Frankfort, MI

Frankfort is a Benzie County city where the Betsie River meets Lake Michigan, with 1,252 residents in the 2020 census. Betsie Bay and the river outlet organize the waterfront: the harbor, marina, north pier, and Lake Michigan beach sit close to the small downtown. US 31 and M-115 connect Frankfort to Elberta, Crystal Lake, and the rest of Benzie County, so the city works as both a lakeshore place and a county-road junction. The water is right at the center of the map, not a distant backdrop.

The Betsie Valley Trail carries the old railroad corridor inland. The full route runs 22 miles from Frankfort to Mesick, with the first six miles paved toward Crystal Lake and the farther sections used for hiking, cross-country skiing, and winter snowmobiling. That trail gives the city a second orientation point beyond the beach: one direction leads down the water, the other follows the former rail line into the county. Frankfort's local life is built around that short meeting of lake, river, harbor, downtown, and trail.