Emmet

Formed April 1, 1840 (45^th county)

Emmet County (34,105), Petoskey (5,871)                

The brown brick Modern building was constructed in 1966.  A classier courthouse existed from 1902.  It is situated on Division Street at Lake Street.  United States Highway 31 passes three blocks to the west of the site.  The building was designed by Warren Holmes.  It was renovated in 1990 and enlarged in 2005.  The county was established on April 1, 1840 from Mackinac County as the 45^th county.  Mackinaw City (1853 & 1858), Harbor Springs (1857 & 1869), Charlevoix (1868), and Petoskey (1902) all served as the county seat.  The county’s namesake is Irish poet Robert Emmet.  Petoskey is Native American for “where the light shines through the clouds.” 

Emmet County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judge and court clerk serve Emmet County and One District Court Judge and One Probate Court Judge serve Emmet and Charlevoix counties (judicial.) Emmet County is on the northwest corner of the southern peninsula.  The county center is 10.4 miles North-Northeast of Petoskey nearer Harbor Springs.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Mackinac, Cheboygan, and Charlevoix counties. 

The area of the county is 882 square miles.  It is 34 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 45 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 38.7 persons per square mile making it 47 out of 83 in the state.  Emmet County has 27.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 75 clips the northeast corner of the county from Mackinac County, north, to Cheboygan County, east.  United States Highway 23 enters from Mackinac County and goes into Cheboygan County.  United States Highway 31 originates and travels south into Charlevoix County.  United States Highway 131 originates and goes south into Charlevoix County.  The county’s shape can be described as a small letter d with a foot added.  Petoskey is in the southwest corner of the county.  Petoskey is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 17.2% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced PE-TOS-KEE.