Last updated on June 16th, 2024
Michigan is the 10th most populous and the 11th most extensive of the 50 states of the United States. It lies in the Great Lakes and Midwestern regions of the United States. The state attained statehood on January 26, 1837, becoming the 26th state to join the union. Its five bordering states are Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota (water border). See the full list of the 50 states and their borders here. Michigan (nicknamed: Great Lakes State) has 83 counties. The state’s capital is Lansing. The abbreviation for Michigan is MI.
Interesting facts about Michigan
1. The name of the state is derived from the word michi-gama (a Chippewa word), meaning “large lake.”
2. Michigan is the only state in the U.S which consists of two peninsulas – the Lower (mainly an industrial area) and Upper Peninsulas (sparsely populated but mineral-rich).
3. Citing cultural differences and political neglect, some wanted to make the Upper Peninsula a separate state called “Superior” — a nod to the nearby Lake Superior. In 1957, the peninsulas were finally connected by the Mackinac Bridge. It diffused the tension and brought closer ties.
4. Mount Arvon, the state’s highest point lies in the Upper Peninsula. More than 40% of the state is covered in water, which is more than any other state.
5. The Porcupine Mountains: the “Porkies”, as the locals call it, are small mountains in the northwest. The natives came up with the name because the landscape’s silhouette resembles a crouching porcupine. In 1945, it was established as a state park to protect the forest and the wild animals.
Michigan with bordering states
6. Comparatively, Michigan has more surface area than Illinois (one of its bordering states) but has less population.
7. Michigan is Great Lakes country. Michigan has its border with four (Superior, Huron, Michigan, and Erie) of the five Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario).
8. Michigan has an estimated 65,000 inland lakes and ponds. This puts any person in the state within a distance of six miles from a natural water source.
9. Scientists have estimated that there are around 1500 shipwrecks beneath the waters of Lake Michigan. The Lake reaches nearly 1000 feet at its deepest point and is filled with wreckage of a time past.
10. The largest and most famous shipwreck in the Great Lakes district was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which went down on November 10, 1975. The ship sank in Lake Superior, and the lives of 29 men were lost.
11. With many urban legends surrounding the lake Erie, the most popular and well-known is the legend of Bessie. Bessie is said to be a lake monster that resembles a snake and is between 16 and 60 feet long. She was first spotted in 1793.
Michigan on the map
12. Michigan is home to Twiggy – the water-skiing squirrels. Squirrels are known to be overachievers in Michigan and have been given their own mini Winter Olympics by the locals.
13. In the depths of Little Traverse Bay near Petoskey, there’s an underwater crucifix known as the “Cross in the Woods,” which was placed as a memorial in the 1960s.
14. Michigan has 36,350 miles of rivers.
15. Michigan also has the nation’s longest freshwater coastline (3,288 miles), and second-longest coastline of any U.S. state, after Alaska.
16. Due to the long shoreline, Michigan needed many lighthouses to guide passing ships. About 150 of them were built since the 1820s — the highest number of lighthouses in the country.
17. Michigan also has a mail delivery boat—J.W. Westcott II–which delivers mails to ships while they are waterborne. It is the only floating ZIP code in the United States. It is addressed “Vessel Name, Marine Post Office, Detroit, Michigan, 48222.”
18. Michigan has one of the world’s longest suspension bridges – the Mackinac Bridge. It is five miles long and connects the Upper Peninsula to the other parts of the state.
19. The Ambassador Bridge, which is a suspension bridge, connects Detroit, Michigan, U.S. and Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
20. The bridge is economically important as it is the busiest international border crossing in North America in terms of trade volume. The bridge is the only privately-owned US-Canada crossing.
21. The state is also home to the world’s largest cement manufacturing plant. The Huron Portland Cement Company started producing cement in Alpena in 1908.
22. Michigan also has the world’s largest limestone quarry located near Rogers City. It is operated by Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company.
23. Michigan is the 16th largest chemical producing state in the U.S., generating $2.5 billion in annual payroll. Every light car produced in the U.S. contains more than $3,500 of chemical products.
24. Michigan is home to one of the largest Amish communities in the U.S. They first settled there in 1895, and their numbers have grown exponentially since then. The Amish community in Michigan now reaches numbers of over 11,000.
25. The Amish first settled in Michigan to escape religious persecution and find land to farm – their primary means of survival. Since 2010, the numbers in Michigan have grown by 45%, and it’s now the sixth-largest Amish community in the United States.
26. Dearborn, Michigan, boasts the largest Arab-American community in the nation. The city features the first Arab-American museum in the country with plenty of exhibits, cultural displays, and literary, artistic, and sculptural works of art.
27. The area also showcases a full variety of Arab and Arab-American owned grocery stores, cafes, restaurants, entertainment venues, and mosques.
28. Grand Rapids, the second-largest city in Michigan after Detroit, was rated as one of the 20 best liveable cities in the U.S. The city takes its name from Grand River, which happens to be Michigan’s largest inland river.
29. Did you know that Michigan is the most expensive state for buying car insurance? According to Insure.com, a Michigan car insurance policy averages $2,611. And Maine ($845) is the cheapest in this regards.
30. The United States of America is the largest producer of blueberries worldwide, with a total production of around 200,000 tons each year. Within the U.S., the bulk of that produce comes from Michigan. The state delivers around 100 million pounds of berries annually.
31. The people of Michigan love their cherry pie, and in 1976, they proved this by baking the biggest cherry pie in the World. The Guinness World Record still stands for the pie that weighed an incredible 28,350 pounds and reached a diameter of over 17 feet.
32. Did you know that the largest sandwich ever made in the world was prepared by Wild Woody’s Chill and Grill, Roseville, Michigan, on 17 March 2005? Now, are you interested in knowing how big it was? Here are its other dimensions: it was 0.44 m thick, 3.6 m long and 3.6 m wide. And it weighed 2467.5 kg.
33. Interestingly, the state is also credited with building the world’s largest snowball measuring 10.04 m in circumference. It was built by the students from ASME Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan on March 29, 2013.
34. The Detroit Zoo in Detroit, Michigan hosts more than 1.5 million visitors annually. This makes it Michigan’s largest paid family attraction. It is home to more than 2,000 animals of 230 species. Moreover, it was the first zoo in the United States to use barless exhibits extensively.
35. Michigan has the world’s largest weather vane. It is 48 feet tall with an arrow 26 feet long.
36. Marquette, Michigan, is home to the world’s largest wooden dome. The Superior Dome is a 5.1-acre facility that houses several sporting and social events throughout the year. It opened its doors in 1991 and cost almost $24 million.
37. The architect of the capitol – Elijah E. Meyers – is the only architect to design the capitol buildings of three U.S. states, Michigan, Texas and Colorado.
38. Did you know that it took 6 years to complete the Michigan Capitol Building? The building has more than nine acres of hand-painted surfaces.
39. Michigan State Capitol is one of only 13 capitol buildings across the country that is officially designated as a national historical landmark.
40. The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island was built by the Masser Family in 1887, and the family-owned the hotel for over 85 years. The hotel is a beautiful old building reminiscent of a time gone, and its claim to fame is its 660-foot porch, the longest porch in the world.
41. According to the Guinness World Records, Michigan is also home to the world’s tallest identical twins Michael and James Lanier (USA) (b. 27 November 1969) from Troy, Michigan, both stand 2.235 m (7 ft 3 in). Their sister Jennifer is 1.57 m (5 ft 2 in) tall.
42. The Michigan State Football team has won 6 national championships (1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, and 1966).
43. The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is regarded as among the top six museums in the United States. The museum has over 100 galleries. It is also amongst the most visited art museums in the world. It was founded in 1885, and it is home to art by masters such as Van Gogh. Rembrandt and Diego Rivera.
44. The world’s largest specimen of float copper was discovered in 1997 on the Quincy Mine claims near Hancock, Northern Michigan by the two landholders when they were searching their property with a metal detector. The specimen was approximately 14 feet long and 12 feet wide, with thickness up to 17 inches. The specimen is estimated to be worth at least $100,000.
45. Michigan’s Adventure amusement park in Muskegon boasts Shivering Timbers, one of the world’s longest wooden roller coasters.
46. Bronner’s Christmas Store – self-proclaimed as the largest Christmas store in the world is one of Michigan’s most iconic retail stores. This winter wonderland is a literal treasure trove and is open to the public for 361 days of the year.
47. Livonia, Michigan, is considered one of the worst speed trap cities in North America. In fact, the town was listed #2 in this category by the National Motorists Association (NMA) in 2012.
48. While this might not fare well with out-of-towners and tourists, this distinction has put Livonia on the map as one of the safest cities for automotive transportation in the nation.
49. Vernors Ginger Ale, created in Detroit in 1866, is considered the oldest surviving ginger ale brand in the United States.
50. The University of Michigan was founded in 1817, making it one of the oldest universities in the United States. It wasn’t until 1841 that the university had college-level classes, and the first graduating class was only in 1845.
51. Flint, Michigan, is home to the Flint Institute of the Arts. The Institute is the second-largest art museum in Michigan and one of the largest art instruction schools in the nation. With courses in graphic design, illustration, web design development, literature, music, and liberal arts, the Institute continues to attract students from across the country and the world.
52. Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan is one of the top 30 public universities in the United States. It was founded in 1855 and today it is one of the largest universities in the United States. It is the top most university in the nation for an undergraduate program in the supply chain.
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