Houghton County, Michigan

Houghton County
County
Houghton County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 46°59′N 88°39′W / 46.98°N 88.65°W / 46.98; -88.65
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Founded	1843 (set off) 1845 (boundaries described) 1846 (organized) 1848 (re-organized)[1]
Named for	Douglass Houghton
Seat	Houghton
Largest city	Houghton
Area
• Total	1,502 sq mi (3,890 km2)
• Land	1,009 sq mi (2,610 km2)
• Water	492 sq mi (1,270 km2)  33%
Population  (2020)
• Total	37,361
• Density	36/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.houghtoncounty.net

Houghton County (/ˈhoʊtən/; HOH-tən) is a county in the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,361.^[2] The county seat and largest city is Houghton.^[3][4] Both the county and the city were named for Michigan State geologist and Detroit Mayor Douglass Houghton.^[5][3]

Houghton County is part of the Houghton Micropolitan Statistical Area, which also includes Keweenaw County, and was part of Copper Country during the mining boom of the latter half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century.

In 1843, the Upper Peninsula was divided into Mackinac, Chippewa, Marquette, Schoolcraft, Delta, and Ontonagon Counties.^[6] In 1845, Houghton County boundaries were defined, with areas partitioned from Marquette and Ontonagon Counties. The new county was named after Douglass Houghton, the new state's first State Geologist, who extensively explored the Upper Peninsula's mineralogy.^[6][7] The original boundaries of Houghton County included the future Keweenaw and Baraga Counties.^[8] In 1846, the county was organized into three townships: Eagle Harbor, Houghton, and L'Anse.^[8] Keweenaw County was set off from Houghton County in 1861 and Baraga County was set off in 1875.^[9]

Houghton County's history is heavily marked by immigration. At one of the peaks of its population, the 1910 census had 40.6% of its population of 88,098 as foreign-born, with 89.3% of the population being either foreign-born or having at one or both of their parents as foreign-born. 70.6% of all voters were foreign-born, and only 5.1% of voters were native-born with native parents. This amalgam of immigrants from dozens of countries created a unique culture, especially once population growth stopped, and the county shrank in population to its current numbers. Heavily representative among many ethnicities were the Finnish. The 1910 census listed 13.1% of the residents being Finnish-born (out of the 32.3% total of the residents listed as foreign-born). The 2010 census lists almost the same proportion (32.5%) of the population as having Finnish ancestors.^[10]

Amid the Great Depression of the 1930s, a sharp increase in unemployment among workers in the mining and timber industries caused a pivot to potato production. For a brief time in the 1930s and 1940s, the region became a major exporter of potatoes within the United States.^[11]

In June 2018, a major flash flood caused sinkholes and washouts in the towns of Chassell, Houghton, Ripley, Lake Linden, and Hubbell.^[12]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,502 square miles (3,890 km²), of which 1,009 square miles (2,610 km²) is land and 492 square miles (1,270 km²) (33%) is water.^[13]

The Portage Lift Bridge crosses Portage Lake, connecting Hancock and Houghton, Michigan, by crossing over Portage Lake, which is part of the river and canal system that spans the peninsula. The Portage Lift Bridge is the world's heaviest and widest double-decked vertical lift bridge. Its center span "lifts" to provide 100 feet (30 m) of clearance for ships. Since rail traffic was discontinued in the Keweenaw, the lower deck accommodates snowmobile traffic in the winter. This is the only land-based link between the Keweenaw Peninsula's north and south sections, making it crucial to local transportation.^[14]

• US 41 runs from the southeast corner of the county, north and northwest to Chassell and Houghton, then northeast to Copper Harbor.
• M-26 enters the western portion of county from Mass City and runs northeast through South Range and Houghton to intersect with US 41 at Keweenaw Park.
• M-28 runs east–west across lower portion of county, past Kenton and Sidnaw.
• M-38 runs east–west across center of county, past White, Nisula, and Alston.
• M-203 runs northwest from Houghton, then loops northeast and east to intersect with US 41.

• Prickett-Grooms Field (FAA LID: 6Y9) privately owned public-use general-aviation daytime-access airport at Sidnaw (since 1940s).
• Houghton County Memorial Airport (KCMX) between Hancock and Calumet (since 1948). General-aviation and limited commercial airline service.

• Keweenaw County, north
• Baraga County, east
• Iron County, south border (on Central Time Zone)
• Ontonagon County, west

• Keweenaw National Historical Park (part)
• Ottawa National Forest (part)

Houghton County Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D     50     −12 −14     75     −7 −16     64     −2 −12     104     9 −2     111     17 5     138     21 10     126     22 14     96     21 15     103     19 10     129     12 2     105     4 −3     59     −11 −12 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: [15] Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     2     10 7     3     19 3     2.5     28 10     4.1     48 28     4.4     63 41     5.4     70 50     5     72 57     3.8     70 59     4.1     66 50     5.1     54 36     4.1     39 27     2.3     12 10 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

• Hancock
• Houghton (county seat)

• Calumet
• Copper City
• Lake Linden
• Laurium
• South Range

• Calumet Charter Township
• Portage Charter Township

• Atlantic Mine
• Chassell
• Dodgeville
• Dollar Bay
• Hubbell
• Hurontown
• Painesdale
• Trimountain

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	708		—
1860	9,234		1,204.2%
1870	13,879		50.3%
1880	22,473		61.9%
1890	35,389		57.5%
1900	66,063		86.7%
1910	88,098		33.4%
1920	71,930		−18.4%
1930	52,851		−26.5%
1940	47,631		−9.9%
1950	39,771		−16.5%
1960	35,654		−10.4%
1970	34,652		−2.8%
1980	37,872		9.3%
1990	35,446		−6.4%
2000	36,016		1.6%
2010	36,628		1.7%
2020	37,361		2.0%
2023 (est.)	37,599	[16]	0.6%
US Decennial Census[17] 1790-1960[18] 1900-1990[19] 1990-2000[20] 2010-2018[2]

As of the census^[21] of 2020, there were 37,361 people, 14,173 households and 8,117 families residing in the county. The population density was 37.0 inhabitants per square mile (14.29/km²). There were 18,807 housing units at an average density of 18.63 per square mile (7.19/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.9% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 1.9% of the population.

As of the census^[22] of 2010, there were 36,628 people, 14,232 households and 8,093 families residing in the county. The population density was 36.29 inhabitants per square mile (14.01/km²). There were 18,635 housing units at an average density of 18.46 per square mile (7.13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.5% White, 2.9% Asian, 0.6% Native American, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.2% from other races and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 1.9% of the population. The biggest ancestry groups were Finnish at 32.5% of the population, German at 14.0%, French at 9.4%, English at 6.2% and Irish at 5.1%.^[23]

Of the 14,232 households 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.01.^[22]

The county population contained 20.6% under the age of 18, 20.6% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 15% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.1 years. The population was 45.9% female and 54.1% male.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,625, and the median income for a family was $48,506. The per capita income for the county was $18,556. About 12.6% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.7% of people under the age of 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Houghton County voters tend to favor Republican Party nominees. Since 1884, the Republican Party has been selected in 78% (28 of 36) of national elections. The county backed the statewide winner in every election from 1872 to 1996 with the exception of 1932, making it a bellwether for Michigan for the late 19th century and the entirety of the 20th century.

United States presidential election results for Houghton County, Michigan^[24]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	11,181	57.62%	7,881	40.61%	343	1.77%
2020	10,378	56.00%	7,750	41.82%	405	2.19%
2016	8,475	53.77%	6,018	38.18%	1,268	8.05%
2012	8,196	53.36%	6,801	44.27%	364	2.37%
2008	8,101	50.72%	7,476	46.81%	395	2.47%
2004	8,889	56.08%	6,731	42.46%	231	1.46%
2000	7,895	55.54%	5,688	40.01%	633	4.45%
1996	5,941	43.46%	5,957	43.57%	1,773	12.97%
1992	5,575	36.74%	6,558	43.22%	3,040	20.04%
1988	7,098	51.83%	6,510	47.54%	86	0.63%
1984	8,652	57.14%	6,434	42.49%	55	0.36%
1980	7,926	47.94%	6,858	41.48%	1,750	10.58%
1976	8,049	51.60%	7,352	47.13%	199	1.28%
1972	9,053	58.07%	6,402	41.06%	135	0.87%
1968	6,639	46.94%	6,988	49.41%	516	3.65%
1964	5,024	33.97%	9,761	65.99%	6	0.04%
1960	7,767	49.09%	8,021	50.70%	34	0.21%
1956	9,620	58.26%	6,866	41.58%	25	0.15%
1952	10,563	59.57%	7,100	40.04%	70	0.39%
1948	9,541	54.61%	6,925	39.64%	1,005	5.75%
1944	9,110	47.35%	10,066	52.32%	62	0.32%
1940	11,030	50.31%	10,815	49.33%	81	0.37%
1936	9,345	44.07%	11,642	54.90%	219	1.03%
1932	12,308	59.23%	7,838	37.72%	634	3.05%
1928	11,240	62.30%	6,573	36.43%	229	1.27%
1924	13,833	83.02%	1,045	6.27%	1,784	10.71%
1920	14,938	80.20%	3,088	16.58%	599	3.22%
1916	8,013	60.18%	4,615	34.66%	688	5.17%
1912	3,571	29.18%	2,385	19.49%	6,282	51.33%
1908	9,352	73.04%	2,424	18.93%	1,028	8.03%
1904	8,857	78.43%	1,471	13.03%	965	8.55%
1900	8,019	73.39%	2,422	22.17%	486	4.45%
1896	6,141	71.85%	1,996	23.35%	410	4.80%
1892	3,316	45.84%	2,607	36.04%	1,311	18.12%
1888	3,012	51.12%	2,696	45.76%	184	3.12%
1884	2,383	57.90%	1,694	41.16%	39	0.95%

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget and has limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions—police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc.—are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

The Houghton County Courthouse "..stood high upon the bluff on Houghton Village facing North and pleasantly overlooking Portage Lake.",^{[citation needed]} and has been inducted in the US Registry of Historic Districts and Buildings of the Upper Peninsula. Construction began in spring 1886. The building had its first addition to the north wing, the addition of a larger jail wing, in 1910, and that was the only renovation until the jail wing was condemned in 1961. A new jail was built in its present location, adjacent to the original. According to the Mining Gazette, "The materials used with the exception of the facing brick are the product of the Upper Peninsula" (July 25, 1886, p. 3). Kathryn Eckert, in her Buildings of Michigan, wrote:^[25]

"The courthouse is composed of the original structure, a rectangular block from which project central pavilions with parapeted dormers, a four-story tower, and north and west wing additions. The curbed mansard roof, the grouping of windows beneath red sandstone lintels connected by bands that encircle the structure, and the decorative entablature unite the composition. Porches supported with posts and Gothic-arch brackets...The interior is richly finished with wood; red, rich brown, and light yellowish brown floor tiles; ornamental plaster; and oak staircase; and stone fireplaces."

The building section that was once the jail wing is now used for office space.

(information as of June 2024)

• List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Houghton County, Michigan
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Houghton County, Michigan
• Robert T. Brown Nature Sanctuary

• HoughtonCounty website
• Houghton County Sheriff's Office
• Houghton County Profile, Sam M Cohodas Regional Economist, Tawni Hunt Ferrarini, Ph.D.
• Township Locator Map
• Western Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Region

46°59′N 88°39′W / 46.98°N 88.65°W / 46.98; -88.65