Bellaire (pronounced BEL-air) is a village and the main town where the government of Antrim County, Michigan, United States, is located. According to the 2020 census, the population of Bellaire was 1,053.
The village is located in two areas called Forest Home and Kearney townships. The historic Antrim County Courthouse is in Bellaire. The Antrim Review, which is the official newspaper of Antrim County, has its main office in Bellaire.
History
The Bellaire post office was first named Keno and opened on June 20, 1879. It was renamed Bellaire on May 26, 1880. In the same year, Bellaire became the county seat of Antrim County, a role that had previously belonged to Elk Rapids. In 1891, the Chicago & West Michigan Railroad built a depot in Bellaire. Later, in 1901, the East Jordan & Southern Railroad constructed another railroad line into the town. For many years, Bellaire was an important railroad center in Antrim County, which helped attract industrial companies to the area. For example, a company that made wooden utensils built a factory in Bellaire because of the convenient transportation options. Bellaire remained a transportation hub until 1962, when the East Jordan & Southern Railroad abandoned its tracks through the town. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, which used the former Chicago & West Michigan Railroad line, also stopped operating in Bellaire in 1982. Today, Bellaire is home to the Short's Brewing Company.
Geography
The village is located on the line between Forest Home Township to the west and Kearney Township to the east, divided by the Intermediate River. Most of the village is in Kearney Township. The Bellaire ZIP code, 49615, covers parts of both Forest Home and Kearney Townships, as well as sections of Central Lake Township to the north, Chestonia Township to the east, Custer Township to the south, and Helena Township to the southwest.
M-88 runs through the village. Central Lake is about 8 miles north, and Mancelona is about 10 miles southeast.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.97 square miles (5.10 km), with 1.84 square miles (4.77 km) being land and 0.13 square miles (0.34 km) being water.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, there were 1,086 people, 456 households, and 277 families living in the village. The population density was 590.2 people per square mile (227.9/km²). There were 549 housing units at an average density of 298.4 per square mile (115.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.2% White, 0.1% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races