Oceana County, Michigan Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Oceana County

U.S. county

Oceana County Courthouse

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Michigan

Michigan's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Michigan

Founded

1840 (created)
1855 (organized)

Seat

Hart

Largest city

Hart

Area

• Total

1,306 sq mi (3,380 km²)

• Land

512 sq mi (1,330 km²)

• Water

794 sq mi (2,060 km²) 61%%

Population

(2020)

• Total

26,659

• Estimate

(2023)

26,981

• Density

20.413/sq mi (7.881/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

2nd

Oceana County is a county in the state of Michigan. In 2020, about 26,659 people lived there. The main town and county seat is Hart.

Oceana County is in the West Michigan area of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. It has a long shoreline along Lake Michigan. This helps with farming and tourism. The county is also known as the "Asparagus Capital of the World." It hosts the National Asparagus Festival in Hart.

The Little Sable Point Lighthouse at sunset.

History
Geography
People and Population
Religion
Tourism
Education
Communities
Images for kids
See also

History

Before European settlers arrived, the Ojibwe people lived in the area that is now Oceana County. Early settlers came because they could use the White River to travel. This river flows into Lake Michigan.

The state of Michigan officially created Oceana County on April 1, 1840. It became an organized county in 1855. No one is completely sure how the county got its name. It might be named after Lake Michigan, which is like a huge freshwater "ocean." Another idea is that it was named after a book called Oceana. This book was written by an English author named James Harrington in 1656.

In the 1850s, the U.S. government moved about 1,400 Odawa (another Native American group) to this area from Ionia County, Michigan.

The county's first main business was the lumber trade. Logs were floated down the rivers. Later, farming became very important. Today, Oceana County is famous for growing a lot of asparagus. It's even called the "Asparagus Capital of the World." Every year, there's an Asparagus Festival with a parade and an Asparagus Queen.

Geography

Oceana County covers a total area of about 1,306 square miles (3,380 km²). About 512 square miles (1,326 km²) of this is land, and 794 square miles (2,056 km²) is water. This means a big part of the county (61%) is water. The county is part of the West Michigan region. Its western border is along Lake Michigan.

Neighboring Counties

Oceana County shares borders with other counties.

By land:

Mason County – to the north
Lake County – to the northeast
Newaygo County – to the east
Muskegon County – to the south

By water:

Ozaukee County, Wisconsin – to the southwest
Sheboygan County, Wisconsin – to the west

Protected Areas

Part of the Manistee National Forest is located in Oceana County. This is a large area of protected land.

Main Roads

US 31 is a major highway that runs north and south through the western part of Oceana County. It passes through towns like Rothbury, New Era, Shelby, Mears, Hart, and Pentwater.
Bus. US 31 is a smaller road that goes through downtown Hart.
M-20 is a road that goes east and west in the southern part of the county. It starts near US 31 and goes towards Hesperia.
M-120 is a road that goes north and south. It connects to M-20 at Hesperia.

County Roads

B-15 is a special county road that runs along the Lake Michigan shoreline. It goes through places like Stony Lake and the Silver Lake area.

People and Population

Oceana County is a rural area. In 2020, the population was 26,659. The county has welcomed many people from Hispanic or Latino backgrounds. Many of them work in farming. In 2010, about 13.7% of the people in Oceana County were Hispanic or Latino.

Religion

Many different Christian groups have churches in Oceana County. The county is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids and the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan. There is also a meetinghouse for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Tourism

Tourism is a big part of Oceana County. The Electric Forest Festival is a large music festival held every year in Rothbury, Michigan. It started in 2008.

Camping is a very popular activity in the summer. Places along the lakeshore like Silver Lake, Pentwater, and Stony Lake are popular spots for visitors.

Education

The West Shore Educational Service District helps schools in Oceana County, as well as in Mason and Lake counties. This district offers special education and career programs for students.

Here are some of the public school districts in Oceana County: