Editing Benzonia Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Benzonia Township, Michigan
| settlement_type          = [[Civil township]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = Cherry Bowl-Honor, MI.jpg
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = The [[Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theatre & Diner]]
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = <!-- Maps -->
| pushpin_map              = Michigan#USA
| pushpin_label_position   = right<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_label            = Benzonia Township
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of Michigan
| pushpin_mapsize          = 
| image_map                = Benzonia Township, MI location.png
| mapsize                  = 250
| map_caption              = Location within [[Benzie County, Michigan|Benzie County]] (red) and the administered villages of [[Benzonia, Michigan|Benzonia]] and [[Beulah, Michigan|Beulah]] (pink)

<!-- Location -->| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Michigan]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Benzie County, Michigan|Benzie]]

<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = Supervisor
| leader_name              = Jason Barnard
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| established_title        = Organized
| established_date         = 1861
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = 
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 87.7
| area_land_km2            = 72.0
| area_water_km2           = 15.7
| area_total_sq_mi         = 
| area_land_sq_mi          = 
| area_water_sq_mi         = <!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 1870
| population_density_km2   = 37.9
| population_density_sq_mi = <!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset               = -5
| timezone_DST             = EDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -4
| elevation_footnotes      = 
| elevation_m              = 185
| elevation_ft             = 607
| coordinates              = {{coord|44|38|06|N|86|05|27|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code              = 49616
| area_code                = [[Area code 231|231]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 26-07600<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 1625920<ref>{{gnis|1625920}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|www.benzoniatownship.org|Official website}}
| footnotes                = 
}}
'''Benzonia Township''' ({{IPAc-en|b|ɛ|n|ˈ|z|oʊ|n|i|ə}} {{respell|ben|ZOH|nee|ə}}) is a [[civil township]] of [[Benzie County, Michigan|Benzie County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the township population was 1,870.<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2601907600| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212154803/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2601907600| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Benzonia township, Benzie County, Michigan| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=December 26, 2013}}</ref>

== History ==
Benzonia Township was organized in 1861.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Benzonia Township, Michigan - Community |url=http://www.benzoniatownship.org/community.html |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=www.benzoniatownship.org}}</ref>

==Geography==
Benzonia Township is situated west of the center of Benzie County. The southeastern third of [[Crystal Lake (Benzie County, Michigan)|Crystal Lake]] occupies the central to western part of the township, and the southern half of [[Platte Lake (Michigan)|Platte Lake]] is in the northern part of the township. The [[Betsie River|Betsie]] and [[Platte River (Michigan)|Platte]] rivers flow through the township, both from east to west, toward [[Lake Michigan]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|87.7|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|72.0|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|15.7|km2|disp=flip}}, or 17.87%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

=== Major highways ===

* {{jct|US|31|state=MI}} enters the township from the south and exits the township to the east. Motorists can use southbound US 31 to access [[Manistee, Michigan|Manistee]] and south, and eastbound US 31 to access [[Traverse City, Michigan|Traverse City]] and north.
* {{jct|M|115|state=MI}} enters the township from the south with US 31, however, exits the township to the west. It ends at a junction with [[M-22 (Michigan highway)|M-22]] in nearby [[Frankfort, Michigan|Frankfort]]. Southeast of Benzonia Township, M-115 runs through [[Cadillac, Michigan|Cadillac]] to [[Clare, Michigan|Clare]].

== Communities ==

* [[Benzonia, Michigan|'''Benzonia''']] is a [[village]] immediately south of Beulah. It is the location of a junction between highways US 31 and M-115.
* [[Beulah, Michigan|'''Beulah''']] is the [[county seat]] of Benzie County. A small village, it is located upon the eastern shore of [[Crystal Lake (Benzie County, Michigan)|Crystal Lake]].

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 2,839 people, 1,205 households, and 789 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|100.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 2,024 housing units at an average density of {{convert|71.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the township was 96.23% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.14% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.18% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.25% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.53% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.63% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.66% of the population.

There were 1,205 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the township, the population was spread out, with 20.1% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $32,837, and the median income for a family was $40,786. Males had a median income of $29,667 versus $21,915 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $18,720. About 2.9% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131227054918/http://www.benzoniatownship.org/ Benzonia Township official website]

{{Benzie County, Michigan}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Benzie County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]