 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (33%) is water.The Portage Lift Bridge crosses Portage Lake, connecting Hancock and Houghton, Michigan, by crossing over Portage Lake, which is part of the river and canal system that spans the peninsula.The Portage Lift Bridge is the world's heaviest and widest double-decked vertical lift bridge.