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Isabella County
County
St. John's Episcopal Church in Mount Pleasant
FlagSeal
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°39′N 84°50′W / 43.65°N 84.84°W / 43.65; -84.84
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Founded	1831 (created) 1859 (organized)
Named for	Queen Isabella I of Castile
Seat	Mount Pleasant
Largest city	Mount Pleasant
Area
• Total	578 sq mi (1,500 km)
• Land	573 sq mi (1,480 km)
• Water	5.0 sq mi (13 km)  0.9%
Population
• Total	64,394
• Density	124/sq mi (48/km)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.isabellacounty.org

Isabella County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 64,394. Its county seat is Mount Pleasant. The area was known as Ojibiway Besse, meaning "the place of the Ojibwa". Isabella County contains the Isabella Indian Reservation, on which members of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation live.

History

Isabella County was described by action of the Michigan Territory legislature in 1831, but for purposes of population, revenue, and judicial matters, it was assigned to nearby counties. Its area was partitioned from unorganized territory plus a portion of Mackinac, which had existed as a Territorial County since 1818.

The Michigan Territory was admitted to the Union as Michigan state in early 1837. By 1859, Isabella had sufficient settlement and interest in self-government that the state legislature authorized its organization. Based on a suggestion by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, the U.S. Indian agent in this area, the county was named after Queen Isabella I of Castile, who with her husband Ferdinand commissioned Columbus's expedition to the New World.

Isabella County comprises the Mount Pleasant, Michigan micropolitan statistical area in Mid-Michigan. The county contains the Isabella Indian Reservation, which has a total area of 217.67 square miles (563.8 km). It is the major land base of the federally recognized Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation. Part of the county seat of Mount Pleasant is located within the reservation.

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 578 square miles (1,500 km), of which 573 square miles (1,480 km) are land and 5.0 square miles (13 km) (0.9%) are water.

Highways

• US 10 – cuts across NE corner of county. Enters at Clare; runs ESE to east county line. Exits to Coleman.
• US 127 – runs north–south through the eastern central part of county. Passes Rosebush and Mt. Pleasant, runs SE to Shepherd, then runs south into Gratiot County.
• M-20 – runs east–west across lower central part of county. Enters from Remus. Ends at Mt. Pleasant.
• (proposed) – I-73 - project in Michigan is inactive

Adjacent counties

• Clare County – north
• Gladwin County – northeast
• Midland County – east
• Gratiot County – southeast
• Montcalm County – southwest
• Mecosta County – west
• Osceola County – northwest

Demographics

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 63,351 people, 22,425 households, and 13,006 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile (42 people/km). There were 24,528 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile (17/km). The racial makeup of the county was 91.51% White, 2.75% Native American, 1.93% Black or African American, 1.40% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. 2.24% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.0% were of German, 10.1% English, 10.0% Irish, 7.5% American and 6.0% Polish ancestry, 95.9% spoke English and 1.6% Spanish as their first language.

There were 22,425 households, out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.40% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.00% were non-families. 23.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.03.

The county population contained 20.30% under the age of 18, 29.40% from 18 to 24, 23.80% from 25 to 44, 17.40% from 45 to 64, and 9.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 91.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,262, and the median income for a family was $45,953. Males had a median income of $32,270 versus $24,180 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,242. 7.40% of families and 20.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.30% of those under age 18 and 7.80% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county government operates 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

• Prosecuting Attorney: David Barberi
• Sheriff: Michael Main
• County Clerk: Minde B. Lux
• Register of Deeds: Karen Jackson
• County Treasurer: Steven W. Pickens
• Drain Commissioner: Robert “Buford” Willoughby

Communities

Cities

• Clare (part)
• Mount Pleasant (county seat)

Villages

• Lake Isabella
• Rosebush
• Shepherd

Charter township

• Union Charter Township

Civil townships

• Broomfield Township
• Chippewa Township
• Coe Township
• Coldwater Township
• Deerfield Township
• Denver Township
• Fremont Township
• Gilmore Township
• Isabella Township
• Lincoln Township
• Nottawa Township
• Rolland Township
• Sherman Township
• Vernon Township
• Wise Township

Census-designated places

• Beal City
• Loomis
• Weidman
• Winn

Unincorporated communities

• Alembic
• Blanchard
• Brinton
• Coe
• Delwin
• Leaton
• Sherman City
• Two Rivers
• Vernon Center
• Vernon City

Indian reservation

• Isabella Indian Reservation

Education

The Gratiot–Isabella Regional Education Service District, based in Ithaca, services the students in the county. The intermediate school district offers regional special education services, early education programs, and technical career pathways for students of its districts.

Isabella County is served by the following regular public school districts:

• Beal City Public Schools
• Mt. Pleasant City School District
• Shepherd Public Schools

The county also has the following independent charter districts:

• Flextech High School - Shepherd
• Renaissance Public School Academy

Isabella County has the following private schools:

• Sacred Heart Academy (Roman Catholic)
• Saginaw Chippewa Academy (Nonsectarian)
• St. Joseph the Worker School (Roman Catholic)
• White Pine Montessori Children's Center (Montessori method)

See also

• List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Isabella County, Michigan
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Isabella County, Michigan

References

1. ^ "Bibliography on Isabella County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
2. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". U.S. 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. History of Isabella County Archived May 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Isabella County, Michigan website (accessed April 21, 2007)
5. Isabella County History and Information Archived December 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, Genealogy Inc. (accessed April 21, 2007)
6. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
7. "Isabella County MI" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
8. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
9. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
11. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
12. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
13. "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
14. US Election Atlas
15. "GIRESD Local School Districts". Gratiot-Isabella Regional Education Service District. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
16. National Center for Education Statistics. "Search for Public School Data - Isabella County, MI". Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
17. National Center for Education Statistics. "Search for Private Schools - Isabella County, MI". Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved July 14, 2023.

External links

• "Bibliography on Isabella County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.
• "Isabella County official website". Isabella County, Michigan.

v t e Places adjacent to Isabella County, Michigan
Osceola County Clare County Gladwin County Mecosta County Isabella County, Michigan Midland County Montcalm County Gratiot County

v t e Municipalities and communities of Isabella County, Michigan, United States
County seat: Mt. Pleasant
Cities	Clare‡ Mt. Pleasant
Villages	Lake Isabella Rosebush Shepherd
Charter township	Union
Civil townships	Broomfield Chippewa Coe Coldwater Deerfield Denver Fremont Gilmore Isabella Lincoln Nottawa Rolland Sherman Vernon Wise
CDPs	Beal City Loomis Weidman Winn
Other communities	Alembic Blanchard Brinton Blanchard Coe Delwin Leaton Millbrook‡ Sherman City Two Rivers Vernon Center Vernon City
Indian reservation	Isabella Indian Reservation‡
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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43°39′N 84°50′W / 43.65°N 84.84°W / 43.65; -84.84

• Michigan counties
• Isabella County, Michigan
• 1859 establishments in Michigan
• Populated places established in 1859