Outdoor Life

The Upper Peninsula is one of the most beautiful regions in the country – rolling hills, bubbling streams, countless lakes and shorelines on three of the Great Lakes. Iron County, in the western UP, boasts over 400,000 acres of forest land (in fact, the western third of Iron County is in the Ottawa National Forest), over 200 lakes and five Blue Ribbon Trout Streams. In Winter, the pines are dappled in fluffy snow. In Spring the forest floors are carpeted in delicate trilliums and the Summers are cool and clear with amazing stargazing. The Fall colors pop with red, yellow and orange and rival anywhere in the country. From camping to fishing to hunting, from hiking to skiing to snowmobiling, from canoeing to ice fishing to mountain biking – no matter what the season, the great outdoors and clear crisp air awaits you in Iron County. Wherever you might be in Iron County, our Northwoods are never more than a few steps away.

Opportunity

Iron County is open for business! If you are looking for a job, from part time to highly-skilled full time, we’ve got the openings. Successful local companies are eager to grow and expand with your help. Come join our dedicated, committed workforce. Entrepreneurship is also in our blood; let us help you find a home and a niche for your new startup business here in Iron County. The Iron County Economic Chamber Alliance’s services are free of charge, and our consultations are fully confidential – give us a call at (906) 265-3822.

Real Estate

Quality real estate is affordable and plentiful in Iron County. Whether you’re looking for a four bedroom home for your young family or a small cottage on a lake out in the woods, Iron County has the right home at the right price for your budget. There are also great lakeside and riverfront lots available for building. Talk to any of the friendly realtors in our area for more information.

Education

There are two outstanding school districts in Iron County where your child will receive a well-rounded and enriching education. Forest Park serves the east side of the county while the West Iron school district serves the western region. Our schools are safe, have small classroom sizes for a more individualized learning experience and offer a variety of sports and extracurricular activities for students to get involved. Forest Park District Homepage | West Iron District Homepage

Health and Wellness

Access to quality healthcare is a vital component of of any relocation decision, and Iron County offers excellent full service options locally, from dental to vision, chiropractic to a full service hospital and clinic. Situated in the beautiful Northwoods, Aspirus Iron River Hospital & Clinics serve the needs of the south central Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northern Wisconsin. The Aspirus Iron River Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital – named one of the top 20 in the nation and only one of two in all of Michigan. The Aspirus Iron River campus is also home to the brand new, $8 million Iron River Clinic. This comprehensive, 24,000 square-foot, two-story medical clinic is overlooking the shores of beautiful Ice Lake. Iron County is also home to several excellent elder care facilities such as the Iron County Medical Care Facility (recipient of the Governor’s Quality of Care Award), Victorian Heights and the Iron River Care Center.

Culture

Enrich your life with music, art and other local cultural treasures of incredible variety. Enjoy talented performers at one of the many theaters and community centers, or take lessons and classes to broaden your skills in the arts and dance. No matter your age or background, you are sure to learn something and make a new friend. We have great events all year long, from the amazing open mics at the Windsor Center each month, the Second Sunday Folk Dances, the U.P. Championship Rodeo in July and the Humongous Fungus Festival (honoring one of the largest life forms on Earth) in August. And that’s only scratching the surface! The Heritage Trail provides an opportunity to tour the fascinating historic sites in the County, plus we also are home to the Iron County History Museum (one of the largest outdoor museums in the State of Michigan) as well as the Harbor House Museum.

Weather

The Upper Peninsula is known for its weather: cool summers and snowy winters. In Iron County, locals love the slow changes between the seasons, giving us the opportunity to experience the wonderful changes in the forests, wildflowers and wildlife. Summers are cool and rarely humid, with temperatures often dipping into the 50s at night. Sure we get snow here, but we aren’t blasted by the lake-effect snow like the Lake Superior shoreline. Folks here look forward to winter – the world is bathed in white, quieter and things just seem to slow down. There are the “silent sports” to enjoy, from snowshoeing to cross country skiing, and if you are looking for excitement, hitting the trails on a snowmobile is something to experience!

Safety

The Iron County region is safe with low levels of crime and no significant gang activity. It’s a great place to raise a family, with numerous social and religious organizations here to provide a supportive community. You’ll also never find yourself waiting in traffic or caught in rush hour – in fact, Iron County only has one, and only one, stop light.

Remote Working and Internet

If you are one of the growing number of professionals who can choose to live where they want and work online, then Iron County can be a great home base! It’s beautiful, affordable and close to nearly every attraction in the U.P. One of the most essential twenty-first century tools is broadband Internet connectivity, essential for remote work. While Iron County isn’t fully wired corner to corner (not yet), we do have a number of fiber-optic trunk lines running east to west and a surprising number of areas in the county have excellent high speed Internet. The City of Crystal Falls also has Packerland’s UltraConnect residential service – some of the fastest Internet access in the country (http://packerlandbroadband.com/ultraconnect). If you are in Iron River, Iron River Cable, a locally owned cooperative, provides high-speed cable modem service. If you are interested in remote working from Iron County, contact the Chamber (906.265.3822) or Fast-Air Internet – we can help you identify the regional connectivity options. The Windsor Center has also created a coworking facility. The site features three office cubicles with 100 Mbps wired broadband access (and 25Mbps WiFi), a laser printer and a conference room outfitted will full video conferencing facilities.

Utilities

There are many utility options in Iron County. Due to our large geographic size, where you live often determines the service providers available to you. The rivers and flowages of Iron County also generate a significant amount of regionally-used, renewable electricity across a half-dozen hydroelectric dams. There are also quite a few residents in Iron County who live “off the grid” often utilizing combinations of solar and wood (and even small scale hydroelectric). If you are interested in learning more about sustainable energy, give the Chamber a call (906.265.3822) and we can connect you with one of our local experts.

Taxes

We know that taxes are another concern when moving into a new area. Will they go up or go down? Fortunately, you dollar goes further in the State of Michigan, and even further here in Iron County. Iron County’s property taxes are the 11th lowest out of the 15 counties in the Upper Peninsula. UP property taxes are generally lower than those in the lower peninsula. Michigan’s property taxes are the 26th lowest in the United States. Michigan’s personal income taxes are the 33rd lowest in the United States.

Transportation

The western Upper Peninsula has excellent, well-maintained roads (expertly plowed during the winter months), and low traffic volumes, so getting from here to there is a breeze (and always a beautiful drive!). We’re just about two and a half hours from Green Bay, four hours from Milwaukee, five hours from Minneapolis and six hours from Chicago. You are also less than two hours (often much less) to two of the Great Lakes: Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. If you need to catch a flight, there are excellent, uncrowded regional airports in Iron Mountain, Rhinelander and Marquette.