Whitefish Township is a civil township of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 474 at the 2020 census.
Whitefish Township, Michigan | |
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Whitefish Township Location within the state of Michigan Whitefish Township Location within the United States | |
Coordinates: 46°37′17″N 85°05′23″W / 46.62139°N 85.08972°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Michigan |
County | Chippewa |
Organized | 1888 |
Government | |
• Supervisor | Frank Lada |
• Clerk | Glenn Gomery |
Area | |
• Total | 293.64 sq mi (760.5 km2) |
• Land | 241.50 sq mi (625.5 km2) |
• Water | 52.14 sq mi (135.0 km2) |
Elevation | 686 ft (209 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 474 |
• Density | 1.96/sq mi (0.76/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP code(s) | |
Area code | 906 |
FIPS code | 26-86700[1] |
GNIS feature ID | 1627260[2] |
Whitefish Township Informational Designation | |
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Location | 7052 M-123 Paradise, Michigan 49768 |
Coordinates | 46°36′29″N 85°02′17″W / 46.608171°N 85.037948°W |
Designated | March 15, 1990 |
With a land area of 241.50 square miles (625.48 km2), Whitefish Township is the sixth-largest municipality in the state by land area and among the least-densely populated. Located along Whitefish Bay on the shores of Lake Superior, the township contains Whitefish Point Light and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, as well as portions of Tahquamenon Falls State Park.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 293.64 square miles (760.52 km2), of which 241.50 square miles (625.48 km2) is land and 52.14 square miles (135.04 km2) (17.76%) is water.[3] Whitefish Township is the sixth-largest municipality by land area in the state after the townships of McMillan, Marenisco, Hiawatha, Watersmeet, and L'Anse.
Whitefish Township occupies the northwest corner of Chippewa County in the Upper Peninsula. It is on the shores of Lake Superior to the north with Whitefish Bay to the east. Whitefish Point forms the northern tip of the township and also includes Vermilion Point to the west. The township of Bay Mills, Chippewa, and Hulbert are to the south and southeast, while McMillan Township in Luce County borders to the west.
The mouth of the Tahquamenon River is within the township. The eastern portion of Tahquamenon Falls State Park, including the Lower Tahquamenon Falls, is within Whitefish Township, while a smaller portion of the state park extends west into McMillan Township. The township also contains Whitefish Point Light, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory, and the Whitefish Point Unit of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 588 people, 285 households, and 196 families residing in the township. By 2020, its population was 474.