Eaton

Formed October 29, 1829 (21^st county)

Eaton County (109,174), Charlotte (9,299)                

The Modern masonry and brown brick courthouse was built in 1976.  There were 1845 and 1885 courthouses also in Charlotte.  It is on Independence Boulevard at Court House Drive.  Michigan State Highway 50 is four blocks to the east.  Robert Cain and Associates are the architects.  It features a wind chimes tower with working clock in front of the building.  The county originated on October 29, 1829 from Native American Territory as the 21^st county.  Belleview was the county seat until 1840 when Charlotte assumed the role.  The county is named for United States Secretary of War John Eaton.  The county seat is named for the wife of settler Edmond Bostwick.  Eaton County was the birthplace of 1 Michigan Governor, Frank D. Fitzgerald. 

Eaton County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 15 Commissioners (legislative.)  Three Circuit Court Judges, Two District Court Judges, One Probate Court Judge and court clerk serve Eaton County (judicial.) The county is in south central Michigan directly southwest of Lansing, Michigan.  The county center is 4 miles Northeast of Charlotte.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Clinton, Ingham, Jackson, Calhoun, Barry, and Ionia counties. 

The area of the county is 579 square miles.  It is 59 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 19 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 188.6 persons per square mile making it 14 out of 83 in the state.  Eaton County has 33.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 69 enters the county from the northeast, Ingham County, and exits to the south, Calhoun County.  Interstate Highway 96 cuts the northeast corner from Ingham County, east, to Clinton County, north.  The county is a rectangle.  Charlotte is located near the center of the county.  Charlotte is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 8.5% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced SHAR LOT.  This county is in the Lansing-East Lansing Metropolitan Statistical Area.