County outline
Where Keweenaw County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 9.1% of Keweenaw County’s measured area and water for 90.9%. Its combined area converts to 15,452.6 square kilometers or approximately 3,818,410 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 540.112 | 1,398.884 | 345,671.7 |
| Water | 5,426.154 | 14,053.674 | 3,472,738.6 |
| Total | 5,966.266 | 15,452.558 | 3,818,410.2 |
How Keweenaw County compares
By original Census land area, Keweenaw County ranks #63 of 83 in Michigan and #1935 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.951 times the Michigan county-equivalent median of 567.8 square miles. It accounts for 1% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Michigan ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Keweenaw County
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,186 people lived in Keweenaw County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #3,105 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #83 of 83 in Michigan. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 2,046, the population has grown by 140 (+6.8%), compared with +0.5% for Michigan as a whole.
With 540.1 square miles of land, that is 4 people per square mile (1.6 per km²), placing Keweenaw County #2,902 nationally for density and #83 in Michigan. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Michigan median is 62. Put another way, there are about 158 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 2,059 | 2,107 | 2,150 | 2,181 | 2,165 | 2,186 |
| Change | — | +48 | +43 | +31 | −16 | +21 |
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 Keweenaw County
Keweenaw County is divided into 5 municipalities and townships. In Michigan, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents; a few are unorganized areas without their own government.
The most populous is Allouez township, with 1,525 residents (69.8% of the county). The largest by land is Eagle Harbor township, at 180.4 mi², or 33.4% of the county’s land.
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allouez township | 1,525 | +6.7% | 54.6 | 10.1% |
| Grant township | 255 | +7.1% | 119.2 | 22.1% |
| Eagle Harbor township | 234 | +7.3% | 180.4 | 33.4% |
| Sherman township | 97 | +6.6% | 65.2 | 12.1% |
| Houghton township | 75 | +7.1% | 120.7 | 22.4% |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Keweenaw County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Keweenaw County is an outlying county of the Houghton, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area. Its 2 county equivalents have 40,028 residents on 1,549.2 square miles of land; Keweenaw County accounts for 34.9% of the land and 5.5% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #105 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #321 by population.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Houghton County | 37,842 | 1,009.1 |
| Keweenaw County | 2,186 | 540.1 |
ZIP codes
6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Keweenaw County; 4 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
498054990149913499184994549950
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 Keweenaw County
Keweenaw County shares a land border with 1 county equivalent. Houghton County has 1.9 times its land area.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Keweenaw | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton County | 1,009.1 | 1.9× larger | Compare |
How big is Keweenaw County compared with U.S. states?
Keweenaw County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.9 times as much. Michigan’s county land could hold about 105 areas the size of Keweenaw County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 23.2 miles (37.4 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 Keweenaw County?
Keweenaw County has more land than 1,287 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 Keweenaw County at #67 nationally by total area, 1,868 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 90.9%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 89.8 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 Keweenaw County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1934 | Nash County, North Carolina | 540.4 | Compare |
| #1935 | Keweenaw County, Michigan | 540.1 | This county |
| #1936 | Phelps County, Nebraska | 539.8 | 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 47.367297, -88.351332. 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: 1,398,883,413 m²; AWATER: 14,053,673,405 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 Keweenaw County?
Keweenaw County, Michigan has 540.1 square miles (1,398.9 km²) of land and 5,426.2 square miles of water, for a total area of 5,966.3 square miles. It ranks #1935 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Keweenaw County the largest county in Michigan?
No. Keweenaw County ranks #63 of 83 in Michigan by land area. The largest is Marquette County, with 1,809.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Keweenaw County?
Keweenaw County shares a land border with Houghton County.
What is the population of Keweenaw County?
The Census Bureau estimates Keweenaw County had 2,186 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #3,105 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 4 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Keweenaw County?
The county seat of Keweenaw County is Eagle River.
What cities and towns are in Keweenaw County?
Keweenaw County has 5 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous are Allouez township, Grant township, Eagle Harbor township, Sherman township, and Houghton township.
Is Keweenaw County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is an outlying county of the Houghton, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which has 2 county equivalents and 40,028 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Keweenaw County?
6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Keweenaw County, and 4 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Keweenaw County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.9 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Keweenaw County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 345,672 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 3,818,410 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.