Suttons Bay is a village in Leelanau County, Michigan. According to the 2020 census, the village had a population of 613 people. It is located within Suttons Bay Township and sits along the shore of Suttons Bay, a smaller part of Grand Traverse Bay, which is a bay of Lake Michigan.

History

The community is named after Harry C. Sutton, one of the first settlers of European descent, who arrived in 1854. He came with a group of woodsmen to provide fuel for steamboats that traveled through the area.

In 1903, the Traverse City, Leelanau, and Manistique Railroad started a route connecting Traverse City to the south and Northport to the north. The route included stops at Suttons Bay, Hatch's Crossing, Fountain Point, Bingham, Keswick, and Omena.

Before the year 1900, four churches had been built in the area: two Lutheran churches, one Roman Catholic church, and one Congregational church.

In 1920, voters in Leelanau County approved a plan to move the county seat to Suttons Bay. However, the move did not happen.

Suttons Bay has a school. The school's mascot is a Viking, which is why the team is called the "Suttons Bay Norsemen."

The town is home to the only movie theater in the county. It opened in 1946 and is now owned by Bob Bahle. The theater was renovated in 1977 and shows unique art films. It also sometimes hosts plays and concerts.

The town has a clothing store that has been owned by the same family for four generations. The store, called "Bahles," began as a dry-goods business in 1876 by Lars Bahle, an immigrant from Norway.

Suttons Bay is also home to one of the oldest restaurants in the region that has been continuously operated. The restaurant, which has changed hands several times since 1871, is now known as The V I Grill.

Culture

Suttons Bay, like many communities in northern Michigan, depends on tourism to make money for its economy. Events such as the Suttons Bay Jazzfest and Suttons Bay Art Festival are important activities in the area. The town also plays a big role in the cherry industry, growing both sweet and tart cherries in many varieties. Cherry harvesting usually happens in mid-July and continues through August. In August 2013, Suttons Bay held an event to try to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most kayaks and canoes tied together. This effort came after a similar attempt the year before, which did not beat the record of 1,902 boats set by a group near Inlet, New York in 2011.

Geography

The village has a total area of 1.25 square miles (3.24 km²), all land. It is located on the shore of Suttons Bay, an inlet of Grand Traverse Bay, which is an inlet of Lake Michigan. The town is fifteen miles north of Traverse City.

Just north of the village is a sign marking the 45th parallel north, which is halfway between the North Pole and the Equator. This is one of six signs in Michigan and 29 in the United States where such markers are found.

• M-22 runs north to south through Suttons Bay, running next to the shore of Grand Traverse Bay. North of Suttons Bay, M-22 continues to Northport, then turns south and follows the shoreline of Lake Michigan.
• M-204 runs west from Suttons Bay, crossing the Leelanau Peninsula through Lake Leelanau to meet M-22 near Leland.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the village had 618 people, 273 households, and 175 families. The population density was 494.4 people per square mile (190.9/km²). There were 453 housing units, with an average density of 362.4 per square mile (139.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 93.7% White, 0.2% African American, 2.8% Native American, 1.1% Asian, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino individuals made up 0.3% of the population.

There were 273 households. Of these, 16.1% had children under 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples, 6.2% had a female householder without a husband, 3.3% had a male householder without a wife, and 35.9% were non-families. Thirty-two point two percent of all households had only one person, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.02 people, and the average family size was 2.48 people.

The median age in the village was 58.8 years. Twelve point eight percent of residents were under 18, 3.5% were between 18 and 24, 14.5% were between 25 and 44, 29.8% were between 45 and 64, and 39.3% were 65 or older. The gender makeup was 44.7% male and 55.3% female.

As of the 2000 census, the village had 589 people, 271 households, and 179 families. The population density was 538.7 people per square mile (208.0/km²). There were 374 housing units, with an average density of 342.0 per square mile (132.0/km²). The racial makeup was 96.94% White, 0.34% African American, 1.19% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 1.02% from other races, and 0.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino individuals made up 2.72% of the population.

There were 271 households. Of these, 21.8% had children under 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples, 7.4% had a female householder without a husband, and 33.6% were non-families. Twenty-eight point eight percent of all households had only one person, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.17 people, and the average family size was 2.62 people.

In 2000, 19.5% of the population was under 18, 4.6% were between 18 and 24, 20.7% were between 25 and 44, 32.6% were between 45 and 64, and 22.6% were 65 or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females aged 18 or older, there were 90.4 males.

In 2010, the median household income was $44,063, and the median family income was $52,321. Males earned a median income of $38,173, while females earned $22,045. The per capita income was $24,097. Three point six percent of families and 6.0% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 8.4% of those under 18 and 3.8% of those 65 or older.