Saginaw County (pronounced SAG-ə-naw) is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the 2020 Census, the population was 190,124. The county seat is Saginaw. Saginaw County was created on September 10, 1822, and officially organized on February 9, 1835. The origin of the county's name is unclear. Some believe it may come from the Sauk (also called Sac) tribe's name for the area, Sace-nong or Sak-e-nong, meaning "Sauk land." Others suggest it comes from Ojibwe words meaning "place of the outlet," with "sag" meaning "an opening" and "ong" meaning "place of." For more information, see the list of Michigan county name origins.

Saginaw County includes the Saginaw, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area and is part of the Saginaw-Midland-Bay City Combined Statistical Area, which is the fifth largest metropolitan area in Michigan.

Etymology

The name Saginaw is thought by many to mean "where the Sauk were" in the Ojibwe language, from the words Sace-nong or Sak-e-nong, which mean "Sauk Town." This is because people believed the Sauk once lived there. However, it is more likely that Saginaw means "place of the outlet," from the Ojibwe words sag (meaning "opening") and ong (meaning "place of").

When Samuel de Champlain met indigenous people who told him the Sauk nation lived on the western shore of Lake Michigan, he incorrectly placed them on the western shore of Lake Huron. This error appeared on later maps, and people later thought this was where the Sauks lived. Champlain never traveled to the area that is now Michigan.

History

The area was home to the Native American Hopewell culture from around 1000 B.C. to 1000 A.D., followed by the Anishnabeg people. Some historians think the Sauk once lived there but were later driven out by the Ojibwe (also called Chippewa) before Europeans arrived.

The Saginaw region has many rivers and streams that flow into the Saginaw River. These waterways helped Native American groups travel easily between settlements, hunting areas, and Lake Huron. Saginaw was also a common place for meetings between the Ojibwe, Pottawatomi, and Ottawa, who are known as the Three Fires of the Anishnabeg.

When Euro-Americans first arrived, the Ojibwe were the main group living in what is now Saginaw County. They remained the strongest group in the area during the 1820s. In 1827, the Ojibwe fought against two groups of Winnebago people from Wisconsin and won with help from nearby Euro-American settlers.

In 1853, the Ojibwe and Ottawa set up large hunting camps along the Saginaw River. At the same time, Euro-American settlers were starting to build sawmills and farms in the area.

Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that Saginaw County has a total area of 816 square miles (2,110 km²), with 800 square miles (2,100 km²) being land and 16 square miles (41 km²) (1.9%) being water. Saginaw County is part of the Flint/Tri-Cities area in Mid-Michigan. The median elevation in Saginaw County, Michigan, is 620 feet (190 m) above sea level.

• Rivers: Saginaw River, Shiawassee River, Cass River, Flint River, Bad River, Tittabawassee River
• Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge
• Bay County (northeast of Saginaw County)
• Midland County (northwest of Saginaw County)
• Tuscola County (east of Saginaw County)
• Gratiot County (west of Saginaw County)
• Genesee County (southeast of Saginaw County)
• Shiawassee County (south of Saginaw County)
• Clinton County (southwest of Saginaw County)

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 190,124. The median age was 41.3 years. Twenty-one point eight percent of residents were under the age of 18, and 20.1% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males, and for every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 91.1 males aged 18 and over.

There were 78,442 households in the county. Twenty-seven percent of these households had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.4% were married-couple households, 19.4% had a male householder with no spouse or partner, and 32.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner. About 31.7% of all households included only one person, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 85,953 housing units in the county, of which 8.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.5% were owned by the residents, and 29.5% were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%, and the rental vacancy rate was 10.5%.

The racial makeup of the county was 70.4% White, 18.2% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% Asian, less than 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.9% from some other race, and 6.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 8.9% of the population.

Sixty-seven point four percent of residents lived in urban areas, while 32.6% lived in rural areas.

As of the 2010 United States census, Saginaw County had a population of 200,169, a decrease of 9,870 people from the 2000 census. Overall, the county had a -4.7% growth rate during this ten-year period. In 2010, there were 79,011 households and 52,287 families in the county. The population density was 250.2 people per square mile (96.6 per square kilometer). There were 86,844 housing units at an average density of 108.5 per square mile (41.9 per square kilometer).

The racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 70.5% White, 18.6% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 7.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races.

There were 79,011 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them. Forty-five point four percent were husband-and-wife families, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.8% were non-families, and 28.2% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, 23.4% of the population was under the age of 18, 10.6% were between 18 and 24, 22.9% were between 25 and 44, 27.8% were between 45 and 64, and 15.3% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

The 2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimate showed the median income for a household in the county was $41,938, and the median income for a family was $52,243. Males had a median income of $27,691, while females had a median income of $16,488. The per capita income for the county was $21,025. About 12.4% of families and 16.9% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under the age of 18 and 10.1% of those aged 65 or over.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is the main organization for the Catholic Church in the region.

Government and politics

The county government manages the jail, repairs rural roads, runs local courts, stores records of property deeds and mortgages, keeps important documents like birth and marriage records, enforces public health rules, and works with the state to provide welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners decides how money is spent but has limited power to create laws or rules. In Michigan, most tasks handled by local governments, such as police and fire services, building permits, taxes, and road maintenance, are managed by individual cities and townships.

From 1988 to 2012, Saginaw County consistently voted for the Democratic Party in presidential elections. Recently, the county has become more competitive in elections. In 2016, Donald Trump won Saginaw County by about 1,000 votes. In 2020, he lost the county by about 300 votes. In 2024, Trump won again, this time by about 3,400 votes and gaining a majority in the county.

• Prosecuting Attorney: John McColgan Jr.
• Sheriff: William Federspiel
• County Clerk: Vanessa Guerra
• County Treasurer: Timothy M. Novak
• Register of Deeds: Katheryn A. Kelly
• Public Works Commissioner: Brian Wendling

All countywide officials are elected for four-year terms. The next election for these positions is scheduled for November 2024.

(This information was current as of April 2021)

The Saginaw County Parks and Recreation Commission is a government group created in 1969 by William H. Haithco Sr. Haithco led the group as chairman from 1972 to 1999. The organization manages six parks in the county: Imerman Memorial Park, Veterans Memorial Park, Ringwood Forest, Price Nature Center, William H. Haithco Recreation Area, and The Saginaw Valley Rail Trail. These parks cover more than 550 acres, including 18 miles of hiking trails, two boat ramps, four fishing spots, a swimming beach, picnic areas, and programs for outdoor activities.

Transportation

Saginaw County was a key location for a Sauk footpath that became one of the first roads in what is now Michigan, known as the Saginaw Trail. The trail was approved in 1819 and completed to Saginaw in 1841. Since then, Saginaw’s connections to other places have grown with the development of transportation systems, including maritime routes, railroads, air travel, and highways that link Saginaw to major cities in Michigan and nearby states and countries.

Scheduled airline service is available from MBS International Airport near Freeland, Michigan, and Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan. Harry Browne Airport in Buena Vista Charter Township also serves the region.

• I-75 is a major north-south highway that runs from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, to Miami-Dade County, Florida.
• I-675 is a highway that connects to Interstate 75 and passes through downtown Saginaw.
• US 23 is a major highway.
• M-13 runs from I-69 through downtown Saginaw and continues north to Standish.
• M-15 is a highway.
• M-30 is a highway.
• M-46 is a road that crosses the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, running from Port Sanilac on Lake Huron’s shore, through Saginaw near Saginaw Bay, and to Muskegon on Lake Michigan’s shore. This east-west road divides the Lower Peninsula from north to south.
• M-47 connects the western suburbs to MBS International Airport in Freeland and ends at US 10 in Bay County.
• M-52 runs from the Ohio border through Adrian and Owosso to the western suburbs of Saginaw, where it connects to M-46. It also links to Lansing, Michigan’s state capital.
• M-54 is a highway.
• M-57 is a highway.
• M-58 connects M-47 to I-675.
• M-81 runs east from M-13 to Caro and Cass City, ending at M-53 in Sanilac County.
• M-83 is a highway.
• M-84 runs from M-25 in downtown Bay City to M-58 in Saginaw.

The Saginaw River is managed by the Corps of Engineers. Occasionally, the river is dredged to keep a shipping channel open from Saginaw to Bay City and from there to the Great Lakes.

Education

Most of Saginaw County is managed by the Saginaw Intermediate School District (SISD), which helps local school boards work together. However, SISD does not control how schools operate daily. In Michigan, local school boards have a lot of control over the everyday work of schools. There are also several charter schools in the county.

School districts in Saginaw County (including those with very small areas, even if schools or offices are in other counties) include:

Former school districts include:

• Buena Vista School District

• Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) is a four-year public university in the eastern part of Kochville Township.
• Delta College is a two-year public college that serves Saginaw County but is located in nearby Bay County, a few miles north of the SVSU campus.

Notable natives

George C. Hinkley (1892–1936) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and a businessman. He was born in Saginaw County.

Theodore Roethke (1908–1963) was a poet who won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. He was born and buried here.

Historical markers

There are twenty-eight officially recognized historical markers in the county. They include:

• Bliss Park
• Burt Opera House / Wellington R. Burt
• Coal Mine No. 8
• The Cushway House / Benjamin Cushway and Adelaide Cushway
• First Congregational Church [Saginaw]
• Fowler Schoolhouse (Fremont Township)
• Frankenmuth / Saint Lorenz Evangelical Lutheran Church
• Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn
• Freeland United Methodist Church
• George Nason House
• Hess School
• Hoyt Library
• Leamington Stewart House
• Michigan's German Settlers
• Morseville Bridge
• Presbyterian Church of South Saginaw
• Saginaw Club
• Saginaw Oil Industry
• Saginaw Post Office
• Saginaw Valley Coal
• Saginaw Valley Lumbering Era
• St. Mary's Hospital
• Saint Michael Catholic Parish
• St. Paul's Episcopal Mission
• Shroeder House
• Theodore Roethke / Childhood Home

Communities

• Frankenmuth
• Saginaw (county seat)
• Zilwaukee

• Birch Run
• Chesaning
• Merrill
• Oakley
• Reese (partially)
• St. Charles

• Bridgeport Charter Township
• Buena Vista Charter Township
• Saginaw Charter Township

• Bridgeport
• Buena Vista
• Burt
• Freeland
• Hemlock
• Robin Glen-Indiantown
• Shields