L'Anse, Michigan Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids L'Anse, Michigan
Village
Downtown L'Anse at River and Main Street
Location within Baraga County
L'Anse, Michigan Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan L'Anse, Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Baraga
Township	L'Anse
Area
• Total	2.55 sq mi (6.60 km²)
• Land	2.55 sq mi (6.59 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	620 ft (189 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	1,874
• Density	736.06/sq mi (284.16/km²)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EST)
ZIP code	49946
Area code(s)	906
FIPS code	26-45540
GNIS feature ID	629897

L'Anse (/lɑːns/ lahnss) is a village and the county seat of Baraga County, Michigan. The population was 1,874 at the 2020 census. The village is located within L'Anse Township in the Upper Peninsula, and partially inside the L'Anse Indian Reservation.

History
Geography
- Attractions
Demographics
- 2020 census
- 2010 census
Transportation
Gallery
See also

History

This area was long occupied by people of the Lake Superior Band of Ojibwa (Chippewa), who called it "Gichi-wiikwedong". Much later, French colonists had established a fur trading post here as a part of New France and a Jesuit mission, naming it L'Anse. In French, L'Anse translates as "the cove" or "the bay", a reference to its location in on the southern portion of L'Anse Bay, a portion of the larger Keweenaw Bay, at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The modern-day village grew around this French trading post.

Following treaties with the United States in the 19th century, the Ojibwa/Chippewa ceded extensive amounts of land in Michigan. The L'Anse Indian Reservation was established by the U.S. here as the largest and the oldest in Michigan.

In 1896, the village was completely burned to the ground by a deadly fire which left many homeless.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.53 square miles (6.55 km²), all of it land.

Attractions

The L'Anse Waterfront Park on Baraga Avenue within the downtown area is a nice and scenic location to rest.
The Falls River Falls in downtown L'Anse is a very long series of cascading falls that spans the entire width of the Falls River.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	1,014	—
1890	655	−35.4%
1900	620	−5.3%
1910	708	14.2%
1920	1,013	43.1%
1930	2,421	139.0%
1940	2,564	5.9%
1950	2,376	−7.3%
1960	2,397	0.9%
1970	2,538	5.9%
1980	2,500	−1.5%
1990	2,151	−14.0%
2000	2,107	−2.0%
2010	2,011	−4.6%
2020	1,874	−6.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 1,874. The population density was 736.1 inhabitants per square mile (284.2/km²). There were 980 housing units at an average density of 384.9 per square mile (148.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 85.6% White, 5.8% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 7.5% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 0.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 2,011 people, 874 households and 502 families living in the village. The population density was 794.9 inhabitants per square mile (306.9/km²). There were 988 housing units at an average density of 390.5 per square mile (150.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 88.7% White, 1.4% African American, 5.0% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 874 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.6% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.82.

The median age was 41.7 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 21.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

Transportation

US 41 runs through the southernmost portion of the village.
M-38 begins in the Village of Baraga, across the bay from L'Anse.
The bus line Indian Trails operates daily intercity bus service between Hancock, Michigan, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a stop in L'Anse.