Van Buren Township, Michigan

Van Buren Charter Township, officially the Charter Township of Van Buren, is a charter township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 28,821 at the 2010 census.[3]

Van Buren Township, Michigan
Charter township
Van Buren Charter Township
Van Buren Township Hall
Location within Wayne County
Van Buren Township Location within the state of Michigan
Coordinates: 42°13′14″N 83°29′15″W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Wayne
Established	1835
Government
• Supervisor	Kevin McNamara
• Clerk	Leon Wright
Area
• Charter township	36.06 sq mi (93.4 km^2)
• Land	33.97 sq mi (88.0 km^2)
• Water	2.09 sq mi (5.4 km^2)
Population  (2010)
• Charter township	28,821
• Density	848.4/sq mi (327.6/km^2)
• Metro	4,285,832 (Metro Detroit)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	48111 (Belleville) 48174 (Romulus) 48184 (Wayne)
Area code(s)	734
FIPS code	26-81660[1]
GNIS feature ID	1627189[2]
Website	Official website

Van Buren Charter Township surrounds the city of Belleville, but the two are administered autonomously. Belleville Lake is a principal geographic feature, and the township is also home to Willow Run Airport, which extends into neightboring Ypsilanti Township.

History

In 1800, settler Henry Snow came and settled on what is now the border with Ypsilanti Township, Washtenaw County which was original called Snow's Landing.[4]

A settlement of the Huron River received a post office on May 7, 1834 with the name of West Huron and postmaster Scott Vining. The township was formed by the State in 1835 and was soon renamed for Martin Van Buren, then vice president of the US. The post office name was also changed. On November 14, 1838, The Van Buren post office was move to Rawsonville and assumed that name.[4]

On October 25, 1895, the Rawsonville post office was closed only to reopen on November 20, 1895 only to close again on February 28, 1902.[4] In 1925, the French Landing Dam and Powerhouse was put in place on the Huron River, placing most of the Rawsonville village under water of the new Belleville Lake. The only visual sign that a village was here at one time is the historical marker in front of the McDonald's on Rawsonville Road and across from Grove Road.[5]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.06 square miles (93.39 km²), of which 33.97 square miles (87.98 km²) is land and 2.09 square miles (5.4 km²) (5.80%) is water.[6]

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 23,559 people, 9,867 households, and 6,117 families residing in the township. The population density was 694.9 per square mile (268.3/km²). There were 10,417 housing units at an average density of 307.3 per square mile (118.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 82.64% White, 12.03% African American, 0.54% Native American, 1.87% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 2.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.25% of the population.

There were 9,867 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the township the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 36.2% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $50,984, and the median income for a family was $60,561. Males had a median income of $44,867 versus $30,299 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,820. About 4.4% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Highways

• I-94
• I-275
• US 12
• 
  Bus. US 12

Airport

• Willow Run Airport

Economy

Auto parts maker Visteon is based in Van Buren Township.

USA Jet Airlines has its headquarters on the grounds of Willow Run Airport and in the township.[7][8]

Gallery

• 
  Van Buren Charter Township welcome sign
• 
  Wayne County Community College, Mary Ellen Stempfle University Center West
• 
  Willow Run Airport

References

1. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Van Buren Township, Michigan
3. "Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), Van Buren charter township, Wayne County, Michigan". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
4. Rawsonville, Wayne County; Van Buren, Wayne County. 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. Great Lakes Books Series (Paperback). Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. pp. 468, 569. ISBN 0-8143-1838-X.
5. Bingham, Emily (October 26, 2016). "These 11 Michigan ghost towns are eerily intriguing". MLive.com. Mlive Media Group. p. 3. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
6. "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. 45 Michigan. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
7. "Michigan Airline Takes Flight! Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine" USA Jet Airlines. March 31, 2009. Retrieved on July 18, 2010. "USA JET AIRLINES 2068 E Street Belleville, MI 48111."
8. "Van Buren township, Wayne County, Michigan." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on July 18, 2010.

External links

• Van Buren Charter Township