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County · code 26105

Mason CountyMichigan

Mason County is in Michigan and has its seat at Ludington. It was created in 1840 from Michilimackinac County and named after Stevens T. Mason.

  • Founded1840
  • County seatLudington
  • Named forStevens T. Mason
  • Land area495 sq mi + 747 sq mi water
  • Population29,052 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped24,953 checked 15 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Mason County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

OceanaManisteeLakeNewaygoManitowoc, WISheboygan, WI Ludington Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Mason 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 CountyHoughton CountyHuron CountyIngham CountyIonia CountyIosco CountyIron CountyIsabella CountyJackson CountyKalamazoo CountyKalkaska CountyKent CountyKeweenaw CountyLake CountyLapeer CountyLeelanau CountyLenawee CountyLivingston CountyLuce CountyMackinac CountyMacomb CountyManistee CountyMarquette 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 CountyMason County Mason
Counties of Michigan · Mason highlighted

History

Formed in 1840 from Michilimackinac County, Mackinac County and Ottawa County

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

Originally called Notipekago when created from Michilimackinac, Mackinac, and Ottawa counties in 1840, it was attached to Ottawa County for judicial purposes. The county was renamed Mason in 1843 and fully organized in 1855. Over the following decades, its boundaries shifted as Lake and Osceola counties were attached and detached for judicial and municipal purposes, with Lake County finally becoming fully organized and separated in 1871.

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

  1. 1840
    Mason County created Notipekago (now Mason) created from Michilimackinac (now Mackinac); Notipekago not fully organized, attached to Ottawa "for judicial purposes."
    from Michilimackinacfrom Mackinacfrom Ottawa
    · Mich. Acts 1840, ann. sess., no. 119, secs. 5, 35/pp. 196, 200
  2. 1843
    Renamed Notipekago renamed Mason.
    formerly Notipekago
    · Mich. Acts 1843, ann. sess., no. 67/p. 145
  3. 1855
    Changed Mason fully organized, detached from Ottawa; Lake and Osceola detached from Ottawa, attached to Mason "for judicial purposes."
    OttawaLakeOsceola
    · Mich. Acts 1855, reg. sess., no. 171, secs. 1-3/pp. 423-424
  4. 1857
    Changed Lake and Osceola detached from Mason, attached to Newaygo "for judicial and municipal purposes."
    LakeOsceolaNewaygo
    · Mich. Acts 1857, reg. sess., no. 180/p. 463
  5. 1858
    Changed Lake detached from Newaygo, re-attached to Mason "for judicial and municipal purposes."
    LakeNewaygo
    · Mich. Acts 1858, ext. sess., no. 5, sec. 1/p. 15
Show all 8 changes (3 more)
  1. 1840
    Mason County created Notipekago (now Mason) created from Michilimackinac (now Mackinac); Notipekago not fully organized, attached to Ottawa "for judicial purposes."
    from Michilimackinacfrom Mackinacfrom Ottawa
    · Mich. Acts 1840, ann. sess., no. 119, secs. 5, 35/pp. 196, 200
  2. 1843
    Renamed Notipekago renamed Mason.
    formerly Notipekago
    · Mich. Acts 1843, ann. sess., no. 67/p. 145
  3. 1855
    Changed Mason fully organized, detached from Ottawa; Lake and Osceola detached from Ottawa, attached to Mason "for judicial purposes."
    OttawaLakeOsceola
    · Mich. Acts 1855, reg. sess., no. 171, secs. 1-3/pp. 423-424
  4. 1857
    Changed Lake and Osceola detached from Mason, attached to Newaygo "for judicial and municipal purposes."
    LakeOsceolaNewaygo
    · Mich. Acts 1857, reg. sess., no. 180/p. 463
  5. 1858
    Changed Lake detached from Newaygo, re-attached to Mason "for judicial and municipal purposes."
    LakeNewaygo
    · Mich. Acts 1858, ext. sess., no. 5, sec. 1/p. 15
  6. 1867
    Changed Part of Lake was detached from Mason, attached to Mecosta "for municipal and judicial purposes."
    LakeMecosta
    · Mich. Acts 1867, reg. sess., no. 444/p. 925
  7. 1869
    Changed Part of Lake was detached from Mason, attached to Osceola "for judicial and municipal purposes."
    LakeOsceola
    · Mich. Acts 1869, reg. sess., no. 308/p. 605
  8. 1871
    Changed Lake fully organized, detached from Mason.
    Lake
    · Mich. Acts 1871, reg. sess., no. 357, secs. 1, 7/pp. 71, 73

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Mason

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

Mason by the Census

Population
29,052 2020 Census count
Housing units
17,392 2020 Census count
Land area
495 square miles
Water area
747 square miles · 60% of the county, including large bodies of water
People per sq mi
59 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.

Zoning and code

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Mason 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 Mason County

When was Mason County founded?
Mason County was founded in 1840, formed from Michilimackinac County, Mackinac County and Ottawa County, and named after Stevens T. Mason.
What is the county seat of Mason County?
The county seat of Mason County is Ludington.
Is there an online parcel map for Mason County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 24,953 parcels, rated official here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Mason County's boundary or name changed?
Mason County was created in 1840 from Michilimackinac County, Mackinac County and Ottawa County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Lake County, Osceola County and Newaygo County. It was formerly called Notipekago.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Mason 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