Ontonagon ( ) is a village in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. The population was 1,285 at the 2020 census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

and only village of Ontonagon County. The village is located within Ontonagon Township, at the mouth of the Ontonagon River on

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

. Industry was centered on the

Smurfit-Stone Container Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation was a global paperboard and paper-based packaging company based in Creve Coeur, Missouri, and Chicago, Illinois, with approximately 21,000 employees. In 2007, Smurfit-Stone was ranked 13 in Pricewaterhouse ...

production facility at the river mouth until the plant closed in 2010.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and (3.89%) is water.

Transportation

Major highways

* * *

Airport

The village is served by the Ontonagon County Airport (KOGM).

Railroads

Ontonagon was formerly the terminus of the Milwaukee Road Chippewa-Hiawatha. While service ended in 1953, Ontonagon station remains today.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, there were 1,285 people residing in the village. The population density was . There were 893 housing units at an average density of .

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 1,494 people, 717 households, and 390 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 910 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.7% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population. There were 717 households, of which 19.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.6% were non-families. 41.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.66. The median age in the village was 51.1 years. 17.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.5% were from 25 to 44; 33.3% were from 45 to 64; and 25.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census

At the

of 2000 there were 1,769 people, 768 households, and 450 families living in the village. The

was 182.1/square kilometre; (472.0/square mile). There were 891 housing units at an average density of 91.7/square kilometre (237.7/square mile). The racial makeup of the village was 97.68%

, 0.00%

, 0.73% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.00%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.28% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population were

or Latino of any race. 25.9% were of Finnish, 20.6%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 7.4% Polish, 6.4%

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

. 5.8%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

and 5.6% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 768 households, of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were

living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.76. In the village, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 27.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The

median In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic f ...

age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. The median income for a household in the village was $28,300, and the median income for a family was $35,804. Males had a median income of $36,964 versus $20,815 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $16,293. 11.8% of the population and 6.5% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

. 15.1% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Ontonagon has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Ontonagon, Michigan
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Gallery

File:Ontonagon Michigan swing bridge.jpg, The former swing bridge over the Ontonagon River in Ontonagon (now removed). File:Harbor of Ontonagon, Michigan.jpg, The harbor of Ontonagon File:2009-0617-Ontonagon-school.jpg, The former elementary school File:Northern Lights Over Ontonagon.jpg, Aurora Borealis on a beach in Ontonagon

References

External links

Village of Ontonagon Official Website
{{authority control Villages in Ontonagon County, Michigan Villages in Michigan County seats in Michigan Populated places established in 1843 1843 establishments in Michigan Michigan populated places on Lake Superior