Map of Sanilac County, Michigan

Sanilac County (/sænəlæk/ SAN-ə-lack) is a county located in the Thumb region of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 40,611. The county seat is Sandusky. The county was created on September 10, 1822, and was fully organized on December 31, 1849. Sanilac County is considered to be part of the Thumb of Michigan, a subregion of the Flint/Tri-Cities. Sanilac County enjoys seasonal tourism in towns such as Lexington, Port Sanilac, and Carsonville. Sanilac County is economically attached to St. Clair County and Huron County and is largely composed of nearly flat areas of rich soil.

Sanilac County overview:
Name:	Sanilac County
FIPS code:	26-151
State:	Michigan
Founded:	1822
Seat:	Sandusky
Largest city:	Sandusky
Total Area:	1,590 sq mi (4,100 km²)
Land Area:	963 sq mi (2,490 km²)
Total Population:	40,611
Population Density:	45/sq mi (17/km²)
Time zone:	UTC−5 (Eastern)
Summer Time Zone (DST):	UTC−4 (EDT)

Sanilac County location map. Where is Sanilac County?

Sanilac County location on the U.S. Map. Where is Sanilac County. — Location of Sanilac County in the the United States.

Sanilac County location on the Michigan map. Where is Sanilac County. — Location of Sanilac County in Michigan.

History

Sanilac County was probably named for a Wyandot (Huron) chief named Sanilac. (See List of Michigan county name etymologies). The county was formed on September 10, 1822, by the Michigan Territorial Legislature, partitioning parts of St. Clair County and unorganized territory administered by Oakland County. The original boundary of the county was reduced in 1840, when parts were partitioned off to create Huron and Tuscola counties. The county government was fully organized on December 31, 1849. In the middle of the 19th century, the area now called Port Sanilac was called Bark Shanty. It was named for a lone shanty made of bark, which was used to make shingles from pine. The county seat of Sanilac is the city of Sandusky.

Sanilac County Road Map

Sanilac CountyStreet Map. — Street map of Sanilac County, Michigan. Source: OpenStreetMap (OSM)

Sanilac CountyMap — Sanilac Countypolitical map.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,590 square miles (4,100 km), of which 963 square miles (2,490 km) is land and 627 square miles (1,620 km) (39%) is water.