Presque Isle

Formed April 1, 1840 (61^st county)

Presque Isle County (12,981), Rogers City (2,846)

The 1888 Federalist style courthouse fits well in this water community.  United States Highway 23 Business passes beside the structure located on 3^rd Street between Huron and Michigan streets.  The courthouse was enlarged in 1988.  Frank Somme designed the courthouse.  Veteran memorials sit on the grounds.  The county was formed on April 1, 1840 from Mackinac County as the 61^st county with Rogers City as the only county seat.  The county is named for the peninsula which is French for “almost island.”  The county seat is presumably named for local settlers. 

Presque Isle County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judges and Three District Court Judges serve Presque Isle and Cheboygan counties and One Probate Court Judge and court clerk serve Presque Isle County (judicial.) Presque Isle County is in the northeast corner of the southern peninsula.  Lake Huron forms its northern and eastern borders.  The county center is 5 miles Northeast of Rogers City in Lake Huron.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Chippewa County, and Canada, and Alpena, Montmorency, and Cheboygan counties. 

The area of the county is 2573 square miles.  It is 6 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 71 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 5.0 persons per square mile making it 78 out of 83 in the state.  Presque Isle County has 32.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 23 crosses the county west to south from Cheboygan County to Alpena County.  The county is shaped like a sled facing east.  Rogers City is located on the coast but geographically near the center of the county.  Rogers City is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 21.9% of the county population.  The county is pronounced PRESK IE-EL.

Rogers City