A Bit About Ourselves

Baraga County was named after Bishop Frederic Baraga, consecrated as the Upper Peninsula’s first bishop on November 1, 1853. In 1875, the state legislature officially approved the county’s formation. As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,069 square miles, of which 898 square miles is land and 171 square miles (16%) is water. Population totaled 8,158 at the time of the 2020 Census.

The villages of Baraga and L’Anse (county seat) are located at the base of Lake Superior’s Keweenaw Bay. The L’Anse Indian Reservation of the Ojibwa is within Baraga County. The eastern two-thirds of the county includes much of the Huron Mountains, including Mount Arvon — the highest natural point in Michigan.

Baraga County is bordered by Houghton County to the west, Iron County to the south, and Marquette County to the east, with Lake Superior bordering approximately 75% of its northern shore. The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community holds approximately 19 miles of Lake Superior shoreline, 3,000 acres of wetlands, and 80 miles of rivers on the L’Anse Indian Reservation.

A rich history, one rooted in the struggles of the mining, logging, and railroad industries, tells of the county’s natural beauty, its resiliency, and the ever-present drive to push forward.

To learn more about the history of Baraga County, please visit the Baraga County Historical Museum website at www.baragacountyhistoricalmuseum.com.