{"id":4739,"date":"2023-06-28T18:08:10","date_gmt":"2023-06-28T18:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/?p=4739"},"modified":"2026-08-22T01:45:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T01:45:39","slug":"kalkaska-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/kalkaska-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Kalkaska County, Michigan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kalkaska County is a county in Michigan, United States, on the Lower Peninsula’s Northern Michigan region south of Grand Traverse Bay. It had a population of 17,939 at the 2020 census and covers 571 square miles (1,480 km2) centred near 44\u00b041\u2032N 85\u00b005\u2032W.<\/p>\n

Kalkaska is the county seat and its postal code is 49646. The county holds 1 village, 4 census-designated places and 12 civil townships, in the Eastern time zone (FIPS code 26079). It is part of the Traverse City, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area.<\/p>\n

Towns & Villages in Kalkaska County<\/h2>\n

Kalkaska County has one incorporated village \u2014 Kalkaska, the county seat \u2014 plus four census-designated places and a scatter of smaller unincorporated crossroads spread across its 12 townships. The table below lists every named place with a live Census or postal identity; small rural crossroads without their own ZIP are noted separately after the table.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Place<\/th>\nType<\/th>\nTownship<\/th>\nPop.<\/th>\nZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Kalkaska<\/td>\nVillage · seat<\/td>\nKalkaska<\/td>\n2,132<\/td>\n49646<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
South Boardman<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\nBoardman<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n49680<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rapid City<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\nRapid River<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n49676<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bear Lake<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\nBear Lake<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Manistee Lake<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\nBoardman<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Barker Creek<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\nExcelsior<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cotton<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\nOliver<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Crofton<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\nExcelsior<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Darragh<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\nSpringfield<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sharon<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\nRapid River<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Torch River<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\nClearwater<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Westwood<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\nKalkaska<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

A handful of names carried on older lists \u2014 Angling, Deibert, Fletcher, Giddings, Houseman, Lodi, MH Estates, McGee, Millers Corners, O’Neil, Pemberthy Crossing, Sigma, Smithville and Taffeltown \u2014 are historic post offices, rail sidings or small named localities inside the townships above rather than separately platted places; they are folded into their township’s entry rather than listed as standalone rows.<\/p>\n

Townships<\/h2>\n

Kalkaska County has 12 civil townships. Kalkaska Township, which surrounds the village, is the largest by population at 2,895 as of the 2020 census; population figures for the remaining eleven are not independently verified here and are omitted rather than estimated.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Township<\/th>\nPop. (2020)<\/th>\nMain settlements<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Kalkaska<\/td>\n2,895<\/td>\nKalkaska village, Westwood<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Boardman<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nSouth Boardman, Manistee Lake<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Excelsior<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nBarker Creek, Crofton<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rapid River<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nRapid City, Sharon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bear Lake<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nBear Lake CDP<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Clearwater<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nTorch River shoreline<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oliver<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nCotton<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Springfield<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nDarragh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Garfield<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nrural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Coldsprings<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nrural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Orange<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nrural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Blue Lake<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nrural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

ZIP Codes<\/h2>\n