Marquette County
County
Marquette County Courthouse in Marquette
Marquette County Courthouse in Marquette
Map of Michigan highlighting Marquette 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°40′N 87°36′W / 46.66°N 87.6°W / 46.66; -87.6
Country United States
State Michigan
FoundedMarch 9, 1843, organized 1851[1]
Named forJacques Marquette
SeatMarquette
Largest cityMarquette
Area
 • Total3,425 sq mi (8,870 km2)
 • Land1,808 sq mi (4,680 km2)
 • Water1,616 sq mi (4,190 km2)  47%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total66,017
 • Density37/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.co.marquette.mi.us

Marquette County (/mɑːrˈkɛt/ mar-KEHT) is a county located in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 66,017.[2] The county seat is Marquette.[3] The county is named for Father Marquette, a Jesuit missionary. It was set off in 1843 and organized in 1851.[1] Marquette County is the largest county in land area in Michigan, and the most populous county in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Marquette County comprises the Marquette, MI micropolitan statistical area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,425 square miles (8,870 km2), of which 1,808 square miles (4,680 km2) is land and 1,616 square miles (4,190 km2) (47%) is water.[4] It is the largest county in Michigan by land area and fourth-largest by total area.

The Huron Mountains are located in the county. To the north of the county is Lake Superior.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Climate

Marquette County
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
84
 
 
−6
−12
 
 
83
 
 
−7
−12
 
 
70
 
 
−2
−10
 
 
110
 
 
6
−4
 
 
94
 
 
16
3
 
 
120
 
 
14
9
 
 
126
 
 
20
14
 
 
86
 
 
20
11
 
 
89
 
 
16
11
 
 
130
 
 
10
4
 
 
105
 
 
2
−3
 
 
79
 
 
−5
−8
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [5]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
3.3
 
 
21
10
 
 
3.3
 
 
19
10
 
 
2.8
 
 
28
14
 
 
4.3
 
 
43
25
 
 
3.7
 
 
61
37
 
 
4.7
 
 
57
48
 
 
5
 
 
68
57
 
 
3.4
 
 
68
52
 
 
3.5
 
 
61
52
 
 
5.1
 
 
50
39
 
 
4.1
 
 
36
27
 
 
3.1
 
 
23
18
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

Communities

U.S. Census data map showing local municipal boundaries within Marquette County. Shaded areas represent incorporated cities.

Cities

Civil townships

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Indian reservations

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1850136—
18602,8211,974.3%
187015,033432.9%
188025,39468.9%
189039,52155.6%
190041,2394.3%
191046,73913.3%
192045,786−2.0%
193044,076−3.7%
194047,1447.0%
195047,6541.1%
196056,15417.8%
197064,68615.2%
198074,10114.6%
199070,887−4.3%
200064,634−8.8%
201067,0773.8%
202066,017−1.6%
US Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2018[2]

In 2020, the population of the county was 66,017.

Economy

Top employers

Last updated June 8, 2021.

According to the Lake Superior Community Partnership website,[10] the top employers in the county are:

The Tilden and Empire mines south of Ishpeming and Negaunee, taken on July 2, 2022, from the International Space Station; north is oriented towards the right.
Private employer # of employees
UP Health System – Marquette 1,599
Cliffs Natural Resources, Michigan Operations 998
Upper Peninsula Medical Center 650
UP Health System – Bell 360
Walmart 392
RTI Surgical 230
Envoy Air 207
Eagle Mine 187
Westwood Mall Association 190
Eastwood Nursing Center 140
Alger-Marquette County Community Action Board 148
Norlite Nursing Center 110
Ojibwa Casino II 140
Superior Extrusion, Inc. 153
PotlatchDeltic 140
Pathways 108
Meijer 310
VanDamme Trucking 132
    
Public employer # of employees
Northern Michigan University 914
Marquette Area Public Schools 410
Michigan Department of Corrections 350
County of Marquette 251
Negaunee Public Schools 190
D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans 167
City of Marquette 185
NICE Community School District 163
Gwinn Area Community Schools 140
Ishpeming Public Schools 104

*Bolded values have been updated for 2021.

Education

Northern Michigan University is a four-year university in Marquette. It was established in 1899.

Historical markers

There are ten historical markers in the county:[11]

Government

Marquette County was reliably Republican following the American Civil War; its voters went Republican (or Republican-splinter) in every election from 1876 through 1932. However, that shifted in 1936; since then, the Republican nominee has carried the county in only five out of 22 elections through 2020, four of which were nationwide Republican landslides and the other had native Michigander Gerald Ford as the Republican nominee. At present, it has since become the only Democratic-leaning county in the Upper Peninsula. Like most other counties dominated by a large university, Joe Biden carried the county comfortably in 2020.

United States presidential election results for Marquette County, Michigan[12]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 16,286 43.37% 20,465 54.50% 799 2.13%
2016 14,646 44.09% 16,042 48.29% 2,530 7.62%
2012 13,606 42.06% 18,115 56.00% 625 1.93%
2008 12,906 38.80% 19,635 59.03% 719 2.16%
2004 14,690 45.22% 17,412 53.60% 386 1.19%
2000 12,577 43.10% 15,503 53.13% 1,099 3.77%
1996 8,805 32.91% 15,168 56.69% 2,785 10.41%
1992 9,665 30.56% 16,038 50.71% 5,926 18.74%
1988 11,704 42.92% 15,418 56.54% 145 0.53%
1984 14,196 49.98% 14,074 49.55% 132 0.46%
1980 13,181 44.71% 13,312 45.16% 2,986 10.13%
1976 12,984 49.34% 12,837 48.78% 494 1.88%
1972 13,249 52.67% 11,555 45.93% 353 1.40%
1968 8,960 42.68% 11,199 53.34% 836 3.98%
1964 6,615 31.96% 14,045 67.86% 36 0.17%
1960 10,690 48.77% 11,177 51.00% 50 0.23%
1956 12,504 56.62% 9,543 43.21% 37 0.17%
1952 11,618 53.65% 9,949 45.94% 88 0.41%
1948 8,591 45.06% 10,003 52.47% 470 2.47%
1944 8,163 40.93% 11,707 58.70% 74 0.37%
1940 9,034 41.10% 12,854 58.48% 94 0.43%
1936 7,607 38.33% 11,994 60.44% 243 1.22%
1932 9,810 55.65% 7,221 40.96% 598 3.39%
1928 10,879 68.81% 4,716 29.83% 216 1.37%
1924 9,771 70.70% 845 6.11% 3,204 23.18%
1920 9,233 70.46% 3,012 22.99% 858 6.55%
1916 5,263 63.18% 2,625 31.51% 442 5.31%
1912 2,603 33.28% 997 12.75% 4,222 53.98%
1908 5,613 74.78% 1,275 16.99% 618 8.23%
1904 5,654 82.94% 785 11.52% 378 5.54%
1900 5,235 75.52% 1,471 21.22% 226 3.26%
1896 5,111 70.11% 1,980 27.16% 199 2.73%
1892 3,874 53.03% 2,850 39.01% 581 7.95%
1888 4,512 65.76% 2,105 30.68% 244 3.56%
1884 4,230 73.49% 1,478 25.68% 48 0.83%
1880 2,434 65.08% 1,271 33.98% 35 0.94%
1876 2,308 56.88% 1,750 43.12% 0 0.00%

The county government operates Sawyer International Airport, 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.

Elected officials

Transportation

Airports

Transit

Major highways

Main article: List of state highways in Marquette County, Michigan
Map of the county's highways

In addition to the 169.42 miles (272.66 km) of state highways in the county, the Marquette County Road Commission maintains 283.85 miles (456.81 km) of primary county roads which include County Road 492 (CR 492), and 988.25 miles (1,590.43 km) of secondary county roads. The road commission provides maintenance such as snow removal under contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation for the state trunklines.[20] In 2010, the commission planned to build CR 595.[21] The project was canceled after the permit was denied by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the project funding was diverted.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Clarke Historical Library. "Bibliography on Marquette County". Central Michigan University. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  5. ^ "NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index". NASA. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  6. ^ "US Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  8. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  9. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  10. ^ "2020/2021 Principal Employers – Marquette County". Lake Superior Community Partnership. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  11. ^ "Michigan Historical Markers". michmarkers.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
  12. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  13. ^ "Linda Talsma, County Clerk". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  14. ^ "Marquette County Treasurer". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  15. ^ "Marquette County Drain Commissioner: P. Michael Farrell". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  16. ^ "Marquette County Mine Inspector". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  17. ^ "Prosecutor's Office". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  18. ^ "Carla L'Huillier, Register of Deeds". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  19. ^ "Welcome to the Sheriff's Office". County of Marquette. n.d. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  20. ^ "Welcome to the Marquette County Road Commission". Marquette County Road Commission. 2009. Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  21. ^ McLaren, Noël (October 18, 2010). "County Road 595 Approved for Planning". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, MI: WLUC-TV. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  22. ^ Pepin, John (January 4, 2013). "CR 595 Project Killed". The Mining Journal. Marquette, MI. pp. 1A, 8A. ISSN 0898-4964. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2013.

External links

46°40′N 87°36′W / 46.66°N 87.60°W / 46.66; -87.60

Places adjacent to Marquette County, Michigan
Municipalities and communities of Marquette County, Michigan, United States
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
State of Michigan
Authority control databases
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