| Official Name: | Erie Township, Michigan |
| Settlement Type: | Civil township |
| Pushpin Map: | Michigan#USA |
| Pushpin Label Position: | top |
| Pushpin Label: | Erie Township |
| Mapsize: | 250 |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Michigan |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Monroe |
| Government Footnotes: | [1] |
| Leader Title: | Supervisor |
| Leader Name: | Michael Grodi |
| Leader Title1: | Clerk |
| Leader Name1: | Kim Cousino |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1827 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 29.59 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 23.88 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 5.72 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [3] |
| Population Total: | 4299 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 180.0 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation M: | 178 |
| Elevation Ft: | 584 |
| Coordinates: | 41.7717°N -83.4894°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Codes |
| Postal Code: | 48133 (Erie) 48182 (Temperance) |
| Area Code: | 734 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 26-26320[4] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 1626245 |
Erie Township is a civil township of Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,299 at the 2020 census.[3] Sharing a southern border with the city of Toledo, Ohio, about southwest of the city of Detroit, the township is one of the southernmost areas included in the Detroit–Warren–Ann Arbor Combined Statistical Area (Metro Detroit).
The township was organized in 1827 and is the southeasternmost municipality in the state of Michigan. The city of Luna Pier is mostly surrounded by the township, but the two are administered autonomously since Luna Pier incorporated as a city in 1963.
Erie was started in 1790 by Métis people moving south from Monroe. Early on, a log church named St. Joseph sur la Baie Miami was built here. Father Gabriel Richard often conducted mass here.
The township was officially organized as one of the first five townships in Monroe County, Michigan Territory, in 1827. The township was originally much larger and included the present-day townships of Bedford, La Salle, and about a 0.5miles stretch of the Toledo Strip.[5] When a post office was established in 1827, it was given the name of "Bay Settlement". The township's name was changed to Erie in 1835. Bedford Township and La Salle Township were broken off from Erie Township and established in 1836. In the same year, the Toledo Strip portion of Erie Township was given to the state of Ohio. Luna Pier, which occupied the northeast portion of the township, incorporated as a city in 1963, separating it from the township.[6]
The last boundary change within Erie Township came in 1973 when the Supreme Court of the United States intervened on a border dispute involving the small and uninhabited Turtle Island, 2miles offshore in Lake Erie. The 1.51NaN1 island was divided in half, with one side given to Erie Township. The other side of the island, which contains the abandoned Turtle Island Light, was given to Ohio.[7]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 29.59sqmi, of which 23.88sqmi are land and 5.72sqmi, or 19.32%, are water.[3]
Erie Township includes Gard Island, Indian Island, and a portion of Turtle Island in Lake Erie. The Ottawa River runs through the southeasternmost portion of the township and empties into North Maumee Bay within the township. The township also includes the North Maumee Bay Archeological District and portions of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. The Lost Peninsula is located in the southeasternmost portion of the township. It is located on Point Place Peninsula, which is bordered by the Ottawa River on the west and Maumee Bay on the east. Lost Peninsula is an exclave of the township (and of the state of Michigan), as its only land border is with the state of Ohio. The Toledo neighborhood of Point Place borders Lost Peninsula to the south.
The township is bordered by Lake Erie to the east, Bedford Township to the west, La Salle Township to the north, and the city of Luna Pier to the northeast. The state of Ohio borders to the south, including portions of the city of Toledo and Washington Township.
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,850 people, 1,789 households, and 1,343 families residing in the township. The population density was 201.1sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 1,917 housing units at an average density of 79.5sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the township was 95.32% White, 1.01% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 1.42% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.29% of the population.
There were 1,789 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the township the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $52,442, and the median income for a family was $59,089. Males had a median income of $46,810 versus $27,900 for females. The per capita income for the township was $21,494. About 4.5% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
The majority of Erie Township is served by Mason Consolidated Schools, while very small portions of the western border are served by Bedford Public Schools to the west in Bedford Township.[8]