Tuscola County is a county in Michigan, United States, part of the Thumb region east of Saginaw Bay. It had a population of 53,323 at the 2020 census and covers 914 square miles (2,370 km2), of which 803 square miles is land and 111 square miles is water, centred near 43°28′N 83°27′W.
Caro is the county seat and its postal code is 48723. The county holds 2 cities, 9 villages, 1 census-designated place and 23 townships (22 general-law townships plus Almer Charter Township). Tuscola County sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Tuscola County
Tuscola County’s population centers range from the two cities of Caro and Vassar down to small rural crossroads. The table below covers every incorporated place plus the county’s one census-designated place (CDP) and the mobile-home/RV parks and unincorporated hamlets carried on the county’s own settlement rolls; population figures are shown only where the 2020 census reports them as a standalone place, otherwise the location is counted within its township’s total.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro | City · seat | Indianfields | 4,190 | 48723 |
| Vassar | City | Vassar | 2,684 | 48768 |
| Cass City | Village | Elkland | 2,175 | 48726 |
| Millington | Village | Millington | 1,142 | 48746 |
| Mayville | Village | Watertown | 935 | 48744 |
| Reese | Village | Fremont | 1,290 | 48757 |
| Kingston | Village | Koylton | 452 | 48741 |
| Fairgrove | Village | Fairgrove | 558 | 48733 |
| Akron | Village | Akron | 376 | 48701 |
| Gagetown | Village | Almer | 313 | 48735 |
| Unionville | Village | Fairgrove | 460 | 48767 |
| Fostoria | CDP | Fremont | 355 | 48435 |
| Richville | Unincorp. | Fairgrove | — | 48758 |
| Deford | Unincorp. | Elmwood | — | 48729 |
| Silverwood | Unincorp. | Arbela | — | — |
| Bradleyville | Unincorp. | Ellington | — | — |
| Colwood | Unincorp. | Novesta | — | — |
| Dayton | Unincorp. | Dayton | — | — |
| East Dayton | Unincorp. | Dayton | — | — |
| Elmwood | Unincorp. | Elmwood | — | — |
| Gilford | Unincorp. | Gilford | — | — |
| Juniata | Unincorp. | Juniata | — | — |
| Quanicassee | Unincorp. | Fairgrove | — | — |
| Tuscola | Unincorp. | Tuscola | — | — |
| Wahjamega | Unincorp. | Indianfields | — | — |
| Watrousville | Unincorp. | Tuscola | — | — |
| Wilmot | Unincorp. | Novesta | — | — |
| Wisner | Unincorp. | Wisner | — | — |
| Colling | Unincorp. | Wells | — | — |
A handful of names on the old county list — Bay Park, Caro Mobile Estates, Denmark Junction, Huntsville Park, Karrs Corner, Meadows MH Park, Partridges RV and MH Park, Pinerest Mobile Estates, Riverview MH Park, Sugartree MH Park, Vaughn Village MH Park, Villageside MH Park and Woodvalley MH Park — are individual mobile-home or RV parks rather than recognized settlements, so they are omitted here; see notes.md.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Indianfields | — | Caro (county seat), Wahjamega |
| Vassar | — | Vassar |
| Elkland | — | Cass City |
| Millington | — | Millington |
| Watertown | — | Mayville |
| Fremont | — | Reese, Fostoria |
| Koylton | — | Kingston |
| Fairgrove | — | Fairgrove, Unionville, Quanicassee, Richville |
| Akron | — | Akron |
| Almer (Charter) | — | Gagetown |
| Novesta | — | Colwood, Wilmot |
| Elmwood | — | Deford, Elmwood |
| Arbela | — | Silverwood |
| Ellington | — | Bradleyville |
| Dayton | — | Dayton, East Dayton |
| Gilford | — | Gilford |
| Juniata | — | Juniata |
| Tuscola | — | Tuscola, Watrousville |
| Wisner | — | Wisner |
| Wells | — | Colling |
| Columbia | — | — |
| Denmark | — | — |
| Kingston | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 48723 — Caro (also serves Wahjamega)
- 48768 — Vassar
- 48726 — Cass City
- 48746 — Millington
- 48744 — Mayville
- 48757 — Reese
- 48435 — Fostoria
- 48741 — Kingston
- 48767 — Unionville
- 48733 — Fairgrove (also serves Quanicassee)
- 48729 — Deford
- 48701 — Akron
- 48735 — Gagetown
- 48758 — Richville (PO Box service only)
Smaller crossroads such as Silverwood, Bradleyville, Colwood, Wilmot, Wisner and Colling are served by the ZIP code of their nearest post-office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Tuscola County lies in Michigan’s Thumb region, a flat glacial till plain drained by the Cass River and its branches, which cross the county on their way toward Saginaw Bay. About 12 percent of the county’s area is water, mostly the county’s share of Saginaw Bay wetlands and drainage channels along its western edge. The land is largely given to row-crop farming, with the Cass City and Caro areas forming the county’s main built-up centres.
Tuscola County borders Huron County to the north, Sanilac County to the east, Genesee County to the southwest, Lapeer County to the southeast, Bay County to the northwest and Saginaw County to the west.
Demographics
Tuscola County had 53,323 residents at the 2020 census. Caro and Vassar are the two largest communities, with Cass City the largest of the villages. The county’s median household income runs below the Michigan median of $69,183, reflecting its largely rural, agricultural economic base. With 803 square miles of land, the county’s overall population density works out to roughly 66 people per square mile, though most residents live in or near its handful of incorporated towns rather than spread evenly across the townships.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture anchors Tuscola County’s economy — corn, soybeans, sugar beets and dry beans are the leading field crops, and the county is part of Michigan’s sugar-beet belt served by Michigan Sugar Company processing at nearby Caro. Caro is also home to Caro Community Hospital and the Caro Center, a state psychiatric hospital that has long been one of the county’s larger employers. Wind-energy development has grown across the county’s open farmland in recent decades. The Tuscola County Fair, held in Caro each August, is the county’s largest annual community event.
History
Michigan organized Tuscola County from land taken out of Sanilac County on April 1, 1840, initially attaching it to Saginaw County for administrative purposes. The Michigan Legislature authorized county residents to organize their own local government on March 2, 1850. The name “Tuscola” was coined by ethnographer Henry Schoolcraft, blending an Ojibwe-derived root for “flat, level land” with the Latin “colo” (to cultivate) — a fitting label for the flat farmland that now covers most of the county. As part of the Thumb, the county has long drawn seasonal visitors travelling between Flint, Detroit and Saginaw and the Lake Huron shoreline further north.
Getting There
M-24 and M-81 are the county’s two primary state highways, crossing near Caro and linking the county to Flint and Saginaw. Nearby cities and travel times:
- Saginaw — about 25 miles west
- Flint — about 35 miles south
- Bay City — about 30 miles northwest
- Port Huron — about 55 miles southeast
MBS International Airport, near Freeland in Saginaw County, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tuscola County located?
Tuscola County is in Michigan’s Thumb region, east of Saginaw Bay and roughly 25 miles east of Saginaw.
What is the population of Tuscola County?
Tuscola County had a population of 53,323 at the 2020 census.
How big is Tuscola County?
The county covers 914 square miles (2,370 km2), of which 803 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Tuscola County?
Caro is the county seat.
How many towns are in Tuscola County?
Tuscola County has 2 cities, 9 villages, 1 census-designated place and 23 townships.
What ZIP codes are in Tuscola County?
Tuscola County’s ZIP codes include 48723 (Caro), 48768 (Vassar), 48726 (Cass City), 48746 (Millington), 48744 (Mayville) and 48757 (Reese), among others.
What crops does Tuscola County grow?
Sugar beets, corn, soybeans and dry beans are the county’s leading field crops, tied to Michigan Sugar Company’s processing plant in Caro.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Michigan.