Charlevoix County in northwestern Michigan is split between a mainland area wrapped around Lake Charlevoix and an offshore island section in Lake Michigan that includes Beaver Island. Charlevoix sits near the western shore, Boyne City at the eastern end of Lake Charlevoix, and East Jordan at the lake’s southern end. Boyne Falls lies farther inland, while St. James marks the northern part of Beaver Island.
This page separates the county into a road-and-place map, a Boyne City-centered connection map, a terrain-and-water map, and an elevation map. High-resolution JPG originals of the supplied maps are available together in a ZIP download for printing, classroom materials, presentations, and detailed local reference. Comparing the mainland and island areas across transportation, water, and relief makes the county’s geography much easier to understand.
US-31 follows the Lake Michigan side near Charlevoix, M-66 links East Jordan with the interior, and M-75 connects the Boyne City and Boyne Falls side. M-32 crosses the southern edge, with US-131 near the eastern side. These roads must work around Lake Charlevoix and the rolling interior, so actual travel routes often differ significantly from direct geographic spacing.
Table of Contents
Roads curve around Lake Charlevoix between the coast, Boyne City, and East Jordan
Charlevoix is the clearest western road reference on the general county map. US-31 follows the Lake Michigan side and continues toward Bay Shore, while local roads turn around the western end of Lake Charlevoix. Ironton lies farther south near the narrow water connection, showing how the shoreline and inland lake shape the road network.
Boyne City sits at the eastern end of Lake Charlevoix, where M-75 provides a clear route toward Boyne Falls. US-131 lies near the eastern side and helps orient travel beyond the county. Because the lake occupies so much of the mainland, a trip between Boyne City and Charlevoix must follow roads around the water rather than a direct line.
East Jordan anchors the southern end of Lake Charlevoix. M-66 provides the strongest north-south reference through the area, while M-32 runs close to the southern county edge. Ironton and Advance add smaller place references on the western and southwestern side of the lake, where roads follow shoreline curves and local valleys.
Beaver Island is separated from the mainland by Lake Michigan. St. James is labeled near the northern end, and the map also marks Beaver Island Emergency Medical and an airport symbol. The island has no road connection to the mainland, so it should be understood as a separate transportation setting within the same county.
This map is intended for regional orientation rather than live navigation. It does not show current traffic, construction, seasonal closures, or ferry and air schedules. Drivers should use current Michigan transportation information, and travelers to Beaver Island should check current island transportation services separately.
Straight-line connections from Boyne City to Charlevoix, East Jordan, and Boyne Falls
The connection map uses Boyne City as the hub and draws direct lines to Charlevoix, East Jordan, and Boyne Falls. The listed distances are straight-line distances, not driving distances. Lake Charlevoix and the surrounding hills can make actual road travel substantially longer, so the lines are best used to compare direction and relative spacing.
The CITY CONNECTIONS panel lists Boyne City at 3,825 as the hub, Charlevoix at 2,392 and 14 miles, East Jordan at 2,023 and 7 miles, and Boyne Falls at 361 and 6 miles. These population figures are best treated as ranking values used for the map rather than as the latest official counts. Current estimates should be checked in the relevant U.S. Census Bureau release.
Boyne Falls is the closest highlighted connection at about 6 straight-line miles east of Boyne City. The general map also shows M-75 providing the main directional road relationship between them. East Jordan is about 7 miles southwest, near the southern end of Lake Charlevoix, so water and shoreline shape the actual driving route.
Charlevoix is shown about 14 straight-line miles northwest of Boyne City, the longest of the three highlighted connections. Lake Charlevoix lies between the two cities, which means the practical road route must go around the lake. The connector therefore should not be interpreted as a route or driving-mile estimate.
The connection map does not include St. James on Beaver Island or smaller mainland places such as Ironton and Advance. It is designed to compare the main mainland communities from a Boyne City hub. Use the general county map when the island section, local roads, or smaller place labels matter.
Lake Charlevoix, Boyne River, and Beaver Island waters define the county
Lake Charlevoix dominates the mainland water map, stretching from the western side near Charlevoix toward Boyne City and extending south toward East Jordan. The lake separates major road corridors and creates a long shoreline inside the county. Smaller lakes and streams surround it, making the mainland far more water-rich than a simple road map suggests.
Boyne River reaches the eastern end of Lake Charlevoix, with North Branch Boyne River joining from the southeast. Porter Creek and Deer Creek occupy additional low corridors nearby, and Deer Lake sits south of the Boyne Falls area. These waterways line up closely with lower green valleys on the elevation map.
Susan Lake, Nowland Lake, and Steele Lake appear on the western and northern mainland, while Thumb Lake and Huffman Lake are farther east. The pattern is not one continuous chain of lakes but many separate basins set among rolling hills. That distribution helps explain why local roads repeatedly bend around water and short ridges.
Fox Lake is labeled on Beaver Island, along with smaller interior waters and short drainage lines. The island section is physically separate from the mainland river network, even though both belong to Charlevoix County. The water map therefore covers two distinct geographic settings: the Lake Charlevoix mainland and the offshore Lake Michigan islands.
This water map is a geographic reference, not a flood or navigation chart. It does not provide depth, current speed, water quality, legal access, flood zones, or boating restrictions. Fishing, paddling, shoreline activities, and other regulated uses should rely on current Michigan and federal information in addition to this county-scale view.
Low lake corridors rise into high eastern and southeastern hills
The elevation map removes most roads and labels and uses locally scaled colors with shaded relief. Its legend reports an actual elevation range of about 158 to 467 meters and a mean of 236 meters. Dark green represents the lower parts of Charlevoix County, lighter green and yellow mark intermediate terrain, and brown identifies the highest ground. Because the scale is local, identical colors on another county map should not be assumed to represent the same elevation.
The lowest dark-green terrain follows much of Lake Charlevoix and the connected river valleys. Boyne City and the eastern lake end sit within this low corridor, while the western lake outlet and shoreline around Charlevoix also remain relatively low. The water map and elevation view align closely in these areas.
Higher yellow, orange, and brown terrain becomes much more common toward the east. East and southeast of Boyne Falls, strong shaded relief reveals repeated ridges and valleys, with the highest local colors concentrated near the eastern mainland boundary. A county-wide range reaching roughly 467 meters creates a pronounced contrast with the lake lowlands.
East Jordan lies near the southern end of Lake Charlevoix, where low shoreline terrain meets higher inland hills over a short distance. M-66 continues through this changing relief, while stream valleys create green corridors between surrounding uplands. The surface is therefore not a simple eastward slope; water and hills repeatedly interrupt one another.
Beaver Island is generally much lower than the highest eastern mainland hills. Most of the island appears in green tones, with modestly higher interior areas toward the center and south. The map makes the mainland-island contrast easy to recognize even without town or road labels.
This elevation surface is a generalized county-scale reference and should not be treated as survey-grade measurement. Exact parcel elevations, engineering slopes, drainage design, construction planning, and other precision work require authoritative detailed sources such as the USGS 3D Elevation Program rather than estimates from the map colors.
Comparing Charlevoix, Boyne City, East Jordan, and Beaver Island across the maps
Charlevoix is a useful western reference. The general map shows US-31 and the Lake Michigan shoreline, while the connection map places the city about 14 straight-line miles northwest of Boyne City. The water and elevation maps then show the low corridor between Lake Michigan and the western end of Lake Charlevoix.
Boyne City provides the strongest mainland hub. M-75 and local roads meet around the eastern end of Lake Charlevoix, the connection map uses the city as its center, and Boyne River reaches the lake nearby. On the elevation map, this area sits well below the higher eastern hills.
East Jordan defines the southern end of the lake. M-66 provides the main road reference, and the city lies about 7 straight-line miles southwest of Boyne City on the connection map. Water and relief change quickly around the southern lake end, where low shoreline terrain rises into surrounding hills.
Beaver Island is fundamentally different from the mainland communities. St. James is near the northern end of the island, Fox Lake is inland, and no road connects the island to the mainland. The general, water, and elevation maps together show why this offshore section needs to be understood separately even though it is part of the same county.
For practical use, the general map is best for named roads and places, the connection map for mainland direction and straight-line distance, the water map for Lake Charlevoix and the river-lake network, and the elevation map for the contrast between lake lowlands, eastern hills, and island terrain. Used together, the maps give a more complete picture without crowding every detail into one image.
Choosing a Charlevoix County map and using the downloadable files
Use the general county map when you need Charlevoix, Boyne City, East Jordan, Boyne Falls, St. James, US-31, M-66, M-75, and M-32 in one view. The connection map is cleaner when the main question is straight-line direction and spacing from Boyne City. Choose the terrain-and-water map for Lake Charlevoix, rivers, and inland lakes, and the elevation map for the strong mainland relief contrast and Beaver Island terrain.
The WebP images on this page are optimized for browser viewing. The ZIP below contains the original high-resolution JPG versions of the general county map, city-connection map, terrain-and-water map, and elevation map. Those originals are better suited to printing, classroom handouts, presentations, and large displays where additional image detail is useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which map is best for finding Charlevoix, Boyne City, and East Jordan together?
Use the general county map. It shows US-31, M-66, M-75, and Lake Charlevoix together with the three cities, making the road and shoreline relationships easier to understand. The connection map is also useful when you only need straight-line direction and spacing from Boyne City.
Which map shows Lake Charlevoix and Boyne River?
Use the terrain-and-water map. It shows Lake Charlevoix, Boyne River, North Branch Boyne River, Deer Creek, Deer Lake, Thumb Lake, Susan Lake, and Fox Lake on Beaver Island. It is a location reference and does not provide flood, depth, navigation, water-quality, or access information.
Where does Charlevoix County appear highest on the elevation map?
The Lake Charlevoix corridors and Beaver Island are generally lower, while yellow and brown hills become much more prominent across the eastern and southeastern mainland. The legend reports an actual range of roughly 158 to 467 meters, but exact site elevations should be checked in authoritative elevation data.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains the high-resolution JPG originals for the Charlevoix County general map, city-connection map, terrain-and-water map, and elevation map described on this page.
- Included Files: general county map, city-connection map, terrain-and-water map, elevation map
- File Type: JPG
Related Maps
Sources and reference links
For county government and local information, see the official Charlevoix County website. For the underlying types of boundary, hydrography, and elevation information used in county mapping, consult U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line, USGS National Hydrography, and the USGS 3D Elevation Program. These page maps are general reference products and do not replace legal boundaries, survey data, navigation charts, or flood determinations.
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data. These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
