Fruitport Charter Township is a

charter township A charter township is a form of Local government in the United States, local government in the U.S. state of Michigan. While all townships in Michigan are organized governments, a charter township has been granted a charter, which allows it cert ...

Muskegon County Muskegon County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of 2020, the population was 175,824. The county seat is Muskegon. Muskegon County comprises the Muskegon, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Grand R ...

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 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, ...

. The population was 14,575 at the 2020 census. The village of Fruitport is within the township.

Geography

The township is in southern Muskegon County, bordered to the south by Ottawa County. It is bordered to the west by the city of Norton Shores and partially to the north by the city of

Muskegon Muskegon ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Muskegon County, Michigan, United States. Situated around a harbor of Lake Michigan, Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, and boating. It is the most populous city along Lake Michigan' ...

, 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 ...

. The village of Fruitport is in the southern part of the township, along the county line.

Interstate 96 Interstate 96 (I-96) is an east–west Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway that runs for approximately entirely within the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The western terminus is at an i ...

crosses the township, with access from Exit 4 (Airline Highway/3rd Avenue). The

U.S. Route 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. I ...

freeway runs along or close to the western border of the township, with access from exits 107, 109, and 112. I-96 leads southeast to

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

and has its western terminus at US 31, which in turn leads north to Ludington and south to

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

. 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 township has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.29%, are water. Norris Creek, a southwest-flowing tributary of Spring Lake and the Grand River, drains the southern part of the township, while Black Creek, a tributary of

Mona Lake Mona Lake is a freshwater lake located in Norton Shores just outside the city of Muskegon in the U.S. state of Michigan ( Muskegon County). Mona Lake is a sandy bottom lake that flows into Lake Michigan via the Mona Lake channel. History Duri ...

, drains the northern part.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 12,533 people, 4,446 households, and 3,516 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 4,584 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 96.90%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.65%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.70% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.45% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.68% of the population. There were 4,446 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.15. In the township the population was spread out, with 27.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males. The median income for a household in the township was $49,065, and the median income for a family was $54,634. Males had a median income of $40,165 versus $27,690 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 township was $20,582. About 5.4% of families and 6.6% 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 8.0% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The township is served by the Fruitport Community Schools district. Fruitport High School, Fruitport Middle School, Shettler Elementary School, Beach Elementary School, and Edgewood Elementary School serve the township. Also located in the township is the private Calvary Christian School.

References

External links

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Fruitport Police Department
{{Muskegon County, Michigan Townships in Muskegon County, Michigan Charter townships in Michigan