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Bay

A township of 1,198 people in Charlevoix County, Michigan
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Now in Bay

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Around town

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Headlines via Google News · Articles belong to their publishers.

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Around town

The places and views that make it Bay

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Outdoors in Bay

Parks & trails →
Map of Bay: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Conserved land3.9%463 of 12,008 acres
Trails14 mi0.7 mi per sq mi
Parks & preserves9386 conserved acres per 1,000 residents

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Landmark of the day

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Horton Bay House-Red Fox Inn

Horton Bay House-Red Fox Inn

Late Victorian Vernacular · on the Register since 1995

The Red Fox Inn, also known as the Horton Bay House, is a building, originally, a boardinghouse, located at 05156 Boyne City Road in Horton Bay, Michigan. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

3 on the National Register · #100 in MIHistoric places →
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About Bay

Civil township in Michigan, United States
1,142Population
18.9 sq miArea
846 ftElevation

Bay Township is a civil township of Charlevoix County, Michigan, United States. The population was 1,142 at the 2020 census. Bay Township was established in 1887. The township contains the census-designated place of Horton Bay. The community and surrounding area were featured in several stories by Ernest Hemingway, particularly the Nick Adams stories including "The End of Something".

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

Living in Bay

Work & commute in Bay

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Most working residents leave Bay for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are Boyne City (17%), Petoskey (13%) and Charlevoix (5%). Half commute less than 10 miles.

Boyne City
17%
Petoskey
13%
Charlevoix
5%
Bear Creek
5%
Census LEHD 2021 · ACSWork & commute in Bay →

Health in Bay

B+

Health Grade B+

Healthier than 72% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Michigan

9better than MI·2worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 21 are too close to call.

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

Care nearby

Mclaren Northern MichiganPetoskey · 6.4 mi · ER
Alcona Health Center Petoskey Child Health AssociatesPetoskey · 8.1 mi · sliding-scale fees
Primary careNo shortage
DentalNo shortage
Mental healthShortage · county-wide
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · ZIP codes 49712, 49770, 49720 · CMS · HRSAHealth in Bay →

Natural hazards in Bay

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Bay →

Climate in Bay

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Bay has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 124 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

30° / 16°Winter
51° / 31°Spring
76° / 55°Summer
56° / 40°Fall
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Bay →

Libraries near Bay

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Nearest: Crooked Tree District LibraryWalloon Lake · 6.1 miles · 33 hrs a week
Famous people from BayWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Bay.Meet them →

Where Bay is

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Imported town boundary

Michigan · MI · Charlevoix CountyTown boundary on OpenStreetMap →

How things work in Bay

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The porch light’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Bay, MICharlevoix CountyView boundary

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01