Leelanau Township, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leelanau Township, Michigan
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Location within Leelanau County (red) and the administered village of Northport (pink)
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 Leelanau Township, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Leelanau Township, Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| County |  Leelanau |
| Area | |
| • Total | 227.6 sq mi (589.4 km2) |
| • Land | 49.2 sq mi (127.5 km2) |
| • Water | 178.3 sq mi (461.9 km2) |
| Elevation | 909 ft (277 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,552 |
| • Density | 43.5/sq mi (16.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes(s) | |
| Area code(s) | 231 |
| FIPS code | 26-46700 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1626601 |
Leelanau Township is a special kind of local government area called a civil township in Leelanau County, Michigan. It's located at the very northern tip of the Leelanau Peninsula. This area is part of Northern Michigan and is home to the village of Northport.
Leelanau Township also includes the Fox Islands. It has coastlines along both Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay. In 2020, about 1,552 people lived in Leelanau Township.
Contents
Communities in Leelanau Township
Leelanau Township is made up of several interesting communities, each with its own history.
Cherry Home
Cherry Home is a small community located in the middle of the township's many cherry orchards. It once had its own post office, which operated from 1919 to 1931.
Gill's Pier
Gill's Pier, also known as Gills Pier, was a settlement along Lake Michigan in the southwest part of the township. It got its name from the William Gill and Son lumber mill. A post office was open here from 1883 to 1908. In the 1890s, Gill's Pier was a busy place with 12 houses, a post office, and a general store. Today, it's mostly a memory, replaced by vacation homes, but its name lives on with the Gill's Pier Vineyard and Winery.
Northport
Northport is a village located on the Grand Traverse Bay side of the township. The Northport post office serves most of Leelanau Township.
Northport Point
Northport Point is another community within the township. It's an "unincorporated community," meaning it's not a separate town or city but part of the larger township.
Omena
Omena is an unincorporated community found in the southeast part of the township, also on the Grand Traverse Bay.
Onominese
Onominese is a ghost town, which means it's a place where people used to live but don't anymore. It was originally a settlement of the Odawa people, a Native American tribe.
St. Wenceslaus Church
St. Wenceslaus Church is a Roman Catholic Church named after Wenceslas I, Duke of Bohemia. It was founded by immigrants from Bohemia who worked at the Leland Lake Superior Iron Foundry and a sawmill. The first wooden church was built in 1890, and a cemetery was also started. As more people joined, a new brick church was built in 1914.
Geography of Leelanau Township
Leelanau Township covers a total area of about 227.6 square miles (589.4 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 178.4 square miles (461.9 square kilometers), is water, while 49.2 square miles (127.5 square kilometers) is land.
The township is at the very end of the Leelanau Peninsula. This peninsula is a roughly triangular piece of land that sticks out from the Lower Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Michigan. To the east of the township is Grand Traverse Bay.
The uninhabited Fox Islands are also managed as part of Leelanau Township. At the northernmost point of Leelanau Township, you'll find Leelanau State Park, which is home to the historic Grand Traverse Lighthouse.
Major Roads
- M-22: This state highway has two parts within the township. One part runs north and south along Grand Traverse Bay, and the other runs southwest and northeast along Lake Michigan. M-22 continues south to other cities like Traverse City.
- M-201: This is a short road that branches off M-22 and goes into the village of Northport. It then continues north as a county road towards Leelanau State Park.
Population and People
As of the 2020 census, Leelanau Township had a population of 1,552 people. In 2000, there were 2,139 people living here. The township is a mix of different backgrounds, with many families and individuals making it their home.
See also
In Spanish: Municipio de Leelanau para niños
