Pentwater, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pentwater, Michigan
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Village
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Pentwater Channel
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Location of Pentwater, Michigan
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Oceana |
| Township | Pentwater |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.72 sq mi (4.46 km2) |
| • Land | 1.34 sq mi (3.46 km2) |
| • Water | 0.38 sq mi (0.99 km2) |
| Elevation | 610 ft (186 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 890 |
| • Density | 665.17/sq mi (256.92/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
49449
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| Area code(s) | 231 |
| FIPS code | 26-63540 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1621203 |
Pentwater is a village in Oceana County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 890 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Pentwater Township. Pentwater is home to Mears State Park. The name Pentwater comes from Pent or Penned up waters. The entrance to the channel is notoriously shallow and for many years dictated the size of vessels that the village was able to accommodate.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the hamlet has a total area of 1.62 square miles (4.20 km2), of which 1.28 square miles (3.32 km2) is land and 0.34 square miles (0.88 km2) is water. Pentwater is the biggest community in Oceana County due to the community's area.
Transportation
US 31 passes east of the village and runs south toward Muskegon and north toward Ludington.
Bus. US 31 is a former business loop that ran through downtown Pentwater until May 4, 2023.
B-15 is a county-designated highway running southerly from Pentwater, closer to (but generally not within sight of) Lake Michigan.
Eight streets within the village: Hancock, Carroll, Wythe, Rutledge, Rush, Ellery, Morris, and Clymer, are named after signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 1,294 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,510 | — | |
| 1900 | 1,061 | −29.7% | |
| 1910 | 1,129 | 6.4% | |
| 1920 | 956 | −15.3% | |
| 1930 | 772 | −19.2% | |
| 1940 | 820 | 6.2% | |
| 1950 | 1,097 | 33.8% | |
| 1960 | 1,030 | −6.1% | |
| 1970 | 993 | −3.6% | |
| 1980 | 1,165 | 17.3% | |
| 1990 | 1,050 | −9.9% | |
| 2000 | 958 | −8.8% | |
| 2010 | 857 | −10.5% | |
| 2020 | 890 | 3.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 857 people, 450 households, and 269 families residing in the village. The population density was 669.5 inhabitants per square mile (258.5/km2). There were 997 housing units at an average density of 778.9 per square mile (300.7/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.3% White, 0.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.9% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the population.
There were 450 households, of which 13.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.2% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89 and the average family size was 2.38.
The median age in the village was 60.3 years. 11.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 10.1% were from 25 to 44; 36.2% were from 45 to 64; and 38.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 45.5% male and 54.5% female.
Local events
Pentwater's specialty is its location to Lake Michigan. The area is a tourist mecca in the summer, frequently visited by Chicagoans looking to get away. Pentwater has a number of bed and breakfasts, in addition to the more traditional motels. Sportfishing is popular in the area, as is shopping. The village has a number of art galleries. Nearby Charles Mears State Park is a popular location during the summer months as well. The village hosts a juried art fair mid-July. Memorial Day in Pentwater is considered the beginning of the summer season, and there is a popular annual fishing contest.
Pentwater is home to several bands, which play concerts Thursday nights during the summer, beginning in late June, in the outdoor bandshell at the village green, a park and natural amphitheatre located downtown on the shore of Pentwater Lake.
Pentwater holds an annual Homecoming, which is usually the week of second Thursday of August. Homecoming festivities include a parade, fireworks, and sandcastle-building contest.
Notable people
- Adolph Walter Rich, founder of the Jewish agricultural colony at Arpin, Wisconsin
See also
In Spanish: Pentwater (Míchigan) para niños
