[5] It is named for General Charles Gratiot, the engineer who laid out the fort.

Fort Gratiot is on the southwestern shore of Lake Huron and is considered to be part of the Thumb of Michigan, which in turn is a subregion of the Flint/Tri-Cities.

Fort Gratiot is a major center of trade for the Blue Water Area, a subregion of the Thumb.

The Birchwood Mall and many big box stores are located in Fort Gratiot.

22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.