Genesee County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 406,211, and was estimated to be 401,093 in 2025, Genesee County consists of 33 cities, townships, and villages. It is considered to be a part of Mid-Michigan.
The county was named after Genesee County, New York, which in turn comes from the Seneca word Gen-nis'-hee-yo, meaning "Beautiful Valley". Genesee County comprises the Flint, MI Metropolitan statistical area. A major attraction for visitors is Crossroads Village, a living history village north of Flint.
Genesee County is noted for having had the fossil of an ancient whale known as Balaenoptera Lacepede unearthed in Thetford Township during quarry work and estimated at 11,000 years old.
History
Formative period
Genesee County was created on March 28, 1835, from territory taken from Lapeer, Shiawassee and Saginaw Counties. The county was attached to Oakland County for judicial purposes. The only township organized at the time was Grand Blanc, formed in 1833 consisting of additional township areas of the present Fenton, Mundy, Flint, Mount Morris, Genesee, Burton, Atlas and Davison townships. (Atlas and Davision township survey areas were then in Lapeer County.) Flint Township followed in formation by the legislature on March 2, 1836, splitting away from Grand Blanc with the township areas of Burton, Genesee and Mount Morris plus additional township areas of the present day Clayton, Montrose, Flushing, Thetford and Vienna. On April 4, 1836, the county was fully organized. Thus Flint Township consisted of one and a half township survey areas.
Fifteen northerly sections of survey area township 7 north range No. 7 east in Flint Township plus southerly sections of Genesee Township were set off by the Michigan Legislature as Kearsley Township in 1839. On March 7, 1843, the legislature abolished this township returning the sections back to Flint and Genesee townships. Thus Flint Township consisted of approximately one and a half township survey areas.
Two new townships were formed by the state on March 9, 1842. Thetford was the eastmost survey area split off from Vienna. While Gaines was formed with the western township survey of Mundy. In 1968, the county park system was started with the purchase of vacant land. with funds from the Mott Foundation, with a stipulation that a parks commission be formed.
Flint Community Junior College was turned into a county-wide institution with a referendum and millage proposal passing the voters in 1969. To reflect this, the college was renamed Genesee Community College on July 5, 1970. In 1973, it was renamed to Charles Stewart Mott Community College after the death of C.S. Mott.
In October 2009, County Commissioners directed County Corporate Counsel to discuss with the County Prosecuting Attorney a possible merger of his office with the County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. As of December 2011, County Counsel Ward Chapman was intending to retire by the end of the year raising the possibility again of a merger. By August 9, 2016, the two offices were merged.
Emergency Management & Homeland Security Department was merged by the County Commission into the Sheriff's Department in June 2010 with the department director position being demoted to a manager level post while eliminating a programming coordinator. In July 2010, the County Board voted to merge the clerk and register of deeds offices, effective January 1, 2013.
On October 26, 2010, Genesee County became a founding member of the Karegnondi Water Authority with Board of Commissioners Chair Jamie W. Curtis representing the County on the Authority Board.
On May 30, 2012, it was reported Genesee County has had 45 confirmed tornadoes since 1950 (most notably the 1953 Flint–Beecher tornado), more than any other county in Michigan in that time period.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.95%) is water. It is the 33rd largest county in Michigan by total area.
Most of the land in the county is very flat, but the southern end is hilly and covered by several lakes.
The county is mostly drained by the Flint River, which is dammed into Mott Lake and the Holloway Reservoir in the northeast corner of the county. The southeast corner and southern end are drained by the Shiawassee River.
Adjacent counties
- Tuscola County (northeast)
- Lapeer County (east)
- Oakland County (southeast)
- Livingston County (southwest)
- Shiawassee County (west)
- Saginaw County (northwest)
Transportation
- Bishop International Airport is served by several major airlines.
- The inter-modal Flint Amtrak station offers daily service on the Blue Water route west to Chicago and east to Port Huron. It doubles as a bus station for Greyhound Lines, Indian Trails and Flint Mass Transportation Authority.
Major highways
- - runs north and south through central Genesee County, merges with US 23 in Mundy Township
- - runs east and west through central Genesee County
- - alternate route of I-75/US23, runs north and south through central Genesee County
- - runs north and south through central Genesee County, merges with I-75 in Mundy Township
- - runs north and south through western Genesee County, north of I-69, along the borders with Shiawassee County and Saginaw County
- - runs north and south through eastern Genesee County
- - runs east and west through central Genesee County, west of I-475
- - runs north and south through central Genesee County
- - runs east and west through northern Genesee County, west of M-15