Dafter Township

Chippewa County

Dafter Township Hall front of building and sign

Dafter Township is located in the central portion of Chippewa County. The township encompasses a geographic area of 47.9 square miles. Dafter was initially founded as a lumber settlement in the late 1870s and was later organized in 1894 after splitting off from Bruce Township. The name of the post office was changed to Dafter at this time. The Township was a station on the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad. Today, Dafter is still part of a critical transportation corridor, as I-75 transects the Township.

A majority of the township residents commute to work in other cities, townships, villages, or counties. The City of Sault Ste. Marie, located 24 miles to the north, provides jobs for many of the township residents. Farming is also a major source of employment in Dafter Township. Thanks to an extensive variety of livestock and crops, Dafter farms help feed the residents of the Eastern Upper Peninsula.

Dafter Township Population Trends
Year Population
2021 1,551
2020 1,327
2018 1,249
2017 1,249
2016 1,249
2015 1,249
2014 1,259
2013 1,272
2012 1,273
2011 1,273
2010 1,265