County outline
Where Ottawa County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 34.5% of Ottawa County’s measured area and water for 65.5%. Its combined area converts to 4,225.3 square kilometers or approximately 1,044,103 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 563.52 | 1,459.51 | 360,652.8 |
| Water | 1,067.891 | 2,765.825 | 683,450.2 |
| Total | 1,631.411 | 4,225.335 | 1,044,103 |
How Ottawa County compares
By original Census land area, Ottawa County ranks #51 of 83 in Michigan and #1828 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.992 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 Ottawa County
The Census Bureau estimates that 308,459 people lived in Ottawa County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #241 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #7 of 83 in Michigan. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 296,195, the population has grown by 12,264 (+4.1%), compared with +0.5% for Michigan as a whole.
With 563.5 square miles of land, that is 547 people per square mile (211 per km²), placing Ottawa County #318 nationally for density and #6 in Michigan. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Michigan median is 62. Put another way, there are about 1.2 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 296,893 | 298,369 | 300,837 | 303,565 | 306,190 | 308,459 |
| Change | — | +1,476 | +2,468 | +2,728 | +2,625 | +2,269 |
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 Ottawa County
Ottawa County is divided into 23 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 Georgetown charter township, with 55,682 residents (18.1% of the county). The largest by land is Polkton charter township, at 39.3 mi², or 7% of the county’s land. The county seat, Grand Haven charter township, has 19,981 residents. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Grand Haven charter township grew fastest since then (+10.9%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown charter township | 55,682 | +2.6% | 33.2 | 5.9% |
| Holland charter township | 40,862 | +6.8% | 27 | 4.8% |
| Allendale charter township | 27,519 | +3.5% | 31.1 | 5.5% |
| Holland city | 27,343 | +2.6% | 8.447 | 1.5% |
| Grand Haven charter townshipCounty seat | 19,981 | +10.9% | 28.7 | 5.1% |
| Park township | 19,199 | +3% | 19.2 | 3.4% |
| Spring Lake township | 15,705 | +2.7% | 16.5 | 2.9% |
| Zeeland charter township | 12,305 | +2.5% | 34.4 | 6.1% |
| Grand Haven cityCounty seat | 11,038 | +0.3% | 5.724 | 1% |
| Jamestown charter township | 10,702 | +10.9% | 35.4 | 6.3% |
| Tallmadge charter township | 9,188 | +4.4% | 32.2 | 5.7% |
| Hudsonville city | 7,964 | +4.7% | 4.119 | 0.7% |
| Blendon township | 7,629 | +7.7% | 36.4 | 6.5% |
| Robinson township | 6,475 | +1.4% | 38.5 | 6.8% |
| Zeeland city | 5,637 | −1.8% | 2.991 | 0.5% |
Show the other 8 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Sheldon township | 5,480 | +8.7% | 22.3 |
| Olive township | 5,291 | +5.7% | 36.2 |
| Coopersville city | 4,802 | −0.1% | 4.81 |
| Crockery township | 4,784 | +4.6% | 32.4 |
| Wright township | 3,185 | −0.1% | 36.1 |
| Ferrysburg city | 2,955 | +0.2% | 2.99 |
| Polkton charter township | 2,616 | +1.1% | 39.3 |
| Chester township | 2,117 | +1% | 35.6 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Ottawa County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Ottawa County is an outlying county of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 5 county equivalents have 1,183,645 residents on 3,242.8 square miles of land; Ottawa County accounts for 17.4% of the land and 26.1% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #93 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #50 by population. It belongs to the Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Kent County | 675,232 | 849.5 |
| Ottawa County | 308,459 | 563.5 |
| Montcalm County | 69,406 | 705.3 |
| Ionia County | 66,557 | 571.3 |
| Barry County | 63,991 | 553.1 |
ZIP codes
25 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Ottawa County; 16 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
49315493184932349330494014940349404494094941549417494184942349424494264942849430494344943549448494514945649460494644953449544
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 Ottawa County
Ottawa County shares a land border with 3 county equivalents. It has more land than 1 of them. The largest neighbor is Kent County (849.5 mi²) and the smallest is Muskegon County (503.9 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Ottawa County forms a block of 2,742.4 mi² of land, of which it holds 20.5%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Ottawa | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | 849.5 | 1.5× larger | Compare |
| Allegan County | 825.4 | 1.5× larger | Compare |
| Muskegon County | 503.9 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
How big is Ottawa County compared with U.S. states?
Ottawa County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.8 times as much. Michigan’s county land could hold about 100 areas the size of Ottawa County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 23.7 miles (38.2 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 Ottawa County?
Ottawa County has more land than 1,394 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 Ottawa County at #413 nationally by total area, 1,415 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 65.5%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 64.3 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 Ottawa County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1827 | Bon Homme County, South Dakota | 563.5 | Compare |
| #1828 | Ottawa County, Michigan | 563.5 | This county |
| #1829 | Ogemaw County, Michigan | 563.5 | 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 43.054969, -86.219349. 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: 1,459,509,492 m²; AWATER: 2,765,824,456 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 Ottawa County?
Ottawa County, Michigan has 563.5 square miles (1,459.5 km²) of land and 1,067.9 square miles of water, for a total area of 1,631.4 square miles. It ranks #1828 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Ottawa County the largest county in Michigan?
No. Ottawa County ranks #51 of 83 in Michigan by land area. The largest is Marquette County, with 1,809.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Ottawa County?
Ottawa County shares a land border with Kent County, Muskegon County, and Allegan County.
What is the population of Ottawa County?
The Census Bureau estimates Ottawa County had 308,459 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #241 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 547 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Ottawa County?
The county seat of Ottawa County is Grand Haven.
What cities and towns are in Ottawa County?
Ottawa County has 23 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Georgetown charter township, Holland charter township, Allendale charter township, Holland city, and Grand Haven charter township.
Is Ottawa County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is an outlying county of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 5 county equivalents and 1,183,645 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Ottawa County?
25 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Ottawa 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 Ottawa County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.8 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Ottawa County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 360,653 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 1,044,103 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.