Kalkaska County is located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, its population was 17,939. The county seat is Kalkaska. Kalkaska County is part of the Traverse City metropolitan area. Although it is located on Michigan's Lower Peninsula, Kalkaska County is considered part of Northern Michigan.

History

Kalkaska County, originally named Wabassee County, was separated from Michilimackinac County in 1840, renamed in 1843. In 1851, Kalkaska County was attached to Grand Traverse County for legal purposes. The first settler in Kalkaska County was William Copeland, from England, who purchased land in the northwest corner of the county in 1855. Kalkaska County was organized in its own right on January 27, 1871. Crawford County was then temporarily attached to Kalkaska County for legal purposes.

Etymology

The county's name is a pseudo-Native American word coined by Henry Schoolcraft, a Michigan geographer and ethnologist. The name is thought to be a Chippewa word meaning flat or burned-over country. An alternative theory is that this is a neologism or neonym created by Henry Schoolcraft, originally spelled Calcasca. Some theorists suggest this is word play. Schoolcraft's family name had been Calcraft, and the Ks may have been added to make the name appear more like a Native American word.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 571 sqmi, of which 11 sqmi (1.9%) are covered by water. Kalkaska sand, the state soil of Michigan, was named after the county because of the large amounts deposited in the area from glaciers in the Ice Age. Kalkaska County has over 80 lakes and 275 mi of streams and rivers. Much of the county is marshland. County elevation ranges from 595 ft to about 1246 ft. This makes it one of the more uneven counties in the Lower Peninsula. The Pere Marquette State Forest covers much of the county. Glaciers shaped the area, creating a unique regional ecosystem. A large portion of the area is the Grayling outwash plain, a broad outwash plain including sandy ice-disintegration ridges, jack pine barrens, some white pine-red pine forest, and northern hardwood forest. Large lakes were created by glacial action.

Lakes

Rivers

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Communities

Village

Civil townships

Former townships

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Demographics

At the 2010 United States census there were 16,571 people, 6,428 households, and 4,634 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 PD/sqmi. There were 10,822 housing units at an average density of 19 /mi2. By the 2020 census, its population was 17,939. In 2010, the racial makeup of the county was 98.44% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 0.78% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, 0.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.6% were of German, 12.4% English, 10.4% Irish, 10.0% American, 6.3% Polish and 5.1% French ancestry. 98.8% spoke English as their first language.

Government

Kalkaska County voters have been reliably Republican from the start. They have selected the Republican Party nominee in 86% of national elections (31 of 36). 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.

Events

The National Trout Festival is an annual festival since 1936, held in April. It notes the heritage and sportsmanship of Kalkaska.

Education

The Northwest Educational Services, based in Traverse City, services the students in the county along with those of Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau. The intermediate school district offers regional special education services, early education and English learner programs, and technical career pathways for students of its districts. Kalkaska County is served by the following regular public school districts: