Glen Arbor Township, Michigan

Glen Arbor Township, Michigan
Township
Glen Arbor Township, Michigan

Location within the state of Michigan

Coordinates: 44°53′46″N 85°59′54″W / 44.89611°N 85.99833°WCoordinates: 44°53′46″N 85°59′54″W / 44.89611°N 85.99833°W
Country United States
State Michigan
County Leelanau
Area
 • Total 87.6 sq mi (226.8 km2)
 • Land 28.6 sq mi (74.0 km2)
 • Water 59.0 sq mi (152.8 km2)
Elevation 581 ft (177 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 788
 • Density 27.6/sq mi (10.6/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 49636
Area code(s) 231
FIPS code 26-32380[1]
GNIS feature ID 1626359[2]

Glen Arbor Township is a civil township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 788 at the 2000 census.

History

Euro-American settlement in Glen Arbor began in 1848.[3]

Geography

A sunset and South Manitou Island as seen from Glen Arbor
D.H. Day Historic Farm, Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 87.6 square miles (227 km2), of which 28.6 square miles (74 km2) is land and 59.0 square miles (153 km2) (67.34%) is water. It is located along the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which was recently named the "Most Beautiful Place in America" by Good Morning America.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 788 people, 377 households, and 257 families residing in the township. The population density was 27.6 per square mile (10.6/km²). There were 1,617 housing units at an average density of 56.6 per square mile (21.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 99.24% White, 0.13% African American, 0.25% Asian, 0.13% from other races, and 0.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.

There were 377 households out of which 17.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, 4.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.56.

In the township the population was spread out with 16.8% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 14.7% from 25 to 44, 35.7% from 45 to 64, and 29.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $46,719, and the median income for a family was $58,571. Males had a median income of $35,114 versus $30,179 for females. The per capita income for the township was $29,070. About 1.5% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

Lifestyle

Glen Arbor is a popular tourist area for a few months during the summer when the local merchants and year-round inhabitants watch the population nearly triple. Residents of Detroit, Chicago, and many other parts of the Midwest travel to Northern Michigan to enjoy the warm weather and scenic beaches. Glen Arbor is situated on a small strip of land directly between Glen Lake and Lake Michigan which allows visitors to choose from two different bodies of water from which to waterski, fish, or sunbathe. The community sits in the middle of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a federally protected park.

During the winter months, year-round inhabitants remain in the area to take advantage of outdoor winter sports. Both downhill skiing and cross-country skiing are popular pastimes along with hiking and hunting.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Glen Arbor Township, Michigan
  3. ↑ Walter Romig, Michigan Place Names, p. 224

Further reading

External links