Like each of the seven counties in Region 8, Osceola County has many interesting features that make it a unique place to live or visit. The County is well served by north-south routes including US-131 along the western boundary of the County and M-66 along the eastern boundary. East-west routes include US-10 along the southern boundary, as well as many scenic county roads to the north. Some other facts about the County include:

● The land that is now known as Osceola County was acquired through an 1836 treaty with Native Americans.  The land was surveyed in 1838.  In 1840 it was named "Unwaltin" after the Chief of the Ottawa tribe.  It later became known as Osceola. 

● Osceola County’s 2000 population of 23,197 made it the smallest (in population) of the seven counties in Region 8, accounting for 2.1 percent of the Region’s 1.1 million people.

● The County’s two cities include Reed City in the southwest corner of the County. Reed City is the County Seat and home to a nice little downtown. Evart is in the southwest quadrant of the County and is home to a nice downtown and the City’s offices located in the old train depot (right on the Pere Marquette Trail).

● The County has four villages, each with a nice quiet character – Marion in the northeast corner, Hersey in the southwest corner, Tustin in the northwest corner, and LeRoy, also in the northwest quadrant.

● The highest point in Michigan’s lower peninsula is located in Sherman Township (1,739 feet above mean sea level). In addition to a park maintained by the Township, the 1,294 foot tall Channel 9/10 antenna is located at the top of this hill. Those brave enough to work on the antenna can see Lake Michigan 53 miles to the west.

● Two of Michigan’s longest rail-trails intersect in Reed City – the north-south White Pine Trail(just under 100 miles long from Grand Rapids to Cadillac) and the east-west Pere Marquette Trail (115 miles from Ludington to Midland).

● Osceola County has the highest percentage of cottages of any of the counties in Region 8 – over 25 percent of the County’s 13,000 housing units are cottages, which results in a larger population on weekends and during the summer.

● The Pere Marquette State Forest occupies a large portion of central Osceola County.

● Recreation is a strength of Osceola County – whether it’s floating down the Muskegon River in an inner-tube, fishing on the Pine River, snowmobiling, hunting, camping at one of the three County Parks or numerous private campgrounds, golfing, or just relaxing.

● The County has a variety of manufacturing employers related to the automobile industry (Evart Products, NABCO Inc., Evart Glass, and others). The County also has several employers related to food processing (Yoplait, Liberty Dairy, and others).

● There are many festivals across the County including the Dulcimer Festival in Evart (July 19-22, 2007) and the Great American Crossroads Celebration in Reed City (August 16-19, 2007). Other festivals include the Marion Fair in June, Razzasque Days in LeRoy in July, Hersey Heritage Days in August, and many other festivals, parades, and fireworks displays.

● Osceola County is home to a large Amish community. Amish farms and homes dot the land- scape and it is not surprising to see a dozen horse and buggy rigs rolling along a gravel road on any Sunday morning.

● The Kettunen Center is a conference center operated by the Michigan 4-H Foundation. The Center is located on a 160 acre site on Center Lake in Sherman Township.

While the WMRPC cannot endorse one private business over another, it is rumored that the best donuts in Michigan can be found in Osceola County (particularly fried cinnamon rolls) – we will leave it up to you to determine where these can be found as you make Osceola County your next weekend destination.