Arcadia is in northwestern Manistee County and is bordered to the west by
Lake Michigan and to the south by
Arcadia Lake, connected to the larger lake by an artificial channel. Arcadia Lake is connected to one of Michigan's only natural marshes, the "Arcadia Marsh," which has Bowens Creek running through it. Arcadia Marsh is a
nature reserve and is a large part of Arcadia's natural ecosystem. Highway
M-22 passes through the community, leading north to
Elberta and south the same distance to
Onekama.
Manistee, the
county seat, is to the south. According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the Arcadia CDP has an area of , all land. ==Demographics==