Grand Traverse County | |
---|---|
![]() Grand Traverse County Courthouse in Traverse City | |
Nickname: "GTC" | |
![]() Location within the U.S. state of Michigan | |
![]() Michigan's location within the U.S. | |
Coordinates: 44°44′N 85°33′W / 44.73°N 85.55°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Founded | 1840 1851 (organized)[1] |
Named for | Grand Traverse Bay |
Seat | Traverse City |
Largest city | Traverse City |
Area | |
• Total | 601 sq mi (1,560 km2) |
• Land | 464 sq mi (1,200 km2) |
• Water | 137 sq mi (350 km2) 23% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 95,238 |
• Estimate (2023) | 96,421 ![]() |
• Density | 205/sq mi (79/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 1st |
Website | www |
Grand Traverse County (/ˈtrævərz/ TRAV-ərz) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 95,238, making it the largest county in Northern Michigan.[2] Its county seat is Traverse City.[3] The county is part of the Traverse City metropolitan area, which also includes neighboring Benzie, Kalkaska, and Leelanau counties.
Long a part of territory under the Council of Three Fires (comprising the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi), Grand Traverse County's first European settlement was established in 1839.[4] It was originally created in 1840 as Omeena County;[5][6] however, it was reorganized in 1851 as Grand Traverse County. The county itself and Traverse City are named after Grand Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake Michigan.
Interlochen Center for the Arts, a prestigious boarding school, is located within the county.
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