Michigan

Michigan
State
Flag Seal
Nicknames: "The Great Lake State", [1]"The Wolverine State", "Water (Winter) Wonderland"
Motto(s): Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice (English: "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you")
Anthem:"My Michigan"
Map of the United States with Michigan highlighted
Country	United States
Before statehood	Michigan Territory
Admitted to the Union	January 26, 1837 (26th)
Capital	Lansing
Largest city	Detroit
Largest county or equivalent	Wayne
Largest metroandurbanareas	Detroit
Government
•Governor	Gretchen Whitmer(D)
•Lieutenant Governor	Garlin Gilchrist(D)
Legislature	Michigan Legislature
•Upper house	Senate
•Lower house	House of Representatives
Judiciary	Michigan Supreme Court
U.S. senators	Debbie Stabenow(D) Gary Peters(D)
U.S. House delegation	7Democrats 6Republicans (list)
Area
• Total	96,716 sq mi (250,493 km2)
• Land	58,110 sq mi (150,504 km2)
• Water	38,606 sq mi (99,990 km2) 41.8%
• Rank	11th
Dimensions
• Length	456[2]mi (734 km)
• Width	386[2]mi (621 km)
Elevation	900 ft (270 m)
Highest elevation ( Mount Arvon [3] [a])	1,979 ft (603 m)
Lowest elevation ( Lake Erie [3] [a])	571 ft (174 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	10,077,331[4]
• Rank	10th
• Density	174/sq mi (67.1/km2)
• Rank	17th
•Median household income	$54,900[5]
• Income rank	32nd
Demonym(s)	Michigander, Michiganian, Yooper (Upper Peninsula)[6]
Language
•Official language	None (English,de facto)
•Spoken language	English 91.11% Spanish 3.86% Arabic 1.05% Other 4.92%
Time zones
Most of state	UTC−05:00(Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00(EDT)
4U.P.counties (Gogebic,Iron,Dickinson, andMenominee)	UTC−06:00(Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−05:00(CDT)
USPS abbreviation	MI
ISO 3166 code	US-MI
Traditional abbreviation	Mich.
Latitude	41°41′N to 48°18′N
Longitude	82°7′W to 90°25′W
Website	michigan.gov

State symbols of Michigan

List of state symbols
Living insignia
Bird	American robin(Turdus migratorius)
Fish	Brook trout(Salvelinus fontinalis)
Flower	Apple blossom(Malus domestica) Wildflower:Dwarf lake iris(Iris lacustris)
Mammal	Unofficial:Wolverine(Gulo gulo luscus) Game animal:White-tailed deer(Odocoileus virginianus)
Reptile	Painted turtle(Chrysemys picta)
Tree	Eastern white pine(Pinus strobus)
Inanimate insignia
Fossil	Mastodon(Mammut americanum)
Gemstone	Isle Royale greenstone
Rock	Petoskey stone
Soil	Kalkaska sand
State route marker
State quarter
Released in 2004
Lists of United States state symbols

Michigan(/ˈmɪʃɪɡən/^ⓘMISH-ig-ən) is astatein theGreat Lakesregion of theUpper Midwestregion of theUnited States. It bordersWisconsinto the northwest in theUpper Peninsula, andIndianaandOhioto the south in theLower Peninsula; it is also connected byLakes Superior,Michigan,Huron, andErietoMinnesotaandIllinois, and theCanadian provinceofOntario. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of 96,716 sq mi (250,490 km²), Michigan is the10th-largeststate by population, the11th-largestby area, and the largest by area east of theMississippi River.^[b]Its capital isLansing, and its largest city isDetroit.Metro Detroitis among the nation's most populous and largestmetropolitaneconomies. The name derives from agallicizedvariant of the originalOjibwewordᒥᓯᑲᒥ(mishigami),^[c]meaning "large water" or "large lake".^[2][7]

Michigan consists of twopeninsulas. TheLower Peninsularesembles the shape of amitten, and comprises a majority of the state's land area. TheUpper Peninsula(often called "the U.P.") is separated from the Lower Peninsula by theStraits of Mackinac, a five-mile (8 km) channel that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. TheMackinac Bridgeconnects the peninsulas. Michigan has the longestfreshwatercoastline of any political subdivision in the United States, being bordered by four of the fiveGreat LakesandLake St. Clair.^[8]It also has 64,980inland lakes and ponds.^[9]Michigan has the second-most water area of any state, behind only Alaska.^[10]

The area was first occupied by a succession ofNative Americantribes over thousands of years. In the 17th century, French explorers claimed it as part of theNew Francecolony, when it was largely inhabited by Indigenous peoples. French and Canadian traders and settlers,Métis, and others migrated to the area, settling largely along the waterways. After France's defeat in theFrench and Indian Warin 1762, the region came under British rule. Britain ceded the territory to the newly independent United States after its defeat in theAmerican Revolutionary War. The area was part of the largerNorthwest Territoryuntil 1800, when western Michigan became part of theIndiana Territory.Michigan Territorywas formed in 1805, but some of the northern border withCanadawas not agreed upon until after theWar of 1812. Michigan was admitted into the Union in 1837 as the 26th state, afree one. It soon became an important center of industry and trade in the Great Lakes region, attracting immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from manyEuropean countries. Immigrants fromFinland,Macedonia, and theNetherlandswere especially numerous.^[11]Migration fromAppalachiaand ofBlack Southernersas part of theGreat Migrationincreased in the 1930s,^[12][13]with many settling in Metro Detroit.

Although Michigan has developed a diverse economy, in the early 20th century it became widely known as the center of theU.S. automotive industry, which developed as a major national economic force. It is home to the country'sthree major automobile companies(whose headquarters are all in Metro Detroit). Once exploited for logging and mining, today the sparsely populated Upper Peninsula is important for tourism because of its abundance of natural resources.^[14][15]The Lower Peninsula is a center ofmanufacturing,forestry,agriculture,services, andhigh-techindustry.

When the first European explorers arrived, the most populous tribes were theAlgonquian peoples, which include theAnishinaabegroups ofOjibwe,Odaawaa/Odawa (Ottawa), and theBoodewaadamii/Bodéwadmi (Potawatomi). The three nations coexisted peacefully as part of a loose confederation called theCouncil of Three Fires. The Ojibwe, whose numbers are estimated to have been at least 35,000, were the largest.^[16]

The Ojibwe Indians (also known as Chippewa in the U.S.), an Anishinaabe tribe, were established in Michigan's Upper Peninsula andnorthernandcentral Michigan. Bands also inhabitedOntarioand southernManitoba, Canada; and northernWisconsin, and northern and north-centralMinnesota. The Ottawa Indians lived primarily south of theStraits of Mackinacin northern,western, andsouthern Michigan, but also in southern Ontario, northern Ohio, and eastern Wisconsin. The Potawatomi were in southern and western Michigan, in addition to northern and central Indiana, northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and southern Ontario. Other Algonquian tribes in Michigan, in the south and east, were theMascouten, theMenominee, theMiami, theSac(or Sauk), and theMeskwaki (Fox). TheWyandotwere an Iroquoian-speaking people in this area; they were historically known as the Huron by the French, and were the historical adversaries of theIroquois Confederation.^[17]

Frenchvoyageursandcoureurs des boisexplored and settled in Michigan in the 17th century. The first Europeans to reach what became Michigan were those ofÉtienne Brûlé's expedition in 1622. The first permanent European settlement was founded in 1668 on the site where PèreJacques MarquetteestablishedSault Ste. Marie, Michigan, as a base for Catholic missions.^[18][19]Missionaries in 1671–75 founded outlying stations atSaint IgnaceandMarquette. Jesuit missionaries were well received by the area's Indian populations, with few difficulties or hostilities. In 1679,Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la SallebuiltFort Miamiat present-daySt. Joseph. In 1691, the French established a trading post and Fort St. Joseph along the St. Joseph River at the present-day city ofNiles.

In 1701, French explorer and army officerAntoine de la Mothe CadillacfoundedFort Pontchartrain du Détroitor "Fort Pontchartrain on-the-Strait" on the strait, known as theDetroit River, between lakesSaint ClairandErie.^{[citation needed]}Cadillac had convincedKing Louis XIV'schief minister,Louis Phélypeaux, Comte de Pontchartrain, that a permanent community there would strengthen French control over the upper Great Lakes and discourageBritishaspirations.^{[citation needed]}

The hundred soldiers and workers who accompanied Cadillac built a fort enclosing onearpent(about 0.85 acres (3,400 m²),^[20][21]the equivalent of just under 200 feet (61 m) per side) and named itFort Pontchartrain. Cadillac's wife, Marie Thérèse Guyon, soon moved to Detroit, becoming one of the first European women to settle in what was considered the wilderness of Michigan. The town quickly became a majorfur-tradingand shipping post. TheÉglise de Saint-Anne(Catholic Church of Saint Anne) was founded the same year.^{[citation needed]}While the original building does not survive, the congregation remains active.^{[citation needed]}Cadillac later departed to serve as the French governor of Louisiana from 1710 to 1716.^{[citation needed]}French attempts to consolidate the fur trade led to theFox Wars, in which the Meskwaki (Fox) and their allies fought the French and their Native allies.^{[citation needed]}

At the same time, the French strengthenedFort Michilimackinacat the Straits of Mackinac to better control their lucrative fur-trading empire. By the mid-18th century, the French also occupied forts at present-day Niles and Sault Ste. Marie, though most of the rest of the region remained unsettled by Europeans. France offered free land to attract families to Detroit, which grew to 800 people in 1765. It was the largest city between Montreal and New Orleans.^[22]French settlers also established small farms south of the Detroit River opposite the fort, near a Jesuit mission and Huron village.

From 1660 until the end of French rule, Michigan was part of the Royal Province ofNew France.^[d]In 1760,Montrealfell to the British forces, ending theFrench and Indian War(1754–1763), the North American front of theSeven Years' Warin Europe. Under the1763 Treaty of Paris, Michigan and the rest of New France east of the Mississippi River were ceded by defeated France to Great Britain.^[23]After theQuebec Actwas passed in 1774, Michigan became part of the BritishProvince of Quebec. By 1778, Detroit's population reached 2,144 and it was the third-largest city in Quebec province.^[24]

During theAmerican Revolutionary War, Detroit was an important British supply center. Most of the inhabitants were French-Canadians or American Indians, many of whom had been allied with the French because of long trading ties. Because of imprecise cartography and unclear language defining the boundaries in the1783 Treaty of Paris, the British retained control of Detroit and Michigan after theAmerican Revolution. When Quebec split into Lower and Upper Canada in 1791, Michigan was part ofKent County, Upper Canada. It held its first democratic elections in August 1792 to send delegates to the new provincial parliament at Newark (nowNiagara-on-the-Lake).^[25]

Under terms negotiated in the 1794Jay Treaty, Britain withdrew from Detroit and Michilimackinac in 1796. It retained control of territory east and south of the Detroit River, which are now included in Ontario, Canada. Questions remained over the boundary for many years, and the United States did not have uncontested control of the Upper Peninsula andDrummond Islanduntil 1818 and 1847, respectively.

During theWar of 1812, the United States forces at Fort Detroit surrenderedMichigan Territory(effectively consisting of Detroit and the surrounding area) after a nearly bloodlesssiegein 1812. A U.S. attempt to retake Detroit resulted in a severe American defeat in theRiver Raisin Massacre. This battle, still ranked as the bloodiest ever fought in the state, had the highest number of American casualties of any battle of the war.

Michigan was recaptured by the Americans in 1813 after theBattle of Lake Erie. They used Michigan as a base to launch an invasion of Canada, which culminated in theBattle of the Thames. But the more northern areas of Michigan were held by the British until the peace treaty restored the old boundaries. A number of forts, includingFort Wayne, were built by the United States in Michigan during the 19th century out of fears of renewed fighting with Britain.

Michigan Territory governor and judges established theUniversity of Michiganin 1817, as the Catholepistemiad, or the University of Michigania.^[26]

The population grew slowly until the opening in 1825 of theErie Canalthrough the Mohawk Valley in New York, connecting the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and New York City.^{[citation needed]}The new route attracted a large influx of settlers to the Michigan territory. They worked as farmers, lumbermen, shipbuilders, and merchants and shipped out grain, lumber, and iron ore. By the 1830s, Michigan had 80,000 residents, more than enough to apply and qualify for statehood.^{[citation needed]}

On November 1, 1935, the U.S. Post Office issued a commemorative 3-cent stamp celebrating the 100th anniversary of Michigan statehood. Michigan's statehood, however, wasn't officially established until January 26, 1837, but since the campaign for statehood actually began in 1835, Michigan chose to hold its centennial celebration in 1935, the year the stamp was first issued.^[27]

A constitutional convention of assent was held to lead the territory to statehood.^[28]In October 1835 the people approved the constitution of 1835, thereby forming a state government.Congressionalrecognition was delayed pending resolution of a boundary dispute withOhioknown as theToledo War. Congress awarded the "Toledo Strip" to Ohio. Michigan received the western part of the Upper Peninsula as a concession and formally entered the Union as afree stateon January 26, 1837. The Upper Peninsula proved to be a rich source of lumber, iron, and copper. Michigan led the nation in lumber production from the 1850s to the 1880s.Railroadsbecame a major engine of growth from the 1850s onward, withDetroit the chief hub.

A second wave of French-Canadian immigrants settled in Michigan during the late 19th to early 20th century, working in lumbering areas in counties on the Lake Huron side of the Lower Peninsula, such as the Saginaw Valley, Alpena, and Cheboygan counties, as well as throughout the Upper Peninsula, with large concentrations in Escanaba and theKeweenaw Peninsula.^[29]

The first statewide meeting of theRepublican Partytook place on July 6, 1854, inJackson, Michigan, where the party adopted its platform.^{[citation needed]}The state was predominantly Republican until the 1930s, reflecting the political continuity of migrants from across the Northern Tier of New England and New York.^{[citation needed]}Michigan madea significant contributionto theUnionin theAmerican Civil Warand sent more than forty regiments of volunteers to the federal armies.^{[citation needed]}

Michigan modernized and expanded its system of education in this period.^{[citation needed]}The Michigan State Normal School, nowEastern Michigan University, was founded in 1849, for the training of teachers.^{[citation needed]}It was the fourth oldestnormal schoolin theUnited Statesand the firstU.S. normal schooloutsideNew England.^{[citation needed]}In 1899, the Michigan State Normal School became the first normal school in the nation to offer a four-year curriculum. Michigan Agricultural College (1855), nowMichigan State UniversityinEast Lansing, was founded as the firstagricultural collegein the nation.^{[citation needed]}Many private colleges were founded as well, and the smaller cities established high schools late in the century.^[30]

Michigan's economy underwent a transformation at the turn of the 20th century. Many individuals, includingRansom E. Olds,JohnandHorace Dodge,Henry Leland,David Dunbar Buick,Henry Joy,Charles King, andHenry Ford, provided the concentration of engineering know-how and technological enthusiasm to develop theautomotive industry.^[31]Ford's development of the movingassembly lineinHighland Parkmarked a new era in transportation.^{[citation needed]}Like thesteamshipand railroad, mass production of automobiles was a far-reaching development. More than the forms of public transportation, the affordable automobile transformed private life. Automobile production became the major industry of Detroit and Michigan, and permanently altered the socioeconomic life of the United States and much of the world.^{[citation needed]}

With the growth, the auto industry created jobs in Detroit that attracted immigrants from Europe and migrants from across the United States, including both blacks and whites from the ruralSouth.^{[citation needed]}By 1920, Detroit was the fourth-largest city in the U.S..^{[citation needed]}Residential housing was in short supply, and it took years for the market to catch up with the population boom.^{[citation needed]}By the 1930s, so many immigrants had arrived that more than 30 languages were spoken in the public schools, andethniccommunities celebrated in annual heritage festivals.^[32]Over the years immigrants and migrants contributed greatly to Detroit's diverse urban culture, including popular music trends. The influentialMotown Soundof the 1960s was led by a variety of individual singers and groups.^{[citation needed]}

Grand Rapids, the second-largest city in Michigan also became an important center of manufacturing. Since 1838, the city has been noted for its furniture industry.^[33][34]In the 21st century, it is home to five of the world's leading office furniture companies. Grand Rapids is home to a number of major companies includingSteelcase,Amway, andMeijer. Grand Rapids is also an important center forGE Aviation Systems.

Michigan held its firstUnited States presidential primaryelection in 1910.^{[citation needed]}With its rapid growth in industry, it was an important center of industry-wide union organizing, such as the rise of theUnited Auto Workers.^{[citation needed]}

In 1920WWJ (AM)in Detroit became the first radio station in the United States to regularly broadcast commercial programs. Throughout that decade, some of the country's largest and most ornateskyscraperswere built in the city. Particularly noteworthy are theFisher Building,Cadillac Place, and theGuardian Building, each of which has been designated as aNational Historic Landmark(NHL).

In 1927 a school bombing took place inClinton County. TheBath School disasterresulted in the deaths of 38 schoolchildren and constitutes the deadliest mass murder in a school in U.S. history.^[35]

Michigan converted much of its manufacturing to satisfy defense needs duringWorld War II; it manufactured 10.9% of the United States military armaments produced during the war, ranking second (behindNew York) among the 48 states.^[36]

Detroit continued to expand through the 1950s, at one point doubling its population in a decade. After World War II, housing was developed in suburban areas outside city cores to meet demand for residences. The federal government subsidized the construction ofinterstate highways, which were intended to strengthen military access, but also allowed commuters and business traffic to travel the region more easily. Since 1960, modern advances in the auto industry have led to increased automation, high-tech industry, and increased suburban growth.

Michigan became the leading auto-producing state in the U.S., with the industry primarily located throughout theMidwestern United States; Ontario, Canada; and the Southern United States.^[37]With almost ten million residents in 2010, Michigan is a large and influential state, ranking tenth in population among the fifty states. Detroit is the centrally located metropolitan area of theGreat Lakes megalopolisand the second-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. (afterChicago) linking theGreat Lakessystem.

TheMetro Detroitarea inSoutheast Michiganis the state's largest metropolitan area (roughly 50% of the population resides there) and the eleventh largest in the United States. TheGrand Rapids metropolitan areain Western Michigan is the state's fastest-growing metro area, with more than 1.3 million residents as of 2006^[update].

Michigan consists of two peninsulas separated by theStraits of Mackinac. The45th parallel northruns through the state, marked by highway signs and the Polar-Equator Trail—^[38]along a line includingMission Point LightnearTraverse City, the towns ofGaylordandAlpenain the Lower Peninsula andMenomineein the Upper Peninsula. With the exception of two tiny areas drained by theMississippi Riverby way of theWisconsin Riverin the Upper Peninsula and by way of theKankakee-Illinois Riverin the Lower Peninsula, Michigan is drained by the Great Lakes-St. Lawrencewatershed and is the only state with the majority of its land thus drained. No point in the state is more than six miles (9.7 km) from a natural water source or more than 85 miles (137 km) from a Great Lakes shoreline.^[39]

The Great Lakes that border Michigan from east to west areLake Erie,Lake Huron,Lake MichiganandLake Superior. The state is bounded on the south by the states ofOhioandIndiana, sharing land and water boundaries with both. Michigan's western boundaries are almost entirely water boundaries, from south to north, withIllinoisandWisconsinin Lake Michigan; then a land boundary with Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula, that is principally demarcated by theMenomineeandMontreal Rivers; then water boundaries again, in Lake Superior, with Wisconsin and Minnesota to the west, capped around by the Canadian province of Ontario to the north and east.

The heavily forestedUpper Peninsulais relatively mountainous in the west. ThePorcupine Mountains, which are part of one of the oldest mountain chains in the world,^[40]rise to an altitude of almost 2,000 feet (610 m) above sea level and form the watershed between the streams flowing into Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The surface on either side of this range is rugged. The state's highest point, in theHuron Mountainsnorthwest of Marquette, isMount Arvonat 1,979 feet (603 m). The peninsula is as large as Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island combined but has fewer than 330,000 inhabitants. They are sometimes called "Yoopers" (from "U.P.'ers"), and their speech (the "Yooper dialect") has been heavily influenced by the numerousScandinavianand Canadian immigrants who settled the area during the lumbering andmining boomof the late 19th century.

TheLower Peninsulais shaped like a mitten and many residents hold up a hand to depict where they are from.^[41]It is 277 miles (446 km) long from north to south and 195 miles (314 km) from east to west and occupies nearly two-thirds of the state's land area. The surface of the peninsula is generally level, broken by conical hills and glacialmorainesusually not more than a few hundred feet tall. It is divided by a low water divide running north and south. The larger portion of the state is on the west of this and gradually slopes toward Lake Michigan. The highest point in the Lower Peninsula is either Briar Hill at 1,705 feet (520 m), or one of several points nearby in the vicinity ofCadillac. The lowest point is the surface of Lake Erie at 571 feet (174 m).

The geographic orientation of Michigan's peninsulas makes for a long distance between the ends of the state.Ironwood, in the far western Upper Peninsula, lies 630 miles (1,010 kilometers) by highway fromLambertvillein the Lower Peninsula's southeastern corner. The geographic isolation of the Upper Peninsula from Michigan's political and population centers makes the region culturally and economically distinct. Frequent attempts to establish the Upper Peninsula asits own statehave failed to gain traction.^[42][43]

A feature of Michigan that gives it the distinct shape of a mitten isthe Thumb, which projects into Lake Huron, formingSaginaw Bay. Other notable peninsulas of Michigan include theKeweenaw Peninsula, which projects northeasterly into Lake Superior from the Upper Peninsula and largely comprising Michigan'sCopper Countryregion, and theLeelanau Peninsula, projecting from the Lower Peninsula into Lake Michigan, forming Michigan's "little finger".

Numerous lakes andmarshesmark both peninsulas, and the coast is much indented. Keweenaw Bay,Whitefish Bay, and the Big andLittleBays De Noc are the principal indentations on the Upper Peninsula. The Grand andLittle Traverse,Thunder, and Saginaw bays indent the Lower Peninsula. Michigan has the second longest shoreline of any state—3,288 miles (5,292 km),^[44]including 1,056 miles (1,699 km) of island shoreline.^[45]

The state hasnumerous large islands, the principal ones being theNorth ManitouandSouth Manitou,Beaver, andFoxgroups in Lake Michigan;Isle RoyaleandGrande Islein Lake Superior; Marquette,Bois Blanc, andMackinacislands in Lake Huron; andNeebish,Sugar, and Drummond islands inSt. Mary's River. Michigan has about 150lighthouses, the most of any U.S. state.^[46]The first lighthouses in Michigan were built between 1818 and 1822. They were built to project light at night and to serve as a landmark during the day to safely guide the passenger ships and freighters traveling the Great Lakes (see:lighthouses in the United States).

Thestate's riversare generally small, short and shallow, and few are navigable. The principal ones include the Detroit River, St. Marys River, andSt. Clair Riverwhich connect the Great Lakes; theAu Sable,Cheboygan, andSaginaw, which flow into Lake Huron; theOntonagon, andTahquamenon, which flow into Lake Superior; and theSt. Joseph,Kalamazoo,Grand,Muskegon,Manistee, andEscanaba, which flow into Lake Michigan. The state has 11,037 inland lakes—totaling 1,305 square miles (3,380 km²) of inland water—in addition to 38,575 square miles (99,910 km²) of Great Lakes waters. No point in Michigan is more than six miles (9.7 km) from an inland lake or more than 85 miles (137 km) from one of the Great Lakes.^[47]

The state is home to several areas maintained by theNational Park Serviceincluding:Isle Royale National Park, in Lake Superior, about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Other nationalprotected areasin the state include:Keweenaw National Historical Park,Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore,Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore,Huron National Forest,Manistee National Forest,Hiawatha National Forest,Ottawa National ForestandFather Marquette National Memorial. The largest section of theNorth Country National Scenic Trailpasses through Michigan.

With 78state parks, 19 state recreation areas, and sixstate forests, Michigan has the largest state park andstate forestsystem of any state.

Michigan has acontinental climatewith two distinct regions. The southern and central parts of the Lower Peninsula (south of Saginaw Bay and from the Grand Rapids area southward) have a warmer climate (Köppen climate classificationDfa) with hot summers and cold winters. The northern part of the Lower Peninsula and the entire Upper Peninsula has a more severe climate (KöppenDfb), with warm, but shorter summers and longer, cold to very cold winters. Some parts of the state average high temperatures below freezing from December through February, and into early March in the far northern parts. During the winter through the middle of February, the state is frequently subjected to heavylake-effect snow. The state averages from 30 to 40 inches (76 to 102 cm) of precipitation annually; however, some areas in the northern lower peninsula and the upper peninsula average almost 160 inches (4,100 mm) of snowfall per year.^[48]Michigan's highest recorded temperature is 112 °F (44 °C) atMioon July 13, 1936, and the coldest recorded temperature is −51 °F (−46 °C) atVanderbilton February 9, 1934.^[49]

The state averages 30 days of thunderstorm activity per year. These can be severe, especially in the southern part of the state. The state averages 17tornadoesper year, which are more common in the state's extreme southern section. Portions of the southern border have been almost as vulnerable historically as states further west and inTornado Alley. For this reason, many communities in the very southern portions of the state have tornado sirens to warn residents of approaching tornadoes. Farther north, in Central Michigan, Northern Michigan, and the Upper Peninsula, tornadoes are rare.^[50][51]

The geological formation of the state is greatly varied, with theMichigan Basinbeing the most major formation. Primary boulders are found over the entire surface of the Upper Peninsula (being principally of primitive origin), while Secondary deposits cover the entire Lower Peninsula. The Upper Peninsula exhibits LowerSiluriansandstones, limestones, copper and iron bearing rocks, corresponding to the Huronian system ofCanada. The central portion of the Lower Peninsula contains coal measures and rocks of thePennsylvanianperiod.Devonianand sub-Carboniferous deposits are scattered over the entire state.

Michigan rarely experiencesearthquakes, and those that it does experience are generally smaller ones that do not cause significant damage. A 4.6-magnitude earthquake struck in August 1947. More recently, a 4.2-magnitude earthquake occurred on Saturday, May 2, 2015, shortly after noon, about five miles south ofGalesburg, Michigan(9 miles southeast ofKalamazoo) in central Michigan, about 140 miles west of Detroit, according to the Colorado-basedU.S. Geological Survey'sNational Earthquake Information Center. No major damage or injuries were reported, according to then-GovernorRick Snyder's office.^[52]

State government is decentralized among three tiers—statewide, county andtownship. Counties are administrative divisions of the state, and townships are administrative divisions of a county. Both of them exercise state government authority, localized to meet the particular needs of their jurisdictions, as provided by state law. There are 83counties in Michigan.^[53]

Cities,state universities, and villages are vested withhome rulepowers of varying degrees. Home rule cities can generally do anything not prohibited by law. The fifteen state universities have broad power and can do anything within the parameters of their status as educational institutions that is not prohibited by the state constitution. Villages, by contrast, have limited home rule and are not completely autonomous from the county and township in which they are located.

There are two types of township in Michigan:general lawtownship andcharter.Charter townshipstatus was created by the Legislature in 1947 and grants additional powers and stream-lined administration in order to provide greater protection against annexation by a city. As of April 2001^[update], there were 127 charter townships in Michigan. In general, charter townships have many of the same powers as a city but without the same level of obligations. For example, a charter township can have its own fire department, water and sewer department, police department, and so on—just like a city—but it is notrequiredto have those things, whereas citiesmustprovide those services. Charter townships can opt to use county-wide services instead, such as deputies from the county sheriff's office instead of a home-based force of ordinance officers.

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1800	3,757		—
1810	4,762		26.8%
1820	7,452		56.5%
1830	28,004		275.8%
1840	212,267		658.0%
1850	397,654		87.3%
1860	749,113		88.4%
1870	1,184,059		58.1%
1880	1,636,937		38.2%
1890	2,093,890		27.9%
1900	2,420,982		15.6%
1910	2,810,173		16.1%
1920	3,668,412		30.5%
1930	4,842,325		32.0%
1940	5,256,106		8.5%
1950	6,371,766		21.2%
1960	7,823,194		22.8%
1970	8,875,083		13.4%
1980	9,262,078		4.4%
1990	9,295,297		0.4%
2000	9,938,444		6.9%
2010	9,883,640		−0.6%
2020	10,077,331		2.0%
2023 (est.)	10,037,261		−0.4%
Sources: 1910–2020[55] 2022[56]

Since1800 U.S. census, Michigan has experienced relatively positive and stable population growth trends; beginning with a population of 3,757, the2010 censusrecorded 9,883,635 residents. At the2020 United States census, its population was 10,077,331, an increase of 2.03% since 2010's tabulation. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, it is the third-most populous state in theMidwestand itsEast North Centralsubregion, behind Ohio and Illinois.

Thecenter of populationof Michigan is inShiawassee County, in the southeastern corner of the civil township ofBennington, which is northwest of the village ofMorrice.^[57]

According to theAmerican Immigration Councilin 2019, an estimated 6.8% of Michiganders were immigrants, while 3.8% were native-born U.S. citizens with at least one immigrant parent.^[58]Numbering approximately 678,255 according to the 2019 survey, the majority of Michigander immigrants came from Mexico (11.5%), India (11.3%), Iraq (7.5%), China (5.3%), and Canada (5.3%); the primary occupations of its immigrants were technology, agriculture, and healthcare. Among its immigrant cohort, there were 108,105 undocumented immigrants, making up 15.9% of the total immigrant population.^[58]

According toHUD's 2022Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 8,206homelesspeople in Michigan.^[59][60]

Michigan racial breakdown of population

Self-identified race	1970[61]	1990[61]	2000[62]	2010[63]	2020[64]
White American	88.3%	83.4%	80.1%	78.9%	73.9%
Black or African American	11.2%	13.9%	14.2%	14.2%	13.7%
Asian American	0.2%	1.1%	1.8%	2.4%	3.3%
American Indian	0.2%	0.6%	0.6%	0.6%	0.6%
Native Hawaiianand other Pacific Islander	—	—	—	—	—
Other race	0.2%	0.9%	1.3%	1.5%	2.2%
Two or more races	—	—	1.9%	2.3%	6.3%

Since colonial European and American settlement, the majority of Michigan's population has been predominantlynon-Hispanic or non-Latino white;Americans of European descentlive throughout every county in the state, and most of Metro Detroit. Large European American groups include those ofGerman,British,Irish,PolishandBelgianancestry.^[65]ScandinavianandFinnish Americanshave a notable presence in the Upper Peninsula.^[66]Western Michiganis known for itsDutchheritage, especially inHollandand metropolitan Grand Rapids.^[67]

Black and African Americans—coming to Detroit and other northern cities in the Great Migration of the early 20th century—have formed a majority of the population in Detroit and other cities includingFlintandBenton Harbor. Since the 2021 census estimates—while Detroit was still the largest city in Michigan with a majority black population—it was no longer the largest black-majority city in the U.S., citing crime and higher-paying jobs given to whites.^[68][69]

As of 2007^[update], about 300,000 people inSoutheastern Michigantrace their descent from the Middle East and Asia.^[70]Dearbornhas a sizeableArab Americancommunity, with manyAssyrian/Chaldean/Syriac, andLebanesewho immigrated for jobs in the auto industry in the 1920s, along with more recentYemenisandIraqis.^[71]As of 2007^[update], almost 8,000Hmong peoplelived in the state of Michigan, about double their 1999 presence in the state.^[72]Most lived in northeastern Detroit, but they had been increasingly moving to Pontiac and Warren.^[73]By 2015, the number of Hmong in the Detroit city limits had significantly declined.^[74]Lansing hosts a statewide Hmong New Year Festival.^[73]The Hmong community also had a prominent portrayal in the 2008 filmGran Torino, which was set in Detroit.

As of 2015^[update], 80% of Michigan's Japanese population lived in the counties of Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne in the Detroit and Ann Arbor areas.^[75]As of April 2013^[update], the largest Japanese national population is inNovi, with 2,666 Japanese residents, and the next largest populations are respectively in Ann Arbor,West Bloomfield Township,Farmington Hills, andBattle Creek. The state has 481 Japanese employment facilities providing 35,554 local jobs. 391 of them are in Southeast Michigan, providing 20,816 jobs, and the 90 in other regions in the state provide 14,738 jobs. The Japanese Direct Investment Survey of theConsulate-General of Japan, Detroitstated more than 2,208 additional Japanese residents were employed in the State of Michigan as of 1 October 2012^[update], than in 2011.^[76]During the 1990s, the Japanese population of Michigan experienced an increase, and many Japanese people with children moved to particular areas for their proximity to Japanese grocery stores and high-performing schools.^[75]

In 2010, about 91.11% (8,507,947) of Michigan residents age five and older spoke onlyEnglishat home, while 2.93% (273,981) spokeSpanish, 1.04% (97,559)Arabic, 0.44% (41,189)German, 0.36% (33,648)Chinese(which includesMandarin), 0.31% (28,891)French, 0.29% (27,019)Polish, andSyriac languages(such asModern AramaicandNortheastern Neo-Aramaic) was spoken as amain languageby 0.25% (23,420) of the population over the age of five. In total, 8.89% (830,281) of Michigan's population age five and older spoke amother languageother than English.^[77]Since 2021, 90.1% of residents aged five and older spoke only English at home, and Spanish was the second-most spoken language with 2.9% of the population speaking it.^[78]

FollowingBritishandFrench colonizationof the region surrounding Michigan,Christianitybecame the dominant religion, withRoman Catholicismhistorically being the largest single Christian group for the state. Until the 19th century, the Roman Catholic Church was the only organized religious group in Michigan, reflecting the territory's French colonial roots. Detroit's St. Anne's parish, established in 1701 by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, is the second-oldest Roman Catholic parish in the United States.^[80]On March 8, 1833, theHoly Seeformally established a diocese in the Michigan territory, which included all of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Dakotas east of the Mississippi River. When Michigan became a state in 1837, the boundary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Detroit was redrawn to coincide with that of the state; the other dioceses were later carved out from the Detroit Diocese but remain part of theEcclesiastical Provinceof Detroit.^[81]SeveralNative American religionshave been practiced in Michigan.

In 2020, there were 1,492,732 adherents of Roman Catholicism.^[82]There's also a significantIndependent Catholicpresence in Metro Detroit, including theEcumenical Catholic Church of Christestablished by Archbishop Karl Rodig; the see of this church operates in a former Roman Catholic parish church.^[83][84][85]

With the introduction of Protestantism to the state, it began to form the largest collective Christian group. In 2010, the Association of Religion Data Archives reported the largest Protestant denomination was theUnited Methodist Churchwith 228,521 adherents;^[86]followed by theLutheran Church–Missouri Synodwith 219,618, and theEvangelical Lutheran Church in Americawith 120,598 adherents. TheChristian Reformed Church in North Americahad almost 100,000 members and more than 230 congregations in Michigan.^[87]TheReformed Church in Americahad 76,000 members and 154 congregations in the state.^[88]By the 2020 study,non- and inter-denominationalProtestant churches formed the largest Protestant group in Michigan, numbering 508,904. The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod grew to become the second-largest single Christian denomination, and United Methodists declined to being the third-largest. The Lutheran Protestant tradition was introduced byGermanand Scandinavian immigrants. Altogether, Baptists numbered 321,581 between theNational Missionary Baptists,National Baptists,American Baptists,Southern Baptists,National Baptists of America,Progressive National Baptists, andFull Gospel Baptists; black Baptists formed the largest constituency.^[82]In West Michigan, Dutch immigrants fled from the specter of religious persecution and famine in the Netherlands around 1850 and settled in and around what is now Holland, Michigan, establishing a "colony" on American soil that fervently held onto Calvinist doctrine that established a significant presence of Reformed churches.^[89]

In the same 2010 survey, Jewish adherents in the state of Michigan were estimated at 44,382, and Muslims at 120,351.^[90]The first Jewish synagogue in the state wasTemple Beth El, founded by twelve German Jewish families in Detroit in 1850.^[91]Islam was introduced by immigrants from the Near East during the 20th century.^[92]Michigan is home to the largest mosque in North America, theIslamic Center of Americain Dearborn. Battle Creek, Michigan, is also the birthplace of theSeventh-day Adventist Church, which was founded on May 21, 1863.^[93][94]

Top publicly traded companies in Michigan according to revenues with state and U.S. rankings
State		Corporation		US
1		General Motors		21
2		Ford		22
3		Dow		82
4		Penske Automotive		143
5		Whirlpool		154
6		Lear		179
7		Rocket Companies		194
8		Stryker		212
9		Kellogg's		222
10		DTE Energy		250
11		Ally		287
12		BorgWarner		295
13		SpartanNash		329
14		Auto-Owners		341
15		Autoliv		392
16		Masco		398
17		CMS Energy		430
Further information: List of Michigan companies Source:Fortune[95]

In 2017, 3,859,949 people in Michigan were employed at 222,553 establishments, according to theU.S. Census Bureau.^[96]

TheU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysisestimated Michigan's Q1 2023gross state productto be $645.293 billion, ranking 14th out of the 50 states.^[97]According to theU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of August 2023^[update], the state'sseasonally adjusted unemployment ratewas estimated at 3.7%.^[98]

Products and services include automobiles, food products, information technology, aerospace, military equipment, furniture, and mining of copper and iron ore.^[quantify]Michigan is the third-largest grower ofChristmas treeswith 60,520 acres (245 km²) of land dedicated to Christmas tree farming in 2007.^[99][100]The beverageVernors Ginger Alewas invented in Michigan in 1866, sharing the title of oldest soft drink withHires Root Beer.Faygowas founded in Detroit on November 4, 1907. Two of the top four pizza chains were founded in Michigan and are headquartered there:Domino's PizzabyTom MonaghanandLittle CaesarsPizza byMike Ilitch. Michigan became the 24thright-to-workstate in the U.S. in 2012, however, in 2023 this law was repealed.^[101]

Since 2009, GM, Ford and Chrysler have managed a significant reorganization of their benefit funds structure after a volatile stock market which followed theSeptember 11 attacksandearly 2000s recessionimpacted their respective U.S. pension and benefit funds (OPEB).^[102]General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler reached agreements with the United Auto Workers Union to transfer the liabilities for their respective health care and benefit funds to a 501(c)(9)Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association(VEBA). Manufacturing in the state grew 6.6% from 2001 to 2006,^[103]but the high speculative price of oil became a factor for the U.S. auto industry during theeconomic crisis of 2008impacting industry revenues. In 2009, GM and Chrysler emerged fromChapter 11restructurings with financing provided in part by the U.S. and Canadian governments.^[104][105]GM began itsinitial public offering(IPO) of stock in 2010.^[106]For 2010, the Big Three domestic automakers have reported significant profits indicating the beginning of rebound.^{[107][108][109][110]}

As of 2002^[update], Michigan ranked fourth in the U.S. in high-tech employment with 568,000 high-tech workers, which includes 70,000 in the automotive industry.^[111]Michigan typically ranks third or fourth in overallresearch and development(R&D) expenditures in the United States.^[112][113]Its research and development, which includes automotive, comprises a higher percentage of the state's overall gross domestic product than for any other U.S. state.^[114]The state is an important source of engineering job opportunities. The domestic auto industry accounts directly and indirectly for one of every ten jobs in the U.S.^[115]

Michigan was second in the U.S. in 2004 for new corporate facilities and expansions. From 1997 to 2004, Michigan was the only state to top the 10,000 mark for the number of major new developments;^[37][116]however, the effects of thelate 2000s recessionhave slowed the state's economy. In 2008, Michigan placed third in a site selection survey among the states for luring new business which measured capital investment and new job creation per one million population.^[117]In August 2009, Michigan and Detroit's auto industry received $1.36 B in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy for the manufacture of electric vehicle technologies which is expected to generate 6,800 immediate jobs and employ 40,000 in the state by 2020.^[118]From 2007 to 2009, Michigan ranked 3rd in the U.S. for new corporate facilities and expansions.^[119][120]

As leading research institutions, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University are important partners in the state's economy and its University Research Corridor.^[121]Michigan's public universities attract more than $1.5 B in research and development grants each year.^[122]TheNational Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratoryis at Michigan State University. Michigan's workforce is well-educated and highly skilled, making it attractive to companies. It has the third highest number of engineering graduates nationally.^[123]

Detroit Metropolitan Airportis one of the nation's most recently expanded and modernized airports with six major runways, and large aircraft maintenance facilities capable of servicing and repairing aBoeing 747and is a major hub forDelta Air Lines. Michigan's schools and colleges rank among the nation's best. The state has maintained its early commitment to public education. The state's infrastructure gives it a competitive edge; Michigan has 38deep water ports.^[124]In 2007, Bank of America announced that it would commit $25 billion to community development in Michigan following its acquisition of LaSalle Bank inTroy.^[125]

Michigan led the nation in job creation improvement in 2010.^[126]

On December 20, 2019, GovernorGretchen Whitmersigned a package of bills into law effectively legalizingonline gamblingactivities in Michigan, which allowed commercial andtribal casinosto apply for internet gaming licenses.^[127]

Michigan's personalincome taxis a flat rate of 4.25%. In addition, 22 cities impose income taxes; rates are set at 1% for residents and 0.5% for non-residents in all but four cities.^[128]Michigan's statesales taxis 6%, though items such as food and medication are exempted.Property taxesare assessed on the local level, but every property owner's local assessment contributes sixmills(a rate of $6 per $1000 of property value) to the statutory State Education Tax. Property taxes are appealable to local boards of review and need the approval of the local electorate to exceed millage rates prescribed by state law and local charters. In 2011, the state repealed its business tax and replaced it with a 6% corporate income tax which substantially reduced taxes on business.^[129][130]Article IX of the Constitution of the State of Michigan also provides limitations on how much the state can tax.

A 6%use taxis levied on goods purchased outside the state (that are brought in and used in state), at parity with the sales tax.^[131]The use tax applies to internet sales/purchases from outside Michigan and is equivalent to the sales tax.^[132]

A wide variety of commodity crops, fruits, and vegetables are grown in Michigan, making it second only to California among US states in the diversity of its agriculture.^[133]The state has 54,800 farms utilizing 10,000,000 acres (40,000 km²) of land which sold $6.49 billion worth of products in 2010.^[134]The most valuable agricultural product is milk. Leading crops include corn, soybeans, flowers, wheat, sugar beets, and potatoes. Livestock in the state included 78,000 sheep, a million cattle, a million hogs, and more than three million chickens. Livestock products accounted for 38% of the value of agricultural products while crops accounted for the majority.

Michigan is a leading grower of fruit in the US, including blueberries,tart cherries, apples, grapes, and peaches.^[135][136]Plums, pears, and strawberries are also grown in Michigan. These fruits are mainly grown inWest Michigandue to the moderating effect of Lake Michigan on the climate. There is also significant fruit production, especially cherries, but also grapes, apples, and other fruits, in northwest Michigan along Lake Michigan. Michigan produceswines, beers and a multitude of processed food products.Kellogg'scereal is based in Battle Creek, Michigan and processes many locally grown foods. Thornapple Valley,Ball Park Franks,Koegel Meat Company, andHebrew Nationalsausage companies are all based in Michigan.

Michigan is home to very fertile land in theSaginaw Valleyand Thumb areas. Products grown there include corn, sugar beets, navy beans, and soybeans. Sugar beet harvesting usually begins the first of October. It takes the sugar factories about five months to process the 3.7 million tons of sugarbeets into 485,000 tons of pure, white sugar.^[137]Michigan's largest sugar refiner,Michigan Sugar Company^[138]is the largest east of the Mississippi River and the fourth largest in the nation. Michigan sugar brand names are Pioneer Sugar and the newly incorporated Big Chief Sugar. Potatoes are grown in Northern Michigan, and corn is dominant in Central Michigan. Alfalfa, cucumbers, and asparagus are also grown.

As of 2011, Michigan's tourists spent $17.2 billion per year in the state, supporting 193,000 tourism jobs.^[139]Michigan's tourism website ranks among the busiest in the nation.^[140]Destinations draw vacationers, hunters, and nature enthusiasts from across the United States and Canada. Michigan is over 50% forest land,^[141]much of it quite remote. The forests, lakes and thousands of miles of beaches are top attractions. Event tourism draws large numbers to occasions like theTulip Time Festivaland theNational Cherry Festival.

In 2006, the Michigan State Board of Education mandated all public schools in the state hold their first day of school after Labor Day, in accordance with the new post-Labor Day school law. A survey found 70% of all tourism business comes directly from Michigan residents, and the Michigan Hotel, Motel, & Resort Association claimed the shorter summer between school years cut into the annual tourism season.^[142]However, a bill introduced in 2023 would cancel this requirement, allowing individual districts to decide when their school year should begin.^[143][144]

Tourism in metropolitan Detroitdraws visitors to leading attractions, especiallyThe Henry Ford, theDetroit Institute of Arts, theDetroit Zoo, and tosports in Detroit. Other museums include theDetroit Historical Museum, theCharles H. Wright Museum of African American History, museums in theCranbrook Educational Community, and theArab American National Museum. The metro area offers four major casinos,MGM Grand Detroit,Hollywood Casino,Motor City, andCaesars Windsorin Windsor, Ontario, Canada; moreover, Detroit is the largest American city and metropolitan region to offer casino resorts.^[145]

Hunting and fishing are significant industries in the state. Charter boats are based in many Great Lakes cities to fish for salmon, trout, walleye, and perch. Michigan ranks first in the nation in licensed hunters (over one million) who contribute $2 billion annually to its economy. More than three-quarters of a million hunters participate inwhite-tailed deerseason alone. Many school districts in rural areas of Michigan cancel school on the opening day of firearm deer season, because of attendance concerns.^{[citation needed]}

Michigan's Department of Natural Resources manages the largest dedicated state forest system in the nation. The forest products industry and recreational users contribute $12 billion and 200,000 associated jobs annually to the state's economy. Public hiking and hunting access has also been secured in extensive commercial forests. The state has the highest number of golf courses and registeredsnowmobilesin the nation.^[146]

The state has numeroushistorical markers, which can themselves become the center of a tour.^[147]TheGreat Lakes Circle Touris a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.^[148]

With its position in relation to the Great Lakes and the countless ships that have foundered over the many years they have been used as a transport route for people and bulk cargo, Michigan is a world-class scuba diving destination. TheMichigan Underwater Preservesare 11 underwater areas where wrecks are protected for the benefit of sport divers.

Michigan music is known for three music trends: earlypunk rock, Motown/soul music andtechno music. Michigan musicians includeTally Hall,Bill Haley & His Comets,the Supremes,the Marvelettes,the Temptations,the Four Tops,Stevie Wonder,Marvin Gaye"The Prince of Soul",Smokey Robinson and the Miracles,Aretha Franklin,Mary Wells,Tommy James and the Shondells,? and the Mysterians,Al Green,The Spinners,Grand Funk Railroad,the Stooges, theMC5,the Knack,Madonna"The Queen of Pop",Bob Seger,Jack Scott,Ray Parker Jr.,Jackie Wilson,Aaliyah,Eminem,Babytron,Kid Rock,Jack WhiteandMeg White(the White Stripes),Big Sean,Alice Cooper,Greta Van Fleet,Mustard Plug, andDel Shannon.^[149]

Major theaters in Michigan include theFox Theatre,Music Hall,Gem Theatre,Masonic Temple Theatre, theDetroit Opera House,Fisher Theatre,The Fillmore Detroit,Saint Andrew's Hall,Majestic Theater, andOrchestra Hall.

TheNederlander Organization, the largest controller of Broadway productions in New York City, originated in Detroit.^[150]

Michigan's major-league sports teams include:Detroit Tigersbaseball team,Detroit Lionsfootballteam,Detroit Red Wingsice hockeyteam, and theDetroit Pistonsmen's basketball team. All of Michigan's major league teams play in the Metro Detroit area. The state also has a professional second-tier (USL Championship) soccer team inDetroit City FC, which plays its home games atKeyworth StadiuminHamtramck, Michigan.

The Pistons played at Detroit'sCobo Arenauntil 1978 and at thePontiac Silverdomeuntil 1988 when they moved intoThe Palace of Auburn Hills. In 2017, the team moved to the newly builtLittle Caesars Arenain downtown Detroit. The Detroit Lions played atTiger Stadiumin Detroit until 1974, then moved to the Pontiac Silverdome where they played for 27 years between 1975 and 2002 before moving toFord Fieldin Detroit in 2002. The Detroit Tigers played at Tiger Stadium (formerly known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium) from 1912 to 1999. In 2000 they moved toComerica Park. The Red Wings played atOlympia Stadiumbefore moving toJoe Louis Arenain 1979. They later moved to Little Caesars Arena to join the Pistons as tenants in 2017. Professional hockey got its start in 1903 inHoughton,^[151]when the Portage Lakers were formed.^[152]

TheMichigan International Speedwayis the site ofNASCARraces and Detroit was formerly the site of a Formula One World ChampionshipGrand Prixrace. From 1959 to 1961,Detroit Dragwayhosted theNHRA's U.S. Nationals.^[153]Michigan is home to one of the major canoeing marathons: the 120-mile (190 km)Au Sable River Canoe Marathon. ThePort Huron to Mackinac Boat Raceis also a favorite.

Twenty-time Grand Slam championSerena Williamswas born in Saginaw. The2011 World Champion for Women's Artistic Gymnastics,Jordyn Wieberis from DeWitt. Wieber was also a member of thegold medal teamat the London Olympics in 2012.

Collegiate sports in Michigan are popular in addition to professional sports. The state's two largest athletic programs are theMichigan WolverinesandMichigan State Spartans, which play in theNCAABig Ten Conference.Michigan Stadiumin Ann Arbor, home to theMichigan Wolverines footballteam, is thelargest stadium in the Western Hemisphereand the third-largest stadium worldwide.

TheMichigan High School Athletic Associationfeatures around 300,000 participants.

Michigan's education system serves 1.6 million K-12 students in public schools. More than 124,000 students attend private schools and an uncounted number arehomeschooledunder certain legal requirements.^[154][155]The public school system had a $14.5 billion budget in 2008–09.^[156]From 2009 to 2019, over 200private schoolsin Michigan closed, partly due to competition fromcharter schools.^[157]In 2022,U.S. News & World Reportrated three Michigan high schools among the nation's 100 best:City High Middle School(18th), theInternational Academy of Macomb(21st), and theInternational Academy(52nd).Washtenaw International High Schoolranked 107th.^[158]

TheUniversity of Michiganis Michigan's oldest higher educational institution and among the oldestresearch universitiesin the nation. It was founded in 1817, 20 years beforeMichigan Territoryachieved statehood.^[159][160]Kalamazoo Collegeis the state's oldest private liberal arts college, founded in 1833 by a group ofBaptistministers as the Michigan and Huron Institute. From 1840 to 1850, the college operated as the Kalamazoo Branch of the University of Michigan.Methodistsettlers inSpring Arbor TownshipfoundedAlbion Collegein 1835. It is the state's second-oldest private liberal arts college.

Michigan Technological Universityis the first post-secondary institution in theUpper Peninsula of Michigan, founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School.Eastern Michigan Universitywas founded in 1849 as the Michigan State Normal School for the training of teachers. It was the nation's fourth-oldestnormal schooland the first U.S. normal school outsideNew England. In 1899, the Michigan State Normal School became the nation's first normal school to offer a four-year curriculum.Michigan State Universitywas founded in 1855 as the nation's firstagricultural college.

TheCarnegie Foundationclassifies eight of the state's institutions (Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Eastern Michigan University,Wayne State University,Central Michigan University,Western Michigan University,Oakland University, University of Michigan) asresearch universities.^[161]

In 2020, Michigan consumed 113,740-gigawatt-hours(GWh) of electrical energy and produced 116,700 (GWh) of electrical energy.^[162]

Coal poweris Michigan's leading source of electricity, producing roughly half its supply or 53,100 GWh of electrical energy (12.6 GW total capacity) in 2020.^[162]Although Michigan has no active coal mines, coal is easily moved from other states by train and across theGreat Lakesbylake freighters. The lower price of natural gas is leading to the closure of most coal plants, with Consumer Energy planning to close all of its remaining coal plants by 2025;^[163]DTE plans to retire 2100MW of coal power by 2023.^[164]The coal-firedMonroe Power PlantinMonroe, on the western shore ofLake Erie, is the nation's 11th-largest electric plant, with a net capacity of 3,400 MW.

Nuclear poweris also a significant source of electrical power in Michigan, producing roughly one-quarter of the state's supply or 28,000-gigawatt-hours(GWh) of electrical energy (4.3 GW total capacity) in 2020.^[162]The three active nuclear power plants supply Michigan with about 26% of its electricity.Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, just north ofBridgman, is the state's largestnuclear power plant, with a net capacity of 2,213 MW. TheEnrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Stationis the second-largest, with a net capacity of 1,150 MW. It is also one of the two nuclear power plants in theDetroit metropolitan area(within a 50-mile radius of Detroit's city center), about halfway betweenDetroitandToledo, Ohio, the other being theDavis–Besse Nuclear Power Station, inOttawa County, Ohio. ThePalisades Nuclear Power Plant, south ofSouth Haven, closed in May 2022.^[165]TheBig Rock Point Nuclear Power Plant, Michigan's first nuclear power plant and the nation's fifth, was decommissioned in 1997.

Utility companies were required to generate at least 10% of their energy from renewable sources by 2015, under Public Act 295 of 2008. In 2016, the legislature set another mandate to reach at least 12.5% renewable energy by 2019 and 15% by end of year 2021, which all utilities subject to the law successfully met. By the end of 2022, Michigan had at least 6 GW of renewable generating capacity, and was projected to have at least 8 GW by the end of 2026. Wind energy accounted for 59% of all Michigan energy credits in 2021.^[166][167]

Michigan has nine international road crossings with Ontario, Canada:

• Ambassador Bridge, North America's busiest international border, crossing the Detroit River
• Blue Water Bridge, a twin-span bridge (Port Huron, Michigan, andPoint Edward, Ontario, but the larger city ofSarniais usually referred to on the Canadian side)
• Blue Water Ferry (Marine City, Michigan, and Sombra, Ontario)
• Canadian Pacific Railway tunnel
• Detroit–Windsor Truck Ferry(Detroit andWindsor)
• Detroit–Windsor Tunnel
• International Bridge(Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, andSault Ste. Marie, Ontario)
• St. Clair River Railway Tunnel(Port Huron and Sarnia)
• Walpole IslandFerry (Algonac, Michigan, andWalpole IslandFirst Nation, Ontario)

TheGordie Howe International Bridge, a second international bridge between Detroit and Windsor, is under construction. It is expected to be completed in 2024.^{[168][169][170]}

Michigan is served by fourClass I railroads: theCanadian National Railway, theCanadian Pacific Railway,CSX Transportation, and theNorfolk Southern Railway. These are augmented by several dozenshort line railroads. The vast majority of rail service in Michigan is devoted tofreight, with Amtrak and various scenic railroads the exceptions.^[171]

ThreeAmtrakpassenger rail routes serve the state. ThePere Marquettefrom Chicago to Grand Rapids, theBlue Waterfrom Chicago to Port Huron, and theWolverinefrom Chicago to Pontiac. There are plans forcommuter railfor Detroit and its suburbs (seeSEMCOG Commuter Rail).^{[172][173][174]}

• Interstate 75(I-75) is the main thoroughfare between Detroit, Flint, andSaginawextending north toSault Ste. Marieand providing access to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The freeway crosses theMackinac Bridgebetween the Lower and Upper Peninsulas. Auxiliary highways includeI-275andI-375in Detroit;I-475in Flint; andI-675in Saginaw.
• I-69enters the state near the Michigan–Ohio–Indiana border, and it extends toPort Huronand provides access to theBlue Water Bridgecrossing intoSarnia, Ontario.
• I-94enters the western end of the state at the Indiana border, and it travels east to Detroit and then northeast to Port Huron and ties in with I-69.I-194branches off from this freeway in Battle Creek. I-94 is the main artery between Chicago and Detroit.
• I-96runs east–west between Detroit andMuskegon.I-496loops through Lansing.I-196branches off from this freeway at Grand Rapids and connects to I-94 near Benton Harbor.I-696branches off from this freeway atNoviand connects to I-94 nearSt. Clair Shores.
• U.S. Highway 2(U.S. 2) enters Michigan at the city ofIronwoodand travels east to the town ofCrystal Falls, where it turns south and briefly re-enters Wisconsin northwest ofFlorence. It re-enters Michigan north ofIron Mountainand continues through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the cities ofEscanaba,Manistique, andSt. Ignace. Along the way, it cuts through theOttawaandHiawathanational forests and follows the northern shore of Lake Michigan. Its eastern terminus lies at exit 344 on I-75, just north of the Mackinac Bridge.
• U.S. Highway 23enters Michigan at the Ohio state line in the suburban spillover ofToledo, Ohio, as a freeway and leads northward to Ann Arbor before merging with I-75 just south of Flint. Concurrent with I-75 through Flint, Saginaw, and Bay City, it splits from I-75 atStandishas an intermittently four lane/two-lane surface road closely following the western shore of Lake Huron generally northward through Alpena before turning west to northwest toward Mackinaw City and Interstate 75 again, where it terminates.
• U.S. Highway 31enters Michigan as Interstate-quality freeway at the Indiana state line just northwest of South Bend, Indiana, heads north to Interstate 196 near Benton Harbor, and follows the eastern shore of Lake Michigan to Mackinaw City, where it has its northern terminus.
• U.S. Highway 127enters Michigan from Ohio south ofHudsonas a two-lane, undivided highway and closely follows theMichigan meridian, the principal north–south line used to survey Michigan in the early 19th century. It passes north throughJacksonand Lansing before terminating south ofGraylingat I-75, and is a four-lane freeway for the majority of its course.
• U.S. Highway 131has its southern terminus at the Indiana Toll Road roughly one mile south of the Indiana state line as a two-lane surface road. It passes through Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids as a freeway of Interstate standard and continues as such toManton, where it reverts to two-lane surface road to its northern terminus at U.S. 31 in Petoskey.

• Amtrak Thruway
• Barons Bus Lines
• Flixbus
• Greyhound Lines
• Indian Trails
• Megabus

Detroit Metropolitan Airportin the western suburb ofRomulus, was in 2010 the 16th busiest airfield in North America measured by passenger traffic.^[175]TheGerald R. Ford International Airportin Grand Rapids is the next busiest airport in the state, served by eight airlines to 23 destinations. FlintBishop International Airportis the third largest airport in the state, served by four airlines to several primary hubs. Other frequently trafficked airports includeCherry Capital Airport, in Traverse City;Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport, serving the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek region;Capital Region International Airport, located outside of Lansing; andMBS International Airportserving theMidland,Bay Cityand Saginaw tri-city region. Additionally, smaller regional and local airports are located throughout the state including on several islands.

Michigan is governed as a republic, with threebranches of government: theexecutive branchconsisting of theGovernor of Michiganand the other independently elected constitutional officers; thelegislative branchconsisting of theHouse of RepresentativesandSenate; and thejudicial branch. TheMichigan Constitutionallows for the direct participation of the electorate by statutoryinitiativeandreferendum,recall, and constitutional initiative andreferral(Article II, § 9,^[176]defined as "the power to propose laws and to enact and reject laws, called the initiative, and the power to approve or reject laws enacted by the legislature, called the referendum. The power of initiative extends only to laws which the legislature may enact under this constitution").Lansingis thestate capitaland is home to all three branches of state government.

The governor and the other state constitutional officers serve four-year terms and may be re-elected only once. The current governor isGretchen Whitmer. Michigan has two officialGovernor's Residences; one is in Lansing, and the other is onMackinac Island. The other constitutionally elected executive officers are thelieutenant governor, who is elected on a joint ticket with the governor; thesecretary of state; and theattorney general. The lieutenant governor presides over the Senate (voting only in case of a tie) and is also a member of the cabinet. The secretary of state is the chief elections officer and is charged with running many licensure programs including motor vehicles, all of which are done through the branch offices of the secretary of state.

TheMichigan Legislatureconsists of a 38-member Senate and 110-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the legislature are elected throughfirst past the postelections by single-member electoral districts of near-equal population that often have boundaries which coincide with county and municipal lines. Senators serve four-year terms concurrent to those of the governor, while representatives serve two-year terms. TheMichigan State Capitolwas dedicated in 1879 and has hosted the executive and legislative branches of the state ever since.

The Michigan judiciary consists of two courts with primary jurisdiction (the Circuit Courts and the District Courts), one intermediate level appellate court (theMichigan Court of Appeals), and theMichigan Supreme Court. There are several administrative courts and specialized courts. District courts are trial courts oflimited jurisdiction, handling most traffic violations, small claims,misdemeanors, and civil suits where the amount contended is below $25,000. District courts are often responsible for handling the preliminary examination and for setting bail in felony cases. District court judges are elected to terms of six years. In a few locations, municipal courts have been retained to the exclusion of the establishment of district courts. There are 57 circuit courts in the State of Michigan, which haveoriginal jurisdictionover all civil suits where the amount contended in the case exceeds $25,000 and all criminal cases involvingfelonies. Circuit courts are also the only trial courts in the State of Michigan which possess the power to issueequitable remedies. Circuit courts haveappellate jurisdictionfrom district and municipal courts, as well as from decisions and decrees of state agencies. Most counties have their own circuit court, but sparsely populated counties often share them. Circuit court judges are elected to terms of six years. State appellate court judges are elected to terms of six years, but vacancies are filled by an appointment by the governor. There are four divisions of the Court of Appeals in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Marquette. Cases are heard by the Court of Appeals by panels of three judges, who examine the application of the law and not the facts of the case unless there has been grievous error pertaining to questions of fact. The Michigan Supreme Court consists of seven members who are elected on non-partisan ballots for staggered eight-year terms. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction only in narrow circumstances but holds appellate jurisdiction over the entire state judicial system.

Michigan has had four constitutions, the first of which was ratified on October5 and 6, 1835.^[177]There were also constitutions from 1850 and 1908, in addition to the current constitution from 1963. The current document has a preamble, 11 articles, and one section consisting of a schedule and temporary provisions. Michigan, like every U.S. state exceptLouisiana, has acommon lawlegal system.

Having been aDemocratic-leaning state at the presidential level since the 1990s, Michigan has evolved into aswing stateafterDonald Trumpwon the state in2016. Governors since the 1970s have alternated between the Democrats andRepublicans, and statewide offices includingattorney general,secretary of state, andsenatorhave been held by members of both parties in varying proportion. Additionally, from1994until2022, the governor-elect had always come from the party opposite the presidency. The Democratic Party has a slim majority of two seats in the Senate of theMichigan Legislature, and the House is currently deadlocked at 54 seats for each party. The state'scongressional delegationis commonly split, with one party or the other typically holding a narrow majority.

Michigan was the home ofGerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States. Born in Nebraska, he moved as an infant to Grand Rapids.^[178][179]TheGerald R. Ford Museumis in Grand Rapids, and theGerald R. Ford Presidential Libraryis on the campus of his alma mater, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

In a 2020 study, Michigan was ranked as the 13th easiest state for citizens to vote in.^[180]

Michigan is traditionally known as "The Wolverine State", and the University of Michigan uses the wolverine as its mascot. The association is well and long established: for example, many Detroiters volunteered to fight during the American Civil War andGeorge Armstrong Custer, who led the Michigan Brigade, called them the "Wolverines". The origins of this association are obscure; it may derive from a busy trade in wolverine furs in Sault Ste. Marie in the 18th century or may recall a disparagement intended to compare early settlers in Michigan with the vicious mammal. Wolverines are, however, extremely rare in Michigan. A sighting in February 2004 nearUblywas the first confirmed sighting in Michigan in 200 years.^[181]The animal was found dead in 2010.^[182]

• Shiga Prefecture, Japan^[186]
• Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China^[187]

• Index of Michigan-related articles
• Outline of Michigan: organized list of topics about Michigan
• USSMichigan, 3 ships

• Geographic data related toMichiganatOpenStreetMap
• State of Michigan government websiteArchivedNovember 19, 2021, at theWayback Machine
• Energy Data & Statistics for Michigan
• Info Michigan, detailed information on 630 citiesArchivedApril 25, 2024, at theWayback Machine
• Michigan Historic MarkersArchivedDecember 3, 2023, at theWayback Machine
• Historical Society of MichiganArchivedApril 25, 2024, at theWayback Machine
• Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliographies for Michigan by region, counties, etc.ArchivedMarch 27, 2013, at theWayback Machine.
• Michigan State Guide from the Library of CongressArchivedNovember 19, 2020, at theWayback Machine
• Michigan Official Travel SiteArchivedApril 25, 2024, at theWayback Machine
• Michigan Official Business SiteArchivedApril 25, 2024, at theWayback Machine
• Michigan Official Talent SiteArchivedApril 30, 2024, at theWayback Machine
• Michigan State Fact SheetArchivedAugust 24, 2016, at theWayback Machinefrom the US Department of Agriculture
• The Michigan Municipal LeagueArchivedApril 26, 2024, at theWayback Machine
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Michigan
• MichiganatCurlie

Preceded by Arkansas

List of U.S. states by date of statehood Admitted on January 26, 1837 (26th)

Succeeded by Florida

44°N85°W / 44°N 85°W /44; -85 (State of Michigan)