Otsego County, Michigan

County in Michigan, United States

For the city in Allegan County, see Otsego, Michigan.

U.S. county in Michigan

Otsego County

U.S. county

Otsego County Building in Gaylord

Otsego County Building in Gaylord

Official seal of Otsego County

Seal

Map of Michigan highlighting Otsego County

Location within the U.S. state of Michigan

Michigan's location within the U.S.

Country|  United States
State|  Michigan
Founded| 1840 (created)
1875 (organized)[1]
Seat| Gaylord
Largest city| Gaylord
Area

• Total| 526 sq mi (1,360 km2)
• Land| 514 sq mi (1,330 km2)
• Water| 11 sq mi (30 km2)  2.1%%
Population

(2020)

• Total| 25,091
• Density| 47/sq mi (18/km2)
Time zone| UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district| 1st
File:Otsego County circuit court (Michigan).jpgOtsego County District Court in Gaylord

Otsego County (/ˌɒtsiːɡoʊ/ 'aat-SEE-go'), formerly known as Okkuddo County, is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 25,091.[2] The county seat is Gaylord.[3] The county was founded in 1840 and organized in 1875.[1]

## Contents

* 1 Etymology
* 2 History
* 3 Geography
* 3.1 Adjacent counties
* 4 Transportation
* 4.1 Major highways
* 4.2 Airport
* 5 Demographics
* 6 Government
* 6.1 Political Culture
* 6.2 Elected officials
* 7 Media
* 8 Communities
* 8.1 City
* 8.2 Village
* 8.3 Civil townships
* 8.4 Unincorporated communities
* 9 See also
* 10 References
* 11 External links

## Etymology

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Otsego may be a Native American name meaning "place of the rock". However, an alternative theory is that it derives from a lake and a county in New York state, which are said to bear the name derived from a Mohawk Iroquoian word meaning either "clear water" or "meeting place."[4] It may be a neologism coined by Henry Schoolcraft, who was a borrower of words and pieces of words from many languages (including Arabic, Greek, Latin, and various American Indian dialects).[5] See List of Michigan county name etymologies.

## History

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See also: History of Northern Michigan

File:1842 Negissee Okkuddo Cheonoquet Wabbassee Shawwano Oscoda counties Michigan.jpgA detail from A New Map of Michigan with its Canals, Roads & Distances (1842) by Henry Schenck Tanner, showing Otsego County as Okkuddo County, its name from 1840 to 1843. Several nearby counties are also shown with names that would later be changed.

The county was created in 1840 as Okkuddo County (meaning "sickly water," although the reason for using a name with such a negative meaning is lost). The name was changed to Otsego in 1843.[6] It was organized in 1875.[1] On May 20, 2022 an EF3 tornado stuck the county seat of Gaylord killing 2 and injuring 44 while causing major damage to the downtown business district and severely damaging a mobile home park.

## Geography

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 526 square miles (1,360 km2), of which 515 square miles (1,330 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (2.1%) is water.[7] It is the fifth-smallest county by total area in Michigan. Although it is located on Michigan's Lower Peninsula, Otsego County is considered to be part of Northern Michigan.

Otsego County has more than 370 lakes, mostly in the southern part of the county. Otsego Lake, is the county's largest, and has a surface area of 1,972 acres (7.98 km2). Other large lakes in the southern part of the county include Big Lake, Big Bear Lake, Buhl Lake, Crapo Lake, Dixon Lake, Douglas Lake, Guthrie Lake, Heart Lake, Lake Tecon, Manuka Lake, Opal Lake, Pencil Lake, and Turtle Lake. The larger lakes in the northern part of the county are Five Lakes, Hardwood Lake, Lake Twenty Seven, and Pickerel Lake. Many of these are so-called 'kettle lakes,' formed by the melting of blocks of glacial ice, left as the glacier retreated, which created a depression in the soil.[6]

Glaciers shaped the area, creating a unique regional ecosystem. A large portion of the area is the Grayling outwash plain, a broad outwash plain including sandy ice-disintegration ridges; jack pine barrens, some white pine-red pine forest, and northern hardwood forest. Large lakes were created by glacial action.[8]

Headwaters of the Au Sable, Black, Manistee, Pigeon, and Sturgeon Rivers are in Otsego County. The Au Sable River watershed is the county's largest watershed.[6]

### Adjacent counties

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* Cheboygan County \- north
* Montmorency County \- east
* Oscoda County \- southeast
* Crawford County \- south
* Kalkaska County \- southwest
* Antrim County \- west
* Charlevoix County \- northwest

## Transportation

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### Major highways

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* I-75 runs generally north–south through the west-central part of the county, passing Vanderbilt, Gaylord and Oak Grove.
* File:Business Loop 75.svg BL I-75 is a loop route running through Gaylord. It follows the former route of US 27.
* M-32 runs east–west through the county, linking East Jordan to the west and Alpena to the east.

### Airport

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Gaylord Regional Airport – on SW edge of Gaylord, owned and operated by Otsego County, is a General Utility Airport. It is listed as a tier one airport in all categories of the Michigan Airport System Plan.[9][10]

## Demographics

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Historical population

Census | Pop. |  | %±
1880| 1,974| | —
1890| 4,272| | 116.4%
1900| 6,175| | 44.5%
1910| 6,552| | 6.1%
1920| 6,043| | −7.8%
1930| 5,554| | −8.1%
1940| 5,827| | 4.9%
1950| 6,435| | 10.4%
1960| 7,545| | 17.2%
1970| 10,422| | 38.1%
1980| 14,993| | 43.9%
1990| 17,957| | 19.8%
2000| 23,301| | 29.8%
2010| 24,164| | 3.7%
2020| 25,091| | 3.8%
US Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010-2018[2]

As of the 2000 United States Census,[15] there were 23,301 people, 8,995 households, and 6,539 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile (17/km2). There were 13,375 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.51% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. 0.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.1% were of German, 17.6% Polish, 10.5% Irish, 9.9% English and 9.4% American ancestry. 96.8% spoke English and 1.3% Polish as their first language.

There were 8,995 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.00.

The county population contained 26.80% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,876, and the median income for a family was $46,628. Males had a median income of $34,413 versus $21,204 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,810. About 5.30% of families and 6.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.50% of those under age 18 and 7.10% of those age 65 or over.

## Government

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Otsego County voters have been reliably Republican from the start. They have selected the Republican Party nominee in 88% of national elections (30 of 34).

### Political Culture

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United States presidential election results for Otsego County, Michigan[16] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 9,779  | 66.19% | 4,743  | 32.10%  | 253  | 1.71%
2016 | 8,266  | 65.55% | 3,556  | 28.20%  | 788  | 6.25%
2012 | 7,011  | 58.96% | 4,681  | 39.37%  | 199  | 1.67%
2008 | 6,752  | 53.39% | 5,634  | 44.55%  | 261  | 2.06%
2004 | 7,470  | 60.70% | 4,674  | 37.98%  | 163  | 1.32%
2000 | 6,108  | 58.14% | 4,034  | 38.40%  | 363  | 3.46%
1996 | 3,638  | 43.73% | 3,351  | 40.28%  | 1,331  | 16.00%
1992 | 3,393  | 36.85% | 3,129  | 33.99%  | 2,685  | 29.16%
1988 | 4,620  | 63.31% | 2,635  | 36.11%  | 43  | 0.59%
1984 | 4,639  | 68.27% | 2,117  | 31.16%  | 39  | 0.57%
1980 | 3,771  | 53.70% | 2,666  | 37.96%  | 586  | 8.34%
1976 | 3,155  | 53.01% | 2,724  | 45.77%  | 73  | 1.23%
1972 | 2,854  | 58.93% | 1,912  | 39.48%  | 77  | 1.59%
1968 | 1,871  | 49.33% | 1,661  | 43.79%  | 261  | 6.88%
1964 | 1,214  | 35.07%  | 2,245  | 64.85% | 3  | 0.09%
1960 | 1,944  | 56.04% | 1,521  | 43.85%  | 4  | 0.12%
1956 | 1,930  | 63.74% | 1,095  | 36.16%  | 3  | 0.10%
1952 | 1,941  | 68.88% | 865  | 30.70%  | 12  | 0.43%
1948 | 1,392  | 60.00% | 888  | 38.28%  | 40  | 1.72%
1944 | 1,259  | 57.70% | 912  | 41.80%  | 11  | 0.50%
1940 | 1,353  | 54.56% | 1,119  | 45.12%  | 8  | 0.32%
1936 | 1,102  | 45.03%  | 1,280  | 52.31% | 65  | 2.66%
1932 | 1,006  | 40.35%  | 1,377  | 55.23% | 110  | 4.41%
1928 | 1,049  | 68.52% | 476  | 31.09%  | 6  | 0.39%
1924 | 1,144  | 73.81% | 249  | 16.06%  | 157  | 10.13%
1920 | 874  | 64.03% | 466  | 34.14%  | 25  | 1.83%
1916 | 531  | 49.17% | 519  | 48.06%  | 30  | 2.78%
1912 | 448  | 42.79% | 194  | 18.53%  | 405  | 38.68%
1908 | 864  | 72.48% | 276  | 23.15%  | 52  | 4.36%
1904 | 1,239  | 78.82% | 266  | 16.92%  | 67  | 4.26%
1900 | 1,020  | 67.95% | 436  | 29.05%  | 45  | 3.00%
1896 | 859  | 59.41% | 560  | 38.73%  | 27  | 1.87%
1892 | 525  | 47.60%  | 531  | 48.14% | 47  | 4.26%
1888 | 573  | 52.81% | 434  | 40.00%  | 78  | 7.19%
1884 | 485  | 52.95% | 410  | 44.76%  | 21  | 2.29%

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, administers public health 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

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* Prosecuting Attorney: Michael A. Rola
* Sheriff: Matthew Nowicki
* County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Susan I. DeFeyter
* County Treasurer: Diann M. Axford
* County Surveyor: Ronald C. Brand[17]

(information as of September 2005)

## Media

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The Gaylord Herald Times is the newspaper of record for Otsego County. It is published twice weekly, and is the oldest surviving business. It was founded in 1875, the year that the county was organized.[18]

## Communities

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File:Otsego County, MI census map.pngU.S. Census data map showing local municipal boundaries within Otsego County. Shaded areas represent incorporated cities.

### City

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* Gaylord (county seat)

### Village

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* Vanderbilt

### Civil townships

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* Bagley Township
* Charlton Township
* Chester Township
* Corwith Township
* Dover Township
* Elmira Township
* Hayes Township
* Livingston Township
* Otsego Lake Township

### Unincorporated communities

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* Arbutus Beach
* Elmira (partial)
* Eyedylwild Beach
* Farrar Landing
* Green Timbers
* Hetherton (partial)
* Johannesburg
* Lower Chub Landing
* Oak Grove
* Otsego Lake
* Pearll City
* Sparr
* Vienna Corners (partial)
* Waters
* Whites Landing

## See also

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* List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Otsego County, Michigan
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Otsego County, Michigan

## References

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1. ^ a b c "Bibliography on Otsego County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. ^ "History". Otsego County. Archived from the original on February 19, 2008.
5. ^ "Michigan Counties". Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries. Archived from the original on March 13, 2009.
6. ^ a b c Soil Survey of Otsego County (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 10, 2008.
7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
8. ^ "NPWRC :: Regional Landscape". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on June 25, 2013.
9. ^ "Gaylord Regional Airport". Archived from the original on February 19, 2008.
10. ^ "Gaylord Regional Airport". AirNav.com.
11. ^ "US Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
12. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
13. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
14. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
15. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
16. ^ US Election Atlas
17. ^ "Election results". Traverse City Record-Eagle. August 4, 2004. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
18. ^ "Gaylord". Petoskey News-Review. Archived from the original on February 6, 2005.

## External links

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* "Bibliography on Otsego County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.
* Enchanted forest, Northern Michigan source for information, calendars, etc.
* Gaylord Herald Times home page
* Otsego Community Connection
* Otsego County Historical Society
* Otsego County home page
* Gaylord Regional Airport Information
* Soil Survey of Otsego County, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Michigan State University Agricultural Extension Service (lots more here, such as history, economy, etc.)

Places adjacent to Otsego County, Michigan

| Charlevoix County | Cheboygan County |

|
|

|  |
Antrim County |

Otsego County, Michigan

| Montmorency County
|  |
Kalkaska County | Crawford County | Oscoda County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Otsego County, Michigan, United States

County seat: Gaylord

City|

* Gaylord

File:Map of Michigan highlighting Otsego County.svgMap of Michigan highlighting Otsego County.svg

Village|

* Vanderbilt

Civil townships|

* Bagley
* Charlton
* Chester
* Corwith
* Dover
* Elmira
* Hayes
* Livingston
* Otsego Lake

Unincorporated
communities|

* Arbutus Beach
* Elmira‡
* Eyedylwild Beach
* Farrar Landing
* Green Timbers
* Hetherton‡
* Johannesburg
* Lower Chub Landing
* Oak Grove
* Otsego Lake
* Pearll City
* Sparr
* Vienna Corners‡
* Waters
* Whites Landing

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Northern Michigan

Central cities|

* Alpena
* Cadillac
* Charlevoix
* Gaylord
* Petoskey
* Traverse City

Counties|

* Alcona
* Alpena
* Antrim
* Arenac
* Benzie
* Charlevoix
* Cheboygan
* Clare
* Crawford
* Emmet
* Gladwin
* Grand Traverse
* Iosco
* Kalkaska
* Lake
* Leelanau
* Manistee
* Missaukee
* Montmorency
* Ogemaw
* Osceola
* Oscoda
* Otsego
* Presque Isle
* Roscommon
* Wexford

Geography|

* Au Sable River
* Cheboygan River
* Elk River watershed
* Grand Traverse Bay
* Houghton Lake
* Inland Waterway
* Leelanau Peninsula
* Lake Charlevoix
* Lake Huron
* Lake Michigan
* Little Traverse Bay
* Manistee River
* Straits of Mackinac
* Thunder Bay
* Walloon Lake

Transportation|

* Charlevoix Municipal Airport
* Cherry Capital Airport
* Great Lakes Central Railroad
* Lake State Railway
* Mackinac Bridge
* Pellston Regional Airport
* SS Badger

Economy|

* East Jordan Iron Works
* Georgia-Pacific
* Holcim
* Lafarge Cement
* Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company
* Michigan wine
* USG Corporation
* Weyerhaeuser

* Michigan
* Central Michigan
* Southeast Michigan
* Upper Peninsula
* West Michigan

* v
* t
* e

State of Michigan

Lansing (capital)

Topics|

* Congressional delegation
* Cuisine
* Fauna
* Geography
* Government
* Highways
* History
* Index
* Islands
* Law
* Lighthouses
* Municipalities
* Museums
* National Historic Landmarks
* National Register of Historic Places listings
* People
* State Historic Sites
* State parks
* Symbols
* Tallest buildings
* Timeline
* Tourist attractions

Society|

* Culture
* Crime
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Elections
* Politics

Regions|

| Upper Peninsula|

* Copper Country
* Gogebic Range
* Keweenaw Peninsula

|

Lower Peninsula|

* Central Michigan
* Metro Detroit
* Michiana
* Northern Michigan
* Southeast Michigan
* The Thumb
* West Michigan

Largest
municipalities|

* Ann Arbor
* Battle Creek
* Bay City
* Bloomfield Township
* Canton
* Chesterfield Township
* Clinton Township
* Commerce Township
* Dearborn
* Dearborn Heights
* Detroit
* East Lansing
* Farmington Hills
* Flint
* Georgetown Township
* Grand Blanc Township
* Grand Rapids
* Holland Charter Township
* Independence Township
* Kalamazoo
* Kentwood
* Lansing
* Lincoln Park
* Livonia
* Macomb Township
* Meridian Charter Township
* Midland
* Muskegon
* Novi
* Orion Township
* Pontiac
* Portage
* Redford
* Rochester Hills
* Roseville
* Royal Oak
* Saginaw
* Saginaw Township
* St. Clair Shores
* Shelby Charter Township
* Southfield
* Sterling Heights
* Taylor
* Troy
* Warren
* Waterford Township
* West Bloomfield
* Westland
* Wyoming
* Ypsilanti Charter Township

Counties|

* Alcona
* Alger
* Allegan
* Alpena
* Antrim
* Arenac
* Baraga
* Barry
* Bay
* Benzie
* Berrien
* Branch
* Calhoun
* Cass
* Charlevoix
* Cheboygan
* Chippewa
* Clare
* Clinton
* Crawford
* Delta
* Dickinson
* Eaton
* Emmet
* Genesee
* Gladwin
* Gogebic
* Grand Traverse
* Gratiot
* Hillsdale
* Houghton
* Huron
* Ingham
* Ionia
* Iosco
* Iron
* Isabella
* Jackson
* Kalamazoo
* Kalkaska
* Kent
* Keweenaw
* Lake
* Lapeer
* Leelanau
* Lenawee
* Livingston
* Luce
* Mackinac
* Macomb
* Manistee
* Marquette
* Mason
* Mecosta
* Menominee
* Midland
* Missaukee
* Monroe
* Montcalm
* Montmorency
* Muskegon
* Newaygo
* Oakland
* Oceana
* Ogemaw
* Ontonagon
* Osceola
* Oscoda
* Otsego
* Ottawa
* Presque Isle
* Roscommon
* Saginaw
* Sanilac
* Schoolcraft
* Shiawassee
* St. Clair
* St. Joseph
* Tuscola
* Van Buren
* Washtenaw
* Wayne
* Wexford

Coordinates: 45°01′N 84°37′W﻿ / ﻿45.02°N 84.61°W﻿ / 45.02; -84.61
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