Erie Township is a township in Monroe County, Michigan. According to the 2020 census, the population was 4,299. Located near the southern border of the city of Toledo, Ohio, Erie Township is about 45 miles (72 km) southwest of Detroit. It is one of the southernmost areas in the Detroit–Warren–Ann Arbor Combined Statistical Area, also known as Metro Detroit.

Erie Township was created in 1827 and is the southeasternmost municipality in Michigan. The city of Luna Pier is mostly surrounded by Erie Township. However, Luna Pier operates independently because it became a city in 1963.

History

Erie was founded in 1790 by Métis people who moved south from Monroe. A log church called St. Joseph sur la Baie Miami was built there early on. Father Gabriel Richard often held religious services at this church.

The township was officially created as one of the first five townships in Monroe County, Michigan Territory, in 1827. At first, Erie Township covered a much larger area, including the current townships of Bedford, La Salle, and a 0.5-mile-long (0.8 km) part of the Toledo Strip. When a post office was established in 1827, it was named "Bay Settlement." The township’s name was changed to Erie in 1835. Bedford Township and La Salle Township were separated from Erie Township and formed as independent townships in 1836. That same year, the part of Erie Township that included the Toledo Strip was given to the state of Ohio. Luna Pier, which was in the northeast part of the township, became a city in 1963 and no longer belonged to the township.

The last change to Erie Township’s borders happened in 1973. This occurred after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled on a disagreement about Turtle Island, a small, uninhabited island 2 miles (3 km) offshore in Lake Erie. The 1.5-acre (0.6 ha) island was split in half. One half was given to Erie Township, and the other half, which includes the abandoned Turtle Island Light, was given to Ohio.

Communities

• Alexis was a settlement that started in 1878. It was located where two railway lines met, both heading south from Detroit. The place was also called Detroit Junction.
• Erie is an unincorporated community in the northwest part of the township, located at 41

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 29.59 square miles (76.64 km²), of which 23.88 square miles (61.85 km²) are land and 5.72 square miles (14.81 km²), or 19.32%, are water.

Erie Township includes Gard Island, Indian Island, and a portion of Turtle Island in Lake Erie. The Ottawa River flows through the southeasternmost part of the township and empties into North Maumee Bay within the township. The township also includes the North Maumee Bay Archaeological District and parts of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. The Lost Peninsula is located in the southeasternmost part of the township. It is on Point Place Peninsula, which is bordered by the Ottawa River on the west and Maumee Bay on the east. Lost Peninsula is a part of the township (and the state of Michigan) that is separated from the rest of the township, as its only land border is with the state of Ohio. The Toledo neighborhood of Point Place borders Lost Peninsula to the south.

The township is bordered by Lake Erie to the east, Bedford Township to the west, La Salle Township to the north, and the city of Luna Pier to the northeast. The state of Ohio borders the township to the south, including parts of the city of Toledo and Washington Township.

• I-75 runs south–north through the eastern section of the township and has one access point along Otter Creek Road (exit 9).
• US 24 (Telegraph Road) runs south–north through the center of the township.
• M-125 (S. Dixie Highway) runs parallel with US 24.
• US 25 was a U.S. highway from 1926–1973 that is now replaced by M-125.

Demographics

According to the 2000 census, the township had 4,850 people, 1,789 households, and 1,343 families. The population density was 201.1 people per square mile (77.6 per square kilometer). There were 1,917 housing units, with an average density of 79.5 units per square mile (30.7 per square kilometer). The racial makeup of the township included 95.32% White, 1.01% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 1.42% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 4.29% of the population.

Out of the 1,789 households, 34.5% had children under 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couples, 9.3% had a female householder without a husband, and 24.9% were non-families. Twenty percent of all households included only one person, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.71 people, and the average family size was 3.13 people.

The population was distributed as follows: 27.1% were under 18, 7.3% were aged 18 to 24, 30.0% were aged 25 to 44, 25.1% were aged 45 to 64, and 10.6% were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 100.6 males.

The median household income was $52,442, and the median family income was $59,089. Men earned a median income of $46,810, while women earned $27,900. The average income per person in the township was $21,494. Approximately 4.5% of families and 5.1% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 6.0% of those under 18 and 5.4% of those 65 or older.

Education

Most of Erie Township is covered by Mason Consolidated Schools. A small part of the western edge is covered by Bedford Public Schools, which is located in Bedford Township to the west.