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Saint Joseph County, Michigan
Saint Joseph County Courthouse 8X10 II
St. Joseph County Courthouse in Centreville
Seal of Saint Joseph County, Michigan
Seal
Map of Michigan highlighting Saint Joseph County
Location in the state of Michigan
Map of the U.S
Michigan's location in the U.S.
Founded 1829[1]
Named for Fort St. Joseph
Seat Centreville
Largest city Sturgis
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

521 sq mi (1,349 km²)
501 sq mi (1,298 km²)
20 sq mi (52 km²), 3.9%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

60,939
122/sq mi (47/km²)
Congressional district 6th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4

St. Joseph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan, on the central southern border with Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 60,939.[2] The county seat is Centreville.[3]

French colonists in the late 17th century were the first Europeans to explore this territory, and they named the St. Joseph River for the patron saint of New France.[1] This area was not part of the United States until after the American Revolutionary War. After the Treaty of Chicago was signed in 1821, regional tribes of the indigenous peoples ceded much land to the United States, opening the area for American settlement. The county was set off and organized by the Michigan Territory legislature in 1829; it was named for the river.[1]

St. Joseph County comprises the Sturgis, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek-Portage, MI Combined Statistical Area.

History[]

This area was settled by members of the three Algonquian-speaking tribes of the Council of Three Fires: the Potawatomi, Odawa, and Chippewa (known as Ojibwa in Canada). French explorers in a party led by Father Hennepin came upriver from Lake Michigan in 1679. A Jesuit mission was established near where the French later built Fort St. Joseph, and they named the waterway as the St. Joseph River.

After the United States and tribal representatives made the 1821 Treaty of Chicago, much of the land in this region was ceded by the tribes to Michigan Territory, so more settlers came from Detroit, Monroe and later from New England and upstate New York. The first were ethnic French. The Godfroy brothers of Detroit built a trading post south of the river, near the later Marantette House site. They appointed Frances Mouton as an agent to trade with the natives of the Nottawaseepe (sippi) settlement. They had another post nearby where Patrick Marantette, also from Detroit, first worked as an agent. He ended up settling in and marrying Mouton's daughter Francis. Theirs was the first marriage in the settlement, and their daughter the first European American born here, in 1836.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 521 square miles (1,350 km2), of which 501 square miles (1,300 km2) is land and 20 square miles (52 km2) (3.9%) is water.[4] It is the fourth-smallest county in Michigan by total area. The entire county lies in the Saint Joseph River watershed.

Adjacent counties[]

Major highways[]

  • US 12 US 12 – runs east–west across lower portion of the county. Passes White Pigeon and Sturgis.
  • US 131 US 131 – runs north–south through the western portion of the county. Passes Three Rivers, Constantine, White Pigeon.
  • No imageBusiness plateNo image
    US 131 BUS US 131 – runs north–south through eastern Three Rivers - length 1.6 mile (2.6 km).
  • M-60 M-60 – runs ENE through the upper portion of the county. Passes Three Rivers, Parkville, Mendon, Leonidas.
  • M-66 M-66 – enters SE portion of county from Star Mill, Indiana. Runs north to intersection with M60, two miles (3 km) east of Mendon.
  • M-86 M-86 – runs east–west through center of the county. Enters at Colon, passes Nella and Centreville to intersection with M60 at Three Rivers.
  • M-103 M-103 – enters SW tip of county; runs north 2 miles (3 km) to intersection with US12 near west county line.
  • M-216 M-216 – enters NW portion of county from Marcellus. Runs east to intersection with US131 four miles (6 km)north of Three Rivers.

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1830 1,313
1840 7,068 438.3%
1850 12,725 80.0%
1860 21,262 67.1%
1870 26,275 23.6%
1880 26,626 1.3%
1890 23,356 −12.3%
1900 23,889 2.3%
1910 25,499 6.7%
1920 26,818 5.2%
1930 30,618 14.2%
1940 31,749 3.7%
1950 35,071 10.5%
1960 42,332 20.7%
1970 47,392 12.0%
1980 56,083 18.3%
1990 58,913 5.0%
2000 62,422 6.0%
2010 61,295 −1.8%
US Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010-2020[2]

The 2010 census indicates St. Joseph County had a 2010 population of 61,295. This decrease of -1,127 people from the 2000 United States Census represents a -1.8% population change (decrease) in that decade. In 2010 there were 23,244 households and 16,275 families in the county. The population density was 122.4 per square mile (47.3 square kilometers). There were 27,778 housing units at an average density of 55.5 per square mile (21.4 per km2). The racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 88.0% White, 2.5% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races.

There were 23,244 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were husband and wife families, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.0% were non-families, and 24.8% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.08.

The county population contained 25.9% under age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males.

The 2010 American Community Survey 3-year estimate indicates the median income for a household in the county was $43,964 and the median income for a family was $52,600. Males had a median income of $30,517 versus $16,388 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,737. About 1.8% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under the age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.[9]

Government[]

St. Joseph County has long been reliably Republican. Since 1884, the Republican Party nominee has carried 79% of the elections (27 of 34).

United States presidential election results for St. Joseph County, Michigan[10]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 18,127 64.78% 9,262 33.10% 592 2.12%
2016 14,884 62.10% 7,526 31.40% 1,557 6.50%
2012 12,978 55.36% 10,112 43.13% 355 1.51%
2008 12,886 50.00% 12,322 47.81% 563 2.18%
2004 15,340 60.78% 9,648 38.23% 251 0.99%
2000 12,906 58.60% 8,574 38.93% 544 2.47%
1996 9,764 46.96% 8,529 41.02% 2,501 12.03%
1992 9,836 41.03% 7,817 32.61% 6,318 26.36%
1988 13,084 64.79% 7,017 34.74% 95 0.47%
1984 15,405 72.34% 5,795 27.21% 96 0.45%
1980 13,631 63.19% 6,318 29.29% 1,621 7.52%
1976 11,784 61.07% 7,306 37.86% 205 1.06%
1972 12,438 69.15% 5,119 28.46% 431 2.40%
1968 10,445 59.20% 5,413 30.68% 1,787 10.13%
1964 7,307 43.96% 9,284 55.85% 32 0.19%
1960 12,337 69.13% 5,445 30.51% 65 0.36%
1956 12,328 74.11% 4,242 25.50% 64 0.38%
1952 12,191 72.19% 4,509 26.70% 187 1.11%
1948 8,166 65.66% 3,928 31.59% 342 2.75%
1944 9,785 69.45% 4,235 30.06% 69 0.49%
1940 10,025 66.32% 5,045 33.38% 45 0.30%
1936 7,160 51.85% 6,048 43.80% 601 4.35%
1932 5,626 43.78% 6,917 53.82% 309 2.40%
1928 8,781 76.05% 2,698 23.37% 67 0.58%
1924 6,633 65.43% 2,649 26.13% 855 8.43%
1920 6,035 66.59% 2,725 30.07% 303 3.34%
1916 3,132 45.01% 3,567 51.26% 260 3.74%
1912 1,224 19.03% 2,388 37.13% 2,820 43.84%
1908 3,466 52.93% 2,770 42.30% 312 4.76%
1904 3,649 59.80% 2,176 35.66% 277 4.54%
1900 3,178 48.19% 3,283 49.78% 134 2.03%
1896 3,184 43.76% 3,968 54.54% 124 1.70%
1892 2,824 43.93% 2,441 37.97% 1,163 18.09%
1888 3,372 48.36% 3,217 46.14% 383 5.49%
1884 3,261 46.89% 3,554 51.11% 139 2.00%



The county government operates the jail, 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 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[]

  • 1st District Commissioner: Allen Balog
  • 2nd District Commissioner: Kathy Pangle
  • 3rd District Commissioner: Dennis Allen
  • 4th District Commissioner: Daniel Czajkowski
  • 5th District Commissioner: Ken Malone
  • Prosecuting Attorney: David Marvin
  • Sheriff: Bradley Balk
  • County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Lindsay Oswald
  • County Treasurer: Judith Ratering
  • Drain Commissioner: Jeffrey Wenzel
  • County Surveyor: David Mostrom
  • 45th Circuit Court Judge: Paul Stutesman
  • 3B District Court Judge: Robert Pattison
  • 3B District Court Judge: Jeffrey Middleton
  • Probate Court Judge: David Tomlinson

(Information current as of July 2019)

Communities[]

White Pigeon land office

White Pigeon General Land Office

Cities[]

Villages[]

  • Burr Oak
  • Centreville (county seat)
  • Colon
  • Constantine
  • Mendon
  • White Pigeon

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Findley
  • Leonidas
  • Mottville
  • Nottawa
  • Parkville
  • Wasepi

Townships[]

  • Burr Oak Township
  • Colon Township
  • Constantine Township
  • Fabius Township
  • Fawn River Township
  • Florence Township
  • Flowerfield Township
  • Leonidas Township
  • Lockport Township
  • Mendon Township
  • Mottville Township
  • Nottawa Township
  • Park Township
  • Sherman Township
  • Sturgis Township
  • White Pigeon Township

See also[]

  • List of Michigan State Historic Sites in St. Joseph County, Michigan
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Joseph County, Michigan

References[]

External links[]

Coordinates: 41°55′N 85°32′W / 41.92, -85.53


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at St. Joseph 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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