Editing Prudenville, Michigan (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Houghton Lake (Michigan) September 2021.jpg|thumb|left|250px|East Bay view of [[Houghton Lake (Michigan)|Houghton Lake]] from Prudenville]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|3.72|sqmi|km2|2}}, of which {{convert|2.85|sqmi|km2|2}} is land and {{convert|0.87|sqmi|km2|2}} (23.38%) is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020"/>

Prudenville has its own post office with the 48651 ZIP Code.<ref>{{cite web|last=UnitedStatesZipCodes.org|url=https://www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/48651/|title=ZIP Code 48651|date=2020|accessdate=October 9, 2020}}</ref>  The Prudenville post office serves most of [[Denton Township, Michigan|Denton Township]] and smaller portions of [[Roscommon Township, Michigan|Roscommon Township]] to the south, [[Nester Township, Michigan|Nester Township]] to the southwest, and [[Backus Township, Michigan|Backus Township]] and [[Higgins Township, Michigan|Higgins Township]] to the northeast.<ref>{{google maps |url = https://www.google.com/maps/place/Prudenville,+MI+48651/@44.2919085,-84.6845685,11.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x8821caefcd39a7ab:0x82acf1f5730624aa!8m2!3d44.2562366!4d-84.6688348 |title = 48651 ZIP Code map |access-date = October 9, 2020 }}</ref>  Prudenville is an [[Unincorporated area|unincorporated community]] listed by the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] as a [[List of census-designated places in Michigan|census-designated place]] (CDP) for statistical purposes only, and the community itself has no legal autonomy as an incorporated municipality.  The western portion of the Prudenville CDP also includes a small portion of the [[Houghton Lake, Michigan|Houghton Lake]] 48629 ZIP Code.<ref>{{google maps |url = https://www.google.com/maps/place/Houghton+Lake,+MI+48629/@44.2993549,-84.8615151,11z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x8820323497e48569:0x48fd96e7edbc1f89!8m2!3d44.2997981!4d-84.7942091 |title = 48629 ZIP Code map |access-date = October 11, 2020 }}</ref>

Prudenville is considered part of the [[Northern Michigan]] region.  It is located on the southeast shores of [[Houghton Lake (Michigan)|Houghton Lake]], which is the state's largest inland lake.  Portions of the [[Au Sable State Forest]] (Roscommon State Forest Management Unit) and [[Backus Creek State Game Area]] are within close proximity.

===Major highways===
*{{jct|state=MI|M|18}} is known locally as S. Gladwin Road; briefly runs concurrent with M-55 before continuing north as E. Houghton Lake Drive
*{{jct|state=MI|M|55}} is known locally as W. Houghton Lake Drive and then exiting under the name W. West Branch Road
*{{jct|state=MI|M|157}}, located just east of the boundaries of the Prudenville CDP