Ishpeming ( ) is a city in Marquette County, Michigan, United States. Located in the Upper Peninsula, the population was 6,140 at the 2020 census, less than it was in the 1950s and 1960s when the iron ore mines employed more workers. A statue of a Native American figure, erected in 1884 in the small town square, is referred to as Old Ish.
Ishpeming Township is located to the northwest of the city but is administratively autonomous. Ishpeming is considered the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States and is the home to the National Ski Hall of Fame. The city was also prominently featured in the 2010 documentary Catfish.
The name Ishpeming comes .
Ishpeming is in central Marquette County, west of Marquette, the county seat. It is bordered to the east by the city of Negaunee. According to the United States Census Bureau, Ishpeming has a total area of , of which are land and , or 6.50%, are water. Ishpeming's elevation is above mean sea level, which is over higher than that of nearby Lake Superior. The highlands of Ishpeming and the surrounding area, including the city of Negaunee to its east, receive an unusually high yearly average of lake-effect snow.
This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Ishpeming has a humid continental climate, abbreviated Dfb on climate maps.
As of the census of 2010, there were 6,470 people, 2,824 households, and 1,664 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,149 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.0% White, 0.2% African American, 1.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.
There were 2,824 households, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.1% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.85.
The median age in the city was 40.3 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.1% were from 25 to 44; 27.3% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,686 people, 2,915 households, and 1,757 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,210 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.29% White, 0.06% Black, 1.20% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population. 25.5% were of Finnish, 14.4% Italian, 14.1% English, 12.4% French, 7.3% German, 5.7% Swedish and 5.1% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.8% spoke English and 1.9% Finnish as their first language.
There were 2,915 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,347, and the median income for a family was $38,924. Males had a median income of $36,310 versus $21,104 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,946. About 8.0% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Ishpeming Public School District No. 1 consisting of:
In the adjacent Ishpeming Township, the NICE Community School District consists of Westwood High School, Aspen Ridge Middle School, and Aspen Ridge Elementary School, which all share the Patriots mascot.
The INN (Ishpeming-Negaunee-NICE) Community School is an alternative high school located in Ishpeming in a church on Pine Street that consists of about 30 students as of March 2019.
The Mining Journal is the region's daily newspaper. Ishpeming lies within the Marquette media market.
Four radio stations have called Ishpeming home, the first and most prominent, being WJPD. The station began broadcasting November 16, 1947, on AM 1240. In 1975, an FM sister station at 92.3 FM was added. Both stations were moved to nearby Marquette but remain licensed to serve the City of Ishpeming. The FM station is a prominent country music station while the AM changed call signs to WIAN and became all news-talk before going dark in 2020. The original WJPD transmitter site, which most recently housed the WIAN tower and transmitter, was located on US 41.
Another prominent pair of radio stations serving Ishpmeming include the stations now known as WZAM and WMQT. Founded in 1959 as WJAN at AM 970, a series of financial issues plagued the daytime-only station, with frequent ownership and call sign changes. An FM sister was launched in 1974 known as WMQT. The station would upgrade power and change frequencies to the current 107.7, with a new hot adult contemporary format known as "Q107". The AM became sports talk under the WZAM call sign but is now a rock station. Like WJPD, studios have since moved to Marquette but the two stations remain licensed to serve Ishpeming.
Ishpeming is the city of license for ABC network affiliate WBUP. The studios were located on Ash Street in Ishpeming, and the station's transmitter was located south of Ely Township. WBUP's news operation was combined with WJMN-TV in 2024, the studios moved to Wright Street in west Marquette, and the two stations operate as "My UP News".