West Michigan Explained

Official Name:West Michigan
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Michigan
Subdivision Type2:Largest city
Subdivision Name2:Grand Rapids
Subdivision Type3:Other cities

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 Michigan shoreline, but there is no official definition.

Definition

In general, "West Michigan" often refers to the area bounded by the cities of Muskegon (in the north), Grand Rapids (in the northeast), Kalamazoo–Battle Creek (in the southeast) and St. Joseph–Benton Harbor (in the southwest). However, definitions of the boundaries of the region vary widely; in some contexts, the term "West Michigan" is applied only to the counties of Allegan, Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa, which together compose the Grand Rapids-Kentwood-Muskegon CSA. Other definitions include the Kalamazoo–Battle Creek and Benton Harbor–St. Joseph regions, which can be considered distinct regions or parts of other regions such as Michiana, Southern Michigan, or Southwest Michigan,[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council. www.swmichigan.org. 6 August 2021.
  2. News: The Newspaper for Southwest Michigan. The Herald-Palladium. 11 March 2021. 4 January 2023. A1. [representative sample]
  3. News: Juliana. Knot. Smaller and Shrinking: Southwest Michigan population decline spells trouble for region's economy. The Herald-Palladium. June 24, 2023. June 24, 2023. subscription.
  4. Web site: Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan.. dioceseofgrandrapids.org. 23 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20080303131529/http://www.dioceseofgrandrapids.org/socialjustice/cathsocserv.html. 3 March 2008. dead.
  5. Web site: M-46 Endpoint Photos.. state-ends.com. 23 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20050414190154/http://www.state-ends.com/michigan/m46/. 14 April 2005. dead.
  6. Web site: About The West Michigan Tourist Association - WMTA. wmta.org. 23 March 2018.
  7. Web site: About the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission. Southwest Michigan Planning Commission Metropolitan planning organization]|access-date=6 August 2021}}[1] [2] the latter according to one definition comprising Berrien County, Cass County, and Van Buren County.[3]

    The northern boundary of the region is also poorly defined; the population density, land use, economic and cultural character, and physical geography most often associated with West Michigan fades in northern Muskegon and Kent Counties, however areas as far north as Ludington and White Cloud may be included because of their close economic ties to the cities to the south. Other areas, such as Montcalm County in the northeast corner of the region, are transitional areas that straddle Michigan regions but are sometimes included for classification purposes. Greenville, in Montcalm County's southwest corner, is closely tied economically with Grand Rapids; however, the northeastern corner, around Vestaburg and Edmore, has historically more closely associated with the cities of Mount Pleasant and Alma, which are almost universally reckoned as part of Central Michigan.

    Geography

    See also List of Michigan state parks and Geography of Michigan.

    Municipalities

    The following table contains the largest municipalities of West Michigan according to the 2010 Census. This defines the region fairly broadly, but not at its most broadly; if Battle Creek were included, it would be ranked fourth.

    RankMunicipalityCountyPopulation
    1Grand RapidsKent198,917
    2WyomingKent76,501
    3KalamazooKalamazoo73,598
    4KentwoodKent54,304
    5Georgetown Charter TownshipOttawa54,091
    6PortageKalamazoo48,891
    7MuskegonMuskegon38,318
    8Holland Charter TownshipOttawa38,276
    9HollandOttawa/Allegan34,378
    10Plainfield Charter TownshipKent33,535
    11Gaines Charter TownshipKent28,812
    12WalkerKent25,132
    13Norton ShoresMuskegon25,030
    14Kalamazoo Charter TownshipKalamazoo21,918
    15Oshtemo Charter TownshipKalamazoo21,705
    16Allendale Charter TownshipOttawa20,708
    17Byron TownshipKent20,317
    18Muskegon Charter TownshipMuskegon17,840
    19Park TownshipOttawa17,802
    20Cascade Charter TownshipKent17,134
    21Grand Rapids Charter TownshipKent16,661
    22GrandvilleKent15,378
    23Grand Haven Charter TownshipOttawa15,178

    Five of the above cities, Wyoming, Kentwood, Portage, Norton Shores, and Walker, are former suburban townships that incorporated in the 1960s in order to prevent annexation by an adjacent city. The presence of these cities in the top ten reflects both the large geographic area of these cities, as well as the long and continuing growth of suburban areas in West Michigan.

    Events

    Attractions

    Universities and colleges

    Business

    Prominent West Michigan corporations include:

    Transportation

    Major airports

    Railways

    Amtrak operates its Pere Marquette service in West Michigan, with daily service between Grand Rapids and Chicago.

    Major roads

    Interstate highways

    US highways

    Michigan highways

    Other

    Notable residents or former residents

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

    See also

    External links

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "West Michigan".

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