Washtenaw County, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Washtenaw County
U.S. county
Washtenaw County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Founded	1822 (created) 1826 (organized)
Named for	O-wash-ta-nong ("far away water"), Ojibwe name for the Grand River
Seat	Ann Arbor
Largest city	Ann Arbor
Area
• Total	722 sq mi (1,870 km2)
• Land	706 sq mi (1,830 km2)
• Water	16 sq mi (40 km2)  2.3%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	372,258
• Density	527/sq mi (203/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	6th

Washtenaw County is a county located in the state of Michigan. In 2020, about 372,258 people lived here. The main city and county seat is Ann Arbor. The county was officially created in 1822 and fully organized in 1826.

Washtenaw County is part of the larger Ann Arbor area. It is home to several important universities. These include the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College, and Concordia University Ann Arbor.

History of Washtenaw County

Early Native American People

Long ago, different Native American groups lived in the area that is now Washtenaw County. These groups included the Potawatomi, Chippewa, Ottawa, Wyandotte, and Huron peoples. Other groups like the Miami, Anishinabewaki, Peoria, Meskwaki, and Mississauga also had lands here.

What Does "Washtenaw" Mean?

The name "Washtenaw" comes from the Ojibwe language. The word "Wash-ten-ong" or "Owashtanong" means "far away waters." The Ojibwe people used this name for the Grand River because it is very long. When Washtenaw County was named in 1822, the Grand River's starting point was within the county's original, much larger boundaries.

First Settlements and County Growth

French fur traders were some of the first Europeans in the area. They traded near the Huron River around 1809. The first lasting settlement was built where Ypsilanti is today.

In 1822, the Michigan Territory government named and set the borders for Washtenaw County. For a few years, it was managed by Wayne County. In 1826, Washtenaw became its own self-governing county. Over time, parts of the original Washtenaw County were used to form other counties, like Ingham County.

Early settlers worked to drain swamps to make land ready for farming. Some swampy areas, like those in the Waterloo Recreation Area, still look much like they did back then. As farms grew, so did the local deer population.

In the 1820s and 1830s, people in Michigan were inspired by Greece's fight for independence. This led to buildings being built in the Greek Revival style. Many towns and even children were given Greek names.

Michigan Becomes a State

In 1835, an important meeting called the "frostbitten convention" happened in Ann Arbor. Michigan wanted to become a state, but there was a disagreement with Ohio over a piece of land called the Toledo Strip. This disagreement was known as the Toledo War. Michigan gave up its claim to Toledo. In return, Michigan received most of the Upper Peninsula. After this, Michigan officially became a state on January 26, 1837.

The convention also decided to move Michigan's capital city. It was moved from Detroit to a new city, which became Lansing. The University of Michigan had been founded in Detroit in 1817. It moved to Ann Arbor in 1839. This move was a way to make up for Ann Arbor not becoming the new state capital. Today, the University of Michigan is the largest employer in Washtenaw County.

In 1849, the Michigan State Normal School was founded in Ypsilanti. This school later became Eastern Michigan University. It started as a college around 1891 and became a university in 1959.

Geography of Washtenaw County

Business Loop Interstate 94/Business US Highway 23 (BL I-94/Bus. US 23, Washtenaw Avenue) in Ann Arbor

Washtenaw County covers about 722 square miles. Most of this area, about 706 square miles, is land. The remaining 16 square miles, or 2.3%, is water.

Neighboring Counties

Washtenaw County shares borders with several other counties:

• Livingston County (to the north)
• Oakland County (to the northeast)
• Wayne County (to the east)
• Monroe County (to the southeast)
• Lenawee County (to the southwest)
• Jackson County (to the west)
• Ingham County (to the northwest)

Main Roads

Many important highways run through Washtenaw County:

• I-94
• BL I-94
• US 12 (Michigan Avenue, Chicago Road)
• 
  Bus. US 12
• US 23
• 
  Bus. US 23
• M-14
• M-17
• M-52
• M-153 (Ford Road)

People of Washtenaw County

In 2020, there were 372,258 people living in Washtenaw County.

• About 69.2% were White.
• About 11.5% were Black or African American.
• About 9.03% were Asian.
• About 0.3% were Native American.
• About 1.9% were of another race.
• About 7.8% were of two or more races.
• About 5% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

Most people (83.4%) spoke only English at home. About 3.7% spoke Spanish, and 12.9% spoke other languages.

The median age in the county was 35.5 years old. This means half the people were younger than 35.5, and half were older. About 23.77% of the population was under 19 years old.

Economy and Jobs

The A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Science Research Building at the University of Michigan's medical school

Washtenaw County has many different types of jobs. The largest employers in the county, as of July 2020, are:

Towns and Cities

Map showing the different towns and cities within Washtenaw County. Shaded areas are incorporated cities.

Washtenaw County has several cities, a village, and many townships.

Cities

• Ann Arbor (This is the county seat, where the main county government offices are)
• Chelsea
• Dexter
• Manchester
• Milan (part of this city is in Washtenaw County)
• Saline
• Ypsilanti

Village

• Barton Hills

Townships

Some townships are called "Charter Townships" and others are "Civil Townships."

• Ann Arbor Charter Township
• Augusta Charter Township
• Pittsfield Charter Township
• Superior Charter Township
• York Charter Township
• Ypsilanti Charter Township
• Bridgewater Township
• Dexter Township
• Freedom Township
• Lima Township
• Lodi Township
• Lyndon Township
• Manchester Township
• Northfield Township
• Salem Township
• Saline Township
• Scio Township
• Sharon Township
• Sylvan Township
• Webster Township

Other Communities

• Whitmore Lake (part of this community is in Washtenaw County)
• Bridgewater
• Dixboro
• Delhi Mills
• Geddes
• Mooreville
• Paint Creek
• Salem
• Stony Creek
• Whittaker
• Willis

Old or "Ghost" Towns

• Rawsonville (part of this old town is in Washtenaw County)

Schools in Washtenaw County

Here are some of the school districts in Washtenaw County:

• Ann Arbor Public Schools
• Columbia School District
• Chelsea School District
• Clinton Community Schools
• Dexter Community School District
• Grass Lake Community Schools
• Lincoln Consolidated School District
• Manchester Community Schools
• Milan Area Schools
• Northville Public Schools
• Pinckney Community Schools
• Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
• Saline Area Schools
• South Lyon Community Schools
• Stockbridge Community Schools
• Van Buren Public Schools
• Whitmore Lake Public Schools
• Ypsilanti Community Schools

Some school districts that used to be here are:

• Ypsilanti Public Schools
• Willow Run Community Schools

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Washtenaw para niños