Kincheloe is an unincorporated community in Chippewa County on the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, named after a defunct air base, which in turn had been named after noted pilot Iven Kincheloe. Kincheloe is located at the eastern end of Kinross Charter Township, just east of Interstate 75 and about 20 miles southwest of Sault Ste. Marie and 37 miles north of St. Ignace. It is on the area formerly occupied by the Kincheloe Air Force Base, which covered 7,265 acres (29 km²). Despite the loss of approximately 10,000 personnel living in the area after the base closure in 1977, the site has managed to survive the years since closing, largely due to the development of several prisons in the area. In addition to corrections, there has been some growth in light industry and at the airport. Chippewa County International Airport, Kinross Correctional Facility, Kinross Manufacturing, American Kinross, Inc. and Pickford Township Schools are now located on the property. In all, the local tax base had doubled, and the civilian payroll created by the new ventures had reached $110 million. Kincheloe is famous as the hometown of 2006 Teen Michigan Raquel McClendon (1988-2009) Kincheloe was also ranked by Forbes Magazine as #1 on its list of Worst Places to Live for five consecutive years before being passed by Detroit's Cass Corridor in 2008. Local water has been touted as the "Best Tasting in Michigan" The runway located at the airport is one of the top five choices for the space shuttle to land.