Houghton Lake, Michigan

Houghton Lake, Michigan
Looking west along M-55
Location within Roscommon County
Houghton Lake
Location within the state of Michigan
Houghton Lake
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 44°18′53″N 84°45′53″W / 44.31472°N 84.76472°W / 44.31472; -84.76472
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyRoscommon
TownshipsDenton, Lake, and Roscommon
Settled1873
Area
  Total
12.38 sq mi (32.07 km2)
  Land10.75 sq mi (27.84 km2)
  Water1.63 sq mi (4.22 km2)
Elevation
1,145 ft (349 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
6,000
  Density492.47/sq mi (190.14/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)
Area code989
FIPS code26-39400
GNIS feature ID0628665

Houghton Lake (/ˈhtən/; HOH-tən) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,294 during the 2020 census, making it the largest unincorporated community in Northern Michigan. The CDP is located within Denton, Lake, and Roscommon townships.

The community of Houghton Lake is named after and situated upon Houghton Lake, the largest inland lake in Michigan. It includes the unincorporated community of Houghton Lake Heights. The CDP of Prudenville is immediately east of Houghton Lake. M-55 is the primary thoroughfare serving the community, running east–west.