County outline
Where Chippewa County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 57.8% of Chippewa County’s measured area and water for 42.2%. Its combined area converts to 6,989 square kilometers or approximately 1,727,025 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 1,558.515 | 4,036.535 | 997,449.6 |
| Water | 1,139.961 | 2,952.485 | 729,575 |
| Total | 2,698.476 | 6,989.021 | 1,727,024.6 |
How Chippewa County compares
By original Census land area, Chippewa County ranks #2 of 83 in Michigan and #387 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 2.745 times the Michigan county-equivalent median of 567.8 square miles. It accounts for 2.8% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Michigan ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Chippewa County
The Census Bureau estimates that 36,081 people lived in Chippewa County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,328 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #44 of 83 in Michigan. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 36,786, the population has declined by 705 (−1.9%), compared with +0.5% for Michigan as a whole.
With 1,558.5 square miles of land, that is 23 people per square mile (8.9 per km²), placing Chippewa County #2,201 nationally for density and #69 in Michigan. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Michigan median is 62. Put another way, there are about 28 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 36,793 | 35,852 | 36,204 | 36,276 | 36,109 | 36,081 |
| Change | — | −941 | +352 | +72 | −167 | −28 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Chippewa County
Chippewa County is divided into 17 municipalities and townships. In Michigan, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Sault Ste. Marie city, with 13,083 residents (36.3% of the county). The largest by land is Whitefish township, at 241.5 mi², or 15.5% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Superior township grew fastest since then (+1.7%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sault Ste. Marie cityCounty seat | 13,083 | −1.9% | 14.8 | 0.9% |
| Kinross charter township | 6,790 | −7.9% | 119.7 | 7.7% |
| Soo township | 2,983 | +0.6% | 50.1 | 3.2% |
| Bruce township | 2,024 | +1.4% | 87 | 5.6% |
| Bay Mills township | 1,623 | +1.4% | 64.7 | 4.2% |
| Pickford township | 1,541 | −1% | 108.3 | 6.9% |
| Dafter township | 1,333 | +0.8% | 47.8 | 3.1% |
| Rudyard township | 1,290 | +0.4% | 89.7 | 5.8% |
| Superior township | 1,267 | +1.7% | 103 | 6.6% |
| Drummond township | 989 | +1.4% | 128.9 | 8.3% |
| Detour township | 675 | +1% | 48.8 | 3.1% |
| Sugar Island township | 655 | +0.8% | 49.3 | 3.2% |
| Raber township | 643 | +1.7% | 97.8 | 6.3% |
| Whitefish township | 482 | +0.8% | 241.5 | 15.5% |
| Trout Lake township | 335 | +0.9% | 141.4 | 9.1% |
Show the other 2 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewa township | 193 | +1.6% | 94.8 |
| Hulbert township | 175 | +1.2% | 70.8 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Chippewa County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Chippewa County is a central county of the Sault Ste. Marie, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area. Chippewa County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 1,558.5 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #103 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #385 by population.
ZIP codes
18 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Chippewa County; 16 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
497104971549719497244972549726497284973649748497524976049768497744978049783497844978849793
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Chippewa County
Chippewa County shares a land border with 2 county equivalents. It has more land than every one of them. The largest neighbor is Mackinac County (1,021.9 mi²) and the smallest is Luce County (899.1 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Chippewa County forms a block of 3,479.5 mi² of land, of which it holds 44.8%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Chippewa | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mackinac County | 1,021.9 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
| Luce County | 899.1 | 1.7× smaller | Compare |
How big is Chippewa County compared with U.S. states?
Chippewa County has more land than 1 of the 50 states. It is about 1.5 times the land area of Rhode Island (1,033.9 mi²), while Delaware, the next larger state, has 1.3 times as much land (1,948.6 mi²). Michigan’s county land could hold about 36 areas the size of Chippewa County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 39.5 miles (63.5 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Chippewa County?
Chippewa County has more land than 2,835 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Chippewa County at #207 nationally by total area, 180 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 42.2%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 41.1 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Chippewa County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #386 | Hidalgo County, Texas | 1,571.2 | Compare |
| #387 | Chippewa County, Michigan | 1,558.5 | This county |
| #388 | Custer County, South Dakota | 1,556.9 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 46.321819, -84.520630. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 4,036,535,184 m²; AWATER: 2,952,484,204 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Chippewa County?
Chippewa County, Michigan has 1,558.5 square miles (4,036.5 km²) of land and 1,140 square miles of water, for a total area of 2,698.5 square miles. It ranks #387 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Chippewa County the largest county in Michigan?
No. Chippewa County ranks #2 of 83 in Michigan by land area. The largest is Marquette County, with 1,809.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Chippewa County?
Chippewa County shares a land border with Mackinac County and Luce County.
What is the population of Chippewa County?
The Census Bureau estimates Chippewa County had 36,081 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,328 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 23 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Chippewa County?
The county seat of Chippewa County is Sault Ste. Marie.
What cities and towns are in Chippewa County?
Chippewa County has 17 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Sault Ste. Marie city, Kinross charter township, Soo township, Bruce township, and Bay Mills township.
Is Chippewa County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Sault Ste. Marie, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Chippewa County?
18 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Chippewa County, and 16 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Chippewa County compare with U.S. states?
It has more land than 1 of the 50 states, including Rhode Island (1,033.9 square miles of land).
How many acres of land are in Chippewa County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 997,450 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 1,727,025 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.