Why visit Onaway
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 8 places to eat and 2 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Presque Isle County Courthouse, Onaway Historical Museum and Edna Lound Recreational Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; February lows average 11°F, and about 87 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Onaway
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Onaway
Onaway () is a city in Presque Isle County, just east of the Cheboygan–Presque Isle county line in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 890 at the 2020 census. Onaway bills itself as the "Sturgeon Capital of Michigan", and there is a lake sturgeon streamside rearing facility on the nearby Black River, where the fish migrate down to the Cheboygan River and then to Lake Huron.
From the Wikipedia article Onaway, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Presque Isle County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
County courthouse in Onaway, United States of America
Onaway Historical Museum
Museum
Displaying Onaway history through items and stories from its founding in the latter 1800s to the present, the Onaway Historical Museum...
20774 State Street, Onaway
Lobdell Administration Building
Monument and historic site
Administration Building for the Lobdell-Emery Wooden Steering Wheel Factory, which burned down in 1926.
20864 Washington Street, Onaway
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes8
Oak Smoke Texas Barbeque
Restaurant
Opening hours are sporadic. Must monitor Facebook page to confirm availability.
20631 State Street, Onaway
Havel's Northland Grill & Lounge
Bar and pub · American, Burger, Sandwich, Pizza
20435 State Street, Onaway
Where to stay2
Onaway Motel
Motel and hotel · 0.4 mi
20978 Washington Street, Onaway
History
This farming community received a post office open on October 23, 1882 with civil engineer Thomas E. Shaw as postmaster. This office was named Shaw for him. Arriving in 1886, Merritt Chandler had platted the community under the name of Onaway. Chandler took over as postmaster with it changing its name to Onaway on March 29, 1890. On August 18, 1893, Shaw took back the postmaster position and changed the office's name to Adalaska. Once again, the post office was renamed back to Onaway on November 15, 1897. Onaway was incorporated as a village in 1899. Onaway soon became a city in 1903.
At the beginning of the twentieth century Onaway was home to one of the world's largest wooden automobile steering wheel manufacturers, producing approximately 65% of the world's wooden steering wheels.
From the History section of Onaway, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship9
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Healthcare1
Map of Onaway
37 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°F | 12°F | 2.0 in | 21.3 in |
| Feb | 30°F | 11°F | 1.5 in | 17.7 in |
| Mar | 40°F | 19°F | 1.8 in | 11.3 in |
| Apr | 53°F | 30°F | 3.0 in | 6.9 in |
| May | 67°F | 41°F | 3.1 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 51°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 56°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 55°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 48°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 57°F | 38°F | 3.5 in | 0.7 in |
| Nov | 44°F | 29°F | 2.4 in | 7.3 in |
| Dec | 32°F | 19°F | 2.1 in | 21.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Onaway 4N (4 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
Presque Isle County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2026-06-30: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2025-07-22: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hoffman's Black Mountain Aerodrome (2M7) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Indian River 20 mi west, about 32 min by car
- Rogers City 21 mi east, about 34 min by car
- Cheboygan 23 mi northwest, about 37 min by car
- Atlanta 25 mi south, about 40 min by car
- Hillman 26 mi southeast, about 42 min by car
- Alanson 28 mi west, about 45 min by car
- Pellston 30 mi northwest, about 48 min by car
- Gaylord 32 mi southwest, about 52 min by car
- Lewiston 33 mi south, about 54 min by car
- Petoskey 38 mi west, about 1 h 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
- Onaway Courthouse, David Coats, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built November 2, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.