Alanson is a village in Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 778 at the 2020 census. Alanson is in Littlefield Township on U.S. Highway 31 at the junction with M-68. Petoskey is about 12 miles southwest on US 31 and Mackinaw City and the Mackinac Bridge are about 25 miles north. Interstate 75 is about 11 miles to the east on M-68 at Indian River. Alanson was first settled in 1875.