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West Branch Township, Dickinson County, Michigan

Coordinates: 46°08′54″N 87°43′30″W / 46.14833°N 87.72500°W / 46.14833; -87.72500
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West Branch Township, Michigan
Location within Dickinson County
Location within Dickinson County
West Branch Township is located in Michigan
West Branch Township
West Branch Township
Location within the state of Michigan
West Branch Township is located in the United States
West Branch Township
West Branch Township
West Branch Township (the United States)
Coordinates: 46°08′54″N 87°43′30″W / 46.14833°N 87.72500°W / 46.14833; -87.72500
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyDickinson
Government
 • SupervisorPenny Skogman
 • ClerkLisa Jacobsen
Area
 • Total111.85 sq mi (289.69 km2)
 • Land111.46 sq mi (288.68 km2)
 • Water0.39 sq mi (1.01 km2)
Elevation
1,158 ft (353 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total51
 • Density0.46/sq mi (0.18/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code(s)
49831 (Felch)
49841 (Gwinn)
49877 (Ralph)
Area code906
FIPS code26-85520[2]
GNIS feature ID1627245[3]

West Branch Township is a civil township of Dickinson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 51 at the 2020 census.

With a population density of only 0.458/sq mi (0.177/km2), the township ranks as the least-densely populated municipality in the state of Michigan. It is also the third least-populated after Pointe Aux Barques Township (15) and Grand Island Township (35).

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 111.85 square miles (289.69 km2), of which 111.46 square miles (288.68 km2) is land and 0.39 square miles (1.01 km2) (0.35%) is water.[4]

The north and main branches of the Ford River flow through the township, as does the west branch of the Escanaba River.

The township is served by North Dickinson County Schools to the southwest in the community of Felch.[5]

Communities

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Demographics

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As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 67 people, 29 households, and 18 families residing in the township. By 2020, its population was 51.

References

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  1. ^ Michigan Townships Association (2023). "West Branch Township, Dickinson County, Michigan". Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: West Branch Township, Dickinson County, Michigan
  4. ^ "Michigan: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). 2010 United States census. United States Census Bureau. September 2012. p. 20 Michigan. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  5. ^ Michigan Geographic Framework (November 15, 2013). "Dickinson County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  6. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Alfred, Michigan
  7. ^ Romig 1986, p. 16.
  8. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ralph, Michigan
  9. ^ Romig 1986, p. 464–465.
  10. ^ "Ralph Post Office to close". WNMU-FM. November 26, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2023.

Sources

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  • Romig, Walter (October 1, 1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities (Paperback). Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. pp. 16, 464–465. ISBN 978-0-8143-1838-6.