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Leelanau County, Michigan
Map of Michigan highlighting Leelanau County
Location in the state of Michigan
Map of the U.S
Michigan's location in the U.S.
Founded 1840
Seat Leland
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

2,532 sq mi (6,558 km²)

2,184 sq mi (5,657 km²), 86.24%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

22,301
60/sq mi (23/km²)
Website www.leelanaucounty.com

Leelanau County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Traverse City Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,301. The county seat currently is the unincorporated community of Leland6. However, on August 3, 2004, county voters approved a proposal to move the county seat to Suttons Bay Township, closer to the county's geographic center. A new governmental facility will be built on 45 acres (180,000 m²) of county-owned land one mile east of the unincorporated village of Lake Leelanau, where a new county law enforcement center already is under construction.

A substantial portion of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore lies within the county's borders, including North Manitou and South Manitou Islands.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 6,559 km² (2,532 sq mi). 903 km² (348 sq mi) of it is land and 5,656 km² (2,184 sq mi) of it (86.24%) is water. The county has the second-highest proportion of water area of any county in the United States, behind only Keweenaw County. Lake Leelanau is the county's largest body of inland water, formed from the Leland River dam near Leland. Glen Lake, located within the boundaries of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.

Major highways[]

Adjacent counties[]

Demographics[]

As of the census² of 2000, there were 21,119 people, 8,436 households, and 6,217 families residing in the county. The population density was 23/km² (61/sq mi). There were 13,297 housing units at an average density of 15/km² (38/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 93.52% White, 0.25% Black or African American, 3.66% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.34% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. 3.29% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 95.1% spoke English and 2.9% Spanish as their first language.

There were 8,436 households out of which 29.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.60% were married couples living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 22.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 5.70% from 18 to 24, 24.20% from 25 to 44, 28.30% from 45 to 64, and 17.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 99.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.10 males.

Michigan's Leelanau County

Leelanau countryside

The median income for a household in the county was $47,062, and the median income for a family was $53,228. Males had a median income of $35,719 versus $25,778 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,686. About 3.30% of families and 5.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.40% of those under age 18 and 4.50% of those age 65 or over.

Government[]

Leelanau County has been reliably Republican since its organization, but appears to be becoming more Democratic. Since 1884, the Republican Party nominee has carried the county vote in 86% (30 of 35) of the national elections through 2020. In 2020, the county voted for Joe Biden, after it voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election.

Leelanau County is one of only twelve counties to have voted for Obama in 2008, Romney in 2012, Trump in 2016, and Biden in 2020.[lower-alpha 1]

United States presidential election results for Leelanau County, Michigan[1]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 7,916 46.84% 8,795 52.04% 189 1.12%
2016 7,239 48.61% 6,774 45.49% 879 5.90%
2012 7,483 52.63% 6,576 46.25% 160 1.13%
2008 6,938 47.97% 7,355 50.85% 171 1.18%
2004 7,733 55.57% 6,048 43.46% 136 0.98%
2000 6,840 56.96% 4,635 38.60% 534 4.45%
1996 5,155 50.36% 4,019 39.26% 1,063 10.38%
1992 3,993 39.20% 3,445 33.82% 2,749 26.99%
1988 5,215 60.51% 3,331 38.65% 73 0.85%
1984 5,356 67.62% 2,498 31.54% 67 0.85%
1980 4,585 57.78% 2,348 29.59% 1,002 12.63%
1976 4,240 62.33% 2,437 35.82% 126 1.85%
1972 3,809 65.82% 1,855 32.05% 123 2.13%
1968 2,798 60.06% 1,562 33.53% 299 6.42%
1964 2,074 46.60% 2,369 53.22% 8 0.18%
1960 2,730 60.05% 1,810 39.82% 6 0.13%
1956 2,987 69.82% 1,287 30.08% 4 0.09%
1952 2,926 74.38% 999 25.39% 9 0.23%
1948 1,928 69.01% 835 29.89% 31 1.11%
1944 2,063 68.24% 944 31.23% 16 0.53%
1940 2,405 66.09% 1,223 33.61% 11 0.30%
1936 1,692 49.69% 1,542 45.29% 171 5.02%
1932 1,527 46.09% 1,746 52.70% 40 1.21%
1928 1,521 62.41% 903 37.05% 13 0.53%
1924 1,792 75.36% 301 12.66% 285 11.98%
1920 2,156 82.26% 406 15.49% 59 2.25%
1916 984 53.89% 763 41.79% 79 4.33%
1912 621 35.42% 344 19.62% 788 44.95%
1908 1,258 66.35% 566 29.85% 72 3.80%
1904 1,464 75.27% 416 21.39% 65 3.34%
1900 1,468 68.41% 634 29.54% 44 2.05%
1896 1,402 64.25% 690 31.62% 90 4.12%
1892 769 53.63% 492 34.31% 173 12.06%
1888 899 55.49% 673 41.54% 48 2.96%
1884 811 57.80% 571 40.70% 21 1.50%



Leelanau 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.

Leelenau County recently completed construction of a new jail.

Elected officials[]

  • Prosecuting Attorney – Joseph T. Hubbell
  • Probate Judge – Larry Nelson
  • Sheriff – Michael Borkovich
  • County Clerk – Michelle L. Crocker
  • County Treasurer – John A. Gallagher
  • Register of Deeds – Dorothy M. Miller
  • Drain Commissioner – Steven R. Christensen
  • Commissioner Dist. 1 – Tony Ansorge
  • Commissioner Dist. 2 – Debra L. Rushton
  • Commissioner Dist. 3 – William J. Bunek
  • Commissioner Dist. 4 – Ty Wessell
  • Commissioner Dist. 5 – Patricia Soutas-Little
  • Commissioner Dist. 6 – Casey Noonan
  • Commissioner Dist. 7 – Melinda Loutner[2]

Cities, villages, and townships[]

External links[]

Coordinates: 45°08′N 86°02′W / 45.13, -86.03

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Leelanau County, Michigan. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.


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