Antrim County, Michigan

Antrim County Education, Geography, and History

Antrim County is a county located in the state of Michigan. The county was formed in 1840. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 23,580. The county seat is Bellaire. The name is taken from County Antrim in Northern Ireland.

Etymology - Origin of Antrim County Name

Antrim County is named for County Antrim in Ireland.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Antrim County History

The name is taken from County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Antrim was originally named Meegisee, meaning "eagle," which was the name of a Chippewa chief who signed the 1821 Treaty of Chicago and the 1826 Treaty of Mississinwas. The name Antrim was one of five Irish names given to renamed counties in 1843, supposedly in deference to the increasing number of settlers of Irish heritage in Michigan at that time. In the text of the 1843 legislative act, the name was misspelled as "Antim".

Set Off: 1840 as Megisee County. Name changed to Antrim in 1843.

Organized: 1863

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 602 square miles (1,560 km²), of which 476 square miles (1,230 km²) is land and 126 square miles (330 km²) (21%) is water.

The county is considered to be part of Northern Michigan. Glaciers shaped the area, creating a unique regional ecosystem. A large portion of the area is the so-called Grayling outwash plain, which consists of 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

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Charlevoix County (north)
• Otsego County (east)
• Kalkaska County (south)
• Grand Traverse County (southwest)
  

Education

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