Ingham County, Michigan Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Ingham County

U.S. county

Ingham County Courthouse

Seal

Logo

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)
1838 (organized)

Samuel D. Ingham

Largest city

Area

• Total

561 sq mi (1,450 km²)

• Land

556 sq mi (1,440 km²)

• Water

4.6 sq mi (12 km²) 0.8%%

Population

(2020)

• Total

284,900

• Estimate

(2023)

284,637

• Density

507.8/sq mi (196.08/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

7th

Ingham County is a county in the state of Michigan. It's a place where many people live, work, and go to school. In 2020, about 284,900 people called Ingham County home.

The main office for the county government, called the county seat, is in the city of Mason. A big part of Lansing, which is Michigan's state capital, is also in Ingham County. Interestingly, Lansing is the only state capital in the U.S. that isn't also the county seat of its own county!

Ingham County is a lively place. It's home to Michigan State University, a large college, and Lansing Community College. You can also cheer for the Lansing Lugnuts, a minor league baseball team. The county is part of the larger Lansing–East Lansing area and is considered part of Mid Michigan.

History of Ingham County
Geography and Natural Features
- Neighboring Counties
Population and People
Getting Around Ingham County
Communities in Ingham County
Education in Ingham County
See also

History of Ingham County

Ingham County was officially created on October 29, 1829. This happened when the Michigan government decided to use parts of other counties to form it. For a few years, it was managed by Washtenaw County. But in 1838, Ingham County got its own local government.

The county was named after Samuel D. Ingham. He was an important person who worked for the U.S. government as the Secretary of the Treasury under President Andrew Jackson. Ingham County is one of Michigan's "Cabinet counties," meaning it's named after a member of a president's cabinet.

Geography and Natural Features

Ingham County covers a total area of about 561 square miles. Most of this area, about 556 square miles, is land. The rest, about 4.6 square miles, is water.

The county has gentle, rolling hills. The land usually sits between 800 and 1,000 feet above sea level. The highest spot in the county is Teaspoon Hill, which is 1,056 feet high. It's located about 1.5 miles north of Leslie.

Two important rivers flow through Ingham County. The Grand River flows along the western edge. The Red Cedar River flows west across the northern part of the county and joins the Grand River in Lansing. Many smaller streams and rivers also help drain the land. For example, Sycamore Creek flows into the Red Cedar River in Lansing.

Neighboring Counties

Ingham County shares its borders with several other counties:

Shiawassee County (to the northeast)
Livingston County (to the east)
Washtenaw County (to the southeast)
Jackson County (to the south)
Eaton County (to the west)
Clinton County (to the north)

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	2,498	—
1850	8,631	245.5%
1860	17,435	102.0%
1870	25,268	44.9%
1880	33,676	33.3%
1890	37,666	11.8%
1900	39,818	5.7%
1910	53,310	33.9%
1920	81,554	53.0%
1930	116,587	43.0%
1940	130,616	12.0%
1950	172,941	32.4%
1960	211,296	22.2%
1970	261,039	23.5%
1980	275,520	5.5%
1990	281,912	2.3%
2000	279,320	−0.9%
2010	280,895	0.6%
2020	284,900	1.4%
2023 (est.)	284,637	1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010-2019

In 2010, about 280,895 people lived in Ingham County. The county is quite diverse. About 76.2% of the people were White, 11.8% were Black or African American, and 5.2% were Asian. About 7.83% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Many people in Ingham County have German, Irish, or English backgrounds. Most people in the county speak English at home.