Marquette County, Michigan

County in Michigan, United States

County in Michigan

Marquette County

County

Marquette County Courthouse in Marquette

Location within the U.S. state of Michigan

Michigan's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 46°40′N 87°36′W﻿ / ﻿46.66°N 87.6°W﻿ / 46.66; -87.6
Country|  United States
State|  Michigan
Founded| March 9, 1843, organized 1851[1]
Named after| Jacques Marquette
Seat| Marquette
Largest city| Marquette
Area

• Total

| 3,425 sq mi (8,870 km2)
• Land| 1,808 sq mi (4,680 km2)
• Water| 1,616 sq mi (4,190 km2)  47%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 66,017

• Estimate

(2023)

| 66,999
• Density| 37/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zone| UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district| 1st
Website| www.co.marquette.mi.us

Marquette County (/mɑːrˈkɛt/ mar-KET) is a county located in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 66,017.[2] It is the most populous county in the Upper Peninsula. The county seat is Marquette.[3] The county is named for Father Marquette, a Jesuit missionary. It was set off in 1843 and organized in 1851.[1]

Marquette County comprises the Marquette, MI micropolitan statistical area.

## Geography

[edit]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,425 square miles (8,870 km2), of which 1,808 square miles (4,680 km2) is land and 1,616 square miles (4,190 km2) (47%) is water.[4] It is the largest county in Michigan by land area and fourth-largest by total area.

The Big Garlic River is located in the county.

The Huron Mountains are located in the county. To the north of the county is Lake Superior.

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Alger County, east
* Delta County, southeast
* Menominee County, south/Central Time border
* Dickinson County, south/Central Time border
* Iron County, southwest/Central Time border
* Baraga County, west
* Houghton County, northwest
* Keweenaw County, north

### National protected areas

[edit]

* Hiawatha National Forest (part)
* Huron National Wildlife Refuge
* Ottawa National Forest (part)

Lake Superior from Presque Isle Park in Marquette

## Climate

[edit]

|  Marquette County

Climate chart (explanation)

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−12

−12

−10

110

120

126

130

105

█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [5]
| Imperial conversion

J| F| M| A| M| J| J| A| S| O| N| D

3.3

3.3

2.8

4.3

3.7

4.7

3.4

3.5

5.1

4.1

3.1

█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

## Communities

[edit]

U.S. Census data map showing local municipal boundaries within Marquette County. Shaded areas represent incorporated cities.

### Cities

[edit]

* Ishpeming
* Marquette (county seat)
* Negaunee

### Charter townships

[edit]

* Chocolay Charter Township
* Marquette Charter Township

### Civil townships

[edit]

* Champion Township
* Ely Township
* Ewing Township
* Forsyth Township
* Humboldt Township
* Ishpeming Township
* Michigamme Township
* Negaunee Township
* Powell Township
* Republic Township
* Richmond Township
* Sands Township
* Skandia Township
* Tilden Township
* Turin Township
* Wells Township
* West Branch Township

### Census-designated places

[edit]

* Big Bay
* Gwinn
* Harvey
* K.I. Sawyer
* Michigamme
* Palmer
* Republic
* Trowbridge Park
* West Ishpeming

### Other unincorporated communities

[edit]

* Alder
* Antlers
* Arnold
* Beaver Grove
* Birch
* Brookton Corners
* Carlshend
* Clarksburg
* Dukes
* Eagle Mills
* Empire Iron Mine
* Gordon
* Green Garden
* Greenwood
* Homeier
* Huron Mountain
* Lakewood
* Lawson
* Little Lake
* Maple Grove
* McFarland
* Midway Location
* National Mine
* North Lake
* Northland
* Sand River
* Selma
* Snowville
* South Greenwood
* South Republic
* Suomi Location
* Vick
* Witch Lake

### Indian reservations

[edit]

* The L'Anse Indian Reservation, which is primarily based in Baraga County to the west, has a small portion within Chocolay Township.
* The Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, which is headquartered in Sault Ste. Marie in Chippewa County, occupies a very small piece of property within the city limits of Marquette.

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1850| 136| | —
1860| 2,821| | 1,974.3%
1870| 15,033| | 432.9%
1880| 25,394| | 68.9%
1890| 39,521| | 55.6%
1900| 41,239| | 4.3%
1910| 46,739| | 13.3%
1920| 45,786| | −2.0%
1930| 44,076| | −3.7%
1940| 47,144| | 7.0%
1950| 47,654| | 1.1%
1960| 56,154| | 17.8%
1970| 64,686| | 15.2%
1980| 74,101| | 14.6%
1990| 70,887| | −4.3%
2000| 64,634| | −8.8%
2010| 67,077| | 3.8%
2020| 66,017| | −1.6%
2023 (est.)| 66,999| [6]| 1.5%
US Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2018[2]

In 2020, the population of the county was 66,017.

## Economy

[edit]

### Top employers

[edit]

Last updated June 8, 2021.

According to the Lake Superior Community Partnership website,[11] the top employers in the county are:

The Tilden and Empire mines south of Ishpeming and Negaunee, taken on July 2, 2022, from the International Space Station; north is oriented towards the right. | Private employer  | # of employees

|

UP Health System – Marquette | 1,599
Cliffs Natural Resources, Michigan Operations | 998
Upper Peninsula Medical Center  | 650
UP Health System – Bell  | 360
Walmart | 392
RTI Surgical | 230
Envoy Air | 207
Eagle Mine | 187
Westwood Mall Association  | 190
Eastwood Nursing Center  | 140
Alger-Marquette County Community Action Board  | 148
Norlite Nursing Center  | 110
Ojibwa Casino II  | 140
Superior Extrusion, Inc.  | 153
PotlatchDeltic | 140
Pathways  | 108
Meijer | 310
VanDamme Trucking  | 132

Public employer  | # of employees

|

Northern Michigan University | 914
Marquette Area Public Schools | 410
Michigan Department of Corrections | 350
County of Marquette  | 251
Negaunee Public Schools  | 190
D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans  | 167
City of Marquette  | 185
NICE Community School District | 163
Gwinn Area Community Schools  | 140
Ishpeming Public Schools | 104

*Bolded values have been updated for 2021.

## Education

[edit]

Academic Mall at Northern Michigan University in Marquette

Northern Michigan University is a four-year university in Marquette. It was established in 1899.

### School districts

[edit]

Marquette County is divided into the following school districts:[12]

* Gwinn Area Community Schools
* Ishpeming Public School District
* Marquette Area Public Schools
* Negaunee Public Schools
* NICE Community School District
* Powell Township Schools
* Republic-Michigamme School District

## Historical markers

[edit]

National Ski Hall of Fame in Ishpeming

There are ten historical markers in the county:[13]

* Cliffs Shaft Mine
* Dandelion Cottage
* Father Marquette Park
* First Steam Railroad in Upper Peninsula
* Ishpeming: Historic Ski Center
* Jackson Mine
* Marquette County Courthouse
* Marquette Iron Range
* Northern Michigan University
* Sam Cohodas Lodge / Sam Cohodas

## Government

[edit]

Marquette County was reliably Republican following the American Civil War; its voters went Republican (or Republican-splinter) in every election from 1876 through 1932. However, that shifted in 1936; since then, the Republican nominee has carried the county in only five out of 23 elections through 2024, four of which were nationwide Republican landslides and the other had native Michigander Gerald Ford as the Republican nominee. At present, it has since become the only Democratic-leaning county in the Upper Peninsula. It was the only Upper Peninsula County to vote for Democratic presidential candidates in 2016, 2020, and 2024.

United States presidential election results for Marquette County, Michigan[14] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 17,459  | 44.76%  | 20,866  | 53.49% | 684  | 1.75%
2020 | 16,286  | 43.37%  | 20,465  | 54.50% | 799  | 2.13%
2016 | 14,646  | 44.09%  | 16,042  | 48.29% | 2,530  | 7.62%
2012 | 13,606  | 42.06%  | 18,115  | 56.00% | 625  | 1.93%
2008 | 12,906  | 38.80%  | 19,635  | 59.03% | 719  | 2.16%
2004 | 14,690  | 45.22%  | 17,412  | 53.60% | 386  | 1.19%
2000 | 12,577  | 43.10%  | 15,503  | 53.13% | 1,099  | 3.77%
1996 | 8,805  | 32.91%  | 15,168  | 56.69% | 2,785  | 10.41%
1992 | 9,665  | 30.56%  | 16,038  | 50.71% | 5,926  | 18.74%
1988 | 11,704  | 42.92%  | 15,418  | 56.54% | 145  | 0.53%
1984 | 14,196  | 49.98% | 14,074  | 49.55%  | 132  | 0.46%
1980 | 13,181  | 44.71%  | 13,312  | 45.16% | 2,986  | 10.13%
1976 | 12,984  | 49.34% | 12,837  | 48.78%  | 494  | 1.88%
1972 | 13,249  | 52.67% | 11,555  | 45.93%  | 353  | 1.40%
1968 | 8,960  | 42.68%  | 11,199  | 53.34% | 836  | 3.98%
1964 | 6,615  | 31.96%  | 14,045  | 67.86% | 36  | 0.17%
1960 | 10,690  | 48.77%  | 11,177  | 51.00% | 50  | 0.23%
1956 | 12,504  | 56.62% | 9,543  | 43.21%  | 37  | 0.17%
1952 | 11,618  | 53.65% | 9,949  | 45.94%  | 88  | 0.41%
1948 | 8,591  | 45.06%  | 10,003  | 52.47% | 470  | 2.47%
1944 | 8,163  | 40.93%  | 11,707  | 58.70% | 74  | 0.37%
1940 | 9,034  | 41.10%  | 12,854  | 58.48% | 94  | 0.43%
1936 | 7,607  | 38.33%  | 11,994  | 60.44% | 243  | 1.22%
1932 | 9,810  | 55.65% | 7,221  | 40.96%  | 598  | 3.39%
1928 | 10,879  | 68.81% | 4,716  | 29.83%  | 216  | 1.37%
1924 | 9,771  | 70.70% | 845  | 6.11%  | 3,204  | 23.18%
1920 | 9,233  | 70.46% | 3,012  | 22.99%  | 858  | 6.55%
1916 | 5,263  | 63.18% | 2,625  | 31.51%  | 442  | 5.31%
1912 | 2,603  | 33.28%  | 997  | 12.75%  | 4,222  | 53.98%
1908 | 5,613  | 74.78% | 1,275  | 16.99%  | 618  | 8.23%
1904 | 5,654  | 82.94% | 785  | 11.52%  | 378  | 5.54%
1900 | 5,235  | 75.52% | 1,471  | 21.22%  | 226  | 3.26%
1896 | 5,111  | 70.11% | 1,980  | 27.16%  | 199  | 2.73%
1892 | 3,874  | 53.03% | 2,850  | 39.01%  | 581  | 7.95%
1888 | 4,512  | 65.76% | 2,105  | 30.68%  | 244  | 3.56%
1884 | 4,230  | 73.49% | 1,478  | 25.68%  | 48  | 0.83%
1880 | 2,434  | 65.08% | 1,271  | 33.98%  | 35  | 0.94%
1876 | 2,308  | 56.88% | 1,750  | 43.12%  | 0  | 0.00%

The county government operates Sawyer International Airport, 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

[edit]

* County Clerk: Linda Talsma[15]
* County Treasurer: Jacqueline Solomon[16]
* Drain Commissioner: P. Michael Farrell[17]
* Mine Inspector: Steve Bertucci[18]
* Prosecuting Attorney: Jenna M. Nelson[19]
* Register of Deeds: Aidan Mckindles[20]
* Sheriff: Gregory S. Zyburt[21]

## Transportation

[edit]

### Airports

[edit]

* Sawyer International Airport, a county-owned public-use facility, twenty miles (32 km) south of Marquette on the site of K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, which closed 30 years ago in 1995.

### Transit

[edit]

* MarqTran provides local transit services in and around Marquette.
* Indian Trails provides intercity bus service.

### Major highways

[edit]

Main article: List of state highways in Marquette County, Michigan

Map of the county's highways

* US 41
* M-28
* M-35
* M-94
* M-95
* M-553

In addition to the 169.42 miles (272.66 km) of state highways in the county, the Marquette County Road Commission maintains 283.85 miles (456.81 km) of primary county roads which include County Road 492 (CR 492), and 988.25 miles (1,590.43 km) of secondary county roads. The road commission provides maintenance such as snow removal under contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation for the state trunklines.[22] In 2010, the commission planned to build CR 595.[23] The project was canceled after the permit was denied by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the project funding was diverted.[24]

## See also

[edit]

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

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Clarke Historical Library. "Bibliography on Marquette County". Central Michigan University. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
5. ^ "NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index". NASA. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
6. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
7. ^ "US Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
9. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
11. ^ "2020/2021 Principal Employers – Marquette County". Lake Superior Community Partnership. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
12. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Marquette County, MI" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 13, 2024. \- Text list
13. ^ "Michigan Historical Markers". michmarkers.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
14. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
15. ^ "Linda Talsma, County Clerk". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
16. ^ "Marquette County Treasurer". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
17. ^ "Marquette County Drain Commissioner: P. Michael Farrell". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
18. ^ "Marquette County Mine Inspector". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
19. ^ "Prosecutor's Office". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
20. ^ "Carla L'Huillier, Register of Deeds". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
21. ^ "Welcome to the Sheriff's Office". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
22. ^ "Welcome to the Marquette County Road Commission". Marquette County Road Commission. 2009. Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
23. ^ McLaren, Noël (October 18, 2010). "County Road 595 Approved for Planning". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, MI: WLUC-TV. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
24. ^ Pepin, John (January 4, 2013). "CR 595 Project Killed". The Mining Journal. Marquette, MI. pp. 1A, 8A. ISSN 0898-4964. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2013.

## External links

[edit]

* Marquette County web site

Places adjacent to Marquette County, Michigan

| Houghton County | Lake Superior; Keweenaw County |

|
|

|  |
Baraga County |

Marquette County, Michigan

| Alger County
|  |
Iron County | Menominee and Dickinson counties | Delta County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Marquette County, Michigan, United States

County seat: Marquette

Cities|

* Ishpeming
* Marquette
* Negaunee

Map of Michigan highlighting Marquette County.svg

Charter townships|

* Chocolay
* Marquette

Civil townships|

* Champion
* Ely
* Ewing
* Forsyth
* Humboldt
* Ishpeming
* Michigamme
* Negaunee
* Powell
* Republic
* Richmond
* Sands
* Skandia
* Tilden
* Turin
* Wells
* West Branch

CDPs|

* Big Bay
* Gwinn
* Harvey
* K. I. Sawyer
* Michigamme
* Palmer
* Republic
* Trowbridge Park
* West Ishpeming

Other
communities|

* Arnold
* Austin
* Cascade
* Champion
* Clowry
* Diorite
* Gentian
* Helena
* Little Lake
* National Mine
* New Swanzy
* Plains
* Sands
* Swanzy
* Wobic

Indian reservations|

* L'Anse Indian Reservation‡
* Sault Ste. Marie Reservation‡

Footnotes|

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

* Michigan portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Central cities|

* Escanaba
* Hancock
* Houghton
* Iron Mountain
* Iron River
* Marquette
* Menominee
* Munising
* Sault Ste. Marie
* St. Ignace

Counties|

* Alger
* Baraga
* Chippewa
* Delta
* Dickinson
* Gogebic
* Houghton
* Iron
* Keweenaw
* Luce
* Mackinac
* Marquette
* Menominee
* Ontonagon
* Schoolcraft

Geography|

* Copper Country
* Gogebic Range
* Grand Island
* Keweenaw Peninsula
* Keweenaw Waterway
* Lake Superior
* Lake Huron
* Lake Michigan
* Menominee River
* Mount Arvon
* Pictured Rocks
* Porcupine Mountains
* St. Marys River
* Straits of Mackinac

Transportation|

* Chippewa County International Airport
* Delta County Airport
* Ford Airport
* Gogebic–Iron County Airport
* Houghton County Memorial Airport
* International Bridge
* International Rail Bridge
* Mackinac Bridge
* MarqTran
* Portage Lake Lift Bridge
* Sawyer International Airport
* Soo Locks

Economy|

* Cleveland-Cliffs
* Copper mining in Michigan
* Verso Corporation

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|

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46°40′N 87°36′W﻿ / ﻿46.66°N 87.60°W﻿ / 46.66; -87.60
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