Clare County, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clare County
U.S. county
Clare County District Court in Harrison
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Founded	1840 (established) 1871 (organized)
Named for	County Clare, Ireland
Seat	Harrison
Largest city	Clare
Area
• Total	575 sq mi (1,490 km2)
• Land	564 sq mi (1,460 km2)
• Water	11 sq mi (30 km2)  1.9%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	30,856
• Density	55/sq mi (21/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Clare County is a county located in the state of Michigan in the United States. It's a place where many people live and work. In 2020, about 30,856 people called Clare County home. The main town, or county seat, where the county government is located, is Harrison.

History of Clare County

A map from 1842 showing Clare County as "Kaykakee," its first name.

Clare County was first created in 1840 by the Michigan government. Back then, it was called Kaykakee County. This name came from a Sauk Indian Chief.

A few years later, in 1843, the county's name was changed to Clare County. It was named after County Clare in Ireland. For many years, other counties helped manage Clare County. But in 1871, Clare County set up its own local government.

The first county seat was a town called Farwell. Later, in 1877, the county seat was moved to Harrison, where it is today.

Geography and Nature

Clare County is located in Michigan and has a total area of about 575 square miles. Most of this area, about 564 square miles, is land. The rest, about 11 square miles, is water, like lakes and rivers. This means about 1.9% of the county is covered by water.

Clare County is considered part of both Northern Michigan and Central Michigan. It's a great place for outdoor activities!

Natural Features

• The Au Sable State Forest is a large forest area in the county. It's a wonderful place for nature lovers.

Main Roads

Several important highways run through Clare County, making it easy to travel around.

• US 10 goes from east to west through the southern part of the county.
• US 127 runs north to south through the middle of the county, passing through Harrison and Clare.
• M-18 runs along the eastern edge of the county.
• M-61 goes from east to west through the middle of the county.
• M-115 crosses the southern part of the county.

Neighboring Counties

Clare County shares its borders with several other counties:

Population and People

In 2010, the population of Clare County was 30,926 people. This was a small decrease from the year 2000. The county had about 12,966 households, which are groups of people living together.

Most people in Clare County are White (95.8%). There are also smaller groups of Black or African American, Native American, Asian, and people of Hispanic or Latino background. About 1.3% of the population identifies with two or more races.

The average age of people in Clare County in 2010 was 45 years old.

Religion

• The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw oversees Catholic churches in the area.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a meetinghouse in Harrison.

Fun Things to Do

Clare County is surrounded by large state forests, making it a great place for outdoor adventures! You might even spot some wildlife like bears, deer, eagles, and turkeys.

Local Attractions

• Kirtland's Warbler Habitat and Festival: This area is home to the rare Kirtland's warbler bird. There's even a festival to celebrate it!
• Michigan Shore-to-Shore Trail: This long trail, over 500 miles, passes through Clare County. It's a connected system of trails perfect for exploring.

Activities to Enjoy

You can do many fun things in Clare County:

• Birding: Watching for different kinds of birds.
• Boating: Enjoying the lakes and rivers.
• Fishing: Trying to catch fish in the county's waters.
• Hiking: Walking on trails through nature.
• Hunting: (Seasonal and regulated)
• Nordic skiing: Skiing across flat or gently rolling terrain in winter.
• ORV and groomed snowmobile trails: Riding off-road vehicles or snowmobiles on special trails.
• Paddling: Canoeing and kayaking on the water.

Towns and Villages

A map showing the different towns and areas within Clare County.

Clare County has several communities, including cities, a village, and many smaller towns.

Cities

• Clare (part of this city is in Clare County)
• Harrison (This is the county seat!)

Village

• Farwell

Townships

These are smaller local government areas within the county:

Smaller Communities

These are smaller places that are not officially cities or villages:

Ghost Town

• Clarence is a former town that is now abandoned.

Education

The schools in Clare County are part of the Clare-Gladwin Regional Education Service District. This district helps students in both Clare and Gladwin County. They offer special education services, programs for young children, and after-school activities. They also help students learn skills for different careers.

Public Schools

Students in Clare County attend these public school districts:

• Clare Public Schools
• Farwell Area Schools
• Harrison Community Schools

Private Schools

Clare County also has a few private schools:

• East Dover School (for Amish students)
• Great Lakes Mennonite School (for Mennonite students)
• Shady Lawn Amish Parochial School (for Amish students)

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Clare (Míchigan) para niños