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Iron County, Michigan facts for kids

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Iron County
U.S. county
Iron County Courthouse
Iron County Courthouse
Map of Michigan highlighting Iron County
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Map of the United States highlighting Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Michigan
Founded April 3, 1885
Named for Iron ore
Seat Crystal Falls
Largest city Iron River
Area
 • Total 1,211 sq mi (3,140 km2)
 • Land 1,166 sq mi (3,020 km2)
 • Water 45 sq mi (120 km2)  3.7%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 11,631
 • Density 10/sq mi (4/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st

Iron County is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 11,631. The county seat is Crystal Falls.

History

Iron County was organized in 1885 from territory taken from Marquette and Menominee counties. In 1890, the county's population was 4,432. It was named for the valuable iron ore found within its borders.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,211 square miles (3,140 km2), of which 1,166 square miles (3,020 km2) is land and 45 square miles (120 km2) (3.7%) is water.

Major highways

IronCountyMichiganSignUS2US141
Entering Iron County on US 2 / US 141
  • US 2
  • US 141
  • M-69
  • M-73
  • M-189
  • FFH 16

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1890 4,432 —
1900 8,990 102.8%
1910 15,164 68.7%
1920 22,107 45.8%
1930 20,805 −5.9%
1940 20,243 −2.7%
1950 17,692 −12.6%
1960 17,184 −2.9%
1970 13,813 −19.6%
1980 13,635 −1.3%
1990 13,175 −3.4%
2000 13,138 −0.3%
2010 11,817 −10.1%
2020 11,631 −1.6%
US Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018

The 2010 United States Census indicates Iron County had a population of 11,817. This decrease of 1,321 people from the 2000 United States Census represents a 10.1% population decrease. In 2010 there were 5,577 households and 3,284 families in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile (4/km2). There were 9,197 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km2). 97.1% of the population were White, 2.9% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.2% of some other race and 1.4% of two or more races. 1.4% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 14.3% were of German, 11.5% Finnish, 11.3% Italian, 8.6% French, French Canadian or Cajun, 8.0% Swedish, 6.5% English, 5.8% American and 5.4% Irish ancestry.

There were 5,577 households, out of which 18.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.1% 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 2.65.

The county population contained 17.1% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 17.2% from 25 to 44, 34.1% from 45 to 64, and 26.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51.9 years. 49.3% of the population was male, 50.7% was female.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,390, and the median income for a family was $46,337. The per capita income for the county was $20,099. About 6.5% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Village

Census-designated place

Townships

Education

  • West Iron County Schools
  • Forest Park School District

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Iron (Míchigan) para niños

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