Elberta, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elberta, Michigan
Village
Lake Michigan from Elberta Bluffs
Location within Benzie County
Elberta, Michigan Location in Michigan
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Benzie
Township	Gilmore
Area
• Total	1.01 sq mi (2.61 km2)
• Land	0.75 sq mi (1.94 km2)
• Water	0.26 sq mi (0.68 km2)
Elevation	591 ft (180 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	329
• Density	439.25/sq mi (169.66/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	49628
Area code(s)	231
FIPS code	26-25180
GNIS feature ID	0625422

Elberta (/ˌɛlˈbɜːr.tə/ el-BER-tə) is a village in Benzie County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 329 at the 2020 census. Located in Gilmore Township, Elberta overlooks Lake Michigan and lies across Betsie Lake from Frankfort. Elberta is part of Northern Michigan.

History

Elberta was first settled in 1855 and incorporated as South Frankfort in 1894. It was renamed Elberta in 1911 for the local Elberta peach. The village's founder is said to be George M. Cartwright.

M-168, previously one of the shortest state highways in Michigan, extended 0.95 miles (1.53 km) from a junction with M-22 in downtown Elberta to the former Ann Arbor Railroad ferry docks in Elberta. This highway was decommissioned in 2012.

Geography

• According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.99 square miles (2.56 km²), of which 0.74 square miles (1.92 km²) is land and 0.25 square miles (0.65 km²) is water. The downtown is at 44°37′10″N 86°13′35″W / 44.61944°N 86.22639°W / 44.61944; -86.22639.
• Elberta is part of Northern Michigan.

Major highways

• M-22 is a north–south highway that runs through the village, paralleling the coast of Lake Michigan for its length. M-22 can be used to access Frankfort.
• Invalid type: M 1973 is a former highway that ran through the village, connecting M-22 to the former Ann Arbor Railroad ferry docks. This highway was decommissioned in 2012.

Ferry and rail transport

From the 1890s to July 1950, the Ann Arbor Railroad operated launched ferries from docks at Elberta. The ferries crossed Lake Michigan to two points in Wisconsin, and a fourth ferry line went north to Gladstone, Michigan in the Michigan Upper Peninsula.

In the same period, the Ann Arbor Railroad operated a train a day south to and from Cadillac, Owosso, Durand, Ann Arbor, and then to its southern terminus in Toledo, Ohio.

Demographics

These Ann Arbor Railroad cars and steamships would have been familiar sights in Elberta in 1911, when this timetable was printed.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 372 people, 173 households, and 101 families living in the village. The population density was 502.7 inhabitants per square mile (194.1/km²). There were 229 housing units at an average density of 309.5 per square mile (119.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.2% White, 0.8% African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population.

There were 173 households, of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.71.

The median age in the village was 47.8 years. 18.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.2% were from 25 to 44; 33.1% were from 45 to 64; and 21.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 51.9% male and 48.1% female.

See also

In Spanish: Elberta (Míchigan) para niños