County · code 26079
Kalkaska CountyMichigan
Kalkaska County is a county in Michigan with its seat in Kalkaska, formed in 1840.
- Founded1840
- County seatKalkaska
- Land area560 sq mi + 11 sq mi water
- Population17,939 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped20,298 checked 14 October 2026
Where it is
Kalkaska on the map of Michigan
Michigan has 83 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1840 from Michilimackinac County and Mackinac County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Kalkaska County was created in 1840 as Wabassee from Michilimackinac (now Mackinac County) but was not fully organized and remained attached to Michilimackinac for judicial purposes. In 1843, Wabassee was renamed Kalkaska. Over the following decades, Kalkaska was attached to Grand Traverse County and then Antrim County for various judicial and municipal purposes before becoming fully organized in 1871, after which Crawford County was detached from it in 1879.
- 1840Kalkaska County created Wabassee (now Kalkaska) created from Michilimackinac (now Mackinac); Wabassee not fully organized, attached to Michilimackinac "for judicial purposes."from Michilimackinacfrom Mackinac· Mich. Acts 1840, ann. sess., no. 119, secs. 18, 35/pp. 198, 200
- 1843Renamed Wabassee renamed Kalkaska.formerly Wabassee· Mich. Acts 1843, ann. sess., no. 67/p. 145
- 1853Changed Kalkaska detached from Mackinac, attached to Grand Traverse "for judicial and municipal purposes." · Mich. Acts 1853, reg. sess., no. 34/p. 43
- 1863Changed Kalkaska detached from Grand Traverse, attached to Antrim "for municipal and judicial purposes." · Mich. Acts 1863, reg. sess., no. 78/p. 119
- 1871
- 1879Changed Crawford fully organized, detached from Kalkaska. · Mich. Acts 1879, reg. sess., pub., no. 12/p. 8
- 1881Lost territory Kalkaska lost small area to Antrim. · Mich. Acts 1881, reg. sess., loc., no. 315/p. 102
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Kalkaska
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Fallback
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 20,298 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey. This copy is a fallback, not the county's own: use it as a guide and check the official record.
edited 10 May 2021 · checked 14 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Kalkaska County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- 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
Kalkaska by the Census
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.
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Kalkaska County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Kalkaska 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.
Questions
Common questions about Kalkaska County
- When was Kalkaska County founded?
- Kalkaska County was founded in 1840, formed from Michilimackinac County and Mackinac County.
- What is the county seat of Kalkaska County?
- The county seat of Kalkaska County is Kalkaska.
- Is there an online parcel map for Kalkaska County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 20,298 parcels, rated fallback here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Kalkaska County's boundary or name changed?
- Kalkaska County was created in 1840 from Michilimackinac County and Mackinac County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 6 later changes, chiefly involving Antrim County, Crawford County and Grand Traverse County. It was formerly called Wabassee.
- Who issues building permits in Kalkaska County?
- The county's page on building permits: Kalkaska County Soil Erosion Sedimentation Control Permit Application. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Kalkaska County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby