Sugar Island Township is a civil township of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 653 at the 2020 census. The township consists of Sugar Island, several smaller islands, and the surrounding waters in the St. Marys River.
Sugar Island Township, Michigan | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Satellite view of Sugar Island | |
 Location within Chippewa County | |
  Sugar Island Township Location within the state of Michigan  Sugar Island Township Location within the United States | |
| Coordinates: 46°27′55″N 84°12′17″W / 46.46528°N 84.20472°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Chippewa |
| Established | 1857 |
| Government | |
| • Supervisor | Mark Eitrem |
| • Clerk | Brittany Behm |
| Area | |
| • Total | 76.46 sq mi (198.03 km2) |
| • Land | 49.35 sq mi (127.82 km2) |
| • Water | 27.11 sq mi (70.21 km2) |
| Elevation | 591 ft (180 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 653 |
| • Density | 13.2/sq mi (5.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | 49783 (Sault Ste. Marie) |
| Area code | 906 |
| FIPS code | 26-77020[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1627131[3] |
| Website | Official website |
Some of its land is within the reservation of the Bay Mills Indian Community, a federally recognized tribe and band of Chippewa who have long been in the region of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Native Americans make up one-third of the population on the island.
History
editThe Ojibwe (known as Chippewa in the United States) occupied the island and nearby areas for at least 500 years. Among the federally recognized tribes in Michigan is the Bay Mills Indian Community, which has territory on Sugar Island.
Geography
editAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 76.46 square miles (198.03 km2), of which 49.35 square miles (127.82 km2) is land and 27.11 square miles (70.21 km2) (35.46%) is water.[4]
The township is located directly east of the city of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and is connected to the city by a ferry. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, is to the northwest across the St. Marys River, but with no direct transportation connection. Sugar Island Township is one of only seven municipalities in the state of Michigan to consist entirely of islands, including Grosse Ile Township, Drummond Township, Bois Blanc Township, Mackinac Island, Peaine Township, and St. James Township.
Communities
edit- Homestead is an unincorporated community on the southeastern end of the island at 46°20′17″N 84°07′21″W / 46.33806°N 84.12250°W[5]
Demographics
editAs of the census[2] of 2000, there were 683 people, 294 households, and 211 families residing in the township. In 2020, its population was 653.
References
edit- ^ Michigan Townships Association (2023). "Sugar Island Township, Chippewa County, Michigan". Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sugar Island Township, Michigan
- ^ "Michigan: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). 2010 United States census. United States Census Bureau. September 2012. p. 19 Michigan. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Homestead, Michigan