Rives Township is a civil township of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,750 at the 2020 census.
Communities
- Rives Junction is an unincorporated community in the township at . It was founded in 1834 by Samuel Prescott and Henry Fifield. A post office named "West Rives" was established on June 15, 1839, with Prescott as the first postmaster, operating from his home on the west side of the Michigan Central Railroad tracks. The community developed on the eastern side of the tracks and was renamed "Eaton Rapids Junction" on March 12, 1866, and again renamed "Rives Junction" on May 7, 1866. The Rives Junction post office, with ZIP Code 49277, continues to serve large portions of Rives Township as well as northeast portions of adjacent Tompkins Township. Rives Junction was the junction between the Michigan Central lines to Saginaw and Grand Rapids.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (1.35%) is water.
Rives Township is in northern Jackson County, bordered to the north by Ingham County. U.S. Route 127 crosses the center of the township, leading north to Lansing and south to Jackson. The township is drained by the Grand River, which crosses from the southern border to the northwest corner.
A portion of Meridian-Baseline State Park is located within Rives Township.
Demographics
As of the census