Jackson County, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jackson County
U.S. county
Michigan State Prison
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Organized	August 1, 1832
Named for	Andrew Jackson
Seat	Jackson
Largest city	Jackson
Area
• Total	723 sq mi (1,870 km2)
• Land	702 sq mi (1,820 km2)
• Water	22 sq mi (60 km2)  3.0%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	160,366
• Estimate  (2023)	159,424
• Density	221.81/sq mi (85.64/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	5th

Jackson County is a county in the state of Michigan, United States. It's home to about 160,000 people, based on the 2020 Census. The main city and where the county government is located is Jackson.

The county was officially created in 1829 and started operating in 1832. It was named after Andrew Jackson, who was a U.S. President. Jackson County is part of a group of Michigan counties called "Cabinet counties," named after people who served in President Jackson's Cabinet. The county is also known for the Michigan Whitetail Hall of Fame.

Geography of Jackson County

Jackson County covers a total area of about 723 square miles. Most of this area, about 702 square miles, is land. The rest, about 22 square miles, is water.

Rivers in Jackson County

Jackson County is home to the beginnings of two important rivers: the Grand River and the Kalamazoo River.

Grand River

The Grand River is the longest river in Michigan. It starts in both Hillsdale County and Jackson County. The river flows through several townships in Jackson County, including Liberty Township, Columbia Township, and Summit Township. It also goes right through the city of Jackson.

After leaving Jackson County, the Grand River continues through many other counties. Finally, it reaches the city of Grand Haven and flows into Lake Michigan. The Grand River is 260 miles long. Its watershed, which is the area of land that drains into the river, covers 5,572 square miles.

Kalamazoo River

The Kalamazoo River has two main parts: the north branch and the south branch.

The north branch of the Kalamazoo River starts in Jackson County. It begins in Pine Hills Lake and Farwell Lake in Hanover Township. It then flows through Spring Arbor Township and Concord Township. After leaving Jackson County, it enters Calhoun County. In the town of Albion, the north branch joins with the south branch to form one river.

The south branch of the Kalamazoo River starts in Hillsdale County. It flows into Jackson County, going through parts of Hanover Township and Pulaski Township. It then re-enters Hillsdale County before coming back into Jackson County. This branch also meets the north branch in Albion.

Once the two branches combine, the Kalamazoo River flows through Calhoun County, Kalamazoo County, and Allegan County. It eventually reaches Lake Michigan near the towns of Saugatuck and Douglas. The Kalamazoo River is 166 miles long. Its watershed covers 2,020 square miles and drains into eight counties.

Neighboring Counties

Jackson County shares its borders with several other counties:

• Livingston County (to the northeast)
• Ingham County (to the north)
• Eaton County (to the northwest)
• Washtenaw County (to the east)
• Calhoun County (to the west)
• Lenawee County (to the southeast)
• Hillsdale County (to the southwest)

Transportation

Getting around Jackson County is possible through various ways.

Public Transport

• Amtrak Wolverine train service stops at Jackson station.
• Greyhound Lines offers bus services.
• Indian Trails also provides bus routes.
• The Jackson Area Transportation Authority helps people travel within the local area.

Major Roads

Many important highways run through Jackson County:

Population and People

In 2000, there were 158,422 people living in Jackson County. There were about 58,168 households, and 40,833 families. The population density was about 224 people per square mile.

About 25.6% of the people in the county were under 18 years old. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were about 104 males.

Parks and Fun Places

Jackson County has many parks and recreational areas for everyone to enjoy.

• Blackman Park: A small park in the city of Jackson. It has a fountain honoring Civil War soldiers, benches, and plants.
• Bloomfield Park: Another small park in Jackson. It offers picnic tables, basketball and tennis courts, baseball fields, and a playground.
• Falling Waters Trail: A 10.5-mile paved trail that follows an old railroad path. It's great for walking and biking. The trail crosses Lime Lake County Park, where you can go fishing.
• YMCA Storer Camp: A campground in Napoleon Township located on Stony Lake. It's a wooded area with wetlands.
• Camp Teetonkah: A Boy Scout campground created in 1912, making it one of the oldest in America. It's on Big Wolf Lake and has 240 acres of forest and wetlands. Boy Scout troops often compete here.
• Sparks Park and The Cascades (AKA Cascade Falls Park): One of the largest parks in the county. It features the Cascades Championship Golf Course, play structures, sports fields, and a walking path. It's famous for the Cascade Falls (Jackson, Michigan), which is one of the largest man-made waterfalls in the world. The park also has the Cascades Ice Cream Co. and hosts the annual Cascades Civil War Muster. There are ponds for fishing and many water birds.
• Dahlem Environmental Education Center: A nature center in Summit Township. It has an educational center, five miles of trails, ponds, wetlands, and forests. There's a special trail for visitors with limited mobility. It's also known for its large eastern bluebird trails.
• Ella Sharp Park: The largest city park in Jackson, covering 562 acres along the Grand River. It has a golf course, miniature golf, flower gardens, hiking and biking trails, sports courts, and the Peter Hurst Planetarium. The Ella Sharp Museum is also here. The park hosts the annual Jackson Hot Air Jubilee in July.
• Grand River Nature Preserve: A preserve located near Grand Lake, where the Grand River begins in Liberty Township.
• Green Park: A small park in Blackman Township near I-94. The Grand River flows through it, and an old train engine is a monument there. It has ponds and many water birds.
• Loomis Park: A small park in Jackson with picnic tables, basketball and tennis courts, baseball fields, and a large playground. The Boos Recreation Center, which offers classes and workshops, is also here.
• MacCready Reserve: A large nature preserve with six and a half miles of hiking trails and 408 acres of land. It was donated to Michigan State University in 2001. The area has forests, rolling hills, wetlands, and a natural spring, used for forest studies and hiking.
• Martin Luther King Center: A community center within the Howard Charles Woods Recreational Complex. This small park in Jackson has picnic tables, a playground, sports courts, and green areas.
• Meridian Baseline State Park: A historical park in Henrietta Township. It was opened to the public in the mid-2010s.
• Portage Lake County Park: A small 6-acre park on Portage Lake within the Waterloo State Recreation Area. It has picnic areas, grills, a playground, a swimming area, and a boat launch.
• Snyder Park: A small park in the village of Horton in Hanover Township. It features a gazebo, picnic tables, and a small man-made waterfall that connects to Mill Pond, part of the Kalamazoo River.
• Sharonville State Game Area: A wilderness area with forests and swamps, located in Norvell Township and part of Washtenaw County.
• Twin Pines Campground: A large campground in Pulaski Township on the South Branch of the Kalamazoo River. It has a playground and basketball court, and allows tents, campers, and RVs. They also offer canoe rentals.
• Vandercook Lake County Park: A 17-acre park on Vandercook Lake in Summit Township. It has a beach, swim area, baseball fields, a boat launch, playground, and picnic shelters.
• Waterloo State Recreation Area: The only State Park in Jackson County. It covers about 21,000 acres, making it the largest State Park in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. It has 17 lakes, many ponds, streams, and woods. You can go swimming, canoeing, fishing, boating, picnicking, and biking here.
• William Nixon Memorial Park: A small park in the city of Jackson. It has skateboard ramps, a public water park with slides, an inline hockey rink, softball fields, a playground, and a picnic shelter.
• 4-H Camp McGregor: A small campground mainly for children in Liberty Township. It has swamps, ponds, and forests, and is on the shore of Crispell Lake.

Communities in Jackson County

This map shows the different towns and cities within Jackson County. The shaded areas are cities.

Cities

• Jackson (This is the county seat, where the main government offices are.)

Villages

• Brooklyn
• Cement City (partially in another county)
• Concord
• Grass Lake
• Hanover
• Parma
• Springport

Charter Townships

• Blackman Charter Township
• Grass Lake Charter Township
• Sandstone Charter Township

Civil Townships

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities or villages.

• Michigan Center
• Napoleon
• Spring Arbor
• Vandercook Lake
• Vineyard Lake

Other Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially part of a city or village.

Schools and Education

Jackson County has many school districts that serve its communities: