Calhoun

Formed October 19, 1829 (15^th county)

Calhoun County (134,293), Marshall (6,828), Battle Creek (52,709)

The 1955 concrete and marble Modern building in Marshall sits off the main city circle.  It is on Green, Grand, Hanover, and Kalamazoo streets.  Interstate Highway 94 Business is one block to the north of the site.  It is now referred to as the County Administration building.  Lewis J. Sarvis is the architect.  A Justice Center was constructed in Battle Creek in 1994.  There were 1838 and 1875 versions of the courthouse in Marshall, the only county seat.  Calhoun County was created on October 19, 1829 as the 15^th county and named for United States Vice President John C. Calhoun.  Calhoun County was the birthplace of 1 Michigan Governor, Richard D. Snyder.  The county was taken from Native American Territory.  The county seat is named for United States Chief Justice John Marshall. 

Calhoun County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  Four Circuit Court Judges, Four District Court Judges, One Probate Court Judge and court clerk serve Calhoun County (judicial.) Calhoun County is in southern Michigan.  Lansing, Michigan is northeast and Detroit, Michigan is east of the county.  The county center is 7.1 miles Southwest of Marshall.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Eaton, Jackson, Hillsdale, Branch, St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, and Barry counties. 

The area of the county is 718 square miles.  It is 45 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 17 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 187.0 persons per square mile making it 15 out of 83 in the state.  Calhoun County has 56.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 69 crosses the county north to south from Eaton County to Branch County.  Interstate Highway 94 goes east to west from Jackson County to Kalamazoo County.  The county is a rectangle.  Marshall is east of center in the county.  Battle Creek is in the northwest corner of the county.  Marshall is the county seat and Battle Creek is the largest city.  Marshall is 5.1% of the county population while Battle Creek is 39.3% of the county population.  This county is in the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area.