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Michigan · Upper Peninsula · Lake Superior · Largest UP County
Marquette County, Michigan
The Upper Peninsula's capital city on Lake Superior — from the iron ore docks loading pellets for Great Lakes steel mills and Northern Michigan University's Superior Dome to Presque Isle Park's volcanic rock shoreline, Ishpeming's US Ski Hall of Fame, and a county that defines "Yooper" identity: outdoor intensity, hockey culture, and fierce pride in a remote peninsula most of Michigan barely knows.
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.
Marquette County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Marquette County Emergency Management – housed at the Negaunee State Police Post facility.
Marquette County Central Dispatch – non-emergency (906) 475-9912.
Sheriff: Marquette County Sheriff’s Office – 236 W. Baraga Avenue, Marquette, MI 49855 | (906) 225-8435 | Fax (906) 225-8485 | Tip Line (906) 225-8441; Sheriff Gregory S. Zyburt (36 years in law enforcement; Chief of Police in Chocolay Township for 30 years before taking office as Sheriff January 1, 2017; testified before a White House criminal justice panel on body-worn cameras in 2015), Undersheriff Lowell A. Larson Jr. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. NOTE: A separate, unrelated “Marquette County” exists in Montello, Wisconsin – always confirm Michigan when citing sources.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-41 and M-28 serve Marquette, the county seat, on Lake Superior; Marquette County was set off in 1843 and organized in 1851, named for Jesuit missionary Father Jacques Marquette.
Notes: Marquette County is Michigan’s largest county by land area (3,425 square miles total, about 47% water) and the most populous county in the Upper Peninsula.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Marquette County Courthouse – Marquette, MI 49855.
Notes: The city of Marquette, originally named Worcester, was founded in 1849 following the 1844 discovery of rich local iron ore deposits and grew rapidly as a key Great Lakes shipping port; the Lower Harbor Ore Dock alone moved nearly 24 million tons of ore between 1932 and 1971, and mining remains a significant piece of the local economy today. Marquette is also home to Northern Michigan University, a major regional education and healthcare hub. The Iron Ore Heritage Trail, a designated Pure Michigan Trail, commemorates this legacy.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Marquette County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via co.marquette.mi.us.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Confirm current Marquette-area public library address/phone via co.marquette.mi.us.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Presque Isle Park (a 323-acre forested peninsula with the Black Rocks), the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Northern Michigan University’s campus are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine iron-ore shipping port heritage and Marquette’s status as Michigan’s largest county by land area are among the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Marquette County Equalization Department – confirm current contact via co.marquette.mi.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Marquette County Humane Society (MCHS) – Negaunee, MI; an open-admissions shelter accepting any animal brought to it, housing roughly 1,500 animals annually with an adoption rate of about 85%; confirm current address/phone via marquettehumanesociety.org.
Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter (UPAWS) – a separate no-kill 501(c)(3) organization also serving the region; confirm current address/phone via upaws.org.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Marquette County – confirm current contact via co.marquette.mi.us.
NOTES: Marquette County is the fifth county in the eighth batch of the Michigan v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine iron-ore shipping port heritage and Marquette’s status as Michigan’s largest county by land area are among the most distinctive local 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 Marquette County
Marquette County is the Upper Peninsula’s Lake Superior iron ore capital – the red sandstone shoreline where ore docks shipped the iron that built industrial America and Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome define Michigan’s UP hub where Marquette serves as the largest city between Green Bay and Duluth.
Marquette (the county seat, population ~20,000) is Marquette County’s governmental hub on US 41, the Upper Peninsula’s largest city whose Lake Superior setting, NMU campus, iron mining heritage, and outdoor recreation access define the UP’s cultural, educational, and commercial center.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Michigan assesses at 50% of true cash value; Proposal A caps annual taxable value increases at the rate of inflation or 5%, whichever is less. The Marquette County Equalization Department at 234 W. Baraga Avenue, Marquette, MI 49855, phone 906-225-8425, coordinates assessments. Appeal to your local Board of Review in March, then to the Michigan Tax Tribunal by May 31 (residential). No MI estate or inheritance tax.
Recommended
Marquette County property appeal. Lakefront and city residential markets both benefit from assessed value review. No MI inheritance tax. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Probate Court: The Marquette County Probate Court at 234 W. Baraga Avenue, Marquette, MI 49855, phone 906-225-8285, handles estates, guardianships, and probate administration. Register of Deeds at same address maintains property records.
Senior Services
The Upper Peninsula Area Agency on Aging at 2 W. Washington Street, Marquette, MI 49855, phone 906-225-8029, serves the UP’s senior population. UP Health System – Marquette is the region’s primary hospital and Level II Trauma Center.
Recommended
Assisted living, memory care, and independent living in Marquette County - from Marquette's city neighborhoods to Ishpeming, Negaunee, and the surrounding UP communities.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
234 W. Baraga Ave., Marquette, MI 49855
(906) 225-8330
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Marquette County Probate Court (estate/probate case files – see Probate section above).
Northern Michigan University, located in Marquette, holds regional historical archives relevant to Upper Peninsula history.
Local societies
No dedicated Marquette 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
Marquette County Probate Court Marquette County Courthouse Annex, 234 W. Baraga Avenue, Marquette, MI 49855 (906) 225-8300
Marquette County is in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on Lake Superior, seated in Marquette – the UP’s most populous county.
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
234 W. Baraga Ave., Marquette, MI 49855
(906) 225-8435
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
234 W. Baraga Ave., Marquette, MI 49855
(906) 225-8330
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) 228-9691
UP Health System — Marquette
uphealthsystem.com (Marquette — major regional hospital; Level II Trauma; dominant UP medical center)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Marquette County Health Department – confirm current phone via co.marquette.mi.us.
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