A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Ogemaw County | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ogemaw County Building in West Branch | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Michigan | |
 Michigan's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 44°20′N 84°08′W / 44.33°N 84.13°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | G, 1840 (authorized) 1875 (organized)[1] |
| Seat | West Branch |
| Largest city | Skidway Lake West Branch (incorporated) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 575 sq mi (1,490 km2) |
| • Land | 563 sq mi (1,460 km2) |
| • Water | 11 sq mi (30 km2) 2.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 20,770 |
| • Density | 39/sq mi (15/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | ocmi |
Ogemaw County (/ˈoʊɡəmɔː/ OH-gə-maw) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,770.[2] The county seat is West Branch.[3]
The county newspaper of record is the Ogemaw Herald.[4]
History
Ogemaw County started as part of the Virginia Land owned by England. After the Revolutionary War, it broke up into smaller and smaller pieces. The county was originally created by the Michigan Legislature in 1840[5] from unorganized territory, but was absorbed into Iosco County in 1867. It was re-created in 1873, and was finally organized in 1875.[1] The county's name is an Anglicization of the Anishinaabemowin word ogimaa, meaning "chief".[1] Ogemaw's name came from an eloquent, respected Native American orator named Little Elk. One of the first settlements in the county was Ogemaw Springs, the genesis of lumbering operations in the county. The settlement of Ogemaw Springs ended when the lumber industry in the region ended. (Due to the lumber industry, railways were built to transport the lumber, and towns often sprang up along the tracks. After timber supplies in the Midwest dwindled, loggers shifted westward to the Pacific Northwest to find new sources of lumber, and many of these fledgling settlements foundered.) With Ogemaw Springs in decline, the people flocked to West Branch, causing an economic boom, including the construction of its first hotel. This created even more growth, causing many restaurants, hotels, and businesses to be built, a vast majority of which still stand today.[6]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 575 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 563 square miles (1,460 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (2.0%) is water.[7] Ogemaw County is considered to be part of Northern Michigan.
Highways
I-75 – Runs SE across the southwest part of the county; passes south of West Branch.
M-30 – Enters from Gladwin County at 5.5 miles (8.9 km) east of the SW corner of Ogemaw County; runs north and NE to intersection with M-55 near West Branch.
M-33 – Runs north–south through the middle of county; passes Rose City.
M-55 – Runs east–west across the lower part of county; enters from Iosco County at 6 miles (9.7 km) north of SE corner of Ogemaw County; runs west to intersection with I-75, west of West Branch.[8]
Adjacent counties
- Oscoda County - north
- Alcona County - northeast
- Iosco County - east
- Arenac County - southeast
- Gladwin County - southwest
- Roscommon County - west
- Crawford County - northwest
National protected area
- Huron National Forest (part)
State protected area
Communities
Cities
- Rose City
- West Branch (county seat)
Village
Civil townships
Census-designated places
Other unincorporated communities
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 12 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,914 | 15,850.0% | |
| 1890 | 5,583 | 191.7% | |
| 1900 | 7,765 | 39.1% | |
| 1910 | 8,907 | 14.7% | |
| 1920 | 7,786 | −12.6% | |
| 1930 | 6,595 | −15.3% | |
| 1940 | 8,720 | 32.2% | |
| 1950 | 9,345 | 7.2% | |
| 1960 | 9,680 | 3.6% | |
| 1970 | 11,903 | 23.0% | |
| 1980 | 16,436 | 38.1% | |
| 1990 | 18,681 | 13.7% | |
| 2000 | 21,645 | 15.9% | |
| 2010 | 21,699 | 0.2% | |
| 2020 | 20,770 | −4.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 20,990 | [9] | 1.1% |
| US Decennial Census[10] 1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12] 1990-2000[13] 2010-2018[2] | |||
As of the 2000 United States census,[14] there were 21,645 people, 8,842 households, and 6,189 families residing in the county. By the 2020 census, its population was 20,770.
Government
For many years, Ogemaw County has been reliably Republican. Since 1884, the Republican Party nominee has carried the county vote in 82% of the national presidential elections (28 of 35).
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 8,253 | 69.23% | 3,475 | 29.15% | 193 | 1.62% |
| 2016 | 6,827 | 65.39% | 3,030 | 29.02% | 583 | 5.58% |
| 2012 | 5,437 | 52.31% | 4,791 | 46.09% | 166 | 1.60% |
| 2008 | 5,133 | 47.54% | 5,391 | 49.93% | 274 | 2.54% |
| 2004 | 5,454 | 50.52% | 5,215 | 48.30% | 127 | 1.18% |
| 2000 | 4,706 | 47.75% | 4,896 | 49.68% | 253 | 2.57% |
| 1996 | 2,904 | 32.04% | 4,725 | 52.13% | 1,435 | 15.83% |
| 1992 | 2,936 | 32.17% | 4,016 | 44.01% | 2,174 | 23.82% |
| 1988 | 4,091 | 50.20% | 4,012 | 49.23% | 47 | 0.58% |
| 1984 | 4,901 | 60.81% | 3,132 | 38.86% | 27 | 0.33% |
| 1980 | 4,169 | 51.29% | 3,426 | 42.15% | 533 | 6.56% |
| 1976 | 3,212 | 47.07% | 3,545 | 51.95% | 67 | 0.98% |
| 1972 | 3,367 | 60.77% | 2,056 | 37.11% | 118 | 2.13% |
| 1968 | 2,526 | 54.56% | 1,647 | 35.57% | 457 | 9.87% |
| 1964 | 1,609 | 36.36% | 2,812 | 63.55% | 4 | 0.09% |
| 1960 | 2,664 | 58.65% | 1,867 | 41.11% | 11 | 0.24% |
| 1956 | 2,931 | 69.18% | 1,300 | 30.68% | 6 | 0.14% |
| 1952 | 2,983 | 73.91% | 1,030 | 25.52% | 23 | 0.57% |
| 1948 | 2,062 | 64.70% | 1,038 | 32.57% | 87 | 2.73% |
| 1944 | 2,339 | 69.55% | 1,006 | 29.91% | 18 | 0.54% |
| 1940 | 2,447 | 65.45% | 1,278 | 34.18% | 14 | 0.37% |
| 1936 | 1,631 | 45.24% | 1,774 | 49.21% | 200 | 5.55% |
| 1932 | 1,472 | 45.94% | 1,645 | 51.34% | 87 | 2.72% |
| 1928 | 1,630 | 73.39% | 579 | 26.07% | 12 | 0.54% |
| 1924 | 1,714 | 79.32% | 258 | 11.94% | 189 | 8.75% |
| 1920 | 1,687 | 75.55% | 444 | 19.88% | 102 | 4.57% |
| 1916 | 878 | 51.20% | 743 | 43.32% | 94 | 5.48% |
| 1912 | 541 | 31.64% | 319 | 18.65% | 850 | 49.71% |
| 1908 | 1,218 | 68.47% | 454 | 25.52% | 107 | 6.01% |
| 1904 | 1,320 | 75.47% | 329 | 18.81% | 100 | 5.72% |
| 1900 | 1,186 | 67.31% | 518 | 29.40% | 58 | 3.29% |
| 1896 | 793 | 56.64% | 560 | 40.00% | 47 | 3.36% |
| 1892 | 594 | 50.64% | 514 | 43.82% | 65 | 5.54% |
| 1888 | 620 | 48.44% | 579 | 45.23% | 81 | 6.33% |