Welcome to

Onota Township

Centrally located in the Upper Peninsula, we're a place of natural beauty, rich local heritage, scenic landscapes and friendly residents – a special place to live and visit.

Public Notices

Onota Historical Society

The Onota Historical Society will be holding a special meeting at the Onota Town Hall on Monday, October 14, 2024 at 6:00pm.

Public is invited for anyone who may be interested in joining the newly formed Onota Historical Society. Our normal meetings are held the 3rd Monday each month at 6:00pm.

Dumpster RollOff

The Annual Dumpster Rolloff will be held on:

  • Friday, September 13th from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Saturday, September 14th from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Prohibited Items:

  • Batteries
  • Liquids of any kind. This includes paint, varnish, petroleum products, oils of any sort
  • Refrigerators or Freezers
  • Nothing that would be considered hazardous waste
  • No large items like boats, trailers, etc.

Note: Tires will be accepted only if they are off the rim (Absolutely No Rims Allowed).

Election Updates

2024 Voting and Elections Information:

For election questions, please contact:

Email: onotatwp@tds.net

Notice is hereby given by the resolution of the Onota Township board under authority granted in Public Act 81 of 2023, that the location(s) of the early voting site(s) for all federal and statewide election dates will be as listed above. A site may serve as an early voting site for additional election dates if approved by the Onota Township board.

historic service station

Helpful Addresses

HALL LOCATION:

E1461 Deerton-Sand Lake Rd., Deerton, MI 49822

MAILING ADDRESS:

PO Box 100, Deerton, MI 49822

SEND TAXES TO:

PO Box 15, Deerton, MI 49822


How to Contact Us

PHONE: (906) 343-6535

FAX: (906) 343-6550

EMAIL:

onotatwp@tds.net
onotatreasurer@tds.net
onotazoning@gmail.com

Meeting Schedules

TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETINGS:

1st Monday of each month; 7 pm

PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS:

2nd Tuesday of each month; 7 pm

» View Meeting Schedule

Supervisor's Message

Township updates from Supervisor Terry Pihlainen 

Greetings fellow Onota Township residents!

Today we are launching our new website. It’s taken a bit to get here and I want to thank Brenda and Greg at Kelley Marketing for their outstanding work in putting this together for us. July updates As many of you know, we are short staffed at the township and are a bit behind in keeping caught up on things. Everyone is working hard to accomplish the tasks and goals with regard to their respective

Read Article ...

Area Information

There are five distinct areas within the township from east to west – Rock River, Shelter Bay, Onota, Deerton, and Sand River. A number of small businesses are in the township, mainly recreational and service-oriented. Area information is in the Master Plan.

The AuTrain-Onota School in Deerton teaches students pre-K-8. The school is respected in the area. Students from outside the district often enroll. Older students attend Superior Central, Munising, and Marquette schools.

Onota Township lies along the southern shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP), with an area of 92 square miles (30% is within the Hiawatha National Forest). The population (2015) was 336, with 43% as year-round residents.

Onota Township has a rich history in producing lumber for buildings as well as charcoal manufacturing (for smelting iron ore). Early on, Scandinavians settled in the area to work and homestead. Read about the area history.