Ionia 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 ...

located 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, ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 66,804. 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 ...

Ionia Ionia ( ) was an ancient region encompassing the central part of the western coast of Anatolia. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements. Never a unified state, it was named after the Ionians who ...

. The Ionia County Courthouse was designed by

Claire Allen ] ] Claire Allen (July 29, 1853 – December 22, 1942) was an Americans, American architect prominent in southern Michigan in the early twentieth century, and best known for designing several county courthouses. He was considered a "master ...

, a prominent southern Michigan architect. Ionia County is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area, Grand Rapids-Kentwood metropolitan statistical area.

History

The county is named for

, a historic area of Greece.

Geography

According to the

US 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 (1.5%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Gratiot County – northeast * Montcalm County – north * Clinton County – east * Kent County – west * Eaton County – southeast * Barry County – southwest

Major highways

* is an east–west freeway running through the heart of Ionia County. The freeway can be used to access

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 ...

, to the west, and

Lansing Lansing () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. It is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a popul ...

and

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, to the east. * is an east–west highway that runs north of I-96. The highway runs through the city of

. * is an east–west highway that runs in the northwest of Ionia County, including access to Belding. * is a highway in the southwest of Ionia County, following a largely east–west route. The highway runs through Lake Odessa. * is the primary north–south thoroughfare in Ionia County. Running through the center of the county, the highway also passes through downtown Ionia. M-66 is one of Michigan's longest state trunkline highways, running from the

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

border near Sturgis to

Charlevoix Charlevoix ( , ) is a cultural and natural region in Quebec, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River as well as in the Laurentian Mountains area of the Canadian Shield. This dramatic landscape includes rolling terrain, fjords, headlands ...

, on

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 depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...

. * is a highway in the northwest of Ionia County, beginning at M-44 near Belding and running north toward Greenville. * is a former US Route that travelled east–west in Ionia County, along what is today known as Grand River Avenue. The highway was replaced by I-96 in 1962.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 61,518 people, 20,606 households, and 15,145 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 22,006 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 91.96% White, 4.56% Black or African American, 0.56% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.04% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. 2.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 29.0% were of German, 14.7% American, 11.6% English, 8.9% Irish and 5.3% Dutch ancestry. 96.3% spoke English and 2.6% Spanish as their first language. There were 20,606 households, out of which 38.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.70% 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, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 21.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.15. The county's population spread included 26.90% under the age of 18, 11.50% from 18 to 24, 31.00% from 25 to 44, 20.50% from 45 to 64, and 10.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $43,074, and the median income for a family was $49,797. Males had a median income of $36,995 versus $25,443 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 $17,451. About 6.80% of families and 8.70% 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 10.40% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Ionia County has been reliably Republican from the beginning. Since 1884, the Republican Party nominee has carried the county vote in 82% of the elections (29 of 35 elections). 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, 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 ...

: Kyle B. Butler *

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 ...

: Charlie Noll *

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 ...

: Greg Geiger * County treasurer: Judith Clark * Register of deeds: Rhonda Lake * Drain commissioner: Robert Rose * County Commissioner District 1: David Hodges * County Commissioner District 2: Larry Tiejema * County Commissioner District 3: Karen Banks * County Commissioner District 4: Ally Cook * County Commissioner District 5: Scott Wirtz * County Commissioner District 6: Jack Shattuck * County Commissioner District 7: Georgia Sharp (information )

Education

Public school districts serving Ionia County include: �
Text list
/ref> * Belding Area Schools * Carson City-Crystal Area Schools * Central Montcalm Public Schools * Grand Ledge Public Schools * Greenville Public Schools * Ionia Public Schools * Lakewood Public Schools * Lowell Area Schools * Pewamo-Westphalia Community Schools * Portland Public Schools * Saranac Community Schools * Thornapple Kellogg Schools

Communities

Cities

* Belding *

(county seat) * Portland

Villages

* Clarksville * Hubbardston (part) * Lake Odessa *

Lyons Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

* Muir * Pewamo * Saranac

Townships

* Berlin Township * Boston Township * Campbell Township * Danby Township * Easton Township * Ionia Township * Keene Township * Lyons Township * North Plains Township * Odessa Township * Orange Township * Orleans Township * Otisco Township * Portland Township * Ronald Township * Sebewa Township

Unincorporated communities

* Berlin Center * Collins * Cooks Corners * Dildine * Elmdale * Matherton * Orleans * Palo * Sebewa * Shiloh *

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...

References

External links

Ionia County official websiteIonia Montcalm Magazine websiteIonia County Historical Society website
* {{Coord, 42.94, -85.07, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MI_source:UScensus1990 Michigan counties Grand Rapids metropolitan area 1837 establishments in Michigan Populated places established in 1837