Ottawa County, Michigan

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Ottawa County, Michigan
Seal of Ottawa County, Michigan Seal
Location in the state of Michigan
Michigan's location in the U.S.
Founded	1837
Seat	Grand Haven
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	1,631.97 sq mi (4,227 km²) 565.65 sq mi (1,465 km²) 1,066.32 sq mi (2,762 km²), 65.34%
Population  - (2020)  - Density	296,200 466/sq mi (180/km²)
Website	www.miottawa.org

Ottawa County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 296,200. The county seat is Grand Haven.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1,631.97 square miles (4,226.8 km²), of which 565.65 square miles (1,465.0 km²) (or 34.66%) is land and 1,066.32 square miles (2,761.8 km²) (or 65.34%) is water.

Geographic Features

• Grand River (Michigan)
• Lake Michigan

Adjacent counties

• Muskegon County (north)
• Kent County (east)
• Allegan County (south)
• Milwaukee County, Wisconsin (west)
• Racine County, Wisconsin (west)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 238,314 people, 81,662 households, and 61,328 families residing in the county. The population density was 421 people per square mile (163/km²). There were 86,856 housing units at an average density of 154 per square mile (59/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.52% White, 1.05% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 2.09% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.48% from other races, and 1.48% from two or more races. 7.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 37.3% were of Dutch, 14.6% German, 6.2% English, 5.6% Irish and 5.4% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 91.5% spoke English and 5.4% Spanish as their first language.

There were 81,662 households out of which 39.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.60% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.90% were non-families. 19.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.25.

Summer seasonal residents are also a member of the populous Ottawa County. Port Sheldon Township has many lakefront homes and other inland retreats that serve as summer getaways for residents of Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Chicago. No official statistics are compiled on seasonal residents.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.70% under the age of 18, 11.90% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 20.00% from 45 to 64, and 10.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $52,347, and the median income for a family was $59,896. Males had a median income of $42,180 versus $27,706 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,676. About 3.10% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.70% of those under age 18 and 4.90% 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.

Ottawa County elected officials

• Prosecuting Attorney: Ronald J. Frantz
• Sheriff: Gary A. Rosema
• County Clerk: Daniel C. Krueger
• County Treasurer: Bradley Slagh
• Register of Deeds: Gary Scholten
• Drain Commissioner: Paul Geerlings

(information as of September 2005)

Politics

United States presidential election results for Ottawa County, Michigan

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	100,913	59.81%	64,705	38.35%	3,095	1.83%
2016	88,467	61.50%	44,973	31.26%	10,408	7.24%
2012	88,166	66.41%	42,737	32.19%	1,854	1.40%
2008	83,330	61.03%	50,828	37.23%	2,381	1.74%
2004	92,048	71.55%	35,552	27.64%	1,043	0.81%
2000	78,703	71.16%	29,600	26.76%	2,296	2.08%
1996	61,436	64.39%	27,024	28.32%	6,956	7.29%
1992	56,862	59.10%	22,180	23.05%	17,169	17.85%
1988	61,515	76.20%	18,769	23.25%	445	0.55%
1984	60,142	79.69%	15,000	19.88%	326	0.43%
1980	51,217	67.85%	18,435	24.42%	5,832	7.73%
1976	49,196	74.12%	16,381	24.68%	793	1.19%
1972	42,169	71.99%	15,119	25.81%	1,288	2.20%
1968	33,356	67.60%	12,431	25.19%	3,555	7.20%
1964	24,512	54.79%	20,151	45.05%	72	0.16%
1960	32,678	75.26%	10,617	24.45%	128	0.29%
1956	28,611	74.90%	9,459	24.76%	130	0.34%
1952	22,328	72.83%	7,835	25.56%	494	1.61%
1948	16,028	63.38%	8,789	34.76%	471	1.86%
1944	17,077	66.23%	8,511	33.01%	198	0.77%
1940	15,462	62.39%	9,152	36.93%	170	0.69%
1936	11,114	51.35%	9,579	44.26%	952	4.40%
1932	12,076	58.34%	7,981	38.56%	643	3.11%
1928	15,417	85.48%	2,524	14.00%	94	0.52%
1924	11,688	78.55%	1,871	12.57%	1,321	8.88%
1920	10,528	78.74%	2,391	17.88%	451	3.37%
1916	5,484	56.19%	3,941	40.38%	335	3.43%
1912	1,825	20.87%	2,036	23.28%	4,885	55.85%
1908	5,642	66.25%	2,429	28.52%	445	5.23%
1904	5,908	75.33%	1,553	19.80%	382	4.87%
1900	5,324	62.21%	3,050	35.64%	184	2.15%
1896	5,188	58.05%	3,550	39.72%	199	2.23%
1892	3,643	50.82%	2,996	41.79%	530	7.39%
1888	4,302	55.03%	3,191	40.82%	325	4.16%
1884	3,758	53.36%	3,049	43.29%	236	3.35%

Ottawa County has long been one of the most consistently Republican counties in Michigan and the country. The last Democratic Party candidate to carry the county was George B. McClellan in 1864. As a measure of how Republican the county has been since then, it has rejected Democratic presidential candidates even in national Democratic landslides. It was one of the few counties where Franklin Roosevelt was shut out in all four of his presidential bids, and was one of only three counties in the state to vote for Barry Goldwater over Lyndon Johnson in 1964. However, Johnson won 45% of the county's vote, the last time that a Democrat has won even 40% of the county's vote. In 1912, incumbent Republican president William Howard Taft lost the county to "Bull Moose Party" candidate and former Republican President Theodore Roosevelt. During the 1986 gubernatorial election, it was the only county not to back James Blanchard for a second term. In 2020, Joe Biden had the best performance of any Democratic presidential candidate in Ottawa County since 1964.

Cities, villages,townships and unincorporated communities

Cities Coopersville Ferrysburg Grand Haven Holland Hudsonville Zeeland

Villages Spring Lake

Unincorporated Allendale Beechwood Borculo Conklin Drenthe Eastmanville Jenison Marne

Townships

Allendale Charter Township Blendon Township Chester Township Crockery Township Georgetown Charter Township

Grand Haven Charter Township Holland Charter Township Jamestown Charter Township Olive Township

Park Township Polkton Charter Township Port Sheldon Township Robinson Township

Spring Lake Township Tallmadge Charter Township Wright Township Zeeland Charter Township

Transportation

Interstates

• I-96
• I-196
• I-196 Business Loop serves the city of Holland.

US highways

• US-31

Michigan State Trunklines

• M-6
• M-11
• M-45
• M-104
• M-121

Ottawa County Intercounty Highways

• A-37
• B-31
• B-35
• B-72

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Ottawa County, Michigan

External links

• County of Ottawa
• Grand Haven & Tri-Cities Alumni
• Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Ottawa County