Huron County, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Huron County
U.S. county
Port Austin Light
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Founded	April 1, 1840 (created) January 25, 1859 (organized)
Named for	Lake Huron
Seat	Bad Axe
Largest city	Bad Axe
Area
• Total	2,137 sq mi (5,530 km2)
• Land	836 sq mi (2,170 km2)
• Water	1,301 sq mi (3,370 km2)  61%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	31,407
• Density	15/sq mi (6/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	9th

Huron County is a county located in the state of Michigan, United States. In 2020, about 31,407 people lived here. The main city and government center is Bad Axe.

Huron County is at the very top of a part of Michigan called "the Thumb." This area is shaped like a thumb on a hand. It's a peninsula, which means it's surrounded by water on three sides. To the west is Saginaw Bay, and to the north and east is Lake Huron. The county has over 90 miles (145 km) of shoreline!

The biggest industry in Huron County is agriculture, which means farming. Many other counties in "the Thumb" also focus on farming. People from big cities like Detroit, Flint, and Saginaw love to visit Huron County for vacations, especially around Port Austin and Caseville.

History of Huron County

Huron County was first connected to nearby Sanilac and Tuscola counties. It officially became its own county on April 1, 1840. It was fully set up as a county on January 25, 1859.

The first county seat (where the main government offices are) was Sand Beach, which is now called Harbor Beach. In 1865, the courthouse there burned down, and many important records were lost. So, the county seat moved to Port Austin. It stayed there until 1873, when the county leaders decided to move it to Bad Axe, where it is today.

How Huron County Got Its Name

The name "Huron" comes from the word "hures." This word was used by a French traveler who was surprised by how the Wyandotte (Huron) Native Americans styled their hair.

In the 1600s, the Iroquois people from New York and Pennsylvania fought the Wyandotte people. This was part of the Beaver Wars, where groups fought to control the fur trade. The Iroquois drove the Wyandotte out of this area.

The Wyandotte people used words like "onti" or "ondi" in their place names. These words meant "to jut out," like a peninsula. The name "Wyandotte" itself is thought to mean "dwellers of the peninsula."

In the early 1700s, the "Thumb" area of Michigan was known for having some of the best beaver hunting in America. French maps from around 1700 called this region "the beaver hunting grounds of the friends of Francis."

Geography and Nature

Huron County covers a total area of about 2,137 square miles (5,535 sq km). A large part of this area, 1,301 square miles (3,370 sq km), is water, making up 61% of the county! The land area is about 836 square miles (2,165 sq km).

The county is mostly flat, but you can find some gentle rolling hills. Farming is a very important activity here.

Neighboring Counties

Huron County shares borders with other counties.

• By land:
  • Sanilac County to the southeast
  • Tuscola County to the southwest
• By water:
  • Arenac County to the northwest
  • Iosco County to the northwest

Main Roads

Several important highways run through Huron County, helping people travel around:

• M-19 - This road goes north and south through the southern part of the county.
• M-25 - This highway follows the shoreline of Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay.
• M-53 - This road runs north and south through the middle of the county.
• M-142 - This road goes east and west through the central part of the county.

People of Huron County

The 2010 United States Census showed that Huron County had 33,118 people. This was a decrease of about 8.2% from the year 2000.

Most people in Huron County are White (97.5%). Smaller groups include Asian, Black or African American, and Native American people. About 2% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. Many people have German, Polish, or Irish family backgrounds.

In 2010, there were 14,348 households in the county. About 24.7% of these households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.27 people.

The population is spread out by age. About 20.7% of people are under 18 years old. About 21.7% are 65 years or older. The average age in the county was 47 years old.

Religion in Huron County

Several religious groups have a presence in Huron County:

• The United Methodist Church is very active in this region.
• The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw oversees Catholic churches in the area.
• Episcopal churches are part of the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has one meetinghouse in Huron County.

Fun Parks and Recreation

Tourism is a big part of Huron County's economy. Many people visit the towns along the bay and lake, like Sebewaing, Caseville, Port Austin, Port Hope, and Harbor Beach.

There are two state parks where you can enjoy nature:

• Sleeper State Park
• Port Crescent State Park

The county also has three smaller roadside parks: Jenks Park, Brown Park, and White Rock Park. Plus, Huron County manages eight county parks right along the shoreline, perfect for enjoying the water:

• Caseville Park
• Lighthouse Park
• Stafford Park
• McGraw Park
• Philp Park
• Wagener Park
• Oak Beach Park
• Sebewaing Park

Communities in Huron County

This map shows the cities and towns in Huron County. The shaded areas are incorporated cities.

Cities

• Bad Axe (This is the county seat, where the main government offices are located.)
• Caseville
• Harbor Beach

Villages

• Elkton
• Kinde
• Owendale
• Pigeon
• Port Austin
• Port Hope
• Sebewaing
• Ubly

Civil Townships

Census-designated place

• Bay Port

Other Unincorporated Communities

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Huron (Míchigan) para niños