Shiawassee

Formed September 10, 1822 (9^th county)

Shiawassee County (68,095), Corunna (3,047), Owosso (14,722)

The classic masonry Beaux Arts courthouse was built in 1904.  It is on Shiawassee Street at McArthur Street.  Michigan State Highway 71 is Shiawassee Street in this part of the town.  Claire Allen provided the courthouse designs.  A County Judicial Center has been recently added.  The courthouse features columns and a tower.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  There were 1839 and 1850 courthouses earlier.  Shiawassee County was established on September 10, 1822 from parts of Oakland and Saint Clair counties as the 9^th county.  The county is named for the river which is Native American for “river that twists about.”  The county seat is named for Corunna, Spain.  Byron was the first county seat until 1837 when Corunna became the county seat. 

Shiawassee 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, Two District Court Judges, One Probate Court Judge and court clerk serve Shiawassee County (judicial.) The county is in the southeast part of the southern peninsula.  Lansing, Michigan is directly southwest and Flint, Michigan is directly east of the county.  The county center is 5 miles Southwest of Corunna nearer Owosso.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Saginaw, Genesee, Livingston, Ingham, Clinton, and Gratiot counties. 

The area of the county is 541 square miles.  It is 77 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 27 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 125.9 persons per square mile making it 23 out of 83 in the state.  Shiawassee County has 41.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 69 crosses east to west in the county from Genesee County to Clinton County.  The county is a rectangle.  Corunna is slightly northeast of center in the county.  Owosso is located northwest of the center.  Corunna is the county seat and Owosso is the largest city.  Corunna is 4.5% of the county population while Owosso is 21.6% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SHIE-A-WAS-SEE.  This county is in the Owosso Micropolitan Statistical Area.