South Boardman, MI

South Boardman is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Boardman Township, Kalkaska County, about eight miles southwest of Kalkaska along U.S. 131. The south branch of the Boardman River meets the old railroad alignment here, which is why the settlement grew where it did. The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad platted South Boardman in 1874; Hamilton Stone and his partners built a depot and hotel, and a post office followed in 1875. The 2020 census counted 509 residents.

The old railroad alignment remains part of the community's story, while U.S. 131 and the river valley provide its regional reference points. The South Boardman Senior Center hosts recurring Tuesday and Thursday lunches, and Kalkaska County's Commission on Aging uses it as a regular meal site. In June 2026, residents marked the community's 150th anniversary with historical exhibits, guided tours, a fire-department open house, music, and a street dance. South Boardman's present map still joins a railroad junction, a meal site, and the Boardman River.