Cheboygan

Formed April 1, 1840 (42^nd county)

Cheboygan County (25,586), Cheboygan (4,769)

The Modern tan brick building, at Main and Franklin streets, was built in 1968 replacing the 1898 courthouse.  There was also an 1869 courthouse in Cheboygan.  Main Street is Michigan State Highway 27.  Stephen T. Gerganoff provided the designs.  A canon and veteran memorials are on the grounds.  Duncan City (1853), Inverness (1869), and Cheboygan (1898) have all been the county seat.  The county was established on April 1, 1840 from Mackinac County as the 42^nd county.  The county and county seat names come from the Native American for “place of ore.” 

Cheboygan County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judges and Three District Court Judges serve Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties and One Probate Court Judge and court clerk serve Cheboygan County (judicial.) Cheboygan County is on the northern part of the southern peninsula.  Lake Huron is its northern coast.  The county center is 9.4 miles Southwest of Cheboygan nearer Topinabee.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Mackinac, Chippewa, Presque Isle, Montmorency, Otsego, Charlevoix, and Emmet counties. 

The area of the county is 885 square miles.  It is 33 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 54 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 28.9 persons per square mile making it 51 out of 83 in the state.  Cheboygan County has 20.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 75 goes northwest to south in the county from Emmet County to Otsego County.  United States Highway 23 originates and travels southeast into Presque Isle County.  The county is a plow standing on its head.  Cheboygan City is on the north central coast.  Cheboygan is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 18.6% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced SHI-BOY-GAN.