Grand Traverse County lies in northwestern Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, where Traverse City meets Grand Traverse Bay and the long Old Mission Peninsula extends north between broad coastal waters. South of the bay, the county opens into a larger interior of lakes, streams, farm and forest roads, and rolling hills. Kingsley and Fife Lake provide southern references, while Interlochen and the Green Lake area define a lake-rich southwest.
This page uses the supplied general county, city-connection, terrain-and-water, and elevation maps to explain those differences. High-resolution JPG originals are available together in a ZIP download for printing, classroom materials, presentations, and detailed local reference. The maps are especially useful when read together because the shoreline, peninsula, Boardman River system, and upland interior create very different geographic settings within one county.
Traverse City is the easiest place to begin. US-31, M-37, and M-72 meet around the urban area, M-37 also continues north along Old Mission Peninsula, and routes farther south lead toward Grawn, Kingsley, and Fife Lake. The water and elevation maps then reveal how those road corridors relate to Grand Traverse Bay, inland lakes, and the low Boardman River valley.
Table of Contents
Traverse City anchors the US-31, M-37, and M-72 road network
Traverse City is the strongest road and settlement reference on the general county map. US-31 and M-37 organize the southern and western approaches, while M-72 continues east from the city. Northwestern Michigan College is labeled near the urban area, adding another clear landmark close to the bay.
South of Traverse City, M-37 leads toward Chums Corner and Grawn. Interlochen sits farther west near the Green Lake area, where roads spread apart and inland lakes become much more important location references. Green Lake Airport is also labeled, helping orient the southwestern part of the county.
Kingsley lies in the south-central county near the M-113 corridor. Farther east, M-186 and US-131 form another road reference close to the Fife Lake side. Compared with the dense Traverse City area, the southern county has a much more open rural road pattern interrupted by streams and wooded terrain.
Old Mission Peninsula has the county’s most distinctive road shape. M-37 follows the narrow peninsula north from the Traverse City area, with Grand Traverse Bay water close on both sides. Rather than spreading in a broad grid, peninsula roads follow the long, confined landform and its shoreline.
This is a regional reference map rather than a live navigation product. It does not show current traffic, construction, accidents, winter restrictions, or temporary closures. Current driving routes and travel conditions should be checked with up-to-date Michigan transportation information or a live navigation service.
Straight-line connections from Traverse City to Kingsley and Fife Lake
The city-connection map uses Traverse City as the hub and draws direct lines to Kingsley and Fife Lake. The displayed values are straight-line distances, not driving distances. Actual trips follow M-37, M-113, US-131, and local roads, so the connector lines should be treated as geographic spacing rather than actual routes.
The CITY CONNECTIONS panel lists Traverse City at 15,593 as the hub, Kingsley at 1,785 and 12 miles, and Fife Lake at 343 and 18 miles. These population figures are best treated as ranking values used for the map rather than as the latest official counts. Current population estimates should be checked in the relevant U.S. Census Bureau release.
Kingsley is the closer highlighted connection at about 12 straight-line miles from Traverse City. The general map shows the practical road relationship moving south from the Traverse City side and then toward the M-113 corridor. The direct connector does not trace those roads, but it makes the southward spacing easy to compare.
Fife Lake appears about 18 straight-line miles southeast of Traverse City. On the general map it sits close to the US-131 and M-186 side of the county, while the water map gives the community an additional reference through Fife Lake itself. Driving distance should be taken from current road routing rather than the direct line.
The city-connection view does not include Interlochen, Grawn, Chums Corner, or the Old Mission Peninsula. Use it when the main question is Traverse City-centered spacing among the three highlighted communities, then return to the general map for the full road and settlement pattern.
Grand Traverse Bay and Boardman River connect the coast with the inland lake country
Grand Traverse Bay dominates the northern map, with Old Mission Peninsula projecting far into the water. The shoreline around Traverse City forms a broad low coastal zone before the county rises inland. This combination of Great Lakes-scale water and small interior streams gives Grand Traverse County a much more varied water geography than a simple inland county.
Boardman River is the strongest inland river reference across the central and eastern county. It curves through the interior southeast of Traverse City, and North Branch Boardman River approaches from the east. Spider Lake and Arbutus Lake sit close to this broader drainage system and provide useful references for the eastern interior.
The southwest contains a cluster of larger inland lakes, including Long Lake, Lake Dubonnet, Silver Lake, Green Lake, and Duck Lake. Interlochen is easier to understand when this lake group is viewed beside the general map. Betsie River also appears along the southwestern side, adding a separate drainage reference beyond the Boardman system.
Fife Lake stands out near the southeastern boundary and gives the community of the same name a clear physical landmark. Streams in the Kingsley–Fife Lake interior run in several directions before leaving the county. These smaller waters contrast with the very broad Grand Traverse Bay shoreline around Traverse City.
This water map is a geographic reference, not a flood, navigation, depth, or legal-access product. It does not provide current water levels, channel suitability, water quality, or property rights. Boating, fishing, shoreline use, and flood planning should use current Michigan and federal information in addition to this county-scale view.
Bay lowlands rise into the southwest and southern hills
The elevation legend reports an actual range of about 176 to 368 meters with a mean of 272 meters. Dark green marks the lower parts of Grand Traverse County, lighter green and yellow indicate intermediate terrain, and orange to brown identifies the higher hills. The palette is locally scaled, so the same color on another county map should not be assumed to represent the same elevation.
The broadest dark-green lowlands surround Grand Traverse Bay, Traverse City, and the Boardman River corridor. A distinct low pathway reaches inland from the bay along the river valley. This creates one of the clearest terrain contrasts in the county when compared with the higher southern interior.
Old Mission Peninsula contains a narrow interior ridge with lower shoreline terrain on both sides. The peninsula is not uniformly high, but elevation changes repeatedly across its narrow width. Its long shape and relief help explain why M-37 follows such a constrained north-south road pattern.
The highest brown and dark-orange terrain is concentrated across the southwest and southern interior. Hills around the Long Lake–Green Lake side and farther south form broad elevated blocks, while the southeast also contains repeated high ridges. With a mapped maximum near 368 meters, these areas stand well above the bay shoreline.
The eastern interior is more mixed, with rolling uplands separated by Boardman River tributaries and lake basins around Spider and Arbutus lakes. This county-scale elevation surface is useful for broad comparison but is not survey-grade or engineering-grade measurement. Exact parcel elevations, drainage design, construction, and slope calculations require authoritative detailed data such as the USGS 3D Elevation Program.
Traverse City, Old Mission Peninsula, Kingsley, and Fife Lake show distinct county settings
Traverse City is the best place to compare all four views. The general map shows the concentration of US-31, M-37, and M-72, the connection map uses the city as its hub, the water map places Grand Traverse Bay and Boardman River directly beside it, and the elevation map shows a low coastal setting backed by rising interior terrain.
Old Mission Peninsula is geographically different from the broad mainland. M-37 follows a narrow north-south strip with Grand Traverse Bay close on both sides, while the elevation map shows a modest central ridge between lower shorelines. Road shape, coastline, and relief are tightly connected here.
Kingsley represents the south-central upland interior. It is shown about 12 straight-line miles from Traverse City, with M-113 providing a practical road reference. The surrounding streams and higher terrain make this setting distinctly different from the low bay-side city.
Fife Lake lies farther southeast and is shown about 18 straight-line miles from Traverse City. US-131 and M-186 provide the main road references, while the lake itself is an obvious water landmark. The area combines rolling uplands with small stream valleys rather than the wide coastal lowland found around Traverse City.
Interlochen and the southwestern lake country add another setting, where Long Lake, Green Lake, Duck Lake, and elevated hills occupy a broad rural area. For practical use, the general map is best for roads and places, the city map for Traverse City-centered spacing, the water map for the bay, rivers, and lakes, and the elevation map for the shoreline-to-upland contrast.
Choosing a Grand Traverse County map and using the high-resolution files
Use the general county map when you need Traverse City, Interlochen, Kingsley, Fife Lake, US-31, M-37, M-72, M-113, and US-131 in one view. The city-connection map is cleaner when the main question is straight-line direction and distance from Traverse City. Choose the terrain-and-water map for Grand Traverse Bay, Boardman River, Long Lake, Green Lake, and the eastern lakes, and the elevation map when the contrast between coastal lowlands and southern hills is the main subject.
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 Traverse City, Kingsley, and Fife Lake together?
Use the general county map. It shows US-31, M-37, and M-72 around Traverse City, M-113 near Kingsley, and the US-131 and M-186 side near Fife Lake. The city-connection map is useful when you only need straight-line direction and spacing from Traverse City.
Which map shows Boardman River and Grand Traverse Bay?
Use the terrain-and-water map. It shows Grand Traverse Bay, Boardman River, North Branch Boardman River, Long Lake, Silver Lake, Green Lake, Spider Lake, Arbutus Lake, and Fife Lake. It is a location reference and does not provide flood, depth, navigation, water-quality, or access information.
Where does Grand Traverse County appear highest on the elevation map?
The broadest high terrain is concentrated across the southwest and southern interior, while Grand Traverse Bay and the Boardman River corridor are generally lower. The legend reports an actual range of roughly 176 to 368 meters with a mean of 272 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 Grand Traverse County general map, city-connection map, terrain-and-water map, and elevation map.
- 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 Grand Traverse County website. For boundary and road-reference data, consult U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line. Water features can be cross-checked with USGS National Hydrography, and elevation data with the USGS 3D Elevation Program. These page maps are general reference products and do not replace legal boundaries, surveys, 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.
