission as part of the county road system. They are assigned numbers by the

Michigan Department of Transportation The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is a constitutional government principal department of the US state of Michigan. The primary purpose of MDOT is to maintain the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interst ...

as part of the County-Designated Highway System. * * runs via Mackinac Trail, the former route of US 2 before it was replaced by I-75 in 1962. * (Whitefish Bay National Forest Scenic Byway), is a

National Forest Scenic Byway The National Forest Scenic Byways are roads that have been designated by the U.S. Forest Service as scenic byways. Many are also National Scenic Byways (NSB). The program was initiated in 1987. List The following roadways were listed by the Fede ...

with the

US Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...

the Chippewa County Road Commission jointly maintains.

Airports

Chippewa County International Airport Chippewa County International Airport is a public use airport in Chippewa County, Michigan, United States. It is located south of the central business district of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The airport is owned by the Chippewa County Econom ...

(CIU) serves Chippewa county and the surrounding communities, providing commercial connection to hub airports. * Drummond Island Airport (DRM) is a public-owned, public-use general-aviation airport with 2 runways (1 hard-surfaced). The Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association announced that Chippewa County will house its new command and control center. In last year, this is the third major announcement from the organization guiding Michigan's aerospace and defense manufacturing community within the global industry. Previously, MAMA announced plans for a

Oscoda, Michigan Oscoda ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The CDP had a population of 916 at the 2020 census. The community is located within Au Sable Township and Oscoda Town ...

Wurtsmith Airport horizontal launch site at and a

Marquette, Michigan Marquette ( ) is the county seat of Marquette County, Michigan, Marquette County and the largest city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States. Located on the shores of Lake Superior, Marquette is a major port known primarily for shippin ...

vertical launch site.

References

External links

Chippewa County Government

Chippewa County Profile, Sam M Cohodas Regional Economist, Tawni Hunt Ferrarini, Ph.D.
* {{Coord, 46.32, -84.52, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MI_source:UScensus1990 Michigan counties Michigan placenames of Native American origin 1826 establishments in Michigan Territory Populated places established in 1826