Ironton, Michigan

Ironton, Michigan
Census-designated place (CDP) & unincorporated community
Road signage along M-66
Location within Charlevoix County
Ironton Location within the state of Michigan Show map of Michigan Ironton Location within the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 45°15′28″N85°11′26″W / 45.25778°N 85.19056°W / 45.25778; -85.19056 Coordinates: 45°15′28″N85°11′26″W / 45.25778°N 85.19056°W / 45.25778; -85.19056
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Charlevoix
Township	Eveline
Settled	1879
Platted	1884
Area [1]
• Total	1.02 sq mi (2.65 km2)
• Land	1.02 sq mi (2.65 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	620 ft (190 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	148
• Density	144.81/sq mi (55.91/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	49720 (Charlevoix) 49727 (East Jordan)
Area code(s)	231
FIPS code	26-41040
GNIS feature ID	0629085 [2]

Ironton is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. ^[2] The population of the CDP was 148 at the 2020 census. It is located within Eveline Township on a narrow portion of Lake Charlevoix that is traversed by the Ironton Ferry.

History

In 1879, Robert Cherry settled here along the shores of Pine Lake (now known as Lake Charlevoix). Cherry worked for the Pine Lake Iron Company of Chicago and built a plant here that opened in 1881. The plant used iron ore brought in by barges from the Upper Peninsula and turned it into pig iron. A post office opened in Ironton on January 31, 1881, and the community was platted in 1884. The iron operation ultimately failed in 1893, but the community remained. The post office closed on December 30, 1965. ^[3]

The community of Ironton was listed as a newly-organized census-designated place for the 2010 census, meaning it now has officially defined boundaries and population statistics for the first time. ^[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Ironton CDP has a total area of 1.02 square miles (2.64 km²), all land.

Ironton is located in the western segment of Eveline Township, which is divided by Lake Charlevoix. The Ironton Ferry within the community connects the two segments of the township along a narrow stretch of the lake.

Major highways

• M-66 runs south–north through the community.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
2010	140		—
2020	148		5.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [5]

Education

Ironton is served primarily by Charlevoix Public Schools to the northwest in Charlevoix, while some southwestern portions of the community may be served by East Jordan Public Schools farther to the south in East Jordan. ^[6]

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ironton, Michigan
3. Romig, Walter (October 1, 1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities. Great Lakes Books Series (Paperback). Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. p. 287. ISBN   978-0-8143-1838-6.
4. "Michigan: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). 2010 United States Census . United States Census Bureau. September 2012. p. III-4. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
6. Michigan Geographic Framework (15 November 2013). "Charlevoix County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved August 6, 2022.