COMMUNITY PROFILES / IONIA COUNTY

County Offices
100 West Main Street
Ionia 616-527-5322
https://ioniacounty.org/

Chamber of Commerce
439 West Main Street
Ionia 616-527-2560
https://www.ioniachamber.org/

Services
Complementing the rural and suburban atmosphere of beautiful Ionia County are state-of-the-art health-care facilities. Ionia County Memorial Hospital has been offering compassionate, personalized care since 1920, offering a full range of services including intensive care, cardiac care, obstetrics, advanced imaging, home care, rehabilitation, and a special Women’s Health service. Residents can take advantage of the drop-in urgent care center located in the emergency room for after-hour minor injuries and illness. Saranac Medical Center and Family Health Centers also meet a variety of routine needs in Ionia, Muir, and Portland.

Students in Ionia County receive a quality education in the public school system, with private-school education and institutions of higher education available close to home. The Ionia County Area Career-Technical Education Consortium serves Belding, Ionia, Lakewood, Portland, and Saranac schools with training in a variety of occupational clusters. On every educational level, educators strive to offer a solid curriculum enriched by experiences that encourage students to recognize, value, and express their abilities.

Lifestyle
The region known as Ionia County combines a diverse economic base of manufacturing and services with agriculture. The latter is showcased each year in the Ionia County Free Fair, where displays of livestock and crops join exciting midway attractions. Throughout this rural expanse, lazy rivers like the Grand and many smaller tributaries add scenic beauty and expand the options for water sports and outdoor adventure. Ionia State Recreation Area offers a vast expanse of rolling hills, open meadows, and forested ridges for virtually unlimited recreational activities.

The Ionia County Council for the Arts encourages the development and expression of talent throughout the area. Another highlight is the timeless beauty and charm of turn-of-the-century architecture. Well-preserved homes dot the landscape in quaint historic districts in Ionia, Lyons, and Muir. Even a scattering of commercial buildings hold historic significance like the old silk factory in Belding. White’s Bridge on the Flat River is the oldest operating covered bridge in Michigan. Community picnics, tailgate parties, Sunday drives in the country, and traditional family values make Ionia County a warm and inviting home.

Belding
City Offices
616-794-1900
https://belding.mi.us/

Chamber of Commerce
616-794-9890
http://beldingchamber.org/

From its roots as a riverside mill town, Belding has emerged as an inviting residential community with a wide array of local services. Excellent local schools, a shopping mall, retail centers, several thriving industries, and recreational opportunities offer a balanced atmosphere. Major health-care facilities are located close to home in Greenville and Ionia. Neighborhood parks offer sports courts and tennis, while the Flat River that runs through the town encourages fishing and canoeing. Beautiful older homes blend with newer construction for a charming residential atmosphere.

Clarksville, Saranac, Boston Township

Village of Clarksville
616-693-2711
https://clarksvillemi.org/

Village of Saranac
616-642-6324
www.villageofsaranacmi.org

Boston Township
616-642-6636
https://www.bostontwp.org/

Chamber of Commerce
616-527-2560
https://www.ioniachamber.org/

The quaint Village of Clarksville continues to thrive with the support of nearby small farms and easy access to metropolitan amenities via Interstate 96. The block-long main street offers several stores, churches, and services. Saranac Village is located on Highway 21 between Lowell and Ionia along the Grand River, and serves as home to the offices for Boston Township. Much of this area has the appearance of a country paradise, since the river’s influence ensures verdant, fertile land. Saranac boasts the added charm of a creek running through town. Renovated and refurbished older homes and newer neighborhoods blend for a wide selection of housing near the villages and throughout the township.

Ionia

Ionia City
616-527-4170
https://cityofionia.org/

Chamber of Commerce
616-527-2560
https://www.ioniachamber.org/

The suburban community of Ionia is located midway between the metropolitan centers of Grand Rapids and Lansing. This area is home to a high-school vocational center with an array of training programs, a regional hospital, the majority of the county’s industry, and a cluster of downtown shops and stores. The parks and recreation department offers programs from theatre to soccer. Residents can enjoy boating and swimming on Sessions Lake, although several other lakes and state land for hunting are close to home. The city boasts a wonderful historic district, and newer homes and contemporary subdivisions are scattered throughout the area.

Portland City, Portland Township

Portland City Offices
517-647-7531
https://www.portland-michigan.org/

Chamber of Commerce
517-647-2100

Known as the “City of Two Rivers,” the community of Portland and its surrounding township are home to nearly 7,000 residents. Just 20 miles from Lansing and 40 miles from Grand Rapids, the Portland area enjoys close proximity to a host of urban advantages. Largely residential, this beautiful area offers an excellent public school system as well as a parochial school for students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The high school offers one of the few remaining programs in the state where adults over 20 years of age can earn a high-school diploma. An active garden club works to maintain beautification of public and private properties. The Portland Civic players provide cultural entertainment close to home.