Ira Township is a civil township of St. Clair County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,967 at the 2020 Census.

Communities

Four unincorporated communities are within the township:

  • Anchorville is on M-29 situated on northern shore of Lake St. Clair at . The Anchorville ZIP code 48004 provides P.O. Box service. The Rev. Charles Chambille arrived in 1853 to serve the French living in the area, which was then called the "Swan Creek Settlement." Chambille dedicated a church in 1854, which became the nucleus of a village. In 1876, it was renamed to describe its location on Anchor Bay. A post office was established in December 1885.
  • Fair Haven is about a mile and a half east-southeast of Anchorville on M-29 at . The Fairhaven ZIP code 48023 serves most of Ira Township. The community was the site of a French-speaking Metis settlement dating from before 1837 and named after the nearby stream, Rivière des Cygnes. This was translated by American settlers as Swan Creek and was given a post office with that name in October 1857. In February 1862, it was renamed Fair Haven.

History

The township was created in 1837 and was named for Ira Marks, an early settler. A post office named Ira was established at a settlement on the north shore of Lake St. Clair in May 1851 and operated until June 1853.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (21.42%) is water.

Ira township is flat and rises slightly from the shoreline of Lake Saint Clair. Most of the township is rural and made up of woods, open space, and farms. The shoreline is developed along the Dixie Hwy which hugs the shore and there are small clusters of homes at Fair Haven and Anchorville. There is a small industrial area in the northwest section of the township. The primary tributary which is centered geographically is the Swan Creek which branches off to the east and west, out to the north of the township limits. The drainage area of these creeks is small but makes up most of the township's watershed. The shoreline is often sandy or has seawalls along private homes and the water is shallow near the land. There are a number of marshes in the township along the lake and the creeks.

Demographics

As of the census