Wayne County, Michigan

For other uses, see Wayne County.
Wayne County, Michigan
County
County of Wayne

Flag
Seal
Map of Michigan highlighting Wayne County
Location in the U.S. state of Michigan
Map of the United States highlighting Michigan
Michigan's location in the U.S.
Founded August 15, 1796 (created)
1815 (organized)[1][2]
Named for Anthony Wayne
Seat Detroit
Largest city Detroit
Area
 • Total 673 sq mi (1,743 km2)
 • Land 612 sq mi (1,585 km2)
 • Water 61 sq mi (158 km2), 9.0%
Population (est.)
 • (2014) 1,764,804
 • Density 2,974/sq mi (1,148/km²)
Congressional districts 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.waynecounty.com

Wayne County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, its population was 1,820,584, making it the 19th-most populous county in the United States.[3] The 2014 Census update listed the county's population at 1,764,804.[4] The county seat is Detroit,[5] the most populous city in Michigan and 18th-most populous city in the United States. The county was founded in 1796 and organized in 1815.[1]

Wayne County is included in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is one of several American counties named after Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne.

History

"Mad Anthony" Wayne

Wayne County was the sixth county in the Northwest Territory, formed 15 August 1796 from portions of territorial Hamilton County, territorial Knox County and unorganized territory. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, most of the Upper Peninsula, as well as smaller sections that are now part of northern Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. By proclamation of the Territorial Secretary and Acting Governor, Winthrop Sargent, on August 15, 1796, the boundaries of Wayne County were declared to begin at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River then west to Fort Wayne, then to the southernmost point of Lake Michigan and along the western shore north to the territorial boundary in Lake Superior and then along the territorial boundary through Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, and Lake Erie back to the starting point.[6]

On January 14, 1803, the Governor of Indiana Territory, William Henry Harrison, issued a similar proclamation defining the boundaries as beginning at a point where an east and west line passing through the southernmost extreme of Lake Michigan would intersect a north and south line, passing through the westernmost extreme of the lake, then north to the territorial boundary, then along said boundary line to a point where an east and west line passing through the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan would intersect the same, then along this last mentioned line to the place of beginning. This boundary would include Chicago, Illinois and a sizable strip of Wisconsin along Lake Michigan.[7]

These boundaries would be adjusted as Indiana and Illinois became states and as other counties were formed within Michigan Territory.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 673 square miles (1,740 km2), of which 612 square miles (1,590 km2) is land and 61 square miles (160 km2) (9.0%) is water.[8] Its water area includes parts of the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair.

Wayne County borders on Oakland County and Macomb County to the north, Washtenaw County to the west, Essex County, Ontario, Canada to the east, and Monroe County to the south.

The eastern (and sometimes southern) boundary is a water boundary in the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair with Essex County, Ontario. Automotive traffic crosses this boundary at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge. Due to the southwestern course of the river, this small portion of Canada actually lies to the south of Wayne County. The southern communities of the county are usually referred to as "Downriver", in reference to their location downstream of downtown Detroit.

Grosse Ile is the largest island in Wayne County and is connected to the mainland by the Wayne County Bridge and the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge.

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Transportation

Wayne County Department of Public Services

The Wayne County Department of Public Services was formed in 1906 as the Wayne County Road Commission. It was the government agency in Wayne County, Michigan responsible for building and maintaining the county's roads and highways.[9]

The Wayne County Road Commission was an "exemplary" agency in the state of Michigan, and had great involvement and influence in roadway planning more widely in the state. It became "internationally renowned for innovative ideas, sometimes breaking ground well in advance of the Michigan State Highway Department."[10]:32

The county road commission was more advanced than the state's own public works department in several respects. It had long had its own in-house construction group to build bridges, before the state copied that practice in 1924.[10]:10 It adopted one or more bridge types before the state did.

Its first commissioners were Edward N. Hines, Cassius R. Benton, and automobile manufacturer Henry Ford. While the commission was authorized by an 80% positive vote of county voters in a 1906 referendum, it was controversial and there was a Michigan state supreme court case pressed which found it unconstitutional. Commissioners Benton and Ford quit, but commissioner Hines persisted and led the commission through reorganization getting around the obstacles.[10]:33 Hines was a commissioner continuously from 1906 to 1938.

Hines is credited with the idea of putting a painted line down a roadway's center to divide traffic, and other innovations that were later widely adopted.

The commission worked systematically, and it became a model to others. "As early as 1911, the commission felt confident in asserting that 'Wayne County is coming to be known as a leader in the good roads movement, and the Mecca of those upon whose shoulders devolves the duty of solving traffic problems.' Within a few years, the county hosted delegations of engineers from around the United States, as well as from a number of other countries, including Britain, Japan, Australia, and Borneo.[footnote omitted] The commission's international prominence was enhanced by its advocacy of concrete as a road material. It claimed credit for constructing the country's first mile of concrete-paved rural highway, a section of Woodward Avenue" just outside the Detroit city limits.[10]

The county road commission led in calling, during the 1930s, for superhighways in the state to relieve congestion; it worked to build superhighways in conjunction with the state plan that emerged, and which the county road commission endorsed.

The state relied upon the Wayne County Road Commission to provide expertise to build the Willow Run Expressway, during World War II as many state staff went into military service.[10]:18 The state hired the county road commission to supervise the building of the Lodge Expressway.[10]:27

A number of the county road commissions' works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[10][11]

The county road commission was merged into the general county government,[10]:42 becoming the Roads Division of the Department of Public Services.[12]

East River Road-North Hickory Canal Bridge

Major highways

Airports

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18102,227—
18203,57460.5%
18306,78189.7%
184024,173256.5%
185042,75676.9%
186075,54776.7%
1870119,06857.6%
1880168,44441.5%
1890257,11452.6%
1900348,79335.7%
1910531,59152.4%
19201,177,645121.5%
19301,888,94660.4%
19402,015,6236.7%
19502,435,23520.8%
19602,666,2979.5%
19702,666,7510.0%
19802,337,891−12.3%
19902,111,687−9.7%
20002,061,162−2.4%
20101,820,584−11.7%
Est. 20151,759,335[13]−3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]
1790-1960[15] 1900-1990[16]
1990-2000[17] 2010-2014[3]

The 2010 United States Census[18] indicates Wayne County had a 2010 population of 1,820,584. This is a decrease of 240,578 people from the 2000 United States Census. Overall, the county had a -11.7% growth rate during this ten-year period. In 2010 there were 702,749 households and 450,651 families in the county. The population density was 2,974.4 per square mile (1,148.4 square kilometers). There were 821,693 housing units at an average density of 1,342.5 per square mile (518.3 square kilometers). 52.3% were White, 40.5% Black or African American, 2.5% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% of some other race and 2.4% of two or more races. 5.2% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 7.5% were of German, 6.8% Polish and 5.2% Irish ancestry.[19]

There were 702,749 households out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% were husband and wife families, 20.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.9% were non-families, and 30.7% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.4% under age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.

The 2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimate[18] indicates the median income for a household in the county was $39,408 and the median income for a family was $49,176. Males had a median income of $26,823 versus $17,744 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,948. About 18.6% of families and 23.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.8% of those under the age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2001, of the U.S. counties, Wayne County has the 51st largest Asian population.[20]

Government

The historic Guardian Building in Detroit is the Wayne County headquarters.

Wayne County is Michigan's first "charter county", with a home rule charter setting up its structures within limits set in state law and constitution. Most Michigan county governments are structured according to state law, without a locally adopted charter. The city is governed pursuant to the Home Rule Charter of Wayne County, Michigan, and the Wayne County Code is the codification of Wayne County's local ordinances. Unless a violation of the code or other ordinance is specifically designated as a municipal civil infraction (or unless expressly otherwise required by applicable state or federal laws), the violation is a misdemeanor.[21]

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records for all areas except Detroit, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. Most other local government functions – police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. – are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

Elected officials

(information as of January 2015)

Department of Public Services

Formerly the Wayne County Road Commission, the Department of Public Services is the government agency in Wayne County responsible for building and maintaining the county's roads and highways. A number of the former agency's works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[10][11]

Corrections

The Wayne County Jail Division operates The Andrew C. Baird Detention Facility in Downtown Detroit, The Old Wayne County Jail in Downtown Detroit, and The William Dickerson Detention Facility in Hamtramck.[22]

Politics

Presidential Election Results 1960-2012
Year Democratic Republican
2016 66.8% 517,022 29.5% 228,313
2012 72.8% 595,846 26.1% 213,814
2008 74.0% 660,085 24.6% 219,582
2004 69.4% 600,047 29.8% 257,750
2000 69.0% 530,414 29.0% 223,021
1996 69.0% 504,466 24.0% 175,886
1992 60.4% 508,464 27.0% 227,002
1988 60.2% 450,222 39.0% 291,996
1984 57.2% 496,632 42.3% 367,391
1980 58.6% 522,024 35.4% 315,532
1976 60.1% 548,767 38.2% 348,588
1972 53.3% 514,913 45.1% 435,877
1968 63.3% 654,157 26.2% 270,566
1964 76.0% 831,674 23.8% 260,901
1960 66.0% 773,327 33.7% 394,485

Communities

The white areas represent unincorporated charter and civil townships. The gray areas represent incorporated cities and villages.

Cities

Townships

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Bibliography on Wayne County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  2. ↑ Wayne County, Michigan History Magazine
  3. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  4. ↑ http://www.census.gov/popest/data/counties/totals/2014/files/CO-EST2014-alldata.csv
  5. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  6. ↑ "Proclamation by Winthrop Sargent". Collections of the Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan together with Reports of County Pioneer Societies, Vol VIII. (second ed.). Lansing, Mich.: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford. 1907 [1886]. pp. 496–497. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
  7. ↑ "Proclamation by Governor Harrison". Collections of the Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan together with Reports of County Pioneer Societies, Vol VIII. (second ed.). Lansing, Mich.: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford. 1907 [1886]. pp. 540–542. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
  8. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  9. ↑ Staff. "Department of Public Services". Wayne County Department of Public Services.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Roise, Charlene K.; Fraser, Clayton B. (August 1998). "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation: Historic Highway Bridges of Michigan, 1875-1948 / Wayne County: An Exemplary Road Commission, 1906-1948" (PDF). National Park Service.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 National Park Service (July 9, 2010). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  12. ↑ Roads Division. "History of the Wayne County Road Commission". Wayne County Department of Public Services. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  13. ↑ "County Totals Dataset: Population, Population Change and Estimated Components of Population Change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  14. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  18. 1 2 "American Factfinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  19. ↑ Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS). "American FactFinder". census.gov.
  20. ↑ Metzger, Kurt and Jason Booza. "Asians in the United States, Michigan and Metropolitan Detroit." Wayne State University Center for Urban Studies-January 2001 Working Paper Series, No. 7, p. 5. Retrieved on September 8, 2013.
  21. ↑ Wayne County Code § 1-25
  22. ↑ "Jail Division." Wayne County. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "570 Clinton Street, Detroit, MI 48226" and "525 Clinton Street, Detroit, MI 48226" and "3501 Hamtramck Dr, Hamtramck, MI 48212"

Further reading

External links

 Oakland County Oakland County and Macomb County Macomb County and Lake St. Clair
Washtenaw County Essex County, Ontario, Canada and Detroit River
   Wayne County, Michigan  
Monroe County Monroe County Lake Erie and Detroit River

Coordinates: 42°17′N 83°16′W / 42.28°N 83.26°W / 42.28; -83.26

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