Marquette

Formed March 9, 1843 (67^th county)

Marquette County (66,020), Marquette (20,617)

The 1904 domed Neo-Classical Revival courthouse is located on Baraga, 3^rd, Spring, and 4^th streets.  United States Highway 41 passes four blocks south of the courthouse.  Demitrius F. Charlton and R. William Gilbert are the architects of this red stone courthouse.  In 1984, the courthouse was renovated and an Annex has been added to the building.  It sits on a hill and features columns and a dome.  The county was established on March 9, 1843 from parts of Chippewa and Mackinac counties as the 67^th county with Marquette as the only county seat.  An 1857 courthouse also existed.  The county and county seat honor Missionary Jacques Marquette. 

Marquette County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 6 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two Circuit Court Judges, Two District Court Judges, Two Probate Court Judges and court clerk serve Marquette County (judicial.) The county is on the northern border of the northern peninsula.  Lake Superior is its northern border.  The county center is 6.5 miles West-Southwest of Marquette.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and Alger, Delta, Menominee, Dickinson, Iron, and Baraga counties. 

The area of the county is 3425 square miles.  It is 4 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 30 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 19.3 persons per square mile making it 62 out of 83 in the state.  Marquette County has 47.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 41 goes southeast to west in the county from Delta County to Baraga County.  The overall shape of the county looks like a number 7.  The City of Marquette is on the northeast border of the county.  Marquette is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 31.2% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced MAR-KET.  This county is in the Marquette Micropolitan Statistical Area.