Gogebic County is Upper Michigan’s most western county, bordering Wisconsin and Lake Superior. Its economy is comprised of three dominant sectors: diverse industries, forest products, and tourism. Non-forest related industries include precision tool making, plastic injection molding, industrial sewing operations and electronic assembly. Forest related industries include logging, sawmills, and dimension mills with regional, national and international markets. The forest provides recreation and tourism activities including mountain biking, snowmobiling, downhill and cross country trails, hiking, and camping. Ottawa National Forest, including Sylvania Wilderness Area, is a an inviting recreation area. The tourism industry focuses on a wealth of natural resources located in the county. Lake Superior, trout streams, waterfalls, and inland lakes including Lake Gogebic draw fair weather visitors, while four alpine ski hills/resorts in the county and miles of ski and snowmobile trails offer winter activities.
| Census | 2010 | 2015 | % Change |
| Population | 16,427 | 16,042 | -2.34% |
Labor Force |
2015 |
2016 |
| Total Labor Force | 6,625 | 6,230 |
| Employed | 6,164 | 5,864 |
| Unemployment | 7.0% | 5.90% |
Major Employers That Export
|
2015 |
2016 |
| Jacquart Fabric Products | 122 | 100 |
| Ironwood Plastics, Inc | 112 | 150 |
| Extreme Tool & Engineering | 89 | 79 |
Other Employers
|
2015 |
2016 |
| Aspirius Grand View | 336 | 330 |
| Lac Vieux Desert | 260 | 286 |
| Gogebic Community College | 82 | 82 |
| Indianhead Mountain Resort | 115 | ND |
| Big Powderhorn Ski Resort | 115 | ND |
| City of Ironwood | 60 | 65 |
| Gogebic County Road Commission | 30 | 31 |
| Ironwood Area Schools | 83 | 98 |
Globe Publishing LLC, Extreme Tool & Engine Inc., Corullo Forest Products Corp., Precision Tool, Globe Concrete & Supply, Jacquart Fabric Products, Burton Industries, Inc.
Education & Training |
||
K-12 Public Schools (Enrollment) |
2015 |
2016 |
| Bessemer Area Schools | 395 | 422 |
| Ironwood Area Schools | 792 | 780 |
| Wakefield- Marenisco School District | 305 | 297 |
| Watersmeet School District | 148 | 149 |
| Gogebic-Ontanagon ISD | 94 | 106 |
| Public Total | 1,640 | 1,754 |
Private Schools |
||
| Bluff View Christian School | 14 | 14 |
| All Saints Catholic Academy | 25 | 46 |
| Private Total | 39 | 60 |
Colleges & Universities (Enrollment) |
||
| Gogebic Community College | 1,053 | 1,11o |
| Michigan Technological University | 7,242 | 7,270 |
Western Upper Peninsula Michigan Works!
Healthcare & Emergency Services
|
2015 |
2016 |
| Aspirus Grand View | 54 | 25 |
| Gogebic Medical Care Facility | 109 | 109 |
| Westgate Living Center | 65 | 65 |
| Fire Departments: 3 cities, 6 townships | ||
| Ambulance: Beacon Ambulance Service, Inc., Marenisco Township, Watersmeet First Responders | ||
Climate (Average Temperatures) |
High (ºF) |
Low (ºF) |
| Summer | 79 | 55 |
| Winter | 20 | 1 |
| Snowfall | 155 inches annually | |
Gogebic County Government Directory, Public Records
Gogebic County Airport, Marenisco Township, Wakefield Township
Gogebic Range Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, River Valley Bank, Citizens Bank, 1st National Bank of Wakefield & Bessemer, Gogebic County Federal Credit Union, Ironwood Revolving Loan Fund, Economic Development Corporation.
Industrial & Commercial
|
2015 |
2016 |
| Retail Trade | 61 | 61 |
| Accommodation and food services | 46 | 47 |
| Other services, except public administration | 47 | 45 |
| Construction | 37 | 37 |
| Health care and social assistance | 26 | 26 |
| Professional and technical services | 20 | 20 |
| Manufacturing | 15 | 15 |
| Wholesale trade | 15 | 13 |
| Finance and insurance | 19 | 20 |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 14 | 14 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 16 | 18 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 15 | 13 |
| Administrative and waste services | 14 | 11 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 17 | 16 |
| Information | 7 | 6 |
| Educational Services | 10 | 9 |
| Utilities | 5 | 5 |
2 – 20+ Acre Parks, Class A Road Municipal Water & Sewer, Natural Gas, Electric, Telephone, Rail Lines
Rail Carrier: Canadian National
Airports: Gogebic-Iron County Airport
Bus Lines: Indian Trails
US-41, US-141, M-28, M-38, M-64
Nearest Central Cities (Miles) |
|||
| Green Bay, WI | 216 | Chicago, IL | 393 |
Local and Cellular Telephone: AT&T, CenturyTel, Charter, Verizon
Electricity: Xcel Energy, We Energies, Wakefield Municipal Utilities
Natural Gas: Xcel Energy
Propane: Ferrellgas, Lakes Gas Company
Water: Municipal, Private Wells
Sewer: Municipal, Septic Systems
Waste Disposal: Superior Waste Service
Cable TV: Charter Communications
Stormy Kromer Factory Tour, Ironwood Historic Depot & Museum, Olde Suffolk Ale House, Hiawatha – The World’s Tallest Indian, Ironwood Area Historical Society, Ironwood Theatre Center for the Arts, Lac Vieux Desert Casino, Wakefield Historical Museum, Theatre North
Black River Harbor Waterfalls
Copper Peak
Recreational Harbor Facilities
Downhill/Cross Country Ski Trails
Lake Gogebic State Park
Snowmobile Trails (130 miles)
Ski Resorts: Big Powderhorn Mountain, Indian-head Mountain, and Mt. Zion Ski Hill
Ottawa National Forest
Sylvania Wilderness Area
Complete listing of events, statistics, maps, locations, and facilities can be found at www.gogebic.org.
Developed by Northern Initiatives / Home Events Partners Resources Annual Meeting