Editing Saugatuck Township, Michigan

{{Short description|Township in the United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Saugatuck Township, Michigan
|settlement_type          = [[Township (United States)|Township]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

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||pushpin_map             = Michigan
|pushpin_label            = Saugatuck Township
|pushpin_label_position   = left <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of Michigan
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<!-- 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        = [[Allegan County, Michigan|Allegan]]

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<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 62.7
|area_land_km2            = 60.5
|area_water_km2           = 2.2
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|area_land_sq_mi          = 
|area_water_sq_mi         =

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|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 3443
|population_density_km2   = 57.48
|population_density_sq_mi =

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|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 191
|elevation_ft             = 627
|coordinates              = {{coord|42|38|36|N|86|11|25|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 49453
|area_code                = [[Area code 269|269]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 26-71720<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              = 1627046<ref>{{gnis}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|www.saugatucktownship.org}}
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Saugatuck Township''' is a [[civil township]] of [[Allegan County, Michigan|Allegan County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]]. The population was 3,443 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2600571720| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212151522/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2600571720| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Saugatuck township, Allegan County, Michigan| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=June 10, 2013}}</ref> up from 2944 at the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]].

==Communities==
There are no villages within the township, but there are two unincorporated communities:
*'''Macks Landing''' is located at Riverside Drive and 62nd Street, near the [[Kalamazoo River]] (423753N 0860916W; elevation: {{convert|614|ft|m|abbr=on}}.).<ref>{{gnis|1617693|Macks Landing, Michigan}} & [http://www.mapquest.com/?q=42.631415,-86.1544809 Mapquest].</ref>
*'''Oxbow''' is located on Rupprecht Way, just north of Saugatuck (elevation: {{convert|594|ft|m|abbr=off|disp=x|/|sp=us}}).<ref>{{gnis|1618376|Oxbow, Michigan}} & [http://www.mapquest.com/?q=42.6678023,-86.2036499 Mapquest].</ref>

==History==
In 1837, Oshea Wilder and his sons founded the community named for the southeastern Asia city of Singapore at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River. In 1875, Singapore was abandoned.<ref>{{gnis|1618375|Singapore (historical), Michigan}}</ref>

The township name was Newark until 1861.<ref>{{cite book |last = Thomas |first = Henry F. |year = 1907 |url = https://archive.org/details/twentiethcentury00thom_10 |title = A Twentieth Century History of Allegan County, Michigan |pages = [https://archive.org/details/twentiethcentury00thom_10/page/19 19] |publisher = The Lewis Publishing Company |via = Internet Archive }}</ref>

On December 13, 2004, Douglas residents voted to adopt a charter changing the status of the village into a city form of government removing Douglas from the Township.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ci.douglas.mi.us/|title= City of the Village of Douglas, Michigan|publisher= City of the Village of Douglas, Michigan|accessdate=August 26, 2012}}</ref>

From 2004 to 2006, [[Oklahoma]] billionaire Aubrey McClendon bought {{convert|400|acre}} of undeveloped [[sand dune|duneland]] in Saugatuck Township for $39.5 million with plans to build luxury homes, 28 condos, a hotel, a marina, and a golf course. In 2006, the Saugatuck Township Board re-zoned the land, making McClendon unable to build his planned project. The Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance opposes McClendon's plans, citing environmental concerns. In 2009, McClendon sold {{convert|171|acre}} of the land in order to alleviate the group's concerns. In March 2010, McClendon sued the township in federal court to overturn the zoning. The township has spent more than $250,000 fighting the lawsuit, and has raised taxes in the township in order to raise revenue.<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703395904576025993432953986 "A Billionaire's Dune Duel"]</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|62.7|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|60.5|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|2.2|km2|order=flip}}, or 3.50%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population|1990=2896|2000=3590|2010=2944|2020=3443|footnote=Source: Census Bureau. Census [http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MCD1960-1990C_33608_7.pdf 1960-] 2000, 2010.}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 3,590 people, 1,581 households, and 937 families residing in the township. The population density was {{convert|142.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,089 housing units at an average density of {{convert|82.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the township was 96.43% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.42% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.31% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.22% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.03% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.25% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.34% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 4.12% of the population.

There were 1,581 households, out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the township the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $43,771, and the median income for a family was $49,600. Males had a median income of $37,845 versus $30,543 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $30,056. About 5.4% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.saugatucktownship.org/ Saugatuck Township official website]

{{Allegan County, Michigan}}

{{Authority control}}

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