Pointe Aux Barques Township, Michigan

Pointe Aux Barques Township (/pɔɪnt ə bɑːrks/ poynt-ə-BARKS) is a civil township of Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15 at the 2020 census.

Pointe Aux Barques Township, Michigan
Civil township
Location within Huron County
Pointe Aux Barques Township Location within the state of Michigan Show map of Michigan Pointe Aux Barques Township Location within the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 44°03′41″N 82°57′00″W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Huron
Organized	1903
Government
• Supervisor	Patricia Gotfredson
• Clerk	Anne Milligan
Area
• Total	3.86 sq mi (10.00 km2)
• Land	1.31 sq mi (3.39 km2)
• Water	2.55 sq mi (6.60 km2)
Elevation	600 ft (183 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	15
• Density	11.5/sq mi (4.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	48467 (Port Austin)
Area code	989
FIPS code	26-65180[1]
GNIS feature ID	1626921[2]
Website	Official website

Pointe Aux Barques is located at the tip of the Thumb on the Lower Peninsula. With a permanent population of only 15, the township is the least-populated municipality in the state and the third smallest township by land area after Novi Township and Royal Oak Charter Township.

Communities

• Pointe Aux Barques is an unincorporated community within the township at 43°40′59″N 83°21′21″W.^[3] The name is a French translation of "point of ships" and was named by French sailors as early as 1760. The community had its own post office from June 12, 1897, until June 20, 1957.^[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 3.86 square miles (10.00 km²), of which 1.31 square miles (3.39 km²) is land and 2.55 square miles (6.60 km²) is water.^[5]

The township is located at the northern end of The Thumb. Turnip Rock, an undercut stack, is located just off the shores of the mainland. Surrounded by private property, it is only accessible by water, and there is no public road access. Pointe aux Barques Light bears the name of the township but is located in neighboring Huron Township.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	37		—
1920	34		−8.1%
1930	24		−29.4%
1940	15		−37.5%
1950	7		−53.3%
1960	52		642.9%
1970	6		−88.5%
1980	6		0.0%
1990	15		150.0%
2000	10		−33.3%
2010	10		0.0%
2020	15		50.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]

As of the census^[1] of 2020, there were 15 people, 11 households, and 7 families residing in the township. There were 70 housing units, but many of them were units of secondary housing not used by full-time residents.