Clare, Michigan

Clare, Michigan
—  City  —
Nickname(s): Gateway to the North
Location of Clare, Michigan
Coordinates: 43°49′10″N 84°46′7″W / 43.81944°N 84.76861°W / 43.81944; -84.76861Coordinates: 43°49′10″N 84°46′7″W / 43.81944°N 84.76861°W / 43.81944; -84.76861
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Counties	Clare, Isabella
Area
– Total	3.2 sq mi (8.3 km2)
– Land	3.1 sq mi (8.1 km2)
– Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	837 ft (255 m)
Population (2000)
– Total	3,173
– Density	1,016.7/sq mi (392.6/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	48617
Area code(s)	989
FIPS code	26-15920[1]
GNIS feature ID	0623335[2]

Clare is a city in Clare and Isabella counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located primarily in Clare County, the city had a population of 3,173 at the 2000 census. North-south US 127 forms the eastern boundary for much of the city and has a junction with east-west US 10 on the east side of the city. US 10 connects with Midland, 33 miles (53 km) to the southeast, and with US 131 at Reed City, 44 miles (71 km) to the west. US 127 connects with Mount Pleasant, 13 miles (21 km) to the south, and with Harrison, 14 miles (23 km) to the north. M-115 has is southern terminus in downtown Clare.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), of which, 3.1 square miles (8.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (2.80%) is water. There are four stoplights within the city limits of Clare.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 3,159 people, 1,594 households in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.03% White, 9.51% African American, 1.14% Native American, 5.36% Asian, 1.14% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.13% of the population.

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 3,173 people, 1,380 households, and 783 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,016.7 per square mile (392.7/km²). There were 1,487 housing units at an average density of 476.5 per square mile (184.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.35% White, 8.25% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.41% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.58% of the population.

There were 1,380 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 78.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,299, and the median income for a family was $36,194. Males had a median income of $28,365 versus $19,861 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,006. About 10.6% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Sister Cities

• Ennis, Ireland since 1986
• Nakhodka, Russia since 1997
• Nantong, China since 2005
• Surulere, Nigeria since 2009
• Ipoh, Malaysia since 2010
• Dharavi, India since 2011

Notable residents/natives

• Glenn Douglas Packard, dancer and television personality
• Helen Cook Erickson, author/coauthor of Modeling and Role-Modeling: A Theory and Paradigm for Nursing; Modeling and Role-Modeling: A View From the Client's World; The Interface Between Philosophy and Discipline of Holistic Nursing [www.mrmnursingtheory.com][unicornsunlimitedbooks.com]

Transportation

	US 10
	US 127
	BUS US 10 is a loop route through downtown Clare.
	BUS US 127 is a loop route through downtown Clare.
	M-115

Attractions

Clare attracts hundreds of visitors from all across the state when the annual Irish Festival is held over St. Patricks Day weekend. The focal point of this festival is the Doherty Hotel, where guests find lodging conveniently located in the center of downtown Clare. Visitors will also find, across from the street from the Doherty Hotel, the Ideal Theater. Built in the late 1920s, it was the first movie theater in Clare County, and has remained in it original state to show what an older style movie theater used to be like. New shows are brought to the theater about every week, with previews of what is to come in the following weeks. The price per person is $4.00 per show, with the concession stand being extra. Across from Hotel Doherty, the Clare City Bakery since 1896 stood and effective July 1, 2009, became, Cops and Doughnuts. It is owned and operated by the 9-member Clare Police Department. (http://www.copsdoughnuts.com/) Clare's downtown is a designated Main Street Cool Cities Community. Also, Clare, Michigan is noted to be the "Gateway to the North" because of its location in the center of the lower peninsula. There is one fire station and one police department in the city of Clare. The water tower in Clare is located near the fire station and is emblazoned with a clover.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Clare, Michigan

External links

• Clare Chamber of Commerce website
• City of Clare
• Clare Public Schools
• Clare Main Street
• Clare County Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Clare Sentinel Newspaper Online via Clarke Historical Library and Central Michigan University