Copper Harbor, Michigan
Copper Harbor is a community of 163 people in Keweenaw County, Michigan.
Why visit Copper Harbor
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 6 places to eat, 14 places to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Copper Harbor Light, Copper Harbor Front Range Light, Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and Golf Course Complex and US 41–Fanny Hooe Creek Bridge.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 73°F; February lows average 10°F.
Weather in Copper Harbor
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Copper Harbor
Copper Harbor is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Keweenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located within Grant Township. The population of the CDP was 136 as of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Copper Harbor, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do7
Copper Harbor Light
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Lighthouse in Michigan, United States
Copper Harbor Front Range Light
Lighthouse · 0.9 mi
Lighthouse in Michigan, United States
Museums and landmarks7
Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and Golf Course Complex
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Historic district in Michigan, United States
US 41–Fanny Hooe Creek Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places
NRHP-listed bridge in Michigan
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Fort Wilkins Historic State Park
Park · National Register of Historic Places
Park in Keweenaw County, Michigan, United States of America
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Restaurants and cafes6
Brickside Brewery
Brewery and winery · Bar · 0.8 mi
84 Gratiot Street, Copper Harbor
Th-Sa 15:00-21:00
Tamarack Restaurant
Restaurant · 1.1 mi
571 Gratiot Street, Copper Harbor
We-Mo 08:00-15:00
History
The Keweenaw Peninsula and the area that would become the Copper Country was home to the Ojibwe people prior to European settlement. By the 1842 Treaty of La Pointe, which took effect in 1843, the Ojibwe officially ceded the western Upper Peninsula including the Keweenaw to the United States.
Copper Harbor was host to the first mineral land agency throughout the entire Lake Superior District. Captain Walter Cunningham was appointed by the United States Department of War to act as a Special Agent to the area. As soon as wayfinding was established in the spring of 1843, Cunningham had come to the area and opened his office, which was thereafter named the "Government House". It was positioned on Porter's Island, a small rocky island just opposite of present-day downtown Copper Harbor.
The Pittsburgh and Boston Copper Harbor Mining Company, formed by John Hayes of Cleveland, Ohio, began excavating some pits near Hayes Point in Copper Harbor in 1844. It was a small development at first, but its mine was modern for its time, and the company struck it rich in 1845. The Pittsburgh and Boston mine operations were some of the first in the state of Michigan.
A few years later, the Central Mine, Cliff Mine, and others were opened and became successful. However, by 1870 the copper resources in the community had been largely worked out.
From the History section of Copper Harbor, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay14
Churches and places of worship2
Shopping8
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Map of Copper Harbor
53 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23°F | 11°F | 2.2 in |
| Feb | 25°F | 10°F | 1.9 in |
| Mar | 34°F | 17°F | 1.7 in |
| Apr | 44°F | 28°F | 2.7 in |
| May | 57°F | 38°F | 3.5 in |
| Jun | 67°F | 46°F | 3.1 in |
| Jul | 73°F | 54°F | 3.0 in |
| Aug | 73°F | 56°F | 2.6 in |
| Sep | 66°F | 50°F | 3.7 in |
| Oct | 52°F | 39°F | 3.7 in |
| Nov | 39°F | 28°F | 2.6 in |
| Dec | 28°F | 18°F | 2.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Copper Harbor Ft Wilkins (0 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Keweenaw County has had 4 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-06-18: Flooding (Flood)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 35 miles away.
- Copper City 27 mi southwest, about 44 min by car
- Laurium 31 mi southwest, about 50 min by car
- Lake Linden 31 mi southwest, about 51 min by car
- Calumet 31 mi southwest, about 50 min by car
- Hubbell 33 mi southwest, about 53 min by car
- Dollar Bay 38 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Houghton 41 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Hancock 41 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Dodgeville 42 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Chassell 43 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- CopperHarborDowntownUS41, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Copper Harbor Light, Unknown author, Public domain
- Copper Harbor nature, Robert Emperley from Strasbourg, Alsace, France, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Copper Harbor Light 2020-08-31, August Schwerdfeger, CC BY 4.0
- Copper Harbor Light from the air 2020-08-31, August Schwerdfeger, CC BY 4.0
- Copper Harbor Light 2022-08-16 01, Schwerdf, CC BY 4.0
- Copper Harbor Light 2022-08-16, Schwerdf, CC BY 4.0
- Copper Harbor School 2020-08-31, August Schwerdfeger, CC BY 4.0
- US 41 Copper Harbor, Darrell Harden, CC BY 2.0
- Aerial panorama of Copper Harbor, Michigan 2020-08-31, August Schwerdfeger, CC BY 4.0
- View from our Copper Harbor hotel (2737860069), Ben+Sam, CC BY-SA 2.0
- View from our Copper Harbor hotel (2737858761), Ben+Sam, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Golden Monk Church, Copper Harbor, Richie Diesterheft from Chicago, IL, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Keweenaw Mountain Lodge Copper Harbor MI 2009, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- US 41-Fanny Hooe Creek Bridge Keweenaw County MI 2009, Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Brockway Mountain Drive Panorama cropped, Nick Nolte, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Up fort wilkins 01 m1 screen, Pavel Trebukov, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Fort Wilkins State Park, Keweenaw Penninsula, Michigan 01, Sowajohn, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fort Wilkins State Park, Keweenaw Penninsula, Michigan 05, Sowajohn, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fort Wilkins State Park, Keweenaw Penninsula, Michigan 02, Sowajohn, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fort Wilkins State Park, Keweenaw Penninsula, Michigan 03, Sowajohn, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fort Wilkins State Park, Keweenaw Penninsula, Michigan 04, Sowajohn, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fort Wilkins, Chris857, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fort Wilkins - Married Enlisted Soldiers Quarters, Chris857, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fort Wilkins at Sunrise, CorynHamill, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Honda Civic Lake Superior Rally 2009 2, Robert Emperley, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Loading up the Isle Royale Queen IV (2738767632), Ben+Sam, CC BY-SA 2.0
- The Isle Royale Queen IV (2737928135), Ben+Sam, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Drive of Yellows & Oranges, Richie Diesterheft, CC BY 2.0
- Half Painted Lighthouse, Richie Diesterheft, CC BY 2.0
- 2008-10-17 Snowshoe Priest, Richie Diesterheft, CC BY 2.0
- Welcome to the Land of Snow Upper Peninsula Snow Stick, Richie Diesterheft, CC BY 2.0
- Sand Hill Lighthouse B&B, Richie Diesterheft, CC BY 2.0
- Keweenaw Court House & Jail, Richie Diesterheft, CC BY 2.0
- Current Wooden Lake Shore ridge, Richie Diesterheft, CC BY 2.0
- Old stairs, Richie Diesterheft, CC BY 2.0
- 2008-10-17 Bishop Baraga Monument, Richie Diesterheft, CC BY 2.0
- A Secret Haven, Richie Diesterheft, CC BY 2.0
- Esrey Stone Roadside Park, Richie Diesterheft, CC BY 2.0
- Peaceful Lake Medora, Richie Diesterheft, CC BY 2.0
- Copper Harbor Lighthouse, Dale Fisher, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain
- Hunter's Point Park Michigan (48419420741), Han Zheng, CC BY-SA 2.0
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