Leelanau

Formed April 1, 1840 (50^th county)

Leelanau County (22,304), Suttons Bay (571)

The dark red/brown brick Modern building was built in 2008 at Government Center Drive at Michigan Highway 204.  Landmark Design are the courthouse architects.  The courthouse sits on a hill with an outstanding veterans memorials display on Government Center Drive.  The Leland 1966 and 1883 courthouses still stand.  The county was created on April 1, 1840 from Mackinac County as the 50^th county.  Northport (1863), Leeland (1883), and Suttons Bay (2004) have all served as county seat.  The county name is Native American for “delight of life.”  The county seat is named for the bay which is named for a settler. 

Leelanau County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two Circuit Court Judges and Three District Court Judges serve Leelanau, Antrim, and Grand Traverse counties and One Probate Court Judge and court clerk serve Leelanau County (judicial.) The county is in the northwest part of the southern peninsula.  Lake Michigan forms its western and northern borders.  The county center is 12 miles West-Northwest of Suttons Bay nearer Leland.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Charlevoix, Antrim, Grand Traverse, and Benzie counties, and Wisconsin, and Delta and Schoolcraft counties. 

The area of the county is 2532 square miles.  It is 7 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 63 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 8.8 persons per square mile making it 74 out of 83 in the state.  Leelanau County has 7.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county looks like a fire flaming to the northeast.  Suttons Bay is in the southeast part of the county.  Suttons Bay is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 2.6% of the county population.  The county is pronounced LEE-LA-NOE.  This county is in the Traverse City Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Traverse City