Elmwood Township is a charter township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,892 at the 2020 census, making it the largest township in Leelanau County by population. The southeasternmost township of Leelanau County, Elmwood Township is suburbanized, as it is immediately adjacent Traverse City, the largest city in Northern Michigan.

History

Elmwood Township was organized on December 21, 1863.

In 1987, Elmwood Township was granted a charter, and converted from a civil township to a charter township, due largely to growth in and around Traverse City. In 1989, the city of Traverse City annexed the southeasternmost corner of the township.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (35.08%) is water.

Elmwood Township lies upon the West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay. Part of Lake Leelanau is located within the far northwest of Elmwood Township.

Adjacent municipalities

By land

  • Traverse City (southeast)
  • Garfield Township, Grand Traverse County (south)
  • Long Lake Township, Grand Traverse County (southwest)
  • Solon Township (west)
  • Bingham Township (north)

By water

  • Centerville Township (northwest, through Lake Leelanau)
  • Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County (east, through Grand Traverse Bay)

Major highways

  • runs in the east of the township along Grand Traverse Bay. The highway loops around the Leelanau Peninsula and follows Lake Michigan south to Manistee.
  • runs along the southern border of the township with Grand Traverse County. To the west, the highway ends in nearby Empire. To the east, the highway runs through Traverse City towards Kalkaska and Lake Huron.

Communities

  • Crystal Spring is a small settlement in the northeast of the township on M-22. It is located at . Today, Crystal Spring is part of the Greilickville CDP.
  • Greilickville is a census-designated place (CDP) located within the southeast of the township. The community largely serves as the population center of the township, and serves as a suburb of neighboring Traverse City.
  • Hatchs (also known as Hatch's Crossing) is a former railroad station in the center of the township. The settlement was built on the Manistee and North-Eastern Railroad, which is now the Leelanau Trail. Hatchs is located at .
  • Heimforth is a former settlement on Lake Leelanau, in the northwest of the township, at .
  • Traverse City shares a border with Elmwood Township.

Demographics

As of the census