Editing Caledonia Township, Kent County, Michigan

{{Hatnote|There is also [[Caledonia Township, Alcona County, Michigan]] and [[Caledonia Township, Shiawassee County, Michigan]].}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Caledonia Township, Michigan
| official_name      = Charter Township of Caledonia
| settlement_type    = [[Charter township]]
| image_skyline      = Caledonia (1).jpg
| imagesize          = 275
| image_caption      = The village of [[Caledonia, Michigan|Caledonia]] within the township
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Location -->
| pushpin_map        = Michigan#USA
| pushpin_label_position = right<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_label      = Caledonia Township
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Michigan##Location within the United States
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| image_map          = Caledonia Township (Kent), MI location.png
| mapsize            = 250
| map_caption        = Location within [[Kent County, Michigan|Kent County]] (red) and the administered village of [[Caledonia, Michigan|Caledonia]] (pink)
| coordinates        = {{coord|42|48|47|N|85|29|09|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Michigan]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Kent County, Michigan|Kent]]

<!-- Government -->| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Supervisor
| leader_name        = Bryan Harrison
| leader_title1      = [[Municipal clerk|Clerk]]
| leader_name1       = Joni Henry
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = 1838

<!-- Area -->| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 92.46
| area_total_sq_mi   = 35.70
| area_land_km2      = 90.42
| area_land_sq_mi    = 34.91
| area_water_km2     = 2.05
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.79

<!-- Population -->| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 219
| elevation_ft       = 719
| population_total   = 15811
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_density_km2 = 
| population_density_sq_mi = auto

<!-- General information -->| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code        = 49302 ([[Alto, Michigan|Alto]])<br>49316 ([[Caledonia, Michigan|Caledonia]])
| area_code          = [[Area code 616|616]]
| website            = {{URL|https://www.caledoniatownship.org/|Official website}}
| footnotes          = |
| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 26-081-12500<ref>{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/0600000US2608112500| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Caledonia township, Kent County, Michigan| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American FactFinder| access-date=March 20, 2019| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213125407/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/0600000US2608112500| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1626020<ref>{{gnis|1626020}}</ref>
}}
'''Caledonia Charter Township''' is a [[charter township]] of [[Kent County, Michigan|Kent County]] in the U.S. state of [[Michigan]]. The population was 15,811 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Caledonia_township,_Kent_County,_Michigan?g=060XX00US2608112500 |access-date=2024-04-21 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> an increase from 12,332 at the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]].<ref name=CENS>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-24.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019111423/http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-24.pdf |archive-date=2012-10-19 |url-status=live|format=PDF |title=Michigan: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing | date = September 2012|publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]| work = [[2010 United States Census]]| accessdate = October 19, 2021|page=28 Michigan}}</ref>

The township was organized as a [[survey township]] in 1838.  It is part of the [[Grand Rapids metropolitan area]] and is located about {{convert|10|mi|km}} southeast of the city of [[Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids]].

==Communities==
*'''Alaska''' is an [[unincorporated area|unincorporated community]] within the township on the [[Thornapple River]] at {{Coord|42|50|24|N|85|28|41|W|}}.<ref>{{gnis|619892|Alaska, Michigan}}</ref> The community had its origin with a sawmill established by William H. Brown and Rev. Eber Moffit in 1848. A post office with the name "Brownsville" was first established on December 13, 1855, but the name was changed to "North Brownsville" just a few days later on December 18 to avoid confusion with an already existing post office with that name in [[Cass County, Michigan|Cass County]]. It was renamed "Alaska" on December 4, 1868, undoubtedly influenced by the 1867 [[Alaska purchase|purchase of Alaska]] from Russia by the U.S. government. The post office closed on February 9, 1906.<ref>{{cite book |last=Romig |first=Walter |year=1986 |title=Michigan Place Names |orig-year=1973 |publisher=Wayne State University Press |location=Detroit, Michigan |isbn=0-8143-1838-X}}</ref>
*'''[[Caledonia, Michigan|Caledonia]]''' is a village within the township on [[M-37 (Michigan highway)|M-37]] in the southeast part of the township.
*'''Caledonia Station''' was a settlement founded around a depot of the [[Grand River Valley Railroad]] in 1870.  It was platted that same year.<ref>Romig, ''Michigan Place Names'', p. 93</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|35.70|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|34.91|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.79|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (2.21%) is water.<ref name=CENS/>

The [[Thornapple River]] flows north through the center of the township. The [[Coldwater River (Western Michigan)|Coldwater River]] enters at the southeast corner flowing east and merges with Thornapple River.

===Major highways===
* {{jct|state=MI|M|6}} is an [[Limited-access road|expressway]] that runs through the northwest corner of the township and has an interchange with M-37.
* {{jct|state=MI|M|37|name1=Broadmoor Avenue and Cherry Valley Avenue}} runs south–north through the eastern portion of the township.

==Education==
The entire township is served by [[Caledonia Community Schools]], which also serves a larger area that includes portions of several townships and a small portion of the city of [[Kentwood, Michigan|Kentwood]] to the northwest.<ref>{{cite web|last=Michigan Geographic Framework|url=http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/mgdl/pdfmaps/CountySchools/SD_BYCO_esize_KENT%20COUNTY.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820075914/http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/mgdl/pdfmaps/CountySchools/SD_BYCO_esize_KENT%20COUNTY.pdf |archive-date=2014-08-20 |url-status=live|title=Kent County School Districts|date=15 November 2013|accessdate=September 28, 2021}}</ref>

==History==
Caledonia Township was formed in 1840 from [[Vergennes Township, Michigan|Vergennes Township]] (Township 5 North, Range 9 West) and [[Ada Township, Michigan|Ada Township]] (Township 5 North, Range 10 West). [[Bowne Township, Michigan|Bowne Township]] (Township 5 North, Range 9 West) was later formed from Caledonia Township in 1849.

==Demographics==
As of the 2000 [[census]],<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> there were 8,964 people, 3,075 households, and 2,493 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|255.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 3,225 housing units at an average density of {{convert|91.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 97.55% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.25% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.31% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.76% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.03% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.47% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.64% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.24% of the population.

There were 3,075 households, out of which 43.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the township the population was spread out, with 31.3% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.0 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $63,032, and the median income for a family was $69,836. Males had a median income of $51,843 versus $30,032 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $25,710.  About 1.9% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.caledoniatownship.org/ Official website]

{{Cities of Kent County, Michigan}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Kent County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Charter townships in Michigan]]
[[Category:Grand Rapids metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1838]]
[[Category:1838 establishments in Michigan]]