Dickinson County is a county in Michigan, United States, in the south-central part of the Upper Peninsula. It had a population of 25,947 at the 2020 census and covers 777 square miles (2,010 km2), of which 761 square miles is land and 16 square miles is water, centred near 46°00′N 87°52′W.
Iron Mountain is the county seat, and its postal code is 49801. The county has three incorporated cities, one census-designated place, and six civil townships. It sits in the Central time zone and anchors the Iron Mountain, MI-WI Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Towns & Villages in Dickinson County
Dickinson County has three incorporated cities — Iron Mountain, Kingsford, and Norway — plus one census-designated place (Quinnesec) and a scatter of unincorporated communities and rural hamlets across its six townships. The table below carries over every settlement named in the county’s historical records; most of the smaller entries are crossroads or mining-era place names with no separate population count.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Mountain | City · seat | — | 7,518 | 49801 |
| Kingsford | City | — | — | 49802 |
| Norway | City | Norway Township | — | 49870 |
| Quinnesec | CDP | Norway Township | — | 49876 |
| Felch | Unincorp. | Felch Township | — | 49831 |
| Foster City | Unincorp. | Felch Township | — | 49834 |
| Randville | Unincorp. | Felch Township | — | — |
| Sagola | Unincorp. | Sagola Township | — | 49881 |
| Metropolitan | Unincorp. | Sagola Township | — | — |
| Hardwood | Unincorp. | Sagola Township | — | — |
| Channing | Unincorp. | West Branch Township | — | 49815 |
| Floodwood | Unincorp. | West Branch Township | — | — |
| Waucedah | Unincorp. | Waucedah Township | — | — |
| Vulcan | Unincorp. | Waucedah Township | — | 49892 |
| Loretto | Unincorp. | Waucedah Township | — | 49852 |
| Ralph | Unincorp. | Breen Township | — | 49877 |
| Antoine | Unincorp. | Breen Township | — | — |
| Hylas | Unincorp. | Breen Township | — | — |
| Alfred | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| East Kingsford | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Felch Mountain | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Golden | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Granite Bluff | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Merriman | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Skidmore | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Spruce | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Theodore | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Turner | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Park Ridge MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| White Birch Estates | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Felch Township | — | Felch, Foster City, Randville |
| Waucedah Township | — | Waucedah, Vulcan, Loretto |
| Sagola Township | — | Sagola, Metropolitan, Hardwood |
| Norway Township | — | Quinnesec |
| Breen Township | — | Ralph, Antoine, Hylas |
| West Branch Township | — | Channing, Floodwood |
ZIP Codes
- 49801 — Iron Mountain
- 49802 — Kingsford
- 49870 — Norway
- 49876 — Quinnesec
- 49892 — Vulcan (also serves Waucedah)
- 49834 — Foster City
- 49831 — Felch
- 49881 — Sagola (also serves Metropolitan)
- 49815 — Channing
- 49852 — Loretto
- 49877 — Ralph (post office box delivery only)
Smaller hamlets such as Randville, Antoine, and Hylas have no post office of their own and are served by the ZIP code of the nearest listed town.
Geography
Dickinson County lies in Michigan’s Menominee Iron Range country, a rolling, heavily forested landscape of second-growth hardwood and conifer over old iron-ore ground. The Menominee River forms the county’s entire southern border with Wisconsin, and the Sturgeon River crosses the northern townships. Dickinson is one of only two counties in the Upper Peninsula with no Great Lakes shoreline, along with Iron County to its west.
Dickinson County borders Marquette County to the north, Menominee County to the east, Iron County to the west, and, across the Michigan–Wisconsin line to the south, Marinette County and Florence County in Wisconsin.
Demographics
Dickinson County had 25,947 residents at the 2020 census, worked out to about 34 people per square mile of land. Iron Mountain, the seat, is the largest community with 7,518 residents; Kingsford, immediately west across the Menominee River, is the county’s second-largest city. No verified county-level median household income figure is available for Dickinson County; statewide, the Michigan median household income is $69,183.
Economy & Local Life
Dickinson County’s economy grew out of the Menominee Range iron mines that drew settlers here in the late 19th century; underground mining ended decades ago, and the modern economy runs on healthcare, forestry and wood products, light manufacturing, and tourism. Dickinson County Healthcare System, based in Iron Mountain, is the area’s largest employer. The county is a winter-sports destination built around Pine Mountain, home to one of the largest artificial ski jumps in the world and host to an annual international ski-jumping tournament each February.
History
Dickinson County was organized in 1891 out of parts of Marquette, Menominee, and Iron counties, making it Michigan’s newest county. It was named for Donald M. Dickinson, who served as U.S. Postmaster General under President Grover Cleveland. The county’s early economy centred on the Chapin Mine at Iron Mountain, one of the richest iron deposits on the Menominee Range; the mine’s steam pump engine, once the largest of its kind in the world, is preserved as a local landmark. For most of the 20th century, Dickinson County was considered a presidential-election bellwether, backing the eventual national winner in nearly every contest from 1920 to 2004.
Getting There
US-2 and US-141 cross Iron Mountain, and M-95 runs north through the county toward Marquette. Ford Airport (IMT), just outside Kingsford, offers scheduled commercial flights.
- Marquette — about 60 miles north
- Green Bay, Wisconsin — about 75 miles south
- Escanaba — about 45 miles east
- Iron River — about 30 miles west
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Dickinson County, Michigan?
It sits in the south-central Upper Peninsula, on the Wisconsin border along the Menominee River.
What is the population of Dickinson County?
25,947 at the 2020 census.
How big is Dickinson County?
777 square miles (2,010 km2) total — 761 square miles of land and 16 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Dickinson County?
Iron Mountain is the county seat.
How many towns and communities are in Dickinson County?
Three incorporated cities (Iron Mountain, Kingsford, and Norway), one census-designated place (Quinnesec), and dozens of unincorporated communities across six townships.
What ZIP codes are in Dickinson County?
Eleven ZIP codes serve the county, led by 49801 (Iron Mountain), 49802 (Kingsford), and 49870 (Norway).
What is Dickinson County known for?
Its iron-mining history and the Pine Mountain Ski Jump at Iron Mountain, one of the largest artificial ski jumps in the world.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Michigan.