Tuscola

Formed April 1, 1840 (63^rd county)

Tuscola County (53,322), Caro (4,322)

A concrete Art Deco courthouse was constructed in 1932 to replace the 1873 facility. 
The facility is on State, Sherman, Court, and Grant streets.  Michigan State Highway 81 is State Street in this part of the town.  William H. Kuni is the courthouse designer.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  The county was established on April 1, 1840 from Sanilac County as the 63^rd county.  The county gets its name from the Native American for “flatland.”  The county seat name is a derivative of Cairo, Egypt.  Vassar was the first county seat until 1866 when Caro became the seat.  Tuscola County was the birthplace of 1 Michigan Governor, Murray D. Van Wagner. 

Tuscola County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judge, One District Court Judge, Two Probate Court Judges and court clerk serve Tuscola County (judicial.) The county is on the thumb of the southern peninsula.  The county center is 2.6 miles Southwest of Caro.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Huron, Sanilac, Lapeer, Genesee, Saginaw, Bay, and Arenac counties. 

The area of the county is 914 square miles.  It is 31 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 34 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 58.3 persons per square mile making it 39 out of 83 in the state.  Tuscola County has 28.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county looks like a fat small letter r.  Caro is located near the center of the county.  Caro is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 8.1% of the county population.  Flint, Michigan is southwest of the county.  The county is pronounced TUS-KOE-LA.  The county seat is pronounced KAR-OE.