Historic Information - Marquette County

Named in honor of the Jesuit priest and explorer Jacques Marquette, Marquette County lies in the rich iron ore district of the north-central Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  To the east are Delta and Alger Counties, to the south Dickinson and Menominee, to the west Iron and Baraga. Lake Superior establishes the northern boundary. These lines were set in 1843, when the Upper Peninsula was divided into six counties established simultaneously to facilitate the completion of a topographical survey being taken by the eminent geologist and surveyor, Dr. Douglas Houghton. Marquette County was not formally organized, however, until April 4, 1848

County Boundaries

Marquette County boundaries have gone through over nine line changes from 1843 to 1891.

Historical Photos

Historic photographs of Marquette County.

Courthouse Dedication and Rededication

The Marquette County Courthouse was dedicated on September 17, 1904. Courthouse renovation took place in 1982. A rededication of the courthouse was held in September, 2004.

Facts about the size of Marquette County

  • Marquette County is the largest county in the state of Michigan
  • Marquette County contains approximately 1,873 square miles
  • The statewide average size for a county is 685 square miles
  • Marquette County has about 55 miles of Lake Superior shoreline along its northeast margin
mileage map

This is not bigger than Delaware's 1,954 square miles.


 mileage map
Marquette County's Area is 1,873 square miles. This is bigger than the State of Rhode Island's 1045 square miles
  • Marquette County ranks as #320 out of 3141 counties in the United States
  • It is the 296th largest county in the lower 48 states.
  • It is the 17th largest county east of the Mississippi

Original Courthouse and Jail
Source: Marquette County Historical Society

historical picture