Iron River is a city in
Iron County 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 ...
of
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 city population was 3,007. The city is situated at the southeast corner of
Iron River Township, but is administratively autonomous.
History
A post office called Iron River has been in operation since 1885. The city took its name from the nearby
Iron River.
On July 1, 2000, the city of
Stambaugh and the village of
Mineral Hills were consolidated with the City of Iron River.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
The area is noted for its vast forest land, scenic lakes, and winter sports.
Iron River and the surrounding area is home of many lakes, and is not far from Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. In the summer, many people frequent the beaches, in the winter, there are often tents for ice fishing on the frozen lakes.
Climate
This
climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Iron River has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.
Demographics
2010 census
At the
2010 census there were 3,029 people, 1,446 households, and 764 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,770 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup of the city was 96.3% White, 0.2% African American, 1.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9%.
Of the 1,446 households, 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a single female householder, 3.8% had a single male householder, and 47.2% were non-families. 42.9% of households were one person, and 21.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.73.
The median age was 47.6 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.4% were from 25 to 44; 28.5% were from 45 to 64; and 24.7% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.0% male and 53.0% female.
2000 census
At the
2000 census there were 1,929 people, 876 households, and 487 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 988 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup of the city was 95.33% White, 0.16% African American, 1.92% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. 0.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.4% were of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, 13.4%
Swedish, 13.2%
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, 9.9%
Polish, 7.8%
English, 7.6%
Finnish, 5.9%
French and 5.1%
Irish ancestry according to
Census 2000. 98.3% spoke
English as their first language.
There were 876 households, 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 40.3% of households were made up of individuals, and 23.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.80.
The age distribution was 21.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 30.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males.
The median household income was $23,438 and the median family income was $33,942. Males had a median income of $28,083 versus $20,714 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,728. 11.9% of the population and 6.5% of families 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 ...
. Out of the total population, 12.5% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Transportation
Roads
* courses west to
Ironwood
Ironwood is a common name for many woods that have a reputation for hardness, or specifically a wood density that is denser than water (approximately 1000 kg/m3, or 62 pounds per cubic foot), although usage of the name ironwood in English ma ...
and southeast to
Crystal Falls and
Iron Mountain.
* travels southwest to
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
.
* runs near
Caspian before continuing on to Wisconsin.
Airport
*
Stambaugh Airport provides
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
services to the city of Iron River and the surrounding county.
Bus
*
Indian Trails provides daily intercity bus service between
St. Ignace and
Ironwood, Michigan
Ironwood is a city in Gogebic County, Michigan, Gogebic County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, about south of Lake Superior. The city is on U.S. Route 2 in Michigan, US Highway 2 across the Montreal River (Wisconsin-Michig ...
.
Trail
*
State Line Trail
Notable people
*
Dorthy Moxley (1932–2024), educator and crime victim advocate
*
Nick Baumgartner (born 1981), American snowboarder
*
Aileen Fisher
Aileen Lucia Fisher (September 9, 1906 – December 2, 2002) was an American people, American writer of more than a hundred children's books, including poetry, picture books in verse, prose about nature and America, biographies, Bible-themed book ...
(1906-2002), Children's writer, poet, playwright
See also
*
Angeli Foods
References
External links
City of Iron River
{{Coord, 46, 05, 34, N, 88, 38, 32, W, type:city_region:US-MI, display=title
Cities in Iron County, Michigan