# Ontonagon County, Michigan

Ontonagon County (/ˌɒntəˈnɑːɡən/ ON-tə-NAH-gən) is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,816, making it Michigan's third-least populous county. The county seat is Ontonagon. The county was set off in 1843, and organized in 1848. Its territory had been organized as part of Chippewa and Mackinac counties. With increasing population in the area, more counties were organized. After Ontonagon was organized, it was split to create Gogebic County. It is also the westernmost county in United States that lies within the Eastern Time Zone.

## History

In 1843, Michigan's Upper Peninsula was divided into Mackinac, Chippewa, Marquette, Schoolcraft, Delta, and Ontonagon Counties. In 1845, a portion of Ontonagon County was partitioned to be part of Houghton County. In 1846, the village of Ontonagon was named as the county seat of Ontonagon County.
Ontonagon County is part of Copper Country, a region of the Upper Peninsula with prevalent copper mining from 1845 until the late 1960s. Prehistoric mining was conducted by local Native American populations. The first attempts by Europeans to mine copper in the area came in 1771 in the Ontonagon River. The Ontonagan Copper Boulder was removed from the west branch of the Ontonagon River and transported in 1842 to Detroit where it was weighed at 3708 pounds, thence to the Smithsonian Institution. The last copper mine in Copper Country was the White Pine mine, which closed in 1995.

### Etymology

The county is named after the Ontonagon River. The name is said to be loosely derived from an Ojibwe language word noojitoon ziibi, meaning "hunting river." A French transliteration, Nantounagon, identified the river on a 1670 French map. Alternatively, and perhaps more accurately, it is said to be derived from the Ojibwa onagon, which means "dish" or "bowl." See List of Michigan county name etymologies.

## Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,741 square miles (9,690 km$^2$), of which 1,311 square miles (3,400 km$^2$) is land and 2,430 square miles (6,300 km$^2$) (65%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Michigan by area.
Ontonagon County is located in the western Upper Peninsula, along the shore of Lake Superior. At a longitude of 89.5°W, it is the westernmost county in the United States contained entirely within the Eastern Time Zone.

### Geographic features

* Porcupine Mountains
* Lake of the Clouds
* Lake Superior
* Lake Gogebic is the largest lake in the Upper Peninsula.
* Corpse Pond
* Ontonagon River
* Firesteel River
* Flintsteel River
* Halfway Creek
* Townline Creek
* Maple Leaf Creek

### Adjacent counties

By land
* Houghton County (east)
* Iron County (southeast; CST border)
* Gogebic County (south, southwest; CST border)
By water
* Ashland County, Wisconsin (west; CST border)
* Cook County, Minnesota (northwest; CST border)
* Keweenaw County (northeast)

### National protected areas

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

## Transportation
### Major highways

* US 45 – runs north–south through east-central part of county. Enters south line from Watersmeet, passes Paulding, Bruce Crossing, and Rockland, ending at Ontonagon.
* M-26 – enters east line of county at 12 miles (19 km) south of NE county corner. Runs SW, passing Mass City and Lake Mine, to intersection with M-38 east of Rockland.
* M-28 – runs east–west thru southern part of county. Enters 10.4 miles (16.7 km) north of SE county corner. Runs westerly into Gogebic County.
* M-38 – enters east line of county at a point east of Mass City. Runs west to Lake Mine, then WNW to terminus at Ontonagon.
* M-64 – runs north–south through center part of county. Enters south line on west side of Lake Gogebic; runs north to Lake Superior shoreline. Runs NE along shoreline to terminus at Ontonagon.

### Airport

* Ontonagon County Airport (KOGM) serves the county and surrounding communities.

## Demographics

The 2010 United States census indicated Ontonagon County had a population of 6,780. In 2010 there were 3,258 households and 1,954 families in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile (2.3 people/km$^2$). There were 5,672 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1.5/km$^2$). At the 2010 census, 97.3% of the population were White, 1.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.1% of some other race and 1.3% of two or more races. 0.9% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). By the publication of the 2020 census, its population declined to 5,816.
In 2010, there were 3,258 households, out of which 15.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.61. The county population contained 15.8% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 16.7% from 25 to 44, 37.0% from 45 to 64, and 26.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52.7 years. The population is 51.6% male and 48.4% female.
In 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $34,786, and the median income for a family was $46,845. The per capita income for the county was $22,195. About 9.0% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over. At the 2021 census estimates, its median household income grew to $44,605.

## Communities
### Village

* Ontonagon (county seat)

### Civil townships

* Bergland Township
* Bohemia Township
* Carp Lake Township
* Greenland Township
* Haight Township
* Interior Township
* Matchwood Township
* McMillan Township
* Ontonagon Township
* Rockland Township
* Stannard Township

### Census-designated places

* Bergland
* Bruce Crossing
* Ewen
* Greenland
* Lake Gogebic
* Mass City
* Rockland
* White Pine

### Unincorporated communities

* Agate
* Algonquin
* Calderwood
* Carp Lake
* Craigsmere
* Maple Grove
* Matchwood
* Paulding
* Paynesville
* Robbins
* Trout Creek
* Victoria

### Ghost town

* Adventure

### Indian reservation

* The Ontonagon Indian Reservation, a branch of the Lake Superior Chippewa, has a reservation in the northeastern section of Ontonagon Township on the shores of Lake Superior. The reservation occupies 3.775 square miles (9.777 km$^2$) of land but recorded no permanent population at the 2010 census.

## Government

Ontonagon County is fairly balanced to Republican-leaning. Since 1876 its voters have selected the Republican Party nominee in 63% (24 of 38) of the national elections through 2024.
United States presidential election results for Ontonagon County, Michigan :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 2,479 | 64.49% | 1,313 | 34.16% | 52 | 1.35% |
| 2020 | 2,358 | 61.89% | 1,391 | 36.51% | 61 | 1.60% |
| 2016 | 2,066 | 60.18% | 1,176 | 34.26% | 191 | 5.56% |
| 2012 | 1,906 | 53.86% | 1,586 | 44.81% | 47 | 1.33% |
| 2008 | 1,823 | 46.92% | 1,966 | 50.60% | 96 | 2.47% |
| 2004 | 2,262 | 53.96% | 1,863 | 44.44% | 67 | 1.60% |
| 2000 | 2,472 | 59.55% | 1,514 | 36.47% | 165 | 3.97% |
| 1996 | 1,523 | 35.86% | 2,080 | 48.98% | 644 | 15.16% |
| 1992 | 1,463 | 30.83% | 2,451 | 51.65% | 831 | 17.51% |
| 1988 | 2,023 | 44.34% | 2,517 | 55.17% | 22 | 0.48% |
| 1984 | 2,464 | 50.95% | 2,350 | 48.59% | 22 | 0.45% |
| 1980 | 2,569 | 48.95% | 2,375 | 45.26% | 304 | 5.79% |
| 1976 | 2,462 | 43.91% | 3,104 | 55.36% | 41 | 0.73% |
| 1972 | 3,040 | 57.51% | 2,140 | 40.48% | 106 | 2.01% |
| 1968 | 2,290 | 45.72% | 2,462 | 49.15% | 257 | 5.13% |
| 1964 | 1,658 | 32.19% | 3,485 | 67.67% | 7 | 0.14% |
| 1960 | 2,620 | 50.63% | 2,553 | 49.33% | 2 | 0.04% |
| 1956 | 2,976 | 57.73% | 2,175 | 42.19% | 4 | 0.08% |
| 1952 | 2,961 | 57.39% | 2,134 | 41.36% | 64 | 1.24% |
| 1948 | 2,561 | 50.18% | 2,163 | 42.38% | 380 | 7.45% |
| 1944 | 2,433 | 48.07% | 2,611 | 51.59% | 17 | 0.34% |
| 1940 | 2,880 | 47.09% | 3,103 | 50.74% | 133 | 2.17% |
| 1936 | 2,162 | 38.86% | 3,233 | 58.12% | 168 | 3.02% |
| 1932 | 2,287 | 45.53% | 2,337 | 46.53% | 399 | 7.94% |
| 1928 | 2,394 | 59.66% | 1,353 | 33.72% | 266 | 6.63% |
| 1924 | 2,249 | 71.42% | 417 | 13.24% | 483 | 15.34% |
| 1920 | 1,977 | 67.71% | 657 | 22.50% | 286 | 9.79% |
| 1916 | 1,235 | 54.29% | 888 | 39.03% | 152 | 6.68% |
| 1912 | 719 | 41.13% | 359 | 20.54% | 670 | 38.33% |
| 1908 | 1,249 | 71.37% | 425 | 24.29% | 76 | 4.34% |
| 1904 | 1,345 | 77.08% | 355 | 20.34% | 45 | 2.58% |
| 1900 | 982 | 68.82% | 429 | 30.06% | 16 | 1.12% |
| 1896 | 757 | 62.77% | 416 | 34.49% | 33 | 2.74% |
| 1892 | 678 | 38.68% | 1,041 | 59.38% | 34 | 1.94% |
| 1888 | 308 | 36.15% | 542 | 63.62% | 2 | 0.23% |
| 1884 | 301 | 53.94% | 233 | 41.76% | 24 | 4.30% |
| 1880 | 228 | 48.31% | 218 | 46.19% | 26 | 5.51% |
| 1876 | 201 | 38.29% | 321 | 61.14% | 3 | 0.57% |
Ontonagon County operates the County 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.

### Elected officials

* Prosecuting Attorney: Michael D. Findlay
* Sheriff: Dale Rantala
* County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Stacy C. Preiss
* County Treasurer: Jeanne M. Pollard
* Mine Inspector: Douglas Roberts
As of September 2018