Keweenaw County (, ) is a county in the western Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 2,046, making it Michigan's least populous county. It is also the state's largest county by total area, the state's northernmost county, and includes the waters of Lake Superior. The county seat is Eagle River.

Located at the northeastern end of the Keweenaw Peninsula, Keweenaw County is part of the Houghton, Michigan micropolitan area. Keweenaw County contains two National Park Service units: Isle Royale National Park and Keweenaw National Historical Park. The county is part of Michigan's Copper Country region, an area where copper mining was prevalent from the 1840s to the 1960s.thumb|right|Polished [[native copper nugget from Keweenaw County. Keweenaw County copper mines were important producers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.]] thumb|Haven Falls, on Haven Creek near [[Lac La Belle, Michigan|Lac La Belle]]

History

The county was set off and organized in 1861. It is believed "Keweenaw" is a corruption of an Ojibwe word that means "portage" or "place where portage is made";

Geography

Two land masses comprise most of the land portion of the county: Isle Royale and the northeastern half of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The county also includes the waters of Lake Superior between the two, extending to the state's water borders with Ontario and Minnesota. It is thus the largest county in Michigan by total area, at , of which just is land and (91%) is water. Of all counties (or equivalents) in the United States, Keweenaw County has the highest proportion of water area to total area.

The largest lake entirely within the county is Gratiot Lake at , located at the base of the county's two highest peaks: Mt. Horace Greeley at and Mt. Gratiot at . Other lakes include Lac La Belle near Bete Grise Bay, Lake Medora, Lake Fanny Hooe near Copper Harbor, Lake Bailey at the base of Mt. Baldy, and Schlatter Lake at the tip of the peninsula.

By land, one can only access mainland Keweenaw County via Houghton County.

National protected area

  • Isle Royale National Park
  • Keweenaw National Historical Park (part)

Major highways

  • runs northeast–southwest through the upper center part of the mainland portion of the county. It enters the southern area of the county at Bumbletown passes Phoenix, Delaware, Mandan, Copper Harbor and terminates north of Lake Fanny Hooe.
  • loops from Phoenix to the shoreline of Lake Superior, then runs northeasterly along the shoreline to the intersection with US 41 at Copper Harbor.

Adjacent counties and district

Keweenaw County is the only county in Michigan to connect to the U.S. state of Minnesota via ferry service from Grand Portage to Windigo and Rock Harbor on Isle Royale.

By land

  • Houghton County, south

By water

  • Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada, north
  • Alger County, east
  • Marquette County, southeast
  • Ontonagon County, southwest
  • Cook County, Minnesota, northwest

Communities

thumb|right|500px|[[United States Census|U.S. Census data map showing local municipal boundaries within Keweenaw County]]

Village

  • Ahmeek

Census-designated places

  • Copper Harbor
  • Fulton
  • Eagle Harbor
  • Eagle River (county seat)
  • Mohawk

Civil townships

  • Allouez Township
  • Eagle Harbor Township
  • Grant Township
  • Houghton Township
  • Sherman Township

Defunct townships

  • Copper Harbor Township
  • Sibley Township

Other unincorporated communities

  • Allouez
  • Bete Grise
  • Betsy
  • Bumbletown
  • Central
  • Copper Falls
  • Delaware
  • Eagle Nest
  • Gay
  • Hebards
  • Lac La Belle
  • Mandan
  • Nepco Camp Number 7
  • Ojibway
  • Phoenix
  • Rock Harbor Lodge
  • Seneca
  • Snowshoe
  • Traverse
  • Vaughnsville
  • Windigo
  • Wyoming

Ghost towns

  • Clifton

Demographics

thumb|355x355px|The graph depicts the change in population of the county over its history. The record starts at 1870, and goes until 2018.|left