View source for Cascade Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Cascade Township, Michigan
| official_name      = Cascade Charter Township
| settlement_type    = [[Charter township]]
| image_skyline      = Cascade Township Hall.jpg
| imagesize          = 275
| image_caption      = Former township hall in Cascade Township
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = 
| nickname           = 
| motto              = "Serene vistas... Plentiful trees... Two rivers... One community"<ref>{{cite web|url=  http://www.cascadetwp.com/|title= Cascade Township, Michigan|publisher=Cascade Township, Michigan |access-date=October 24, 2021}}</ref>

<!-- Location -->| pushpin_map        = Michigan#USA
| pushpin_label_position = right<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_label      = Cascade Township
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Michigan##Location within the United States
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| image_map          = Cascade Charter Township, MI location.png
| mapsize            = 250
| map_caption        = Location within [[Kent County, Michigan|Kent County]] (red) and an administered portion of the [[Forest Hills, Michigan|Forest Hills]] CDP (pink)
| coordinates        = {{coord|42|54|09|N|85|29|42|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Michigan]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Kent County, Michigan|Kent]]

<!-- Government -->| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Supervisor
| leader_name        = Grace Lesperance
| leader_title1      = [[Municipal clerk|Clerk]]
| leader_name1       = Susan Slater
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = 1848

<!-- Area -->| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 90.29
| area_total_sq_mi   = 34.86
| area_land_km2      = 87.75
| area_land_sq_mi    = 33.88
| area_water_km2     = 2.54
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.98

<!-- Population -->| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 202
| elevation_ft       = 663
| population_total   = 19667
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_density_km2 = 
| population_density_sq_mi = auto

<!-- General information -->| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code        = 49301 ([[Ada Township, Michigan|Ada]])<br>49302 ([[Alto, Michigan|Alto]])<br>49512 ([[Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids]])<br>49546 (Grand Rapids)
| area_code          = [[Area code 616|616]]
| website            = {{URL|https://www.cascadetwp.com/|Official website}}
| footnotes          = 
| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 26-081-13660<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1626037<ref>{{gnis|1626037}}</ref>
}}
'''Cascade Charter Township''' is a [[charter township]] of [[Kent County, Michigan|Kent County]] in the U.S. state of [[Michigan]]. The population was 19,667 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Cascade_charter_township,_Kent_County,_Michigan?g=060XX00US2608113660 |access-date=2024-04-21 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

The township is part of the [[Grand Rapids metropolitan area]] and is located just east of the city of [[Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids]].  The township is the location of [[Gerald R. Ford International Airport]].

==Communities==
* '''Cascade''' is an [[unincorporated area|unincorporated community]] within the township at the intersection of [[M-11 (Michigan highway)|28th Street]] and Cascade Road.  Cascade was initially platted in 1845 by D. S. T. Weller. It had a post office from 1854 until 1910.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Walter |last1=Romig |title=Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities |series=Great Lakes Books Series |type=Paperback  |orig-year= 1973 |date=October 1, 1986 |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |isbn = 0-8143-1838-X |location=Detroit, Michigan |page=101 }}</ref>
* '''[[Forest Hills, Michigan|Forest Hills]]''' is an unincorporated community and [[census-designated place]] that occupies the northern half of the township.  The CDP consists of {{convert|17.81|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (51.09%) of the township's area and 12,917 township residents (75.39%) at the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]]. Forest Hills is organized for statistical purposes only and also contains a large area of [[Ada Township, Michigan|Ada Township]] to the north.  It is the largest CDP in the state of Michigan in both area and population.

==History==
The township was originally a part of [[Ada Township, Michigan|Ada Township]] and was separately organized in 1848.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers|last=Ashlee|first=Laura|publisher=University of Michigan Press|year=2005|isbn=9780472030668|location=Ann Arbor|pages=222}}</ref>

The [[Whitney Tavern Stand]] is located within the township.  It was built in 1853 and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|34.86|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|33.88|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.98|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (2.81%) is water.<ref name="CENS">{{cite web |date=September 2012 |title=Michigan: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-24.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019111423/http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-24.pdf |archive-date=2012-10-19 |accessdate=October 19, 2021 |work=[[2010 United States census]] |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |page=28 Michigan}}</ref>

The township is situated in the southeastern section of Kent County, approximately {{convert|10|mi|0}} southeast of [[Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids]]. A defining feature of the township is the [[Thornapple River]], which divides the township into east and west halves. The township is bordered to the west by the city of [[Kentwood, Michigan|Kentwood]], to the north by [[Ada Township, Michigan|Ada Township]], to the east by [[Lowell Township, Michigan|Lowell Charter Township]], and to the south by [[Caledonia Township, Kent County, Michigan|Caledonia Charter Township]].

==Transportation==
===Airport===
* [[File:Airport Sign.svg|20px]] [[Gerald R. Ford International Airport]] is a commercial airport that occupies {{convert|4.89|sqmi|sqkm|2}} of the southwestern portion of the township.

===Major highways===
* {{jct|state=MI|I|96}} runs east–west through the center of the township.
* {{jct|state=MI|MI|6}} enters at the southern portion of the township and has its eastern terminus at I-96.
* {{jct|state=MI|MI|37|name1=Broadmoor Avenue}} enters briefly at the southwestern corner of the township.

==Education==
The township is served by three public school districts.  [[Caledonia Community Schools]] serves the southern portion of the township.  Most of the township is served by [[Forest Hills Public Schools]], and [[Lowell Area Schools]] serves a small eastern portion of the township.<ref>{{cite web|last=Michigan Geographic Framework|url=http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/mgdl/pdfmaps/CountySchools/SD_BYCO_esize_KENT%20COUNTY.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820075914/http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/mgdl/pdfmaps/CountySchools/SD_BYCO_esize_KENT%20COUNTY.pdf |archive-date=2014-08-20 |url-status=live|title=Kent County School Districts|date=15 November 2013|accessdate=September 28, 2021}}</ref>

[[West Michigan Aviation Academy]] is a charter high school located within the township.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.westmichiganaviation.org/|title=Home|publisher=West Michigan Aviation Academy|access-date=2019-08-17|quote=5363 44th Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512}}</ref>

==Demographics==
===2020 census===
As of the [[2020 United States census]],<ref name ="wwwcensusgov2020">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/cascadechartertownshipkentcountymichigan/PST045222|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=May 9, 2024}}</ref> the township had a population of 19,667 people. The racial makeup was 87.1% [[White (U.S. Census)|Non-Hispanic White]], 2.8% [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]], 4.0% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], and 2.8% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] people of any race were 4.2% of the population.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 15,107 people, 5,394 households, and 4,374 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|445.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 5,638 housing units at an average density of {{convert|166.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 94.55% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.00% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.28% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 3.06% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.26% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.85% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.87% of the population.

There were 5,394 households, out of which 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the township the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 30.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.4 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $87,290, and the median income for a family was $98,013. Males had a median income of $71,960 versus $37,234 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $39,470.  About 1.5% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
* [[Justin Amash]], lawyer and politician, who served as the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. representative]] for {{ushr|MI|3}} from 2011 to 2021.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.cascadetwp.com/ Cascade Township official website]

{{Kent County, Michigan}}

[[Category:Townships in Kent County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Charter townships in Michigan]]
[[Category:Grand Rapids metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1848]]
[[Category:1848 establishments in Michigan]]