[3] The first white settlement at Ortonville Township was made in the early 1870s.

[4] It was named for Cornelius Knute Orton, an early settler.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,287 people, 977 households, and 635 families residing in the township.

There were 1,189 housing units at an average density of 68.2 per square mile (26.3/km2).

33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.