Where Is Nottawa, Michigan in 2026? Comparing 2 Nottawa Townships: Don't Navigate to the Wrong County

Searching for "where is Nottawa Michigan" often leads to confusion because Michigan has two townships named Nottawa and an unincorporated community called Nottawa. This article breaks down the locations, populations, settlements, and identification methods for the Nottawa in St. Joseph County and the one in Isabella County, and lists the 3 most common mistakes to avoid before you navigate, so you can confirm which one you're heading to.

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November 8, 2026
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Where Is Nottawa, Michigan in 2026? Comparing 2 Nottawa Townships: Don't Navigate to the Wrong County

Searching "where is Nottawa Michigan" and getting stuck—the problem is there's more than one Nottawa

When you type "Nottawa, MI" into a map, you'll find that the pin sometimes lands in a small community, and other times points to a whole rural township. What's more, two of the results aren't even in the same county.

This isn't a map error. Michigan actually has two townships named Nottawa Township: one in St. Joseph County and one in Isabella County. In addition, within St. Joseph County, there's an unincorporated community called Nottawa. These three names overlap heavily but correspond to completely different addresses, school districts, and ZIP codes.

If you head out with just "I'm going to Nottawa," you might book the wrong hotel, look at the wrong school, or set your navigation to another town dozens of miles away. Below, we break down these Nottawas and give you a decision guide you can follow directly.

Before Locating Nottawa, Understand These 3 Key Points

1. A township is not a town. In Michigan, a civil township is an administrative division that is usually much larger than what people imagine as a "small town." It can include farmland, lakes, several small settlements, or even just an intersection. Nottawa Township is not a place with a clear downtown, so navigating directly to "Nottawa" can easily drop you somewhere in the middle of the township rather than at the actual address you want.

2. The county is the key to determining the address. The two Nottawa Townships belong to different counties, and this determines which map, which government website, and which school district you should check. When looking up any Nottawa-related information, confirm the county first—that will eliminate 90% of the confusion.

3. Use road numbers and ZIP codes for the most accurate lookup. Instead of searching by place name, look up road numbers (like M-86, M-66) and ZIP codes. The ZIP code for the Nottawa community in St. Joseph County is 49075. Using this number to find an address is much more reliable than searching by place name alone.

Nottawa Township (St. Joseph County)—the one most people are actually looking for

This is the most commonly searched Nottawa online. It is a civil township in St. Joseph County with a 2020 census population of 3,685.

The name comes from Native American history: the township is named after the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi and was once the core area of the Notawasepe Potawatamie Reservation, which has been home to the Nottawasippi Potawatomie people since 1821.

How to describe the actual location? For drivers, the easiest landmark is Centreville—this village is located on the western edge of the township, with part of it in adjacent Lockport Township. The unincorporated community of Nottawa is in the southwest part of the township, on M-86, about 2 miles west of M-66 and 4 miles east of Centreville. In other words, if you come from M-66 and turn west onto M-86, you'll reach the community core after a short drive.

ZIP code and addressable landmarks: The ZIP code for Nottawa, MI is 49075. Specific addresses you can find locally include 60735 Nottawa Road, Sand Lake County Park (60778 Railroad St.), and Nottawa Wild Bird Supply and Gas Company (60300 Hwy M66). These street addresses are better for direct navigation input than searching by place name.

Time zone: This area uses Eastern Time, which shifts one hour forward during daylight saving time. Remember to account for this when scheduling cross-state calls or online meetings.

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The other Nottawa: Nottawa Township in Isabella County

If you're looking at the version in central Michigan, that's Nottawa Township in Isabella County, with a 2020 census population of 2,225—smaller than the one in St. Joseph County.

The central settlement of this township is Beal City, an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP). For education and community structure, it is served by four different public school districts: most of the township is in Beal City Public Schools in the Beal City community; the western area is served by Chippewa Hills School District in the Remus community of Mecosta County; and a very small southeastern corner belongs to Mount Pleasant Public Schools in the city of Mount Pleasant.

The township has its own official website (nottawatwpisabellami.gov), which mentions that the area features lakes, rivers, woodlands, and community activities and is part of the Mid-Michigan living environment. The site also has announcements about pollution prevention and local elections—for example, township voters living in the Chippewa Hills school district have an election on May 5, 2026. To check public information about this Nottawa, the official website is more accurate than general map sites.

Quick comparison of the two Nottawas:

Item Nottawa Township (St. Joseph County) Nottawa Township (Isabella County)
County St. Joseph County Isabella County
2020 population 3,685 2,225
Main settlement Unincorporated community of Nottawa; Centreville on the western edge of the township Beal City (CDP, in the center of the township)
Public ZIP code 49075 (Nottawa community) Not provided in source; check with actual address
Main road clues M-86, M-66 Source does not provide major road numbers
Official website Not provided in source nottawatwpisabellami.gov

Pitfall Guide: The 3 Most Common Mistakes When Going to Nottawa

Mistake 1: Just typing "Nottawa, MI" and hitting navigate. Map services handle duplicate place names inconsistently, and the same search may point to different counties on different devices. The correct approach is to add the county name or ZIP code first—for example, enter the street address directly or "Nottawa, MI 49075"—so the system has no room for ambiguity.

Mistake 2: Treating the township boundary as the destination. Nottawa Township is a whole administrative area, not a town with a clear downtown. If you're going to a specific park, business, or home, look up the street address directly; if you only enter the township name, navigation will likely drop you on a country road with no target building.

Mistake 3: Using school or district names to infer location. Nottawa Township in Isabella County is served by four school districts, and Beal City, Chippewa Hills, and Mount Pleasant could all be related keywords. When you see a school district name, first confirm which county's township it belongs to, then look up the address—don't use the district name directly as a place name for navigation.

Summary: Which Nottawa Are You Looking For?

  • Going to the Nottawa community, looking up an address in 49075, or finding Sand Lake County Park area → You want Nottawa in St. Joseph County, via M-86 connecting to M-66, with Centreville as the clearest reference point.
  • Looking for township government announcements, election information, or school districts → First confirm it's Nottawa Township in Isabella County, and rely on the official website and school district data.
  • Only know the word "Nottawa" and nothing else → Use population to identify: 3,685 is the St. Joseph County version, 2,225 is the Isabella County version—this is the fastest way to tell them apart.
  • Filling out official documents or sending mail → Always use the full street address plus ZIP code, not just the township name, to avoid packages or letters going to the other county.

Take a minute to confirm the county name and ZIP code, and the routes, school districts, and government information will line up from there.

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