Oscoda County is a county in Michigan, United States, in the northeastern Lower Peninsula along the Au Sable River. It had a population of 8,219 at the 2020 census and covers 572 square miles (1,480 km2) of land and water, centred near 44°41′N 84°08′W.
Mio, an unincorporated community near the center of the county, is the county seat; its postal code is 48647. Oscoda County has no incorporated cities or villages — it is the only county in Michigan without one — but counts several unincorporated communities across its six civil townships. The county observes Eastern time.
Towns & Villages in Oscoda County
All eight named places below are unincorporated; none holds city or village status. Population figures are shown only where a reliable census-designated-place count exists.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mio | Unincorp. · seat | — | — | 48647 |
| Fairview | Unincorp. | — | — | 48621 |
| Luzerne | Unincorp. | — | — | 48636 |
| Comins | Unincorp. | Comins | — | 48619 |
| Biggs Settlement | Unincorp. | Big Creek | — | — |
| Kneeland | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| McKinley | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Red Oak | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Four of the eight places carry their own ZIP-code delivery area (Mio, Fairview, Luzerne, Comins); the rest are served by a neighboring post office.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Big Creek | — | Biggs Settlement |
| Comins | — | Comins |
| Clinton | — | — |
| Elmer | — | — |
| Greenwood | — | — |
| Mentor | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 48647 — Mio (also serves the county-seat area, roughly 62% of county residents)
- 48621 — Fairview
- 48636 — Luzerne
- 48619 — Comins
Biggs Settlement, Kneeland, McKinley and Red Oak have no standalone ZIP code and are served by one of the four post offices above.
Geography
Oscoda County sits in the Huron National Forest, and the Au Sable River and its tributaries cross the county from west to east, feeding several small lakes and flowages used for canoeing and fishing. The terrain is a mix of pine and hardwood forest, sandy outwash plains, and river bottomland; jack pine barrens cover much of the northern and eastern townships. Of the county’s 572 square miles, 566 are land and 5.9 are water.
Oscoda County borders Montmorency County to the north, Alpena County to the northeast, Alcona County to the east, Iosco County to the southeast, Ogemaw County to the south, Roscommon County to the southwest, Crawford County to the west and Otsego County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 8,219 residents, making Oscoda the least populous county in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Mio and Fairview are the county’s two largest population centers. Median household income runs well below the Michigan median of $69,183, typical of the sparsely populated northern Lower Peninsula counties. Population density is roughly 14.5 people per square mile of land, among the lowest in the state outside the Upper Peninsula.
Economy & Local Life
Forestry, tourism and government employment anchor the local economy. The Huron National Forest, which covers much of the county, supports timber harvesting, hunting and recreation businesses, while the Au Sable River draws canoeists, kayakers and anglers each summer. Fairview Hills Golf Course and snowmobile trails through the state and national forest land bring winter and shoulder-season visitors. Mio hosts the county government offices and courthouse, the county’s main commercial cluster.
History
The Michigan legislature laid out Oscoda County’s boundaries on April 1, 1840, but the county was not organized with its own government until 1881, having been attached to neighboring counties for administration in the intervening decades. The name was coined by explorer and Indian agent Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, who combined Ojibwe-derived syllables to form a pseudo-Native word meaning roughly “pebbly prairie.” Logging drove the county’s early economy, and much of the cutover pine land was later replanted and folded into the Huron National Forest during the 20th century.
Getting There
M-33 runs north-south through the county and past Mio, while M-72 crosses it east-west; F-32 runs east from Mio toward Glennie.
- Grayling — 30 miles west
- Alpena — 40 miles northeast
- West Branch — 35 miles south
- Gaylord — 35 miles northwest
The nearest commercial airport is Alpena County Regional Airport (APN), roughly 45 miles northeast of Mio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Oscoda County?
It is in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, along the Au Sable River, between Alpena and Grayling.
What is the population of Oscoda County?
8,219 people, per the 2020 census — the least of any county in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
How big is Oscoda County?
572 square miles (1,480 km2), of which 566 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Oscoda County?
Mio, an unincorporated community near the county’s center.
How many towns are in Oscoda County?
None are incorporated as cities or villages; the county has eight named unincorporated communities across six civil townships.
What ZIP codes are in Oscoda County?
48647 (Mio), 48621 (Fairview), 48636 (Luzerne) and 48619 (Comins).
Why does Oscoda County have no incorporated cities?
Its population never grew dense enough to support a chartered city or village government; all local governance runs through the six townships and the county itself.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Michigan.