County outline
Where Otsego County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 97.9% of Otsego County’s measured area and water for 2.1%. Its combined area converts to 1,362.9 square kilometers or approximately 336,782 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 515.006 | 1,333.859 | 329,603.8 |
| Water | 11.216 | 29.049 | 7,178.2 |
| Total | 526.222 | 1,362.909 | 336,782.1 |
How Otsego County compares
By original Census land area, Otsego County ranks #68 of 83 in Michigan and #2025 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.907 times the Michigan county-equivalent median of 567.8 square miles. It accounts for 0.9% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Michigan ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Otsego County
The Census Bureau estimates that 26,080 people lived in Otsego County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,626 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #52 of 83 in Michigan. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 25,091, the population has grown by 989 (+3.9%), compared with +0.5% for Michigan as a whole.
With 515 square miles of land, that is 51 people per square mile (20 per km²), placing Otsego County #1,539 nationally for density and #49 in Michigan. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Michigan median is 62. Put another way, there are about 13 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 25,137 | 25,342 | 25,582 | 25,811 | 26,117 | 26,080 |
| Change | — | +205 | +240 | +229 | +306 | −37 |
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 Otsego County
Otsego County is divided into 10 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 Bagley township, with 6,104 residents (23.4% of the county). The largest by land is Corwith township, at 107.5 mi², or 20.9% of the county’s land. The county seat, Gaylord city, has 4,444 residents. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Corwith township grew fastest since then (+4.5%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bagley township | 6,104 | +4% | 27.7 | 5.4% |
| Gaylord cityCounty seat | 4,444 | +3.7% | 5.238 | 1% |
| Otsego Lake township | 2,968 | +3.8% | 32.7 | 6.4% |
| Hayes township | 2,839 | +4% | 69.2 | 13.4% |
| Livingston township | 2,748 | +3.8% | 33.8 | 6.6% |
| Corwith township | 1,783 | +4.5% | 107.5 | 20.9% |
| Elmira township | 1,775 | +3.7% | 35.8 | 7% |
| Charlton township | 1,413 | +4.3% | 100.4 | 19.5% |
| Chester township | 1,354 | +3.9% | 67.6 | 13.1% |
| Dover township | 652 | +3.8% | 35.2 | 6.8% |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Otsego County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Otsego County is not part of any metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area in the Office of Management and Budget’s July 2023 delineation; 1,306 other county equivalents are also outside one. These areas are built around an urban core of at least 10,000 people plus the counties tied to it by commuting, so counties outside them are generally rural.
ZIP codes
7 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Otsego County; 3 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
49730497334973549738497514975649795
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 Otsego County
Otsego County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. It has more land than 2 of them. The largest neighbor is Cheboygan County (715.3 mi²) and the smallest is Charlevoix County (416.3 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Otsego County forms a block of 3,225.4 mi² of land, of which it holds 16%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Otsego | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheboygan County | 715.3 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Crawford County | 556.4 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Montmorency County | 546.7 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Antrim County | 475.7 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Charlevoix County | 416.3 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
How big is Otsego County compared with U.S. states?
Otsego County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2 times as much. Michigan’s county land could hold about 110 areas the size of Otsego County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 22.7 miles (36.5 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 Otsego County?
Otsego County has more land than 1,197 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 Otsego County at #2,085 nationally by total area, 60 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 2.1%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 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 Otsego County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2024 | Macon County, North Carolina | 515.5 | Compare |
| #2025 | Otsego County, Michigan | 515 | This county |
| #2026 | Hamilton County, Florida | 514.3 | 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 45.021787, -84.576603. 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: 1,333,860,398 m²; AWATER: 29,050,565 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 Otsego County?
Otsego County, Michigan has 515 square miles (1,333.9 km²) of land and 11.2 square miles of water, for a total area of 526.2 square miles. It ranks #2025 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Otsego County the largest county in Michigan?
No. Otsego County ranks #68 of 83 in Michigan by land area. The largest is Marquette County, with 1,809.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Otsego County?
Otsego County shares a land border with Montmorency County, Crawford County, Antrim County, Cheboygan County, and Charlevoix County.
What is the population of Otsego County?
The Census Bureau estimates Otsego County had 26,080 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,626 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 51 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Otsego County?
The county seat of Otsego County is Gaylord.
What cities and towns are in Otsego County?
Otsego County has 10 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Bagley township, Gaylord city, Otsego Lake township, Hayes township, and Livingston township.
Is Otsego County part of a metropolitan area?
No. Otsego County is outside every metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area in the July 2023 OMB delineation.
How many ZIP codes are in Otsego County?
7 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Otsego County, and 3 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Otsego County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Otsego County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 329,604 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 336,782 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.