As an unincorporated community, Onondaga has no legally defined boundaries or population statistics of its own but does have its own post office with the 49264 ZIP Code.

The township and community were named after the Iroquois nation of Onondaga, historically based in New York.

Cyrus Baldwin subsequently purchased the building and converted it into the "Onondaga Hotel".

It was also about that date that the Grand River Valley division of the Michigan Central Railroad was built through the town, which brought more settlers and businesses Sherman donated land for the depot.

Onondaga is the city of license for Lansing's NBC affiliate WILX-TV, and has its transmitter just west of the community.