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Marquette County, Michigan facts for kids

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Marquette County
Marquette County Courthouse in Marquette
Marquette County Courthouse in Marquette
Map of Michigan highlighting Marquette County
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Map of the United States highlighting Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Michigan
Founded March 9, 1843, organized 1851
Named for Jacques Marquette
Seat Marquette
Largest city Marquette
Area
 • Total 3,425 sq mi (8,870 km2)
 • Land 1,808 sq mi (4,680 km2)
 • Water 1,616 sq mi (4,190 km2)  47%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 66,017
 • Density 37/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 1st

Marquette County is a county located in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 66,017. The county seat is Marquette. The county is named for Father Marquette, a Jesuit missionary. It was set off in 1843 and organized in 1851. Marquette County is the largest county in land area in Michigan, and the most populous county in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Marquette County comprises the Marquette, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,425 square miles (8,870 km2), of which 1,808 square miles (4,680 km2) is land and 1,616 square miles (4,190 km2) (47%) is water. It is the largest county in Michigan by land area and fourth-largest by total area.

The Huron Mountains are located in the county. To the north of the county is Lake Superior.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Major highways

Marquette County, Mich
Map of the county's highways
  • US 41
  • M-28
  • M-35
  • M-94
  • M-95
  • M-553

In addition to the 169.42 miles (272.66 km) of state highways in the county, the Marquette County Road Commission maintains 283.85 miles (456.81 km) of primary county roads which include County Road 492 (CR 492), and 988.25 miles (1,590.43 km) of secondary county roads. The road commission provides maintenance such as snow removal under contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation for the state trunklines. The commission was also planning to build CR 595 in the next few years. The project was canceled after the permit was denied by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the funding for the project was diverted by the commercial interests backing construction.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 136
1860 2,821 1,974.3%
1870 15,033 432.9%
1880 25,394 68.9%
1890 39,521 55.6%
1900 41,239 4.3%
1910 46,739 13.3%
1920 45,786 −2.0%
1930 44,076 −3.7%
1940 47,144 7.0%
1950 47,654 1.1%
1960 56,154 17.8%
1970 64,686 15.2%
1980 74,101 14.6%
1990 70,887 −4.3%
2000 64,634 −8.8%
2010 67,077 3.8%
2020 66,017 −1.6%
US Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018

The 2010 United States Census, indicates Marquette County had a population of 67,077. This increase of 2,443 people from 2000 represents a growth of 3.8%. In 2010 there were 27,538 households and 16,664 families in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile (16/km2). There were 34,330 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (8/km2). 93.8% of the population were White, 1.7% Native American, 1.7% Black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% of some other race and 2.0% of two or more races. 1.1% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 18.8% were of Finnish, 13.3% German, 10.5% French, French Canadian or Cajun, 9.3% English, 6.8% Italian, 6.2% Irish and 5.8% Swedish ancestry.

There were 27,538 households, out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.81.

The county population contained 18.7% were under the age of 18, 14.8% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.4 years. The population is 50.5% male and 49.5% female.

The median income for a household in the county was $46,875, and the median income for a family was $52,083. The per capita income for the county was $22,170. About 6.4% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

Historical markers

There are ten historical markers in the County, namely:

  • Cliffs Shaft Mine
  • Dandelion Cottage
  • Father Marquette Park
  • First Steam Railroad in Upper Peninsula
  • Ishpeming: Historic Ski Center
  • Jackson Mine
  • Marquette County Courthouse
  • Marquette Iron Range
  • Northern Michigan University
  • Sam Cohodas Lodge / Sam Cohodas

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Townships

Economy

Top employers

Last updated June 8, 2021.

According to the Lake Superior Community Partnership website, the top employers in the county are:

Private Employer # of Employees
UP Health System – Marquette 1,599
Cliffs Natural Resources, Michigan Operations 998
Upper Peninsula Medical Center 650
UP Health System – Bell 360
Walmart 392
RTI Surgical 230
Envoy Air 207
Eagle Mine 187
Westwood Mall Association 190
Eastwood Nursing Center 140
Alger-Marquette County Community Action Board 148
Norlite Nursing Center 110
Ojibwa Casino II 140
Superior Extrusion, Inc. 153
PotlatchDeltic 140
Pathways 108
Meijer 310
VanDamme Trucking 132
    
Public Employer # of Employees
Northern Michigan University 914
Marquette Area Public Schools 410
Michigan Department of Corrections 350
County of Marquette 251
Negaunee Public Schools 190
D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans 167
City of Marquette 185
NICE Community School District 163
Gwinn Area Community Schools 140
Ishpeming Public Schools 104

*Bolded values have been updated for 2021.

Education

Northern Michigan University is a four-year university in Marquette. It was established in 1899.

Transportation

Airports

  • Sawyer International Airport, a county-owned public-use facility, 20 miles (32 km) south of Marquette

Major highways

Marquette County, Mich
Map of the county's highways
  • US 41
  • M-28
  • M-35
  • M-94
  • M-95
  • M-553

In addition to the 169.42 miles (272.66 km) of state highways in the county, the Marquette County Road Commission maintains 283.85 miles (456.81 km) of primary county roads which include County Road 492 (CR 492), and 988.25 miles (1,590.43 km) of secondary county roads. The road commission provides maintenance such as snow removal under contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation for the state trunklines. In 2010, the commission planned to build CR 595. The project was canceled after the permit was denied by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the project funding was diverted.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Marquette (Míchigan) para niños

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