Iosco County is a county in Michigan, United States, on the shore of Lake Huron in the northeastern Lower Peninsula. It had a population of 25,237 at the 2020 census and covers 549 square miles (1,420 km2) of land — plus another 1,341 square miles (3,470 km2) of Lake Huron water, 71% of its total area — centred near 44°17′N 83°20′W.
Tawas City is the county seat, and its postal code is 48763. The county has three incorporated cities, several unincorporated communities and census-designated places, and eleven townships (nine civil townships plus two charter townships, Au Sable and Oscoda). It sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Iosco County
Iosco County has three incorporated cities — East Tawas, Tawas City and Whittemore — and a scatter of smaller unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) along the Lake Huron shore and inland lakes. "CDP" marks a place the Census Bureau tracks but that has no city government of its own; "Unincorp." marks a smaller named place with no separate population count.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tawas City | City · seat | Tawas | 1,834 | 48763 |
| East Tawas | City | Baldwin | 2,663 | 48730 |
| Whittemore | City | Grant | 414 | 48770 |
| Oscoda | CDP | Au Sable / Oscoda | 916 | 48750 |
| Hale | Unincorp. | Plainfield | — | 48739 |
| National City | Unincorp. | Reno | — | 48748 |
| Alabaster | Unincorp. | Alabaster | — | — |
| Alabaster Junction | Unincorp. | Alabaster | — | — |
| Au Sable | Unincorp. | Au Sable | — | — |
| Hemlock | Unincorp. | Sherman | — | — |
| Lincoln Junction | Unincorp. | Reno | — | — |
| Long Lake | Unincorp. | Oscoda | — | — |
| McIvor | Unincorp. | Burleigh | — | — |
| Meadow | Unincorp. | Wilber | — | — |
| Sand Lake | Unincorp. | Plainfield | — | — |
| Sid Town | Unincorp. | Sherman | — | — |
| Turtle | Unincorp. | Burleigh | — | — |
| White Rock | Unincorp. | Baldwin | — | — |
| Wilber | Unincorp. | Wilber | — | — |
East Tawas and Tawas City sit side by side on Tawas Bay and are often treated as one built-up area, but they are separate cities with separate governments — East Tawas is the larger by population, Tawas City is the county seat. Several names carried on the old page — mobile-home parks and platted subdivisions such as Ausable MH Village, Foote Site Village, Oscoda MH Park, Cedar Haven, Huron Oaks, Hyde Park, Oak Wood Shores, Tawas River Trailer Park, The Jackpines, Lake Huron Beach, Clark Bayshore, Anderson Bayview and Benson Park — are private developments rather than recognised places and are omitted here.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Baldwin | — | East Tawas, White Rock |
| Au Sable (charter) | — | Au Sable, part of Oscoda CDP |
| Oscoda (charter) | — | Part of Oscoda CDP, Long Lake |
| Tawas | — | Tawas City |
| Plainfield | — | Hale, Sand Lake |
| Reno | — | National City, Lincoln Junction |
| Grant | — | Whittemore |
| Sherman | — | Hemlock, Sid Town |
| Burleigh | — | McIvor, Turtle |
| Alabaster | — | Alabaster, Alabaster Junction |
| Wilber | — | Wilber, Meadow |
Verified per-township 2020 counts are not published in a source this profile could confirm; figures are left blank rather than estimated.
ZIP Codes
- 48763 — Tawas City (also serves nearby Tawas Township)
- 48730 — East Tawas
- 48770 — Whittemore
- 48750 — Oscoda (also serves Au Sable and Oscoda townships)
- 48739 — Hale (also serves Plainfield Township)
- 48748 — National City (also serves Reno Township)
Smaller unincorporated places such as Alabaster, McIvor, Sid Town and Wilber share the ZIP code of their nearest post-office town rather than having one of their own.
Geography
Iosco County lies on the northeastern shore of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, where Lake Huron forms its entire eastern edge and accounts for most of its water area. The Au Sable River crosses the southern part of the county on its way to Lake Huron at Oscoda, and inland lakes, including Long Lake, dot the interior. The terrain is mostly flat to gently rolling, forested sand plain typical of the northern Lower Peninsula.
Iosco County borders Alcona County to the north, Oscoda County to the northwest, Ogemaw County to the west and Arenac County to the southwest, with Huron County facing it across Lake Huron to the southeast.
Demographics
Iosco County had a population of 25,237 at the 2020 census, spread across about 549 square miles of land for a density of roughly 46 people per square mile. East Tawas (2,663) and Tawas City (1,834) are the two largest communities, together forming the county’s main population and commercial centre on Tawas Bay. Median household income in the county runs below the Michigan median of $69,183, consistent with a rural, retiree- and tourism-heavy northern Michigan county.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism, fishing and lake-shore recreation drive much of the local economy, with Tawas City and East Tawas serving as the retail and marina hub for Tawas Bay. Gypsum mining has a long history here: the Alabaster Historic District, on the shore south of Tawas City, has supplied gypsum since 1862 and remains an active National Gypsum operation. Government, health care and the school districts based in Tawas City and Whittemore are among the county’s larger employers.
History
Michigan’s legislature first created the county in 1840 under the name Kanotin County; it was renamed Iosco in 1843 as part of a set of county names coined by geographer Henry Rowe Schoolcraft to sound Native American, though the word itself was invented rather than drawn from an existing language. County government was formally organized in 1857. Gypsum quarrying at Alabaster, begun in 1862, became one of the county’s oldest continuously worked industries.
Getting There
US 23, the Sunrise Side Coastal Highway, runs the length of the county along the Lake Huron shore and links Tawas City and East Tawas to the rest of northeastern Michigan. M-55 crosses the county east-west and M-65 runs north-south through the interior; the River Road National Scenic Byway follows the Au Sable River through the southern townships.
- Bay City — 60 miles south
- Alpena — 50 miles north
- Saginaw — 75 miles southwest
- West Branch — 30 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is MBS International Airport, near Saginaw and Bay City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Iosco County, Michigan?
It is on the shore of Lake Huron in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, about 60 miles north of Bay City.
What is the population of Iosco County?
25,237 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Iosco County?
549 square miles (1,420 km2) of land, plus 1,341 square miles (3,470 km2) of Lake Huron water.
What is the county seat of Iosco County?
Tawas City is the county seat.
How many towns are in Iosco County?
Three incorporated cities — East Tawas, Tawas City and Whittemore — plus a number of smaller unincorporated communities and census-designated places.
What ZIP codes are in Iosco County?
Main ZIP codes include 48763 (Tawas City), 48730 (East Tawas), 48770 (Whittemore), 48750 (Oscoda), 48739 (Hale) and 48748 (National City).
What is Iosco County known for?
Its Lake Huron shoreline and Tawas Bay resort towns, and for the long-running Alabaster gypsum mine south of Tawas City.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Michigan.