Berrien County, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Berrien County
U.S. county
Lighthouse at St. Joseph
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Founded	October 29, 1829 (created) 1831 (organized)
Named for	John M. Berrien
Seat	St. Joseph
Largest city	Niles
Area
• Total	1,581 sq mi (4,090 km2)
• Land	568 sq mi (1,470 km2)
• Water	1,014 sq mi (2,630 km2)  64%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	154,316
• Density	272/sq mi (105/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	4th, 5th

Berrien County is a county in the state of Michigan. It is located in the southwest corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The county is right on the shore of Lake Michigan. It also shares a land border with the state of Indiana.

In 2020, about 154,316 people lived here. The main city and county seat is St. Joseph. Berrien County is part of a larger area called Michiana. This area includes cities like Niles, Benton Harbor, and even South Bend, Indiana.

History of Berrien County

How Berrien County Got Its Name

Berrien County is one of Michigan's "Cabinet counties." This means it was named after someone who served in the US President's Cabinet. Berrien County was named for John M. Berrien. He was from Georgia. John M. Berrien was the US Attorney General from 1829 to 1831. He worked for President Andrew Jackson.

The county was first created in 1829. It was officially organized in 1831. This happened before Michigan became a state. When Michigan Territory was set up in 1805, the land that is now Berrien County was part of Wayne County.

Early Settlements and Missions

Around 1780, a man named William Burnett started a trading post. It was located at the mouth of the St. Joseph River. This is where the city of St. Joseph is today. The post helped trade with Native Americans and French Canadian settlers. Another trading post was set up by Joseph Bertrand. It was further up the river near present-day Niles Charter Township.

In 1822, a missionary named Isaac McCoy moved his family here. He brought 18 Native American students from Indiana. They opened a religious mission called the Carey Mission. It was for the Potawatomi Indians. This mission was far from other White settlements.

Forming the County and Townships

In 1827, St. Joseph Township was created. It was part of Wayne County. This township included all the land that Native Americans had given up in the 1821 Treaty of Chicago.

The borders of Berrien County were officially drawn on October 29, 1829. At first, it was connected to Cass County for taxes and legal matters. This connection ended in 1831. That's when Berrien County started its own government.

Berrien County began with three main townships:

• Berrien Township
• St. Joseph Township
• Niles Township

Berrien County Today

Today, Berrien County is a popular place for vacations. Many people from the Chicago area come to visit. Cities like New Buffalo and Lakeside are well-known. The area is sometimes called "Harbor Country." It has also been called "the Hamptons of the Midwest."

Geography of Berrien County

Land and Water

Berrien County covers a total area of about 1,581 square miles. A large part of this is water. About 568 square miles is land. The other 1,014 square miles (64%) is water.

The county borders the state of Indiana to the south. To the west, it has a long shoreline along Lake Michigan.

Rivers and Lakes

The St. Joseph River is a very important river here. It flows through the county from Niles to St. Joseph. There it empties into Lake Michigan. Other rivers include the Galien River and the Paw Paw River. Paw Paw Lake is also in the northern part of the county.

Main Roads

Several major highways run through Berrien County.

• I-94 runs along the western side near Lake Michigan. It then turns inland towards St. Joseph and Benton Harbor.
• US 12 goes east-west through the southern part of the county.
• US 31 enters from South Bend, Indiana. It runs north near Niles.
• M-51 goes north through Niles.

Neighboring Areas

Berrien County shares land borders with:

• Van Buren County – to the north and northeast
• Cass County – to the east
• St. Joseph County, Indiana – to the southeast
• LaPorte County, Indiana – to the south

It also borders other counties across Lake Michigan:

• Porter County, Indiana – to the southwest
• Cook County, Illinois – to the west
• Lake County, Illinois – to the northwest

Population of Berrien County

In 2010, Berrien County had a population of 156,813 people. This was a small decrease from the year 2000. There were about 63,054 households in the county.

Most people in Berrien County are White (78.3%). About 15.3% are Black or African American. About 4.5% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. The average age of people in the county was 41 years old.

Fun Things to Do in Berrien County

State Parks

• Grand Mere State Park
• Warren Dunes State Park
• Warren Woods State Park

County Parks

Other Parks

Resorts and Beaches

Golf Courses

Communities in Berrien County

This map shows the cities and towns within Berrien County. Shaded areas are cities.

Cities

Villages

Townships

Other Communities

Indian Reservation

This map shows the Pokagon reservation area within Berrien County.

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians has a special area called a reservation. Part of this reservation is in the southeastern corner of Berrien County. The tribe also has land in other nearby counties. The main office for the tribe is in Dowagiac. In Berrien County, the reservation land is around the city of Niles. It also covers parts of Bertrand Township and Niles Charter Township along the St. Joseph River.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Berrien (Míchigan) para niños