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Michigan · Upper Peninsula · Keweenaw Peninsula · Copper Country
Houghton County, Michigan
America's copper kingdom — from the Keweenaw's extraordinary 19th-century mining legacy (more copper than the rest of North America combined) to Michigan Technological University's engineering excellence, the 1913 Italian Hall Disaster that scarred the labor movement, and the claim that Houghton gave America professional hockey in 1904.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Houghton County Office of Emergency Measures (OEM) – Houghton County Courthouse, 401 East Houghton Avenue, Houghton, MI 49931; Coordinator John E. Dueweke, (906) 482-6400; mass-notification opt-in system available for emergency and weather alerts.
Sheriff: Houghton County Sheriff’s Office – 403 E. Houghton Ave, Houghton, MI 49931 | Administrative (906) 482-0055 | Corrections (906) 482-1742; Sheriff Joshua B. Saaranen; operates a 28-bed correctional facility; also serves as a backup Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) to Negaunee Regional Dispatch. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-41 and M-26 serve Houghton, the county seat, on Portage Lake in the Keweenaw Peninsula, connected to Hancock by the Portage Lake Lift Bridge.
Notes: The Keweenaw Waterway, part natural and part man-made, cuts across the Keweenaw Peninsula, linking to Lake Superior on both ends.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Houghton County Courthouse – 401 East Houghton Avenue, Houghton, MI 49931.
Notes: Houghton County is genuinely the heart of Michigan’s historic “Copper Country.” The Quincy Mine, a National Historic Landmark District near Hancock, operated from 1846 to 1945 (with limited activity into the 1970s) and was known as “Old Reliable” for paying dividends to investors every single year from 1868 through 1920 – a 52-year streak that made it Michigan’s second-largest copper producer and one of national importance. Public tours today include an underground cogwheel-tram ride and the massive Nordberg steam hoist. The county is also home to Michigan Technological University, a leading engineering and technology research institution founded to serve the region’s mining industry.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Houghton County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via houghtoncounty.net.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Confirm current Houghton-area public library address/phone via houghtoncounty.net.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Quincy Mine Hoist Association tours, Michigan Technological University, Mont Ripley Ski Area, and the Keweenaw Waterway are the county’s premier attractions, forming part of the broader Keweenaw National Historical Park.
Notes: The genuine “Old Reliable” 52-year dividend streak and National Historic Landmark status of the Quincy Mine are among the most distinctive industrial-heritage facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Houghton County Equalization Office – confirm current contact via houghtoncounty.net.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Copper Country Humane Society (CCHS) – 501 Nara Park Road, Houghton, MI 49931 | (906) 487-9560 | Email: [email protected]; a no-kill, “no time limits” 501(c)(3) shelter serving Keweenaw, Houghton, and Baraga Counties plus the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, caring for roughly 900 animals annually, funded entirely through donations and fundraisers. Hours: Wed, Fri, Sat 12-5 PM, Sun 1-5 PM (appointment-based; closed Mon, Tue, Thu).
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Houghton County – confirm current contact via houghtoncounty.net.
NOTES: Houghton County is the fifth county in the fifth batch of the Michigan v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine “Old Reliable” 52-year dividend streak and National Historic Landmark status of the Quincy Mine are among the most distinctive industrial-heritage facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Houghton County
Houghton County is Michigan’s Copper Country capital – the world’s first major copper boom predating the California gold rush by a decade and Michigan Technological University founded as the mining school to train the engineers who extracted Keweenaw copper define a county where Houghton and Hancock together anchor the UP’s most historically significant industrial community.
Houghton (the county seat, population ~7,700) is Houghton County’s governmental hub, a Keweenaw Waterway college and copper mining community whose Michigan Tech campus, Quincy Mine, and Keweenaw National Historical Park anchor its identity as the intellectual and historical center of Michigan’s Copper Country.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Houghton County Assessor at 401 E. Houghton Avenue, Houghton, MI 49931, phone 906-482-1150. MI assessed at 50% of true cash value.
Courts & Legal
Houghton County Probate Court at 401 E. Houghton Avenue, Houghton, MI 49931, phone 906-482-1150, handles estates and probate. Register of Deeds at same address.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
401 E. Houghton Ave., Houghton, MI 49931
(906) 482-1150
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Houghton County Probate Court (estate/probate case files – see Probate section above).
Michigan Technological University in Houghton holds regional historical archives relevant to Copper Country mining heritage.
Local societies
No dedicated Houghton County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Houghton County Probate Court Houghton County Courthouse, 401 E. Houghton Avenue, Houghton, MI 49931 (906) 482-3120 Houghton County is on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, seated in Houghton.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Michigan probate is governed by the Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC), MCL 700.1101 et seq.
Transfer by Affidavit (Small Estate Affidavit) – under MCL 700.3982/700.3983, available when the estate’s gross value (after funeral and burial expenses) doesn’t exceed a threshold that’s adjusted annually for inflation (roughly $50,000-$53,000 in recent years). No real estate can be involved. At least 28 days must pass after death before this affidavit can be used. The affidavit isn’t filed with the court; it’s presented directly to whoever holds the asset (a bank, for instance), along with a death certificate.
Petition and Order for Assignment (PC 556) – a small estate process for estates at or below the same statutory threshold, but this one CAN include real property. An heir or the person who paid the funeral bill files this petition with the probate court; the judge reviews and signs the order, and there’s a filing fee plus a statutory inventory fee based on estate value.
Informal Probate – the standard track for most estates above the small-estate threshold. Filed using Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative (PC 558); the court issues Letters of Authority (PC 573) to the personal representative without a hearing when the application is straightforward.
Formal/Supervised Administration – required when the will is contested, there’s a dispute over who should serve as personal representative, or the estate needs ongoing court supervision.
Step 2: filing for probate
Gather the death certificate, the will (if any), and an inventory of the decedent’s assets to determine which path fits.
File the appropriate petition or application with the Probate Court in the county where the decedent lived.
For informal probate, the court reviews the application and issues Letters of Authority appointing the personal representative, typically without a hearing.
The personal representative gathers and inventories assets, notifies and pays valid creditors, and – no earlier than 12 months after appointment – files a Sworn Closing Statement (PC 584) for informal probate, or a Petition for Complete Settlement (PC 585) followed by a court Order of Complete Settlement (PC 586) for formal administration.
What it costs
Michigan probate generally runs 7 to 18 months and costs roughly 3% to 7% of the estate’s value in typical cases.
Filing fees vary by petition type; a statutory inventory fee, set by MCL 600.871, is calculated based on the estate’s total value and applies to most probate filings.
Michigan does not require an attorney for probate, though many people use one for anything beyond a very simple estate.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
403 E. Houghton Ave., Houghton, MI 49931
(906) 482-0055
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
401 E. Houghton Ave., Houghton, MI 49931
(906) 482-1150
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MI DHHS — Upper Peninsula Region
(906) 482-5800
UP Health System — Portage
uphealthsystem.com (Hancock — quality regional hospital; major Keweenaw Peninsula anchor)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Houghton County Health Department – confirm current phone via houghtoncounty.net. Portage Health / Portage Hospital serves the county.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Houghton
Population: 35,000
Area: 1,011 mi²
Established: 1845
Tier: 3
Public Records
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