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County · code 26061

Houghton CountyMichigan

Houghton County is a county in Michigan, founded in 1845, with its seat at Houghton.

  • Founded1845
  • County seatHoughton
  • Named forDouglass Houghton
  • Land area1,009 sq mi + 492 sq mi water
  • Population37,361 2020 Census
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Updated

BaragaOntonagonKeweenawMarquette Houghton Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Houghton on the map of Michigan

Michigan has 83 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Alcona CountyAlger CountyAllegan CountyAlpena CountyAntrim CountyArenac CountyBaraga CountyBarry CountyBay CountyBenzie CountyBerrien CountyBranch CountyCalhoun CountyCass CountyCharlevoix CountyCheboygan CountyChippewa CountyClare CountyClinton CountyCrawford CountyDelta CountyDickinson CountyEaton CountyEmmet CountyGenesee CountyGladwin CountyGogebic CountyGrand Traverse CountyGratiot CountyHillsdale CountyHuron CountyIngham CountyIonia CountyIosco CountyIron CountyIsabella CountyJackson CountyKalamazoo CountyKalkaska CountyKent CountyKeweenaw CountyLake CountyLapeer CountyLeelanau CountyLenawee CountyLivingston CountyLuce CountyMackinac CountyMacomb CountyManistee CountyMarquette CountyMason CountyMecosta CountyMenominee CountyMidland CountyMissaukee CountyMonroe CountyMontcalm CountyMontmorency CountyMuskegon CountyNewaygo CountyOakland CountyOceana CountyOgemaw CountyOntonagon CountyOsceola CountyOscoda CountyOtsego CountyOttawa CountyPresque Isle CountyRoscommon CountySaginaw CountySt. Clair CountySt. Joseph CountySanilac CountySchoolcraft CountyShiawassee CountyTuscola CountyVan Buren CountyWashtenaw CountyWayne CountyWexford CountyHoughton County Houghton
Counties of Michigan · Houghton highlighted

History

Formed in 1845 from Marquette County, Ontonagon County and Chippewa County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Houghton was created in 1845 from Marquette and Ontonagon and was initially attached to Chippewa County for judicial purposes. In 1846, Houghton was fully organized and detached from Chippewa, with Marquette, Ontonagon, and Schoolcraft counties attached to it for judicial purposes. Through a series of adjustments between 1851 and 1861, Houghton lost Marquette, Ontonagon, and land to the new counties of Keweenaw and Baraga, then gained territory from Marquette and Ontonagon before losing it again. In 1885, Houghton exchanged land with Baraga County and had the extinct Isle Royale County attached to it for judicial purposes until 1897, when Isle Royale was eliminated and attached to Keweenaw County.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1845
    Houghton County created Houghton created from Marquette and Ontonagon (both of which were attached to Chippewa); Houghton not fully organized, attached to Chippewa "for judicial purposes."
    from Marquettefrom Ontonagonfrom Chippewa
    · Mich. Acts 1845, ann. sess., no. 48/p. 58
  2. 1853
    Lost territory Houghton lost to Ontonagon; Ontonagon fully organized, detached from Houghton.
    to Ontonagon
    · Mich. Acts 1853, reg. sess., no. 3/p. 3
  3. 1861
    Lost territory Houghton lost to creation of Keweenaw.
    to Keweenaw
    · Mich. Acts 1861, reg. sess., no. 118/p. 156; Mich. Acts 1862, ext. sess., nos. 2-3/pp. 2-3
  4. 1861
    Gained territory Houghton gained from Marquette and Ontonagon.
    from Marquettefrom Ontonagon
    · Mich. Acts 1861, reg. sess., no. 128/p. 173
  5. 1861
    Lost territory Houghton lost to Marquette.
    to Marquette
    · Mich. Acts 1861, reg. sess., no. 261/p. 556
Show all 12 changes (7 more)
  1. 1845
    Houghton County created Houghton created from Marquette and Ontonagon (both of which were attached to Chippewa); Houghton not fully organized, attached to Chippewa "for judicial purposes."
    from Marquettefrom Ontonagonfrom Chippewa
    · Mich. Acts 1845, ann. sess., no. 48/p. 58
  2. 1846
    Changed Houghton fully organized, detached from Chippewa; Marquette, Ontonagon, and Schoolcraft detached from Chippewa, attached to Houghton "for judicial and other purposes."
    ChippewaMarquetteOntonagonSchoolcraft
    · Mich. Acts 1846, ann. sess., no. 157, secs. 1, 7/pp. 286-287
  3. 1848
    Boundary clarified Houghton boundaries were redefined (no change).
    no change
    · Mich. Acts 1848, ann. sess., no. 229, secs. 1-4, 10/pp. 345-347
  4. 1851
    Changed Marquette fully organized, detached from Houghton; Schoolcraft detached from Houghton, attached to Marquette "for judicial purposes."
    MarquetteSchoolcraft
    · Mich. Acts 1851, ann. sess., no. 105/p. 142; Mich. Acts 1853, reg. sess., no. 4/p. 4
  5. 1853
    Lost territory Houghton lost to Ontonagon; Ontonagon fully organized, detached from Houghton.
    to Ontonagon
    · Mich. Acts 1853, reg. sess., no. 3/p. 3
  6. 1861
    Lost territory Houghton lost to creation of Keweenaw.
    to Keweenaw
    · Mich. Acts 1861, reg. sess., no. 118/p. 156; Mich. Acts 1862, ext. sess., nos. 2-3/pp. 2-3
  7. 1861
    Gained territory Houghton gained from Marquette and Ontonagon.
    from Marquettefrom Ontonagon
    · Mich. Acts 1861, reg. sess., no. 128/p. 173
  8. 1861
    Lost territory Houghton lost to Marquette.
    to Marquette
    · Mich. Acts 1861, reg. sess., no. 261/p. 556
  9. 1875
    Lost territory Houghton lost to creation of Baraga.
    to Baraga
    · Mich. Acts 1875, reg. sess., pub., no. 14/p. 13
  10. 1885
    Exchanged territory Houghton exchanged with Baraga.
    with Baraga
    · Mich. Acts 1885, reg. sess., pub., no. 12/p. 10
  11. 1885
    Changed Isle Royale (extinct) no longer fully organized, attached to Houghton "for judicial purposes."
    Isle Royale
    · Mich. Acts 1885, reg. sess., pub., no. 16/p. 13
  12. 1897
    Lost territory Houghton lost Isle Royale attachment to Keweenaw; Isle Royale eliminated.
    to Isle Royaleto Keweenaw
    · Mich. Acts 1897, reg. sess., pub., no. 65/p. 75

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Houghton

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Houghton by the Census

Population
37,361 2020 Census count
Housing units
18,632 2020 Census count
Land area
1,009 square miles
Water area
492 square miles · 33% of the county, including large bodies of water
People per sq mi
37 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Records

Permits

Zoning and code

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Houghton County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

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Questions

Common questions about Houghton County

When was Houghton County founded?
Houghton County was founded in 1845, formed from Marquette County, Ontonagon County and Chippewa County, and named after Douglass Houghton.
What is the county seat of Houghton County?
The county seat of Houghton County is Houghton.
Is there an online parcel map for Houghton County?
Not that we have found yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the county assessor's office. When a public parcel map appears, it shows here.
Has Houghton County's boundary or name changed?
Houghton County was created in 1845 from Marquette County, Ontonagon County and Chippewa County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 10 later changes, chiefly involving Marquette County, Ontonagon County and Baraga County.
Who issues septic and well permits in Houghton County?
The county's page on septic systems and wells: Department of Health & Human Services.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Houghton County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door