Michigan Center, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michigan Center, Michigan
Census-designated place (CDP) & unincorporated community
Location within Jackson County
Michigan Center, Michigan Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Michigan Center, Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Jackson
Township	Leoni
Platted	1837
Area
• Total	5.70 sq mi (14.76 km2)
• Land	5.04 sq mi (13.06 km2)
• Water	0.66 sq mi (1.70 km2)
Elevation	945 ft (288 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,609
• Density	914.30/sq mi (353.04/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	49254
Area code(s)	517
FIPS code	26-53580
GNIS feature ID	0632205

Michigan Center is a community in Jackson County, Michigan, USA. It is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a recognized area for counting people, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city.

In 2010, about 4,672 people lived here. Michigan Center is located inside Leoni Township. It sits right on the eastern edge of the city of Jackson.

The area was first mapped out in 1837 by Abel Fitch and Paul Ring. They called it "Michigan Centre." People had been living there since at least 1834. The name probably came from its closeness to the Michigan meridian. This was a special line used to divide the state for surveying land. Even though it's called "Center," it's not actually near the middle of Michigan. Abel Fitch became the first postmaster in 1838.

Michigan Center started as a small town with mills. These mills used water power from a stream that flowed into the Grand River. There was also a train station on the Michigan Central Railroad. However, the nearby city of Jackson grew much faster. Because of this, Michigan Center became a "bedroom community." This means many people who live there travel to Jackson for work or school.

Exploring Michigan Center's Location

Michigan Center is located in the eastern part of Jackson County. It is in the southern section of Leoni Township. The community has a small border with the city of Jackson to the west. Otherwise, Leoni Township surrounds it on the north, east, and west. To the south, it borders Napoleon Township.

Lakes and Waterways

The community is mainly built around the northern end of Center Lake. This lake was created in 1911 when a dam was built on a stream that feeds into the Grand River. Several other lakes are connected to Center Lake by this same stream. These include Round Lake, Price Lake, Moon Lake, Little Dollar Lake, Dollar Lake, Olcott Lake, Little Olcott Lake, Wolf Lake, and Little Wolf Lake.

Local residents often use small boats or personal watercraft to travel between the first few lakes in this chain. It's a great way to explore the area's waterways.

People Living in Michigan Center

In 2000, there were 4,641 people living in Michigan Center. These people lived in 1,856 households, and 1,308 of these were families. The population density was about 895 people per square mile. There were 1,961 housing units, which are homes or apartments.

About 29.2% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households (55.1%) were married couples living together. About 23.9% of all households were made up of people living alone.

The median age in Michigan Center was 39 years old. This means half the people were younger than 39, and half were older. About 23.5% of the population was under 18 years old.

Fun Local Events

Michigan Center hosts a special event each year called the Carp Carnival. It takes place at Leoni Township Park in June. This festival is a lot of fun for everyone.

The Carp Carnival includes a parade, which is a procession of people and floats. There's also a fishing contest, where people try to catch the biggest fish. You can enjoy midway games and rides, which are like those at a fair. Delicious chicken barbecue dinners are served, and there's a beer tent for adults.