Charlevoix County is a county in Michigan, United States, on the northwest shore of the Lower Peninsula where Lake Charlevoix meets Lake Michigan. It had a population of 26,054 at the 2020 census and covers 1,390 square miles (3,600 km2) — only 416 square miles (1,080 km2) of that is land, the rest is open water — centred near 45°28′N 85°28′W.
Charlevoix is the county seat, and its postal code is 49720. The county has three cities (Boyne City, Charlevoix, East Jordan), one village (Boyne Falls) and 15 organized civil townships, spanning the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Charlevoix County
Charlevoix County’s incorporated places sit alongside unincorporated lakeshore communities and Beaver Island, reached only by ferry or small aircraft. In the table below, CDP means census-designated place and Unincorp. means an unincorporated community with no separate government.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlevoix | City · seat | Charlevoix | — | 49720 |
| Boyne City | City | Wilson | — | 49712 |
| East Jordan | City | South Arm | — | 49727 |
| Boyne Falls | Village | Boyne Valley | — | 49713 |
| Bay Shore | Unincorp. | Bay | — | 49711 |
| Walloon Lake | Unincorp. | Melrose | — | 49796 |
| Horton Bay | Unincorp. | Evangeline | — | 49712 |
| Ironton | Unincorp. | Hayes | — | 49720 |
| Norwood | Unincorp. | Norwood | — | 49720 |
| Advance | Unincorp. | Marion | — | 49727 |
| Clarion | Unincorp. | Hudson | — | 49727 |
| Barnard | Unincorp. | Melrose | — | 49712 |
| St. James (Beaver Island) | Unincorp. | St. James | — | 49782 |
| Wildwood | Unincorp. | South Arm | — | 49727 |
Beaver Island, home to the unincorporated port of St. James, is the largest island in Lake Michigan and belongs to Charlevoix County’s own Peaine and St. James townships rather than any mainland township.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Boyne Valley | 1,425 | Boyne Falls |
| Bay | 1,142 | Bay Shore |
| Charlevoix | — | surrounds the city of Charlevoix |
| Wilson | — | Boyne City |
| South Arm | — | East Jordan, Wildwood |
| Melrose | — | Walloon Lake, Barnard |
| Evangeline | — | Horton Bay |
| Eveline | — | rural, north shore of Lake Charlevoix |
| Hayes | — | Ironton |
| Hudson | — | Clarion |
| Marion | — | Advance |
| Norwood | — | Norwood |
| Chandler | — | rural, southeast of Boyne Falls |
| Peaine | — | northern Beaver Island |
| St. James | — | southern Beaver Island, port of St. James |
ZIP Codes
- 49720 — Charlevoix (also serves Ironton and Norwood)
- 49712 — Boyne City (also serves Horton Bay and Barnard)
- 49727 — East Jordan (also serves Advance and Wildwood)
- 49713 — Boyne Falls
- 49782 — Beaver Island / St. James
- 49796 — Walloon Lake (post office box only)
- 49711 — Bay Shore (post office box only)
Smaller unincorporated crossroads not listed above draw mail through the nearest of these seven post offices.
Geography
Charlevoix County occupies the shoulder of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula where it meets Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay region. Lake Charlevoix, the state’s third-largest inland lake, cuts nearly across the county from the city of Charlevoix to East Jordan, and the Jordan and Boyne Rivers feed it from the south and east. Because Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix together cover about 70 percent of its total area, Charlevoix has one of the smallest land areas of any Michigan county.
It borders Emmet County to the northwest, Antrim County to the southeast, Otsego County to the east, and Cheboygan County to the northeast, with Lake Michigan forming its entire western and northern edge.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 26,054 residents in Charlevoix County. Boyne City and Charlevoix are its two largest communities, each anchoring a small-city core surrounded by lakeshore and rural townships. Median household income runs below the Michigan median of $69,183, typical of a rural resort county where many jobs are seasonal. Population density works out to roughly 63 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism, boating, and second-home real estate drive much of the county’s economy, centred on Charlevoix’s harbor on Round Lake and the Lake Charlevoix shoreline. Boyne City is home to Boyne Resorts’ corporate headquarters, and the nearby Boyne Mountain and Boyne Highlands ski resorts (in neighboring counties) draw much of the county’s winter trade. East Jordan Iron Works, founded in 1883, still manufactures municipal castings in East Jordan. Beaver Island’s economy runs on the summer ferry and small-plane trade from the mainland.
History
Charlevoix County was set off in 1840 and organized as a county government in 1869. It takes its name from Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix, a French Jesuit missionary and explorer who never actually visited the area. Beaver Island had a distinct 19th-century history of its own: it was the seat of a Mormon splinter kingdom under self-declared King James Strang from 1848 until his assassination on the island in 1856, after which most of his followers were driven off by mob violence.
Getting There
US 31 runs along the Lake Michigan shore through Charlevoix, and US 131 crosses the county’s eastern side through Boyne Falls; M-66 and M-32 connect East Jordan and the interior townships.
- Petoskey — 17 miles northwest
- Gaylord — 30 miles southeast
- Traverse City — 45 miles southwest
- Beaver Island — 32 miles by ferry from Charlevoix, or a short flight from Charlevoix Municipal Airport
The nearest commercial airport is Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Charlevoix County, Michigan?
It sits on the northwest shore of the Lower Peninsula, where Lake Charlevoix meets Lake Michigan, between Petoskey and Traverse City.
What is the population of Charlevoix County?
26,054 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Charlevoix County?
1,390 square miles total, but only 416 square miles is land — the rest is Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix.
What is the county seat of Charlevoix County?
The city of Charlevoix is the county seat.
How many towns are in Charlevoix County?
Three cities (Charlevoix, Boyne City, East Jordan), one village (Boyne Falls), and 15 townships, plus Beaver Island’s own unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Charlevoix County?
49720, 49712, 49727, 49713, 49782, 49796, and 49711.
How do you get to Beaver Island?
By the seasonal car ferry from Charlevoix (about a two-hour crossing) or by small plane from Charlevoix Municipal Airport.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Michigan.