Ontonagon County ( ) is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,816, making it Michigan's third-least populous county. The county seat is Ontonagon. The county was set off in 1843, and organized in 1848. Its territory had been organized as part of Chippewa and Mackinac counties. With increasing population in the area, more counties were organized. After Ontonagon was organized, it was split to create Gogebic County. It is also the westernmost county in United States that lies within the Eastern Time Zone.
History
In 1843, Michigan's Upper Peninsula was divided into Mackinac, Chippewa, Marquette, Schoolcraft, Delta, and Ontonagon Counties. In 1845, a portion of Ontonagon County was partitioned to be part of Houghton County. In 1846, the village of Ontonagon was named as the county seat of Ontonagon County.
Ontonagon County is part of Copper Country, a region of the Upper Peninsula with prevalent copper mining from 1845 until the late 1960s. Prehistoric mining was conducted by local Native American populations. The first attempts by Europeans to mine copper in the area came in 1771 in the Ontonagon River. The last copper mine in Copper Country was the White Pine mine, which closed in 1995.
Etymology
The county is named after the Ontonagon River. The name is said to be loosely derived from an Ojibwe language word noojitoon ziibi, meaning "hunting river." A French transliteration, Nantounagon, identified the river on a 1670 French map. Alternatively, and perhaps more accurately, it is said to be derived from the Ojibwa onagon, which means "dish" or "bowl." See List of Michigan county name etymologies.
Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (65%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Michigan by area.
Ontonagon County is located in the western Upper Peninsula, along the shore of Lake Superior. At a longitude of 89.5°W, it is the westernmost county in the United States contained entirely within the Eastern Time Zone.
Geographic features
Porcupine Mountains
Lake of the Clouds
Lake Superior
Lake Gogebic is the largest lake in the Upper Peninsula. Corpse Pond Ontonagon River Firesteel River Flintsteel River Halfway Creek Townline Creek Maple Leaf Creek
Adjacent counties
By land
Houghton County (east) Iron County (southeast; CST border) Gogebic County (south, southwest; CST border)
By water
Ashland County, Wisconsin (west; CST border) Cook County, Minnesota (northwest; CST border) Keweenaw County (northeast)
National protected areas
Keweenaw National Historical Park (part) Ottawa National Forest (part)
Transportation
Major highways
– runs north–south through east-central part of county. Enters south line from Watersmeet, passes Paulding, Bruce Crossing, and Rockland, ending at Ontonagon. – enters east line of county at south of NE county corner. Runs SW, passing Mass City and Lake Mine, to intersection with M-38 east of Rockland. – runs east–west thru southern part of county. Enters north of SE county corner. Runs westerly into Gogebic County. – enters east line of county at a point east of Mass City. Runs west to Lake Mine, then WNW to terminus at Ontonagon. – runs north–south through center part of county. Enters south line on west side of Lake Gogebic; runs north to Lake Superior shoreline. Runs NE along shoreline to terminus at Ontonagon.
Airport
Ontonagon County Airport (KOGM) serves the county and surrounding communities.
Demographics
The 2010 United States census indicated Ontonagon County had a population of 6,780. In 2010 there were 3,258 households and 1,954 families in the county. The population density was . There were 5,672 housing units at an average density of . At the 2010 census, 97.3% of the population were White, 1.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.1% of some other race and 1.3% of two or more races. 0.9% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). By the publication of the 2020 census, its population declined to 5,816.