While surveying the first state road through the Huron County wilderness in 1861, Rudolph Papst and George Willis Pack made camp at the future site of the city and found a much-used and badly damaged axe.

At Pack's suggestion, Papst used the name “Bad Axe Camp” in the minutes of the survey and on a sign he placed along the main trail.

[9] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 2.26 square miles (5.85 km2), all land.

38.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Local radio stations licensed to serve Bad Axe are commercial broadcasters WLEW-AM and WLEW-FM.

Huron County lies inside the Flint/Tri-Cities Television Market.

Only stations available on Comcast in the Bad Axe area are listed below.