Iosco County, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Iosco County
U.S. county
Tawas Point Light
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Founded	1840 (as "Kanotin") 1857 organized
Seat	Tawas City
Largest city	East Tawas
Area
• Total	1,890 sq mi (4,900 km2)
• Land	549 sq mi (1,420 km2)
• Water	1,341 sq mi (3,470 km2)  71%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	25,237
• Density	47/sq mi (18/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	5th

Iosco County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan; its eastern border is formed by Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the population was 25,237. The county seat is Tawas City.

Etymoloogy of Iosco

Iosco is traditionally said to be a Native American word meaning "water of light," though it is actually a pseudo-Native American name coined by Henry Schoolcraft, a Michigan geographer and ethnologist.

History

A detail from A New Map of Michigan with its Canals, Roads & Distances (1842) by Henry Schenck Tanner, showing Iosco County as Kanotin, the county's name from 1840 to 1843. Several nearby counties are also shown with names that would later be changed.

The county was created by the Michigan Legislature in 1840 as Kanotin County, and renamed Iosco County in 1843. It was administered by a succession of other Michigan counties prior to the organization of county government in 1857.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,890 square miles (4,900 km²), of which 549 square miles (1,420 km²) is land and 1,341 square miles (3,470 km²) (71%) is water. The county is considered to be part of Northern Michigan.

Geographic features

• Tawas Bay
• Pine River, rises in Alcona County and flows into Iosco County, where it empties into Van Etten Lake at [show location on an interactive map] 44°29′38″N, 83°23′16″W northwest of Oscoda
• Au Sable River
• Van Etten Lake
• Tawas Lake
• Foote Dam Pond
• The county is part of the Au Sable State Forest, specifically the
  • Grayling FMU (Alcona, Crawford, Oscoda, and northern Iosco counties).

Major highways

• US 23 is known as the Sunrise Side Coastal Highway.
• M-55 is one of only three state highways that extend across the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. Its east end terminates in Tawas City at the junction with US 23.
• M-65
• F-41
• River Road National Scenic Byway starts at M-65 and runs parallel with the Au Sable River for 23 miles (37 km) eastward to end at US 23 in Oscoda, Michigan. It is a designated National Scenic Byway. The road passes by the Lumberman's Monument.

Adjacent counties

• Alcona County - north
• Arenac County - southwest
• Ogemaw County - west
• Oscoda County - northwest

National protected area

• Huron National Forest (part)

Demographics

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 27,339 people, 11,727 households, and 7,857 families in the county. Most of the population is located on the shoreline along US-23,East Tawas, Tawas City, and Oscoda County. The population density was 50 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 20,432 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (14/km²). The county's racial makeup was 96.92% White, 0.41% Black or African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. 0.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 23.2% were of German, 12.3% English, 10.6% Irish, 9.9% American, 8.3% Polish and 7.1% French ancestry. 97.4% spoke English and 1.0% Spanish as their first language.

There were 11,727 households, out of which 24.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.20% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.00% were non-families. 28.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.79.

The county population included 22.40% under the age of 18, 5.40% from 18 to 24, 23.40% from 25 to 44, 27.30% from 45 to 64, and 21.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,321, and the median income for a family was $37,452. Males had a median income of $30,338 versus $21,149 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,115. About 9.50% of families and 12.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.50% of those under age 18 and 7.60% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• East Tawas
• Tawas City (county seat)
• Whittemore

Census-designated places

• Au Sable
• Oscoda
• Sand Lake

Other unincorporated communities

• Hale
• Long Lake
• National City

Townships

Education

Iosco County has four public school districts:

• Hale Area Schools
• Oscoda Area Schools
• Tawas Area Schools
• Whittemore-Prescott Area Schools

There are also three private elementary schools

• Emanuel Lutheran School (Tawas City)
• Holy Family School (East Tawas)
• Shady Grove School (Whittemore)

Alpena Community College offers college-level courses at its campus on the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda and local public school facilities.

Images for kids

• 

  U.S. Census data map showing local municipal boundaries within Iosco County. Shaded areas represent incorporated cities.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Iosco para niños