Isabella County is a county in Michigan, United States, home to Central Michigan University and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe’s reservation lands. It had a population of 64,394 at the 2020 census and covers 578 square miles (1,500 km2) — 573 square miles (1,480 km2) of land and 5.0 square miles (13 km2) of water — centred near 43°39′N 84°50′W.
Mount Pleasant is the county seat, and its postal code is 48858. The county contains 2 cities (one only partly), 3 villages, 4 census-designated places and roughly two dozen smaller unincorporated communities, spread across 15 civil townships. Isabella County is in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Isabella County
Mount Pleasant, the seat and by far the largest place, sits mostly within Union and Isabella townships. Clare, seat of neighboring Clare County, extends a small corner across the county line into Isabella County’s Rolland Township. Below, Type marks City, Village, CDP (census-designated place, unincorporated) or Unincorp. (a smaller named unincorporated community or development).
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Pleasant | City · seat | 25,946 | 48858 |
| Clare | City (partial) | — | 48617 |
| Lake Isabella | Village | — | 48893 |
| Rosebush | Village | — | 48878 |
| Shepherd | Village | — | 48883 |
| Beal City | CDP | — | 48858 |
| Loomis | CDP | — | 48883 |
| Weidman | CDP | — | 48893 |
| Winn | CDP | — | 48896 |
| Alembic | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brinton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Broomfield Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crawford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Deerfield Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Delwin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Drew | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Herrick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Horr | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jordan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leaton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rolland Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Strickland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Two Rivers | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vernon Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vernon City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wise | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woods | Unincorp. | — | — |
Several named lakeside and manufactured-home developments also carry local names without being separate census places, including Broadway Acres, Country Place Park, Crossings on Broadway, Isabella, Maple View Estates, Mount Pleasant Village and Oakview Estates — residential parks rather than incorporated towns.
ZIP Codes
- 48858 — Mount Pleasant (also serves Beal City)
- 48859 — Mount Pleasant (Central Michigan University, unique ZIP)
- 48883 — Shepherd (also serves Loomis)
- 48893 — Weidman (also serves Lake Isabella)
- 48878 — Rosebush
- 48896 — Winn (PO Box only)
- 48804 — Mount Pleasant (PO Box only)
Blanchard, on the county’s southwest edge, uses ZIP 49310, which is centred over the Isabella–Montcalm county line. Clare’s Isabella County fringe uses Clare’s own 48617 ZIP rather than a Mount Pleasant code.
Geography
Isabella County sits in the flat farm country of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, drained by the Chippewa River and the Salt and Coldwater rivers, all part of the Saginaw River watershed. Most of the land is glacial till plain given over to corn, soybeans and dairy farming, with wooded stretches along the river corridors and a scatter of small lakes, the largest being Lake Isabella. The county borders Osceola County to the northwest, Clare County to the north, Gladwin County to the northeast, Midland County to the east, Gratiot County to the southeast, Montcalm County to the southwest and Mecosta County to the west.
Demographics
The county’s 2020 population of 64,394 is concentrated in and around Mount Pleasant (25,946), which alone holds roughly two in five residents, with Shepherd the next-largest incorporated place. Median household income runs below the Michigan median of $69,183, reflecting the county’s mix of farm income, seasonal-wage employment and a large university-town student population that depresses household earnings figures. Population density is about 112 people per square mile, well above the state’s rural-county norm thanks to Mount Pleasant and the CMU campus.
Economy & Local Life
Central Michigan University, based in Mount Pleasant, is the county’s largest employer and single biggest economic driver, bringing roughly 15,000 students to the county each fall and supporting a dense band of student housing, restaurants and retail along Mission Street. The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe operates the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort just outside Mount Pleasant, another major regional employer and the county’s biggest single tourist draw. Away from Mount Pleasant, the economy is agricultural — corn, soybeans, dry beans and dairy — supplemented by light manufacturing along the US-127 corridor.
History
Isabella County was set off in 1831 and organized as a county government in 1859. Explorer and Indian agent Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, who coined many of Michigan’s county names, proposed “Isabella” in honor of Queen Isabella I of Castile, patron of Columbus’s 1492 voyage. Much of the county’s land was set aside in an 1855 treaty as the Isabella Reservation for the Saginaw Chippewa (Ojibwe) Indian Tribe, whose reservation lands and tribal government remain centered in the county today. Mount Pleasant grew after 1892 with the discovery of oil and gas fields nearby, and Central Michigan University, founded in 1892 as a normal school, later became the county’s dominant institution.
Getting There
- Clare — 12 miles north via US-127
- Alma — 20 miles southeast via US-127
- Big Rapids — 30 miles west via US-10
- Midland — 30 miles east via US-10
US-127 and US-10 cross near Mount Pleasant, giving the county its main highway access; M-20 runs east–west through Shepherd and Rosebush. The nearest commercial airport is MBS International Airport, serving Midland, Bay City and Saginaw, about 35 miles east.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Isabella County, Michigan?
It is in the north-central Lower Peninsula, about 70 miles north of Lansing, straddling US-127 and US-10.
What is the population of Isabella County?
64,394 as of the 2020 census.
How big is Isabella County?
578 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 573 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Isabella County?
Mount Pleasant, also home to Central Michigan University.
How many towns and villages are in Isabella County?
Two cities (one only partly in the county), three villages, four census-designated places and about two dozen smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Isabella County?
Mount Pleasant (48858, 48859, 48804), Shepherd (48883), Weidman (48893), Rosebush (48878) and Winn (48896), among others.
What tribal nation is based in Isabella County?
The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, whose reservation lands and the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort are just outside Mount Pleasant.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Michigan.