Formed April 1, 1840 (48th county)
Kalkaska County (17,928), Kalkaska (2,188)
The Modern building was erected in 1976. An 1873 building and a classier 1883 courthouse were also in Kalkaska. The building sits at Birch at Courthouse streets, three blocks south of United States Highway 131. Paul Hazelton is the current tan brick courthouse architect. Multiple county buildings are in the complex with the Administration Building across the breezeway. Round Lake was the county seat until 1873 when Kalkaska became the seat. The county was established on April 1, 1840 from Mackinac County as the 48th county. The county and county seat names come from the Native American for “flat country.”
Kalkaska 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 serve Kalkaska, Crawford, and Otsego counties and One District Court Judge, One Probate Court Judge and court clerk serve Kalkaska County (judicial.) The county is in the northwest part of the southern peninsula. The county center is 11.6 miles Southeast of Kalkaska. The county is surrounded clockwise by Antrim, Otsego, Crawford, Roscommon, Missaukee, Wexford, and Grand Traverse counties.
The area of the county is 571 square miles. It is 71 out of 83 in the state. It ranks 66 out of 83 in population in the state. It has a density of 31.4 persons per square mile making it 50 out of 83 in the state. Kalkaska County has 12.2% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 131 travels north to southwest in the county from Antrim County to Grand Traverse County. The county is an overall rectangle. The City of Kalkaska is located in the northwest quarter of the county. Kalkaska is the county seat and the largest city since it is the only incorporated city. It is 12.2% of the county population. The county and county seat are pronounced KAL-KAS-KA. This county is in the Traverse City Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Kalkaska
