Kalamazoo County is a county in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. As of the
2000 censusThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the population was 238,603. the
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
is
KalamazooKalamazoo is the largest city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 76,145...
. It is part of the
Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan AreaThe Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Area is a United States metropolitan area defined by the federal Office of Management and Budget . The metropolitan area covers the counties of Kalamazoo and Van Buren. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 314,866, with the 2007 Census Bureau...
.
See, Etymology of KalamazooKalamazoo is the name of several places in the U.S. state of Michigan:*The Kalamazoo River*The City of Kalamazoo*Kalamazoo Township*Kalamazoo CountyAll are named after the river, but there is uncertainty concerning the origin of the river's name...
for detail on the origin of the name.
See also, List of Michigan county name etymologies.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 580 square miles (1,503 km²), of which 562 square miles (1,455 km²) is land and 18 square miles (47 km² or 3.16%) is water.
- Barry County
Barry County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Grand Rapids – Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population was 56,755. The county seat is Hastings....
- northeast
- Allegan County
Allegan County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of 2000 census, the population was 105,665. The county seat is Allegan. The name was coined by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft to sound like a Native American word....
- northwest
- Calhoun County
Calhoun County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. The county seat is Marshall. As of the 2000 census, the population was 137,985. The entire county is co-terminous with the Battle Creek, Metropolitan Statistical Area....
- east
- Van Buren County
Van Buren County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 76,263. It is part of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the village of Paw Paw.-History:...
- west
- Branch County
Branch County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 45,787. The county seat is Coldwater.-Geography:According to the U.S...
- southeast
- St.
Kalamazoo County is a county in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. As of the
2000 censusThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the population was 238,603. the
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
is
KalamazooKalamazoo is the largest city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 76,145...
. It is part of the
Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan AreaThe Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Area is a United States metropolitan area defined by the federal Office of Management and Budget . The metropolitan area covers the counties of Kalamazoo and Van Buren. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 314,866, with the 2007 Census Bureau...
.
History
See, Etymology of KalamazooKalamazoo is the name of several places in the U.S. state of Michigan:*The Kalamazoo River*The City of Kalamazoo*Kalamazoo Township*Kalamazoo CountyAll are named after the river, but there is uncertainty concerning the origin of the river's name...
for detail on the origin of the name.
See also, List of Michigan county name etymologies.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 580 square miles (1,503 km²), of which 562 square miles (1,455 km²) is land and 18 square miles (47 km² or 3.16%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Barry County
Barry County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Grand Rapids – Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population was 56,755. The county seat is Hastings....
- northeast
- Allegan County
Allegan County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of 2000 census, the population was 105,665. The county seat is Allegan. The name was coined by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft to sound like a Native American word....
- northwest
- Calhoun County
Calhoun County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. The county seat is Marshall. As of the 2000 census, the population was 137,985. The entire county is co-terminous with the Battle Creek, Metropolitan Statistical Area....
- east
- Van Buren County
Van Buren County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 76,263. It is part of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the village of Paw Paw.-History:...
- west
- Branch County
Branch County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 45,787. The county seat is Coldwater.-Geography:According to the U.S...
- southeast
- St. Joseph County - south
- Cass County
Cass County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 51,104. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area which has a total population of 316,663, and is sometimes considered part of Greater Michiana...
- southwest
Air Service
- The Kalamazoo & Battle Creek Metro Area is served by Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport
Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Kalamazoo, a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States. The airport is also located near the city of Battle CreekThe airport is...
.
Interstates
I-94Interstate 94 is the northernmost east-west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. Its western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
I-94 Business Loop
US highways
US-131U.S. Route 131 is a north-south United States highway. All but of its length is within Michigan. The total length of the highway is around with approximately of that freeway. US 131 also features six business routes. When the U.S. Highway System debuted, US 131 was designated along the path of...
-
BUS US 131
Michigan State Trunklines
M-43M-43 is a highway in southwestern and central parts of the U.S. state of Michigan from South Haven to Webberville. The route is not a direct path between the two cities as the route heads east from South Haven, through Kalamazoo then north to Woodbury where it turns east and heads into Lansing...
M-89M-89 is an east-west state highway in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs from near Ganges Township to Battle Creek. M-89 passes through Allegan County, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, and Calhoun County. It also briefly crosses the southwest corner of Barry County.-Route description:M-89 begins at...
M-96M-96 is a largely urban state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan between Kalamazoo and Marshall. Its termini are both on business loops of I-94, the eastern one coincides with an intersection with I-69...
Intercounty Highways
-
A-45
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 238,603 people, 93,479 households, and 57,956 families residing in the county. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 425 people per square mile (164/km²). There were 99,250 housing units at an average density of 177 per square mile (68/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.57%
WhiteRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 9.73%
BlackRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.41%
Native AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.83%
AsianRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03%
Pacific IslanderRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.27% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.15% from two or more races. 2.64% of the population were
HispanicRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
LatinoRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 18.3% were of
GermanThe German people are an ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent, and speaking the German language as a mother tongue. Within Germany, Germans are defined by citizenship , distinguished from people of German ancestry...
, 11.5%
DutchThe Dutch people are the dominant ethnic group of the Netherlands.Dutch people, or descendants of Dutch people, are also found in migrant communities world wide, notably in Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the United States....
, 10.3%
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....
, 8.4%
IrishThe Irish people are a Western European ethnic group who originate in Ireland, in north western Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians The Irish...
and 7.2%
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 93.7% spoke
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
and 2.8%
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
as their first language.
There were 93,479 households out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.70% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.00% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.10% under the age of 18, 15.20% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,022, and the median income for a family was $53,953. Males had a median income of $39,611 versus $27,965 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the county was $21,739. About 6.50% of families and 12.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.30% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers
public healthPublic health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals." It is concerned with threats to the overall health of a community based...
regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The
county board of commissionersA county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...
controls the budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
Kalamazoo County elected officials
- Prosecuting Attorney
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
: Jeffrey R. Fink (RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
)
- Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
: Richard Fuller (DemocratThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
)
- County Clerk
The term "county clerk" has been commonly applied, in several English-speaking countries, to an official of a county government.- United States :...
/Register of Deeds: Timothy A. Snow (Republican)
- County Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization.-Government:The Treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The Treasurer is generally the head of the Treasury, although, in some countries A treasurer is the...
: Mary Balkema (Republican)
- Drain Commissioner
A drain commissioner is an elected official in counties of the U.S. state of Michigan with a population over 12,000. In counties with a population under 12,000, the statutory duties and responsibilities of the drain commissioner are performed by the county's board of road commissioners.The office...
: Patricia A. S. Crowley (Democrat)
- County Surveyor: Gary D. Hahn (Republican)
- County Commission or Board of Commissioners: 17 members, elected from districts (8 Republicans, 9 Democrats)
- Circuit Court: 7 judges (non-partisan)
(information as of January 2009)
Cities, villages, and townships
Cities
- Galesburg
Galesburg is a city in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,988 at the 2000 census.Galesburg is on the north side of the Kalamazoo River on the boundary between Comstock Charter Township on the west and Charleston Township on the east, but is politically independent...
- Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo is the largest city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 76,145...
- Parchment
Parchment is a city in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,936 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a parchment company.Parchment is just north of the city of Kalamazoo.-History :...
- Portage
Portage is a city in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 44,897 at the 2000 census.Portage is adjacent to the southern boundary of the City of Kalamazoo. The city was incorporated from the entirety of the former Portage Township on December 31, 1963.There are two...
Villages
- Augusta
Augusta is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 899 at the 2000 census. The village is mostly within Ross Township, though a small portion extends south into Charleston Township....
- Climax
Climax is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 791 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Climax Township on the northern boundary with Charleston Township, and is roughly 15 miles west of Battle Creek and 10 miles east of Kalamazoo...
- Richland
Richland is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 593 at the 2000 census.The village is within Richland Township about nine miles northeast of Kalamazoo.-Geography:...
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,587 at the 2000 census. The village is named in honor of Henry Schoolcraft, an ethnologist.The village is located within Schoolcraft Township along US 131....
- Vicksburg
Vicksburg is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,320 at the 2000 census.The village is located mostly within Schoolcraft Township on the east side, though a portion is also within Brady Township.-History:...
Unincorporated
- Comstock Northwest
Comstock Northwest is a census-designated place in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As a CDP, it is not a municipality. The population was 4,472 at the 2000 census....
- Eastwood
Eastwood is an unincorporated community in Kalamazoo Charter Township, Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as an incorporated municipality...
- Greater Galesburg
Greater Galesburg is a census-designated place in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan, surrounding the city of Galesburg. As a CDP, it used for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as a municipality. The population was 1,631 at the 2000 census.The CDP area includes...
- South Gull Lake
South Gull Lake is an unincorporated community in Ross Township, Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a Census-designated place used for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population was 1,526 at the 2000 census.The CDP...
- Westwood
Westwood is an unincorporated community in Kalamazoo Charter Township, Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population was 9,122 at the 2000 census.The...
Townships
- Alamo Township
Alamo Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,820.-Geography:...
- Brady Township
Brady Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 4,263.-Communities:*The village of Vicksburg is located partially within the township on the west side.-Geography:...
- Charleston Township
Charleston Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,813 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Climax Township
Climax Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,412 at the 2000 census.The Village of Climax is located within the township along the northern boundary with Charleston Township.-Geography:...
- Comstock Charter Township
Comstock Charter Township is a charter township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 13,851 at the 2000 census.- Communities :...
- Cooper Charter Township
- Kalamazoo Charter Township
Kalamazoo Charter Township is a charter township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,675 at the 2000 census....
- Oshtemo Charter Township
- Pavilion Township
Pavilion Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,829 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Prairie Ronde Township
Prairie Ronde Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,086 at the 2000 census.Prairie Ronde is the birthplace of the women's suffragist Olympia Brown.-Geography:...
- Richland Township
Richland Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,491 at the 2000 census.The village of Richland is located within the township.-Geography:...
- Ross Township
Ross Township is a township in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,047 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*The village of Augusta is mostly within the township on the southern boundary with Charleston Townhship....
- Schoolcraft Township
Schoolcraft Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,260 at the 2000 census. The township is named for Henry Schoolcraft, noted for conducting many early land surveys throughout Michigan....
- Texas Charter Township
Texas Charter Township, officially named the Charter Township of Texas, is a charter township of Kalamazoo County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 10,919...
- Wakeshma Township
Wakeshma Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,414 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
External links