St. Clair County, Michigan

St. Clair County
St. Clair County
County
	Fort Gratiot Light
	Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
	Michigan's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 42°56′N 82°40′W / 42.93°N 82.67°W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Founded	March 28, 1820 (created); 1821 (organized)
Named for	St. Clare of Assisi
Seat	Port Huron
Largest city	Port Huron
Area
• Total	837 sq mi (2,170 km2)
• Land	721 sq mi (1,870 km2)
• Water	115 sq mi (300 km2) 14%
Population (2020)
• Total	160,383
• Density	190/sq mi (70/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Area code	810
Congressional district	9th
Website	www.stclaircounty.org

St. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan and bordering the west bank of the St. Clair River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 160,383.^[3] It is the 13th-most populous county in the state. The county seat is Port Huron, located at the north end of the St. Clair River at Lake Huron.^[1]^[4] The county was created September 10, 1820, and its government was organized in 1821.^[1] It is located northeast of Detroit. It is considered by the State of Michigan to be a part of The Thumb, a peninsula that is surrounded by Lake Huron in the east-central area of the state.^[5] This area is sometimes dubbed the Blue Water Area.^[6]

Etymology

French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle led an expedition to this area on August 12, 1679. They named the lake as Lac Sainte-Claire, because it was the feast day of Saint Clare of Assisi, whom they venerated.^[1]^[7] English mapmakers adopted the French name, identifying the lake feature as Saint Clare on maps dated as early as 1710. By the Mitchell Map of 1755, the spelling was given as St. Clair, which later became the current version in 1924.^[8] Located along the western shores of Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River, the county was named for them by European-American settlers.

The name is sometimes mistakenly attributed to honoring Arthur St. Clair, an American Revolutionary War general and governor of the Northwest Territory, but it was established long before he was considered a notable figure.^[9] The earlier spelling of the lake's name may have been conflated with English practice and the name of the general, as several political jurisdictions near the lake and the river, such as St. Clair County, St. Clair Township, and the cities of St. Clair and St. Clair Shores, share this spelling (see List of Michigan county name etymologies).

The name has sometimes been mistakenly attributed to honoring Patrick Sinclair, a British officer who purchased land on the St. Clair River at the mouth of the Pine River. In 1764, he built Fort Sinclair there, which was in use for nearly 20 years before being abandoned.^[10] As noted, the name was established before he was active in the area.

Geography

St. Clair County is also called the Blue Water Area.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 837 square miles (2,170 km²), of which 721 square miles (1,870 km²) is land and 115 square miles (300 km²) (14%) is water.^[11] St. Clair County is one of five counties that form the peninsula, known as the Thumb, that projects into Lake Huron. St. Clair County is closely connected in terms of economy with its neighbors, Metro Detroit and Sanilac County in Michigan, and Lambton County across the river in Ontario, Canada. Saint Clair County is the principal county in The Blue Water Area, a sub-region of the Thumb.

Adjacent counties

Sanilac (north)
Lapeer (west)
Macomb (south)
Lambton, Ontario (east)

Major highways

I-69 enters the county from the west, coming from Lansing and Flint, terminating at the approach to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron. (Once fully completed, the mainline of I-69 will span from Brownsville, Texas to Port Huron, Michigan.)
I-94 enters St. Clair County from the southwest, having traversed the entire Metro Detroit region, and terminates at the approach to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron. On the Canadian side of the border, in Sarnia, Ontario, the route heads easterly, designated as Highway 402.
BL I-69
BL I-94
M-19
M-25 follows the Lake Huron–Saginaw Bay shoreline, beginning in Bay City and ending at a junction with |I-94/|I-69, and BL I-94/BL I-69 on the north side of Port Huron.
M-29
M-136
M-154 serves Harsens Island, in Lake St. Clair.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	1,114		—
1840	4,606		313.5%
1850	10,420		126.2%
1860	26,604		155.3%
1870	36,661		37.8%
1880	46,197		26.0%
1890	52,105		12.8%
1900	55,228		6.0%
1910	52,341		−5.2%
1920	58,009		10.8%
1930	67,563		16.5%
1940	76,222		12.8%
1950	91,599		20.2%
1960	107,201		17.0%
1970	120,175		12.1%
1980	138,802		15.5%
1990	145,607		4.9%
2000	164,235		12.8%
2010	163,040		−0.7%
2020	160,383		−1.6%
2023 (est.)	159,874	^[12]	−0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census^[13] 1790-1960^[14] 1900-1990^[15] 1990-2000^[16] 2010-2019^[3]

The 2010 United States census^[17] indicates St. Clair County had a 2010 population of 163,040. This is a decrease of -1,195 people from the 2000 United States census. Overall, the county had a -0.7% growth rate during this ten-year period. In 2010 there were 63,841 households and 44,238 families in the county. The population density was 226.1 per square mile (87.3 per square kilometer). There were 71,822 housing units at an average density of 99.6 per square mile (38.5 per square kilometer). 93.9% were White, 2.4% Black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% of some other race and 2.0% of two or more races. 2.9% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 25.9% identified as of German, 10.2% Polish, 9.3% Irish, 8.5% English, 6.5% French, 6.5% American, and 5.1% Italian ancestry.^[17]

There were 63,841 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were opposite-sex families, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.7% were non-families, and 25.5% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.

The 2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimate^[17] indicates the median income for a household in the county was $44,369 and the median income for a family was $53,207. Males had a median income of $30,056 versus $16,771 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,390. About 10.4% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under the age of 18 and 6.8% 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 health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners 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.

Elected officials

Prosecuting attorney: Michael D. Wendling^[18]
Sheriff: Mat King^[19]
County clerk/register of deeds: Angie Waters^[20]^[21]^[22]
County treasurer: Kelly Roberts-Burnett^[23]
Drain commissioner: Robert Wiley^[24]
County commissioner, district 1: Steven Simasko^[25]
County commissioner, district 2: Jorja Baldwin
County commissioner, district 3: Lisa Beedon
County commissioner, district 4: Joi Torello
County commissioner, district 5: Jeffrey L. Bohm
County commissioner, district 6: David Rushing
County commissioner, district 7: Dave Vandenbossche
31st Circuit Court: Cynthia Lane, Michael West, Daniel Damman^[26]
72nd District Court: Michael Hulewicz; John Monaghan; Mona Armstrong^[27]
Probate Court: Jennifer Deegan; John Tomlinson^[28]

(information as of February 2023^[update])

United States presidential election results for St. Clair County, Michigan^[29]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	59,185	64.19%	31,363	34.02%	1,654	1.79%
2016	49,051	62.88%	24,553	31.48%	4,399	5.64%
2012	39,271	52.94%	33,983	45.81%	927	1.25%
2008	38,536	47.63%	40,677	50.28%	1,687	2.09%
2004	42,740	53.60%	36,174	45.36%	829	1.04%
2000	33,571	49.00%	33,002	48.17%	1,943	2.84%
1996	22,495	37.42%	28,881	48.04%	8,742	14.54%
1992	24,508	36.67%	23,385	34.99%	18,939	28.34%
1988	32,336	60.26%	20,909	38.97%	413	0.77%
1984	36,114	67.63%	16,998	31.83%	287	0.54%
1980	31,021	55.61%	20,410	36.59%	4,348	7.80%
1976	26,311	52.74%	22,734	45.57%	844	1.69%
1972	28,471	63.05%	15,712	34.79%	976	2.16%
1968	21,084	49.41%	16,251	38.09%	5,334	12.50%
1964	17,011	40.76%	24,662	59.09%	62	0.15%
1960	27,366	59.79%	18,332	40.05%	76	0.17%
1956	29,116	69.46%	12,753	30.42%	51	0.12%
1952	27,894	69.29%	12,268	30.47%	94	0.23%
1948	17,883	61.79%	10,647	36.79%	412	1.42%
1944	19,175	61.61%	11,813	37.96%	135	0.43%
1940	18,635	60.16%	12,259	39.58%	82	0.26%
1936	12,760	45.93%	12,663	45.58%	2,359	8.49%
1932	14,883	53.08%	12,776	45.56%	382	1.36%
1928	18,177	71.57%	7,151	28.15%	71	0.28%
1924	17,435	76.54%	3,600	15.80%	1,745	7.66%
1920	14,938	75.14%	4,566	22.97%	375	1.89%
1916	6,538	57.39%	4,617	40.53%	237	2.08%
1912	2,958	27.48%	3,008	27.95%	4,798	44.57%
1908	7,287	62.23%	3,756	32.08%	666	5.69%
1904	8,305	69.01%	3,248	26.99%	482	4.00%
1900	7,432	61.41%	4,403	36.38%	268	2.21%
1896	7,160	56.86%	5,130	40.74%	303	2.41%
1892	5,371	48.82%	5,248	47.70%	382	3.47%
1888	5,419	49.04%	5,286	47.83%	346	3.13%
1884	4,017	44.21%	4,668	51.38%	401	4.41%

Parks

Algonac State Park

St. Clair County is home to five county parks: Columbus County Park, Fort Gratiot County Park, Fort Gratiot Light station, Goodells County Park, and Woodsong County Park. St. Clair County also operates the Wadhams to Avoca Trail and works with local units of government to develop the Bridge to Bay Trail.^[30]

Communities

Cities

Algonac
Marine City
Marysville
Memphis (partial)
Port Huron (county seat)
Richmond (partial)
St. Clair
Yale

Villages

Capac
Emmett

Charter townships

Civil townships

Census-designated place

Pearl Beach

Other unincorporated communities

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Bibliography on St. Clair County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
^ "St. Clair County", Michigan History MagazineArchived April 17, 2003, at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b "QuickFacts: St. Clair County, Michigan". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ https://www.michigan.gov/msp/-/media/Project/Websites/msp/about/Posts.pdf?rev=46168c88d77d4dee9c2e940780f884a7 ^{[bare URL]}
^ "Blue Water Area: Michigan's Thumbcoast Shoreline". January 3, 2017.
^ Jenks, p. 22
^ Jenks, pp. 23-24
^ "Michigan Counties". State of Michigan. Archived from the original on July 28, 2009.
^ Fuller, pp. 21-22
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
^ "The Offices of St. Clair County - Prosecuting Attorney". St. Clair County, MI. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ "The Offices of St. Clair County - Sheriff". St. Clair County, MI. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ "I need to contact..." St. Clair County, MI. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ "Home Page". St. Clair County Clerk's Office. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ "The Offices of St. Clair County - Register of Deeds". St. Clair County, MI. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ "The Offices of St. Clair County - Treasurer". St. Clair County, MI. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ "The Offices of St. Clair County - Drain Commissioner". St. Clair County, MI. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ "The Offices of St. Clair County - Board of Commissioners". St. Clair County, MI. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ "The Offices of St. Clair County - 31st Circuit Court". St. Clair County, MI. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ "The Offices of St. Clair County - 72nd District Court". St. Clair County, MI. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ "Court Directory". St. Clair County, MI. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
^ "Columbus Park Overview" (PDF). St. Clair County, MI. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 9, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2014.

References

Fuller, George Newman (2005) [1926?]. "Indians and Explorations". Local history and personal sketches of St. Clair and Shiawassee counties. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Library. pp. 17–27. Retrieved November 23, 2007.
Jenks, William Lee (2005) [1912]. "Origin of Name". St. Clair County, Michigan, its history and its people. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Library. pp. 20–24. Retrieved November 23, 2007.