Muskegon County, Michigan

Location in the state of Michigan

Michigan's location in the U.S. Founded 1859^[1] Seat Muskegon Area
- Total
- Land
- Water
1,459.30 sq mi (3,780 km²)
509.12 sq mi (1,319 km²)
950.18 sq mi (2,461 km²), 65.11% Population
- (2010)
- Density
172,188
334/sq mi (129/km²) Website www.co.muskegon.mi.us

Muskegon County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 172,188. The county seat is Muskegon.^[2] The county is the sole county in the Muskegon-Norton Shores Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland Combined Statistical Area.

History

Around 1812, Jean Baptiste Recollect and Pierre Constant set up trading posts in the area. By the Treaty of Washington (1836), Native Americans ceded parts of Michigan, including future Muskegon County, opening the area to greater settlement.^[3]

Muskegon County was organized in 1859. Its name is from the Muskegon River, which runs through it and empties into Muskegon Lake and subsequently flows into Lake Michigan. The word "Muskegon" comes from the Ojibwa/Chippewa word "mashkig" meaning "marsh" or "swamp".^[1]^[4] See List of Michigan county name etymologies.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1,459.30 square miles (3,779.6 km²), of which 509.12 square miles (1,318.6 km²) (or 34.89%) is land and 950.18 square miles (2,461.0 km²) (or 65.11%) is water.^[5]