Spencer Township, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Spencer Township, Michigan
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Location within Kent County
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 Spencer Township, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Spencer Township, Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Kent |
| Settled | 1846 |
| Established | 1861 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 36.66 sq mi (94.95 km2) |
| • Land | 33.97 sq mi (87.98 km2) |
| • Water | 2.69 sq mi (6.97 km2) |
| Elevation | 866 ft (264 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,163 |
| • Density | 113.557/sq mi (43.844/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | |
| Area code(s) | 616 |
| FIPS code | 26-081-75560 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1627105 |
Spencer Township is a special kind of local government area called a civil township in Kent County, Michigan. In 2020, about 4,163 people lived here.
It's part of the larger Grand Rapids metropolitan area. You can find Spencer Township in the northeast part of Kent County, about 25 miles (40 km) northeast of the big city of Grand Rapids.
Contents
Spencer Township's Story: A Look Back
People first started settling in this area around 1846. One of the first settlers was Cyrus Thomas. Later, in 1855, a person named Thomas Spencer moved here. He helped start a community called Spencer Mills.
Thomas Spencer became the first postmaster, which means he was in charge of the local post office. This post office opened on October 17, 1857. In 1861, the township was officially formed. It was first named Celsus, but soon after, it was renamed Spencer, honoring Thomas Spencer. The Spencer Mills post office stayed open until 1903.
There was another old community called Griswold. It started before 1877 because of a lumber mill and a shingle mill. A post office was open in Griswold from 1877 to 1900.
Where is Spencer Township Located?
Spencer Township covers a total area of about 36.66 square miles (94.95 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 33.97 square miles (87.98 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 2.69 square miles (6.97 square kilometers), is water. This means about 7.34% of the township is covered by water.
Who Lives in Spencer Township?
In 2000, there were 3,681 people living in Spencer Township. There were 1,357 households, which are groups of people living together in one home. Many of these households, 63.4%, were married couples. About 34.4% of households had children under 18 living with them.
The people living in the township were spread out by age. About 27.3% were under 18 years old. About 30.8% were between 25 and 44 years old. The average age in the township was 37 years old.
Learning in Spencer Township
Students in Spencer Township go to schools in a few different areas. The western part of the township is served by Cedar Springs Public Schools. If you live in the eastern part, you might go to Greenville Public Schools. These schools are located in Montcalm County. Finally, the northern part of the township is served by Lakeview Community Schools, also in Montcalm County.
