West Branch Michigan Map
Explore West Branch, Michigan, with this interactive street and satellite map.
This page also offers TOPO MAPS — the official USGS topographic sheets — plus USGS aerial imagery, a labelled USNG grid overlay, a distance and bearing tool, and a GPS grid-reference readout. See How to Use This Map below.
Interactive Map of West Branch, Michigan
How to Use This West Branch, Michigan Map
This interactive map shows the street layout and satellite imagery for West Branch, Michigan. Use the Map and Satellite buttons above to switch between street map and aerial imagery views. Use the + and − buttons to zoom in or out, or scroll your mouse wheel while holding the Control key to zoom. On a touchscreen, use a two-finger pinch gesture. Drag the map to pan to any area of Michigan or beyond.
Click ⛶ Fullscreen to expand the map to fill your screen. To return to the normal page view, press the Escape key, click the ✕ Exit Fullscreen button that appears above the map, or on a mobile device tap the back button (Android) or the close icon (iOS).
TOPO MAPS — NEW. Click the green 🔍 Search Maps button below the map to open a second map with a Base map row offering three choices. OSM is the standard OpenStreetMap street map. Topo shows the official USGS topographic maps from The National Map — contours, hydrography, land cover and shaded relief, the same mapping used for hiking, hunting and back-country navigation in the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Finger Lakes. Imagery shows USGS aerial photography, mostly 1-metre NAIP. The search box finds any US town, county or landmark by name, so you are not limited to West Branch.
Reading the map like a paper quad. Click Grid to overlay the U.S. National Grid (USNG), labelled along the edges exactly as a printed topographic sheet is — at normal zoom the squares are one kilometre across, so you can read a six-figure grid reference by eye and judge distance directly off the map. Click Measure, then tap two points, to get the distance between them together with the grid bearing in degrees and mils, the true bearing, and the magnetic bearing to set on a compass.
Click 📍 My position to take a single GPS reading from your device. It marks where you are and reports your position as a USNG grid reference as well as plain latitude and longitude — USNG being the format FEMA and US search and rescue teams work from — with a Copy position button so you can paste it straight into a text message. It takes one reading and stops, rather than tracking continuously, to conserve your battery. Note that map tiles need cell coverage, but a GPS reading does not — your coordinates stay correct even where the map itself cannot load.
| City | West Branch |
| State | Michigan (MI) |
| County | Ogemaw County |
| Country | United States of America |
| Timezone | Eastern Time (America/Detroit) |
| Latitude | 44.276408 |
| Longitude | -84.238613 |
| Population | 2,351 |
| Density | 590.2 /km² |
| Incorporated | Yes |
| ZIP Code | 48661 |
| Area Code | 586 |
| County Seat | West Branch |
| School District | West Branch-Rose City Area Schools |
About West Branch, Michigan
West Branch is a locality in Ogemaw County, Michigan, United States. It has a population of approximately 2,351. The population density is 590.2 people per km². West Branch is located at 44.2764°N, 84.2386°W. It observes the Eastern Time (America/Detroit) timezone. West Branch is an incorporated locality. ZIP code: 48661.West Branch emerges from the northern landscape as a quiet intersection of timbered plains and steady, inland water. It lies 45.7 miles north of Midland, MI (from Midland, MI: bearing 1°T), and is situated 11.9 miles west-northwest of Skidway Lake. Ogemaw Creek carves a persistent path through the terrain, its current providing a low, rhythmic pulse that defines the local geography. Beyond the immediate banks, the land rises toward the modest elevation of Tolfee Hill, while the dense, shadowed canopy of Ogemaw State Forest marks the horizon with a deep, evergreen weight. Only two miles away, the surface of Flowage Lake catches the late afternoon light, holding a stillness that mirrors the surrounding woods, while the manicured grounds of the West Branch Country Club offer a groomed contrast to the wilder stretches of brush and pine.
History in West Branch remains tied to the legacy of the sawmills and the industry that first opened these woods to settlement. The economy shifted long ago from the raw extraction of timber to a blend of local commerce and service, supporting a pace of life that values consistency over rapid change. The town maintains a grounded character, where the architecture reflects a utilitarian heritage and the streets hold the echoes of a regional hub serving the needs of the surrounding rural expanse. Visitors and residents alike move through the day with a deliberate clarity, mindful of the seasonal shifts that turn the air crisp and dictate the rhythm of the local calendar.
Nearby Outdoor Places
- Frank Sabastian Smith House (Monument) — 0.2 mi, 095° E
- West Branch Country Club (Park) — 0.6 mi, 081° E
- Local Forest (Local Resource Management Area) — 1.0 mi, 138° SE
- State Forest (State Conservation Area) — 1.9 mi, 143° SE
- Lumber Jack statue (Public Artwork) — 2.0 mi, 161° S
- Mitten Bay Girl Scout Council (Private Recreation) — 2.5 mi, 325° NW
- Kramer Hunt Club, Inc. (Park) — 3.9 mi, 133° SE
- Bucks Unlimited (Private Recreation) — 5.6 mi, 163° S
- Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area (National Conservation Area) — 6.5 mi, 317° NW · 13k acres
- Kirtland Warbler Unit Damon (State Conservation Area) — 9.0 mi, 003° N
- Ramp Jumps (Attraction) — 9.2 mi, 016° N
- Rifle River State Recreation Area (State Recreation Area) — 9.8 mi, 050° NE
- Rifle River Recreation Area (State Recreation Area) — 10.9 mi, 056° NE
- ADA Hunting Blind (Attraction) — 14.0 mi, 046° NE
- Huron National Forest (National Forest) — 14.3 mi, 025° NE · 436k acres
- Observation Tower (Attraction) — 14.5 mi, 051° NE
- Kirtland Center for the Performing Arts (Theatre) — 17.1 mi, 330° NW
- Gladwin County Historical Society Museum (Museum) — 22.8 mi, 212° SW
- Roscommon Area Historical Society Museum (Museum) — 23.2 mi, 311° NW
- Pink Elephant Statue (Attraction) — 26.2 mi, 012° N
- Scenic Overlook (Viewpoint) — 26.4 mi, 009° N
- Huron Purchase Unit (National Forest) — 27.5 mi, 003° N · 3,628 acres
- C.C.C. Worker (Monument) — 30.5 mi, 303° NW
- Canoer's Memorial (Monument) — 31.1 mi, 069° E
- Arenac County Historical Society Museum (Museum) — 31.4 mi, 120° SE
- Steiner Museum (Museum) — 34.2 mi, 016° N
- Crawford County Historical Museum (Museum) — 35.5 mi, 319° NW
- Weting Preserve (Nature Reserve) — 42.9 mi, 241° SW
- Bay City Cinemas (Cinema) — 48.0 mi, 159° S
- World Friendship Shell (Theatre) — 49.9 mi, 160° S
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About This West Branch Map Page
This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of West Branch, Michigan. Coordinates: 44.276408, -84.238613. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.
Detailed location data for West Branch includes the ZIP code (48661), telephone area code (586), county seat of Ogemaw County (West Branch), and school district assignment (West Branch-Rose City Area Schools).
Search Maps opens a second, independent map. It searches OpenStreetMap for any US town, county or landmark by name; offers USGS topographic maps and USGS aerial imagery as base layers; overlays a labelled U.S. National Grid (USNG) so the map can be read like a printed topographic quad; measures distance and grid, true and magnetic bearings between any two points; and takes a single GPS fix reporting your position as a USNG grid reference and as latitude and longitude. Map tiles require cell coverage, but a GPS position does not, so the coordinates remain correct even where the map cannot load.
Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.
| Page generated | September 2026 |
| Location data | SimpleMaps US Cities Database; coordinates matched to USGS GNIS definitive data |
| Map layers | Google Maps; © OpenStreetMap contributors; USGS The National Map topographic and aerial imagery (public domain); magnetic declination from NOAA NCEI (World Magnetic Model) |
| Wikipedia validation | Article content matched to USGS GNIS coordinates via Wikipedia geosearch API. |
