Grayling, Michigan

Grayling, Michigan
City of Grayling
Michigan Avenue facing I-75 BL / M-72
Michigan Avenue facing I-75 BL / M-72
Location within Crawford County
Location within Crawford County
Grayling is located in Michigan
Grayling
Grayling
Location within the state of Michigan
Grayling is located in the United States
Grayling
Grayling
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 44°39′47″N 84°42′39″W / 44.66306°N 84.71083°W / 44.66306; -84.71083
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyCrawford
Founded1872
Government
 • TypeMayor–council
 • MayorHeather Forbes
 • ClerkLisa Johnson
Area
 • Total2.08 sq mi (5.39 km2)
 • Land2.05 sq mi (5.31 km2)
 • Water0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2)
Elevation
1,138 ft (347 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,867
 • Density910.73/sq mi (351.71/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)
49738, 49739
Area code989
FIPS code26-34640[2]
GNIS feature ID0627264[3]
WebsiteOfficial website

Grayling (/ˈɡrlɪŋ/ GRAY-ling) is a city and the county seat of Crawford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the only incorporated community in Crawford County.[4] The population was 1,884 at the 2010 census.[5] The city is surrounded by Grayling Charter Township, but the two are administered autonomously.

The city is located in the middle of the Northern Michigan region at the junctions of Interstate 75, U.S. Route 127, M-72, and M-93. Grayling is well known for hosting the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon in July of every year since 1947. The city is named after the Grayling species of fish once abundant in the Au Sable River, although the species has been extirpated in Michigan since 1936.[6][7] There have been many attempts to bring Grayling back to the area but none have been successful.

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  5. ^ "Michigan: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). 2010 United States Census. United States Census Bureau. September 2012. p. 20 Michigan. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-10-19. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  6. ^ "Michigan Grayling Only a Memory". Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
  7. ^ Goble, C. W.; Auer, N. A.; Huckins, C. J.; Danhoff, B. M.; Holtgren, J. M.; Ogren, S. A. (2018). "Fish Distributions and Habitat Associations in Manistee River, Michigan, Tributaries: Implications for Arctic Grayling Restoration". North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 38 (2): 469–486. doi:10.1002/nafm.10049.