Mackinac County, Michigan

Mackinac County
The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island
Map of Michigan highlighting Mackinac County
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Map of the United States highlighting Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 46°01′N 85°01′W / 46.01°N 85.01°W / 46.01; -85.01
Country United States
State Michigan
FoundedOctober 26, 1818
organized 1849[1][2]
Named forStraits of Mackinac
SeatSt. Ignace
Largest citySt. Ignace
Area
 • Total
2,101 sq mi (5,440 km2)
 • Land1,022 sq mi (2,650 km2)
 • Water1,079 sq mi (2,790 km2)  51%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
10,834
 • Density11/sq mi (4/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.mackinaccounty.net

Mackinac County (/ˈmækənɔː/ MAK-ə-naw, locally /ˈmækənə/ MAK-ə-nə) is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,834.[3] The county seat is St. Ignace.[4] Formerly known as Michilimackinac County, in 1818 it was one of the first counties of the Michigan Territory, as it had long been a center of French and British colonial fur trading, a Catholic church and Protestant mission, and associated settlement.[1]

The county's name is shortened from "Michilimackinac", which referred to the Straits of Mackinac area as well as the French settlement at the tip of the lower peninsula.[1] Mackinac County is one of two U.S. counties to feature shorelines on two Great Lakes, being Lake Huron and Lake Michigan (the other county being neighboring Chippewa County).

  1. ^ a b c "Bibliography on Mackinac County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  2. ^ "Mackinac Early History". Archived from the original on July 21, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  3. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.