Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the

Lower Peninsula The Lower Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Lower Michigan – is the larger, southern and less elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; the other being the Upper Peninsula, which is separated by the S ...

of the

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

state of

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a

mitten A mitten is a type of glove that covers the hand but does not have separate finger openings or sheaths. Generally, mittens still separate the thumb from the other four fingers. They have different colours and designs. Mittens provide greater th ...

, and Mid Michigan corresponds roughly to

the thumb The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten. The Thumb area is generally considered to be in the Central Michigan region, east of t ...

and palm, stretching from Michigan's eastern shoreline along

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...

into the fertile rolling plains of the

Michigan Basin The Michigan Basin is a geologic basin centered on the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The feature is represented by a nearly circular pattern of geologic sedimentary strata in the area with a nearly uniform structural dip towar ...

. The region contains cities of moderate size, including

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in Saginaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 44,202 at the 2020 census. Located along the Saginaw River, Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of ...

, and the state capital of

Lansing Lansing () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. It is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a popul ...

. Generally Central, or "Mid", Michigan is defined by governmental organizations as an area North of Jackson, and South of Clare.

Definitions

For the most part, ''Central Michigan'' and ''Mid Michigan'' are synonymous with each other, representing generally the same geographic area of Michigan. However, some definitions of ''Central Michigan'' and ''Mid Michigan'' can vary significantly, depending on one's point of reference. * The Greater Lansing area, sometimes called the ''Capitol Region'', includes the area surrounding the

state capitol A capitol, or seat of government, is the building or complex of buildings from which a government such as that of a U.S. state, the District of Columbia, or the organized territories of the United States, exercises its authority. Although m ...

and nearby

East Lansing East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County, although a small portion extends north into Clinton County, Michigan, Clinton County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

. * The Greater Tri-Cities area, also called the ''Great Lakes Bay Region'', is the area surrounding the

Saginaw Bay Saginaw Bay is a bay within Lake Huron located on the eastern side of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms the space between Michigan's Thumb region and the rest of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Saginaw Bay is in area. It is located in parts ...

including the cities of

, Bay City, Midland and can be expanded to include Mt. Pleasant as well. * The

area is included in Mid Michigan, and can also be considered a part of

Metro Detroit Metro Detroit is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and over 200 municipalities in the Southeast Michigan, surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the officia ...

. *

The Thumb The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten. The Thumb area is generally considered to be in the Central Michigan region, east of t ...

is a peninsula that surrounded by

in the east-central area of the state. This area is sometimes dubbed the ''Blue Water Area''.

Other definitions

Central or Mid Michigan can also include areas that are referred to as

Southern Michigan Southern Michigan is a loosely defined geographic area of the U.S. state of Michigan. Southern Michigan may be referred to as a sub-region or component area to other regions of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is an area of rolling farmland, ...

. This is loosely defined and can refer to a region in the south-central portion of the state characterized by the

Irish Hills Irish Hills is an area of land located roughly in southeastern Jackson County and northwest Lenawee County in Southeast Michigan. It was named after the numerous Irish immigrants who settled there from 1830 until 1850. Today it is known thr ...

. The region includes the

Adrian Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word ''adur'', meaning "sea" or "water". The Adria was until the 8th century BC the ma ...

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

, and Hillsdale areas which are also considered a part of

Southeast Michigan Southeast Michigan, also called southeastern Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan that is home to a majority of the state's businesses and industries as well as slightly over half of the state's population, most of whom are c ...

. Portions of Central or Mid Michigan can overlap with portions of

Western Michigan West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for a region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Generally, it refers to the Grand Rapids- Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Peninsula's Lake ...

. For example, areas of Montcalm County could fall into both regions, with the west side of the county such as Greenville aligning with West Michigan, and eastern portions identifying more with Central Michigan. Also, some areas may overlap with what is known as

Northern Michigan Northern Michigan (also known as Northern Lower Michigan and colloquially within Michigan as "Up North") is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan. The region, which is distinct from the more northerly Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsul ...

. These areas, such as

Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

, Gladwin, and

Arenac County Arenac County ( ) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population was 15,002. The county seat is Standish, Michigan, Standish. History Arenac County wa ...

are along the border of the two regions and can be considered parts of both, depending on your frame of reference. Portions of

can overlap with Central Michigan, especially the counties of Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston and St. Clair are statistically included in Metro Detroit however geographically lie in Mid Michigan.

Geography

The region includes many rivers including the Grand River, Red Cedar River,

Saginaw River The Saginaw River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed November 7, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is formed by the confluence of the Tittabawassee River, ...

Tittabawassee River The Tittabawassee River ( ) flows in a generally southeasterly direction through the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The river begins at Secord Lake in Clement Township, at the confluence of the East Branch and the Middle Branch ...

Shiawassee River The Shiawassee River ( ) in the U.S. state of Michigan drains an area of within Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland, Genesee County, Michigan, Genesee, Livingston County, Michigan, Livingston, Shiawassee County, Michigan, Shiawassee, Midland Coun ...

and

Flint River The Flint River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 15, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Georgia. The river drains of western Georgia, flowing south from th ...

. A

drainage divide A drainage divide, water divide, ridgeline, watershed, water parting or height of land is elevated terrain that separates neighboring drainage basins. On rugged land, the divide lies along topographical ridges, and may be in the form of a single ...

occurs in Central Michigan, causing the Grand River to flow west into

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...

and the

to empty into the

. The terrain has rolling hills and plains with fertile soil. Agriculture dominates in the rural areas, where corn, soybeans, sugar beets, and hay are grown. The region has mostly small towns with a few cities of notable size. Most of the area is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing or Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw.

Principal cities

Central Michigan has several cities of regional and geographic importance: *

, is the capital of

and centrally located in the

. It is the fifth largest city in the state. The Lansing-East Lansing metropolitan area is the third largest metro area in Michigan. *

is the sixth largest city in the state and an important center for Michigan's automotive industry. * The Tri-Cities area includes Midland, Bay City, and

. The Saginaw, Midland, and Bay City metropolitan area is the fifth largest metro area in Michigan.

Counties included

Lansing area

* Clinton * Eaton * Ingham

The Thumb area

Huron Huron may refer to: Native American ethnography * Huron people, who have been called Wyandotte, Wyandot, Wendat and Quendat * Huron language, an Iroquoian language * Huron-Wendat Nation, or Huron-Wendat First Nation, or Nation Huronne-Wendat * N ...

* Tuscola * Sanilac * St. Clair

Flint and Tri-Cities area

* Arenac *

Bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

* Genesee * Gladwin * Gratiot *

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpo ...

* Lapeer * Midland *

* Shiawassee

History and culture

Central Michigan has a rich and varied culture, including European farmers who settled in rural areas to work the land and ethnic minorities populating the area's urban centers to make a living in the automobile industry. The Mid-Michigan area was predominately

Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...

territory prior to colonization. One of the first European settlements in the region was the French Fort St. Joseph in present-day

Port Huron Port Huron is a city in and seat of government of St. Clair County, Michigan, United States. The population was 28,983 at the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the west by Port Huron Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Por ...

in 1686. The area that became Michigan opened up to European settlement following the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

. Later in the 1800s

Lewis Cass Lewis Cass (October 9, 1782June 17, 1866) was a United States Army officer and politician. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate and served in the Cabinets of two U.S. Presidents, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. He was also the 1 ...

would negotiate the

Treaty of Saginaw The Treaty of Saginaw, also known as the Treaty with the Chippewa, was made between Gen. Lewis Cass and Chief Mash Kee Yosh, Chief John Okemos, Chief Wasso and other Native American tribes of the Great Lakes region (principally the Ojibwe, bu ...

, in which Ojibwe land was handed over to form much of present-day Mid-Michigan. The opening of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...

brought vast numbers of settlers to the region, as population started growing northward from Ohio. The first settlers to the area cleared the land for the

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

industry. Forests of

the Thumb The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten. The Thumb area is generally considered to be in the Central Michigan region, east of t ...

and Saginaw Valley provided much of the lumber to feed the growing United States. The convenient access to transportation provided by the

and its numerous tributaries fueled a massive expansion in population and economic activity. As the trees were being cut down in the region, logs were floated down the rivers to sawmills located in Saginaw, destined to be loaded onto ships and later railroad cars.

was also a lumber boom town, with the city turning lumber into carriages and wagons, which would later give way to the automobile industry. Michigan became a state in 1837, with the State Capitol in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

until the winter of 1847 when the state constitution required that the capital be moved from

to a more central and safer location in the interior of the state. Many were concerned about Detroit's proximity to

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

-controlled

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, which had captured Detroit in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. The United States had recaptured the city in 1813, but these events led to the dire need to have the center of government relocated away from hostile

British territory British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

. There was also concern with Detroit's strong influence over Michigan politics, being the largest city in the state as well as the capital city."Lansing and Its Yesterdays", published by the State Journal Company, Published January 1, 1930 Unable to publicly reach a consensus because of constant political wrangling, the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2020 ...

privately chose the Township of Lansing out of frustration. When announced, many present openly laughed that such an insignificant settlement was now the capital city of Michigan. Two months later, Governor William L. Greenly signed into law the act of the legislature officially making Lansing Township the state capital. Persons of

European European, or Europeans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...

ancestry have formed the overwhelming majority of the population since the late 19th century. Farmers, mostly of English and Scots-Irish immigrants, many of whom arrived from

. Other settlers of the same ancestry migrated from eastern states such as

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, and

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, as well as from New England. After the land had been lumbered off, farming dominated the rural landscape of Central Michigan. Corn, soy beans, navy beans, and sugar beets are now commercially grown in these areas today. Later 19th- and 20th-century residents included

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

immigrants who migrated from Europe through the

area. Many of the customs, much of the regional lifestyle, and even the local accent, strongly reflect these origins.

Saginaw County Saginaw County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 190,124. The county seat is Saginaw. The county was created by September 10, 1822, and was fully organized on February 9, 1835. The ...

, in particular Frankenmuth, is such an example of Bavarian Culture in Mid-Michigan. On the eastern edge of the region, a large Canadian influence can be found in St. Clair County where Canadian culture and language has become integrated cities along the Canada–US border. Huron County in the Thumb has a heritage of Polish ancestry, while

is known for its Irish roots. The state's economy underwent a transformation at the turn of the 20th century. Many individuals, including

Ransom E. Olds Ransom Eli Olds (June 3, 1864 – August 26, 1950) was an American businessman and executive who was known as a pioneer of the American automotive industry, whom the Oldsmobile and REO brands were named after. He claimed to have built his first ...

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

and Horace Dodge,

Henry Leland Henry Martyn Leland (February 16, 1843 – March 26, 1932) was an American machinist, inventor, engineer, and automotive entrepreneur. He founded the two premier American luxury automotive marques, Cadillac and Lincoln. Early years Henry M. Le ...

David Dunbar Buick David Dunbar Buick (September 17, 1854 – March 5, 1929) was a Scottish-born American inventor, widely known for founding the Buick Motor Company. He headed this company and its predecessor from 1899–1906, thereby helping to create one ...

, Henry Joy, Charles King, and

Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American Technological and industrial history of the United States, industrialist and business magnate. As the founder of the Ford Motor Company, he is credited as a pioneer in making automob ...

, provided the concentration of engineering know-how and technological enthusiasm to start the birth of the automotive industry. In Lansing,

Olds Motor Vehicle Company Olds may refer to: People * The olds, a jocular and irreverent online nickname for older adults * Olds (surname) Places * Olds, Alberta, Canada * Olds, Iowa, United States * Olds Peak, Antarctica Other uses * F. E. Olds, an American brass ...

was founded in August 1897. The company went through many changes, including a buyout, between its founding to 1905 when founder

started his new

REO Motor Car Company The REO Motor Car Company (''REO'' pronounced , not letter by letter) was a company based in Lansing, Michigan, which produced automobiles and trucks from 1905 to 1975. At one point, the company also manufactured buses on its truck platforms. ...

, which would last in Lansing for another 70 years. In Flint,

William C. Durant William Crapo Durant (December 8, 1861 – March 18, 1947) was a leading pioneer of the United States automobile industry, founder of General Motors and co-founder of Chevrolet. He created a system in which a company held multiple brands – ...

Buick Buick () is a division (business), division of the Automotive industry in the United States, American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American automobil ...

became the largest manufacturer of automobiles by 1908. In 1908, Durant founded

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

, filing incorporation papers in New Jersey, with headquarters in Flint. GM moved its headquarters to Detroit in the mid-1920s. Durant lost control of GM twice during his lifetime. On the first occasion, he befriended

Louis Chevrolet Louis-Joseph Chevrolet (December 25, 1878 – June 6, 1941) was an American racing driver, mechanic and entrepreneur who co-founded the Chevrolet, Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911. Early life Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was born on December 2 ...

and founded

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...

, which was a runaway success. He used the capital from this success to buy back share control. Flint would later be the site of the GM and

United Auto Workers The United Auto Workers (UAW), fully named International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and sou ...

Flint sit-down strike The 1936–1937 Flint sit-down strike, also known as the General Motors sit-down strike, or the great GM sit-down strike, was a sitdown strike at the General Motors plant in Flint, Michigan, United States. It changed the United Automobile Worke ...

. In 1897, Canadian-born chemist

Herbert Henry Dow Herbert Henry Dow (February 26, 1866 – October 15, 1930) was an American chemical industrialist who founded the American multinational conglomerate Dow Chemical. A graduate of the Case School of Applied Science in Cleveland, Ohio, he was a p ...

, who invented a new method of extracting the

bromine Bromine is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Br and atomic number 35. It is a volatile red-brown liquid at room temperature that evaporates readily to form a similarly coloured vapour. Its properties are intermediate between th ...

that was trapped underground in

brine Brine (or briny water) is a high-concentration solution of salt (typically sodium chloride or calcium chloride) in water. In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawat ...

Midland, Michigan Midland is a city in Midland County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 42,547 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Midland metropolitan statistical area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City ...

formed

Dow Chemical The Dow Chemical Company is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. The company was among the three largest chemical producers in the world in 2021. It is the operating subsidiary of Dow Inc., ...

. Dow originally sold only

bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color from (i.e. to whiten) fabric or fiber (in a process called bleaching) or to disinfect after cleaning. It often refers specifically t ...

and

potassium bromide Potassium bromide ( K Br) is a salt, widely used as an anticonvulsant and a sedative in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with over-the-counter use extending to 1975 in the US. Its action is due to the bromide ion ( sodium bromide is equa ...

, and has since expanded to be the third largest chemical producer in the world. Beginning in the late 1960s, urban areas including Flint, Saginaw, and Lansing experienced a large amount of

deindustrialization Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially of heavy industry or manufacturing industry. There are different interpr ...

and subsequent depopulation and

urban decay Urban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban decay. ...

. As auto jobs were sent elsewhere, rates of crime, unemployment and poverty increased. Initially, this took the form of "

white flight The white flight, also known as white exodus, is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the Racism ...

" that afflicted many urban industrialized American towns and cities. This decline was exacerbated by the

1973 oil crisis In October 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) announced that it was implementing a total oil embargo against countries that had supported Israel at any point during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which began after Eg ...

and the U.S. auto industry's subsequent loss of market share to imports. The result meant white families moved to the suburbs, with leaving large

hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

and

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

populations in the urban centers. In Lansing, recent

gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...

, the placement of refugees, and international students attending Michigan State have made the Greater Lansing a very culturally diverse area. Michigan remains a leading auto-producing state in the U.S., with the industry primarily located throughout the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

Ontario, Canada Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, and the Southern United States. Michigan typically ranks third or fourth in overall

Research & development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in some countries as experiment and design, is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products. R&D constitutes the first stage of d ...

(R&D) expenditures in the U.S. Mid-Michigan is home to one of the state's leading research institutions,

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

which makes up the

University Research Corridor The University Research Corridor (URC) is an alliance between Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and Michigan Technological University to transform, strengthen, and diversify the state of Michigan's econom ...

. Michigan's public universities attract more than $1.5 B in research and development grants each year. Founded in 1855 in

as the nation's first

land-grant institution A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, or a beneficiary ...

, Michigan State University has been a pioneer in research and the cultural center of Mid-Michigan. The university has made significant contributions in agriculture and pioneered the studies of

packaging Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a coo ...

, hospitality business,

plant biology Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empiri ...

supply chain management In commerce, supply chain management (SCM) deals with a system of procurement (purchasing raw materials/components), operations management, logistics and marketing channels, through which raw materials can be developed into finished produc ...

music therapy Music therapy, an allied health profession, "is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music t ...

, and

communication sciences Communication studies (or communication science) is an academic discipline that deals with processes of human communication and behavior, patterns of communication in interpersonal relationships, social interactions and communication in differ ...

. Michigan State frequently ranks among the top 30 public universities in the United States and the top 100 research universities in the world.

Economy

Central Michigan's economy is primarily

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

, and some

automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

manufacturing.

Agriculture

Major crops grown in this region include

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

sugar beets A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and that is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together with ...

, and

soy beans The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source of f ...

. The

Michigan Sugar Company Michigan Sugar Company is an agricultural cooperative, based in Bay City, Michigan, that specializes in the processing of beet sugar. Founded in 1906, Michigan Sugar sells beet sugar under the brand names ''Big Chief'' and ''Pioneer.'' Michiga ...

, which is a cooperative owned by 1,250 farmers, operates factories in Bay City, Caro, Croswell, and Sebewaing. Livestock and

dairy A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese, and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building, or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also des ...

farms also make up the agricultural landscape of Central Michigan.

Koegel Meat Company The Koegel Meat Company is a meat processing, packaging, and distribution company based in Flint, Michigan. Koegel's produces 35 products. Koegel's hot dogs are considered by the authors of "Coney Detroit" as the best hot dog for a Flint-Style ...

is headquartered in Flint and is a major producer of sausages and processed meats. Lansing based Quality Dairy Company is a major producer of

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

and

ice cream Ice cream is a frozen dessert typically made from milk or cream that has been flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as Chocolate, cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit, such as strawberries or peaches. Food ...

in the region.

Financial

The largest financial institution in the region is Detroit- headquartered

TCF Financial Corporation TCF Financial Corporation, an acronym for Twin City Federal, was a bank holding company based in Detroit, Michigan. Its operating subsidiary, TCF Bank, operated 478 branches in Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin, Ohio, and South ...

, which is also the second largest Michigan-based bank.

Citizens Republic Bancorp Citizens Republic Bancorp was a bank holding company for Citizens Bank, headquartered in Flint, Michigan. It merged with FirstMerit Bank in June 2013. It operated 219 branches and 248 ATMs in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio. FirstMerit merged ...

was formerly headquartered in Flint, and has since been acquired by FirstMerit Corporation, which has been sold to Ohio's

Huntington Bank Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is an American bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Its banking subsidiary, The Huntington National Bank, operates 1047 banking offices, primarily in the Midwest: 459 in Ohio, 290 in Michigan, ...

. Grand Rapids-based

Independent Bank Independent Bank is a bank headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The bank has 62 branches, all of which are in Michigan. History The bank traces its roots to First National Bank of Ionia, which was founded in 1864. In 1896, relinquished its ...

has a large presence in the region as well. Regional banks and credit unions also exist throughout Central Michigan. One of those is

Michigan State University Federal Credit Union The Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) is a credit union headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan. Primarily serving students and alumni of Michigan State University and Oakland University, MSUFCU is federally chartered and re ...

which is the largest university-based credit union in the world.

Government

Since Lansing is the State Capitol, the number one employer in the Greater Lansing area is the

State of Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, either with the

Michigan Legislature The Michigan Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of the Senate (the upper chamber) and the House of Representatives (the lower chamber). Article IV of the Michigan Con ...

, court system, or executive agencies. The

Michigan State Police The Michigan State Police (MSP) is the State police (United States), state police agency for the U.S. state of Michigan. The MSP is a full-service law enforcement agency, with its sworn members having full police powers statewide. The department ...

is headquartered in Lansing, and formerly called East Lansing Home. MSP also has regional posts in Mt. Pleasant, Bay City, Caro, Flint, and Lapeer.

Healthcare

McLaren Health Care Corporation McLaren Health Care Corporation, is headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, includes 12 hospitals in Michigan, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 490-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medic ...

is a major employer in the region, as a non-profit operating nine hospitals in the state. McLaren is headquartered in Flint and has hospitals in

, Lapeer, Bay City, Mt. Pleasant, and Port Huron. Other major healthcare corporations include Sparrow Health System in Lansing,

Hurley Medical Center Hurley Medical Center is a teaching hospital serving Genesee, Lapeer, and Shiawassee counties in eastern Michigan since December 19, 1908. Situated in Flint, Michigan, it is a 457-bed public non-profit hospital. The emergency department is an ...

in Flint, Covenant Hospital in Saginaw, and Lake Huron Medical Center in Port Huron. Furthermore, the

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MSUCHM) is an academic division of Michigan State University (MSU) that grants the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree, emphasizing patient-centered care and a biopsychosocial approach to caring ...

has locations across the region, as does the

University of Michigan Health System The University of Michigan Medicine (branded as Michigan Medicine) is the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It consists of the university's Medical School, affiliated hos ...

. Under the name MidMichigan Health, U of M operates hospitals in Clare, Gladwin, Alma, and Midland.

Insurance

Central Michigan, specifically the Greater Lansing area, is home to many statewide and national

insurance companies Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to protect ...

. Auto-Owners Insurance is headquartered in Delta Township and is the largest such company headquartered in the state. In downtown

, workers compensation insurance company

Accident Fund Accident Fund Insurance Company of America is an American workers' compensation insurance company headquartered in Lansing, Michigan. The company is a member of AF Group, a provider of insurance. Insurance policies may be issued by any of the ...

has its headquarters. Founded in Jackson but having headquarters in Lansing,

Jackson National Life Jackson National Life Insurance Company (often referred to as simply Jackson) is a U.S. company that provides annuities for retail investors and fixed income products for institutional investors. Jackson subsidiaries and affiliates provide speci ...

is a life insurance company serving 49 states. Smaller insurer Frankenmuth insurance has its headquarters in Frankenmuth.

Manufacturing

General Motors operates the

Flint Truck Assembly Flint Assembly is an automotive assembly plant in Flint, Michigan, United States, owned and operated by General Motors. The plant currently assembles heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup trucks for the North American ...

factory in Flint and Powertrain plants in Flint, Bay City, and Saginaw. Until 2004, Mid-Michigan (specifically

) was also known for being the location of the main

Oldsmobile Oldsmobile (formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors) was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produc ...

plant for

. The plant is now

Lansing Grand River Assembly Lansing Grand River Assembly (LGR) is an automotive assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan, United States, owned and operated by General Motors. It currently assembles the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 luxury sedans for the North American market. The Lan ...

. GM also operates

Lansing Delta Township Assembly Lansing Delta Township Assembly (LDT) is an automotive assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan, United States, owned and operated by General Motors. It currently assembles the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia full-size crossover SUV ...

in Eaton County. The world headquarters of Nexteer Automotive, a car parts supplier, is located in Saginaw. S.C. Johnson and Son has a manufacturing facility in Bay City making Ziploc products. The

Dow Chemical Company The Dow Chemical Company is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. The company was among the three largest chemical producers in the world in 2021. It is the operating subsidiary of Dow Inc., ...

and

Dow Corning Dow Corning Corporation, was an American multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States, and was originally established as a joint venture between The Dow Chemical Company and Corning Inc., Corning Incorporated. In 20 ...

have their world headquarters in Midland.

Power generation

CMS Energy CMS Energy Corporation is an American energy company based in Jackson, Michigan, that is focused principally on utility operations in Michigan. Its principal business is Consumers Energy, a public utility that provides electricity and natural ga ...

's subsidiary

Consumers Energy Consumers Energy is an investor owned utility that provides natural gas and electricity to 6.7 million of Michigan's 10 million residents. It serves customers in all 68 of the state's Lower Peninsula counties. It is the primary subsidiary of C ...

and

DTE Energy DTE Energy (formerly Detroit Edison until 1996) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services in the United States and Canada. Its operating units include an ele ...

Detroit Edison DTE Electric Company (formerly The Detroit Edison Company) is an investor-owned electric utility founded in 1886 in Detroit, Michigan. As the largest electric utility in Michigan, it serves approximately 2.3 million customers in the southeastern p ...

both have a presence in this region and provides much of the electrical power for the lower peninsula of Michigan. CMS operates the Karn-Weadock facility in Essexville, and DTE has plants in

Harbor Beach Harbor Beach is a city in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,604 at the 2020 census. History The earliest settlers to this area arrived in 1837 and established a sawmill for processing lumber. The settlement even ...

, Greenwood Township, and two plants in

East China East China () is a geographical region in the People’s Republic of China, mainly consisting of seven province-level administrative divisions, namely the provinces (from north to south) Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, ...

(

St. Clair Power Plant The Saint Clair Power Plant was a major coal- and oil-fired power plant owned by DTE Electric, a subsidiary of DTE Energy. It was located in St. Clair County, Michigan, on the west bank of St. Clair River. The plant was across M-29 from th ...

and

Belle River Power Plant Belle River Power Plant is a major coal-and-natural gas-fired power plant owned by Detroit Edison, a subsidiary of DTE Energy. It is located in St. Clair County, Michigan, on the peninsula formed by the St. Clair and Belle rivers. The plant ...

). The Lansing Board of Water & Light has several of its own generating plants in the Greater Lansing area, and the Midland Cogeneration Venture is a partnership in Midland. Renewable energies, specifically

wind farms A wind farm, also called a wind park or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turbines covering an exten ...

are also a rising form of electricity generation in this region. The counties of Gratiot, Tuscola, and

are home to many large wind farms. In Lapeer County,

owns the largest

solar farm A photovoltaic power station, also known as a solar park, solar farm, or solar power plant, is a large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic power system (PV system) designed for the supply of merchant power. They are different from most building ...

in Michigan.

International trade corridor

The I-69 International Trade Corridor is a strategic commercial gateway between the

and

, with multi-modal transportation infrastructure that offers a wide range of distribution options. The I-69 International Trade Corridor Next Michigan Development Corporation (NMDC) offers economic incentives to growing businesses, both existing and new, that utilize two or more forms of transportation to move their products and are located within the territory of the NMDC. The I-69 International Trade Corridor Next Michigan Development Corporation is the largest in the state of Michigan with 35 municipal partners. Constituent counties of the trade corridor are: Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer, and St. Clair Counties.

Colleges and universities

Major educational institutions in Central Michigan include: *

Central Michigan University Central Michigan University (CMU) is a Public university, public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1892 as a private normal school and became a state institution in 1895. CMU is one of the eigh ...

in Mount Pleasant *

in East Lansing *

Michigan State University College of Law The Michigan State University College of Law (Michigan State Law or MSU Law) is the law school of Michigan State University, a Public university, public research university in East Lansing, Michigan. Established in 1891 as the Detroit College o ...

in East Lansing *

Lansing Community College Lansing Community College is a public community college with its main campus in Lansing, Michigan. Founded in 1957, the college's main campus is located on an urban, site in downtown Lansing spanning seven city blocks approximately two blocks ...

in Lansing * Mid Michigan Community College in Harrison and Mt. Pleasant *

Mott Community College Mott Community College (officially Charles Stewart Mott Community College or abbreviated MCC) is a public community college in Flint, Michigan. It is named for politician, businessman, and philanthropist Charles Stewart Mott. Its district is ...

in Flint *

Northwood University Northwood University (NU) is a private university focused on business education with its main campus in Midland, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1959, more than 33,000 people have graduated from the institution. History Northwood Universit ...

in Midland *

St. Clair County Community College St. Clair County Community College (SC4) is a public community college in Port Huron, Michigan. It serves as the primary center of higher education for the Blue Water Area. SC4 offers associate degree and certificate programs. It also offers on ...

in Port Huron *

Alma College Alma College is a Private college, private Presbyterian Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Alma, Michigan. It enrolls approximately 1,200 students and is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accre ...

in Alma *

Olivet College The University of Olivet, formerly known as Olivet College, is a private Christian college in Olivet, Michigan, United States. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It was founded in 1844 by missionaries from Oberlin Coll ...

in Olivet *

Saginaw Valley State University Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) is a public university in University Center, Michigan, United States, in Saginaw County. It was founded in 1963 as Saginaw Valley College. It is located on in Saginaw County's Kochville Township, appr ...

in University Center * Thomas M. Cooley Law School (the nation's largest) is headquartered in

. *

University of Michigan–Flint The University of Michigan–Flint (UM-Flint) is a public university in Flint, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1956 as the Flint Senior College, it was initially established as a remote branch of the University of Michigan, offering upper-d ...

* Delta College in University Center *

Kettering University Kettering University is a private university in Flint, Michigan. It offers Bachelor of Science, bachelor of science and master's degree, master’s degrees in Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM (science, technology, engineer ...

in Flint *

Baker College Baker College is a private university with its main campus in Owosso, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1911 and (as of 2023) has four additional campuses throughout the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The institution has been accused o ...

(throughout different areas of Michigan) *

Davenport University Davenport University is a private university with campuses throughout Michigan and online. It was founded in 1866 by Conrad Swensburg and currently offers associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees; diplomas; and post-grad certification prog ...

(throughout different areas of Michigan)

Media

Newspapers

The ''

Lansing State Journal The ''Lansing State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Lansing, Michigan, owned by Gannett. It is the sole daily newspaper published in Greater Lansing. History The paper was started as the ''Lansing Republican'' on April 28, 1855, ...

'' is the sole daily newspaper published in metropolitan Lansing, and is owned by

Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. ( ) is an American mass media holding company headquartered in New York City. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. It owns the national newspaper ''USA Today'', as well as several ...

, which also owns ''

The Times Herald ''The Times Herald'' is a daily newspaper in Port Huron, Michigan. The newspaper, owned by Gannett, is the only daily paper serving St. Clair County, Michigan as well as parts of Sanilac County, Michigan, Sanilac and Lapeer County, Michigan, Lap ...

'' in Port Huron and

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

. The ''

Flint Journal ''The Flint Journal'' is a quad-weekly newspaper based in Flint, Michigan, owned by Booth Newspapers, a subsidiary of Advance Publications. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, it serves Genesee County, Michigan, Genesee, Lapeer ...

'' is available in the Flint and Lapeer areas and is published four times a week. Editions of the ''

Bay City Times ''The Bay City Times'' is a newspaper published in Bay City, Michigan, United States, published Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, with a Tuesday edition jointly published with ''The Saginaw News''. The paper is published by Booth Newspapers, owned ...

'', ''

Midland Daily News The ''Midland Daily News'' is a daily newspaper which serves Midland County, Michigan. The offices for the paper are located at 219 East Main Street in downtown Midland; the paper is widely circulated around Midland County. The newspaper also ...

'' and ''

Saginaw News ''The Saginaw News'' is a newspaper publication based in Saginaw, Michigan, owned by MLive Media Group, originally known as Booth Newspapers or Booth Michigan, a division of Advance Publications. Published on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays (alo ...

'' are available in the greater Tri-Cities area. The ''Times'' and the ''Saginaw News'' published three times a week, while the ''Midland Daily News'' publishes daily. ''The Great Lakes Bay Edition'', a joint publication between the ''Saginaw News'' and the ''Bay City Times'', focuses on those two cities, as well as Midland, and publishes once a week. The

Hearst Corporation Hearst Corporation, Hearst Holdings Inc. and Hearst Communications Inc. comprise an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate owned by the Hearst family and based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan in New York ...

owns the

and the

Huron Daily Tribune The ''Huron Daily Tribune'' is a daily newspaper in Bad Axe, Michigan. The newspaper serves Huron County, in the upper part of "The Thumb The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsu ...

. Mount Pleasant is served by a daily newspaper called ''The Morning Sun''. The ''

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...

'' and ''

The Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United S ...

'' are available throughout the area.

Radio

The region is served by multiple radio stations. For a complete listing of stations, see one of the following markets: * Lansing Area * Flint Area * Greater Tri-Cities including Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland. * Thumb Area including Port Huron, Sandusky, and Lapeer. * South Central Michigan including Jackson, Adrian, and Hillsdale. * North Central Michigan including Mt. Pleasant, Caddilac, and Alma.

Broadcast television

Television in the Central Michigan area varies from market to market. Availability of stations depends on the reception of aerial signals, as well as availability of cable and satellite in a particular area. In some areas of the region, broadcasts from all three markets can be received over the air. * Lansing/Jackson Market * Flint/Tri-Cities Market * Cadillac / Traverse City Market

Transportation

Airports

Scheduled airline service is offered from Lansing

Capital Region International Airport Capital Region International Airport , formerly Lansing Capital City Airport, is a public, Class C airport located northwest of downtown Lansing in a portion of DeWitt Township, Michigan that has been annexed to the City of Lansing via P ...

. Airline service is also available from

MBS International Airport MBS International Airport , located in Freeland, Michigan, is a commercial and general aviation airport serving the nearby cities of Midland, Michigan, Midland, Bay City, Michigan, Bay City, and Saginaw, Michigan, Saginaw., effective Nov 10, 2 ...

near

and Flint

Bishop International Airport Bishop International Airport is a commercial and general aviation airport in Flint, Michigan, United States. It is named after banker and General Motors board member Arthur Giles Bishop (April 12, 1851 – January 22, 1944), who donated 220 a ...

. Other portions are proximate to

Gerald R. Ford International Airport Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford International Airport is a commercial airport in Cascade Township, approximately southeast of Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. The facility is owned by the Kent County Board of Commissioners and managed by ...

, east of

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

, and Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport near

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...

Railroads

Passenger rail is provided by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

and has stations in East Lansing, Durand, Flint, Lapeer, and Port Huron on its

Blue Water Maritime geography is a collection of terms used by naval military units to loosely define three maritime regions: brown water, green water, and blue water. Definitions The elements of maritime geography are loosely defined and their meanings hav ...

line. * The

Great Lakes Central Railroad The Great Lakes Central Railroad is an American regional railroad operating in the state of Michigan. It was originally called the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway , which was formed on August 26, 1977, to operate over former Penn Central lines ...

is a regional railroad operating from Petoskey to Ann Arbor. *

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of trac ...

owns a major line between Detroit and Grand Rapids, passing through Lansing. It also owns a line from Toledo to Flint, and another south of Port Huron. *

Grand Trunk Western Railroad The Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company was an American subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway, later of the Canadian National Railway operating in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Since a corporate restructuring in 1971, the railroad ha ...

, a part of the

Canadian National The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue an ...

system has a busy line between Port Huron and Chicago, passing through Flint, Durand, and Lansing. * Mid-Michigan Railroad, owned by

Genesee & Wyoming Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) is an American short line railroad holding company, that owns or maintains an interest in 122 railroads in the United States, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom; and formerly in Australia. ...

and operating in the Alma area. * The Huron and Eastern Railway is also owned by Genesee and Wyoming and has lines north of Durand branching into the Thumb. *

Lake State Railway Lake State Railway is a railroad operating in the Saginaw River, Saginaw Valley and northeastern quadrant of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The railroad moves large quantities of aggregate and limestone, as well as coal, grain, and chemical p ...

serves each of the Tri Cities and stretches into Northern Michigan.

Transit

* Bay Metropolitan Transportation Authority * Blue Water Area Transit * Capital Area Transportation Authority * Flint Mass Transportation Authority *

Indian Trails Indian Trails is an intercity bus operator primarily serving the U.S. state of Michigan, with routes also serving Wisconsin and Minnesota. Indian Trails is based in Owosso, Michigan, with offices in Romulus, East Lansing, and Kalamazoo. His ...

* Saginaw Transit Authority Regional Services

Major highways

Major trunkline routes throughout the Mid-Michigan area: * from Port Huron to

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 census ...

, connecting Flint and Lansing. * is a major artery connecting the Tri-Cities with Flint and Detroit. * business route to downtown

. * business route to downtown

. * from Port Huron to Chicago via Detroit, Jackson, and Battle Creek. * from Grand Rapids to Detroit via Lansing. * in the Lansing area. * an east–west route between Ludington and Bay City, connecting multiple communities in between. * co-signed with I-75 through much of the region. * comes from the south, through

, and ends its journey at Grayling. It directly connects

(and the

Mackinac Bridge The Mackinac Bridge ( ; also referred to as the Mighty Mac or Big Mac) is a suspension bridge that connects the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper and Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. It spans the Str ...

via I-75) to Lansing,

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

and

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

(all the way down to

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

US 127 is the direct link between the state capital in Lansing and the

Ingham County Ingham County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 284,900. The county seat is Mason. Lansing, the state capital of Michigan, is largely located within the county. Lansing is the onl ...

seat in

Mason Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a worker who lays bricks to assist in brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cutti ...

. * runs roughly the same route as I-75 in the Genesee County/Shiawassee County border, the Saginaw County/Genesee County border then into Bay County * runs north and south through Genesee County and Tuscola County and terminates in Bay City. * is an east–west highway connection Mt. Pleasant with Midland * runs east and west, roughly the same route as I-69 in Genesee County and is a direct east–west route connecting St. Johns and Owosso. * runs north and south in Lapeer County and Tuscola County. * is a highway of an arc-like shape closely following the outline of the Thumb along the Lake Huron/Saginaw Bay shoreline between Port Huron and Bay City. It is generally a scenic drive. * is a highway in southwestern and central Michigan from South Haven to Webberville. is east–west surface route nearly bisects the Lower Peninsula of Michigan latitudinally. * — a cross peninsular road, running across the entire mitten including the thumb—from Port Sanilac on the

shore; through Saginaw near

; and then on to

Muskegon Muskegon ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Muskegon County, Michigan, United States. Situated around a harbor of Lake Michigan, Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, and boating. It is the most populous city along Lake Michigan' ...

on the

shore. This east-west surface route nearly bisects the Lower Peninsula of Michigan latitudinally. * is a north–south highway connecting Webberville,

Perry Perry or pear cider is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally in England (particularly Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire), parts of South Wales, France (especially Normandy and Anjou), Canada, Austral ...

, Owosso and St. Charles. * (Van Dyke Road) is a gateway route to the Thumb of Michigan, carrying vacationers to the resorts and cottages on Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron in the vicinity of Caseville and Port Austin. It goes up the middle of the Thumb, and directly connects in

Macomb County, Michigan Macomb County ( ) is a county on the eastern shore of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, bordering Detroit to the north and containing many of its northern suburbs. Its seat of government is Mt. Clemens, ...

to the M-53 expressway. * Dort Highway, a main road leading into Flint running roughly the same route as I-475, then follows I-75 to Birch Run

Notable people

More comprehensive lists are available at individual cities, villages, etc.

Lansing

* Jim Cash - Screenwriter ''

Top Gun ''Top Gun'' is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired ...

'' and other successful films *

Thom Hartmann Thomas Carl Hartmann (born May 7, 1951) is an American radio personality, author, businessman, and progressivism, progressive pundit, political commentator. Hartmann has been hosting a nationally syndicated radio show, ''The Thom Hartmann Progr ...

radio talk-show Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, interviews wi ...

host & author * Andy Hilbert -

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

hockey player *

John Hughes John Hughes may refer to: Arts and Entertainment Literature *John Hughes (poet) (1677–1720), English poet *John Hughes (1790–1857), English author *John Ceiriog Hughes (1832–1887), Welsh poet *John Hughes (writer) (born 1961), Australian au ...

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

basketball star *

Lisa Kron Elizabeth S. "Lisa" Kron (born May 20, 1961) is an American actress and playwright. She is best known for writing the lyrics and book for the musical '' Fun Home'', for which she won both the Tony Award for Best Original Score and the Tony Awar ...

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

actress &

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

Muhsin Muhammad Muhsin Muhammad II (; born Melvin Darnell Campbell Jr. May 5, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Muhammad played ...

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football star *

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- co-founder of Google.com * Greg Raymer - 2004 World Series of Poker champion * Burt Reynolds - actor * Steven Seagal - actor * John Smoltz - MLB star and 1996 Cy Young Award winner *Jim "Soni" Sonefeld - drummer & percussionist for Hootie & The Blowfish * Debbie Stabenow - U.S. Senator - began political career in Ingham County * Stevie Wonder - singer, attended the Michigan School for the Blind in Lansing (Born and raised in Saginaw, MI) * Malcolm X - human rights activist

Tri-Cities and Flint

* Michael Moore - filmmaker, screenwriter, author, journalist, actor, and left-wing political activist from Davison. * Bob Allman – Chicago Bears player (1936) (Bay City Central HS) * Emil Anneke – German Forty-Eighter and US politician * Robert Armstrong (actor), Robert Armstrong (1890–1973) - actor, best known for starring role in ''King Kong (1933), King Kong'' * Rolf Armstrong (1889–1960) – painter and pin-up artist * Edmund Arnold – father of modern news design * Warren Avis – founder of Avis Rent A Car * Howie Auer — Philadelphia Eagles player (1933) * James A. Barcia – U.S. Representative, Michigan House of Representatives, state representative, and Michigan State Senate, state senator. * Gary Bautell – military radio broadcaster with the American Forces Network * James G. Birney (1792–1857) - presidential candidate 1844 and 1848 Liberty Party (United States, 1840), Liberty Party, a founder of Bay City * Ruth Born (1925–) - All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player * Nathan B. Bradley - first mayor of Bay City, U.S. Representative, Michigan State Senate, state senator * Betsy Brandt - actress, ''Breaking Bad'', ''The Michael J. Fox Show'' * Madonna (entertainer), Madonna – singer, actress, member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Grammy and Golden Globe award winner, was born in Bay City; she grew up in Rochester Hills, Michigan * Spoke Emery – Major League Baseball player * Eric Esch – Super Heavyweight Champion boxer, kickboxer, and martial artist * Troy Evans (American football), Troy Evans (b.1977) – NFL linebacker, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints * John Garrels – silver and bronze Olympic medal winner * Sanford M. Green, Michigan jurist and politician * Ernie Gust – Major League Baseball player * Harriet Hammond (1899–1991) - silent-film actress * Bill Hewitt (American football), Bill Hewitt – Chicago Bears 1932–1936, Philadelphia Eagles 1937–1939, Phil-Pitt Steagles, Pro Football Hall of Fame * Alex Izykowski – 2006 Winter Olympics bronze medalist in short track speed skating * Edward Jablonski (1923–2004) - author, music archivist and aviation-aerial warfare historian * Jim Kanicki – Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants 1960–62 (Bay City Central HS) * Thomas G. Kavanagh - Michigan Supreme Court justice * Bruce LaFrance – Tantric (band), Tantric musician * John List (serial killer), John List – mass murderer * Jason "The Michigan Kid" Lynch – professional billiards trick-shot artist * George Kid Lavigne – boxer, world lightweight champion 1896, and inductee of International Boxing Hall of Fame (1998) * Terry McDermott (speed skating), Terry McDermott – 500m speed skating gold medalist in Innsbruck 1964 Winter Olympics * John McGraw (merchant), John McGraw – businessman, co-founder of Wenona, Michigan, now part of Bay City, Cornell University philanthropist * Tyler McVey (1912–2003) - actor

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* Thomas Edison - Inventor and entrepreneur settled in Port Huron from 1854 to 1863. * Brewster H. Shaw - retired United States Air Force colonel and former NASA astronaut from Cass City. * Frank Murphy - Detroit mayor, Michigan governor, U.S. Attorney General and Justice of the United States Supreme Court born in Harbor Beach. * Marguerite de Angeli, children's book author, Newbery Award winner * Terry Knight, singer, DJ, manager, Terry Knight and the Pack, Grand Funk Railroad * Jake Long, offensive lineman, Miami Dolphins * Terry Nichols, accomplice in the Oklahoma City bombing * Jim Slater (hockey player), Jim Slater, hockey player Atlanta Thrashers * Obadiah Gardner - US Senator for Maine * Terry McMillan - Award-winning author of ''Waiting to Exhale'', and ''How Stella Got Her Groove Back'' *Gabriel Rheaume - Writer - ''The Shores We Walk'', from Deckerville.

References

External links

Archdiocese of Lansing home page and history

Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Michigan (arranged by counties and regions)

* [http://www.michigan.gov/dnr Michigan Department of Natural Resources website, harbors, hunting, resources and more.]
Info Michigan, detailed information on 630 cities

Michigan's Official Economic Development and Travel Site, including interactive map, information on attractions, museums, etc.
*
Michigan's Official Economic Development and Travel Site.
{{Michigan Central Michigan, Regions of Michigan Geography of Michigan

Definitions

Other definitions

Geography

Principal cities

Counties included

Lansing area

The Thumb area

Flint and Tri-Cities area

History and culture

Economy

Agriculture

Financial

Government

Healthcare

Insurance

Manufacturing

Power generation

International trade corridor

Colleges and universities

Media

Newspapers

Radio

Broadcast television

Transportation

Airports

Railroads

Transit

Major highways

Notable people

Lansing

Tri-Cities and Flint

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See also

References

External links