Mackinac Island

Mackinac

Native name: Michilimackinac[1] Mishimikinaak ᒥᔑᒥᑭᓈᒃ
Topographic map of Mackinac island
Mackinac
Geography
Location	Lake Huron
Coordinates	45°51′40″N 84°37′50″W / 45.86111°N 84.63056°W / 45.86111; -84.63056
Area	4.35 sq mi (11.3 km2)
Coastline	8 mi (13 km)
Highest elevation	890 ft (271 m)
Highest point	Fort Holmes
Administration
United States
State	Michigan
Largest settlement	Mackinac Island (pop. 583)
County	Mackinac County
Demographics
Population	583 (2020)
Pop. density	134.02/sq mi (51.745/km2)
Ethnic groups	see demographics
Mackinac Island
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Michigan State Historic Site
Cyclists on M-185 (Main Street) at mile marker 0 in downtown Mackinac Island
Location	Mackinac Island, Michigan
NRHP reference No.	66000397[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHLD	October 9, 1960[4]
Designated MSHS	July 19, 1956[3]
Additional information
ZIP code(s)	49737
Area code(s)	906

This article contains Canadian Aboriginal syllabic characters. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of syllabics.

Mackinac Island (/ˈmækənɔː/ MAK-ə-naw, locally /ˈmækənə/ MAK-ə-nə; French: Île Mackinac; Ojibwe: Mishimikinaak ᒥᔑᒥᑭᓈᒃ; Ottawa: Michilimackinac) is an island and resort area, covering 4.35 square miles (11.3 km²) in land area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the island in Odawa is Michilimackinac and "Mitchimakinak" in Ojibwemowin, meaning "Great Turtle". It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was long home to an Odawa settlement and previous indigenous cultures before European colonization began in the 17th century. It was a strategic center of the fur trade around the Great Lakes. Based on a former trading post, Fort Mackinac was constructed on the island by the British during the American Revolutionary War. It was the site of two battles during the War of 1812 before the northern border was settled and the US gained this island in its territory.

In the late 19th century, Mackinac Island became a popular tourist attraction and summer colony. Many of the structures on the island have undergone extensive historical preservation and restoration. Because of its historic significance, the entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark. It is well known for numerous cultural events; a wide variety of architectural styles, including the Victorian Grand Hotel; and its ban on almost all motor vehicles, with exceptions only for city emergency vehicles (ambulance, police cars and fire trucks), city service vehicles and snowmobiles in winter. More than 80 percent of the island is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park.