Tri-Cities | |
|---|---|
| Saginaw–Midland–Bay City, MI Combined Statistical Area | |
  .jpg) From top to bottom: Saginaw, Midland, Bay City | |
| Nickname: Great Lakes Bay Region | |
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| Coordinates:42°10′21″N85°21′09″W / 42.1724°N 85.3524°W /42.1724; -85.3524 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Largest city | Saginaw |
| Counties | Saginaw Bay Midland |
| Principal cities | Saginaw Midland Bay City |
| Population (2015) | |
| • SaginawMSA | 200,169 |
| • Tri-CitiesCSA | 391,569 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area code | 989 |
TheSaginaw–Midland–Bay City combined statistical area is aUnited States metropolitan area defined by the federalOffice of Management and Budget (OMB) surrounding theSaginaw Bay andSaginaw River. The region is a part of the larger area known asMid/Central Michigan. It includes the smaller statistical areas of Saginaw, Midland, and Bay City.
TheSaginaw Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area consisting ofSaginaw County, anchored by the city ofSaginaw and includingSaginaw Township. As of the2010 census, theMetropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had a population of 200,169.[1]
TheMidland Micropolitan Statistical Area is aMicropolitan Statistical Area anchored by the city ofMidland and surroundingMidland County. As of the2010 census, the Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA) had a population of 83,629.[2]
TheBay City Metropolitan Statistical Area is aMSA anchored by the city ofBay City and surroundingBay County. As of the2010 census, the Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 107,771.[3]
The Saginaw–Midland–Bay City Combined Statistical Area is the 4th largestCSA in theU.S. state ofMichigan. As of the 2010 census, the CSA had a population of 391,569. The CSA combines what is known as theTri-Cities ofSaginaw,Midland, andBay City. It includes Saginaw County in the Saginaw Metropolitan Statistical Area plus one the Metropolitan Statistical Area ofBay County and themicropolitan area ofMidland County.
In January 2009 local community and business leaders began to refer to the Greater Tri-Cities area as theGreat Lakes Bay Region with the hope that a cooperative regional focus could spur economic development in the area.[4] The term Great Lakes Bay region refers to the counties of Bay, Midland,Isabella, and Saginaw.[5] A few definitions even includeGratiot County.
Due to their close proximity, the governments of Bay County and the cities of Midland and Saginaw agreed to own and share a centrally located airport through a special municipal body. The airport's name is aninitialism formed from the names of the three owning communities:Midland,Bay County &Saginaw.MBS International Airport, located inFreeland, Michigan was formerly known as Tri-City Airport but was renamed to MBS International Airport in 1994 to prevent confusion with other airports named "Tri-City Airport”.
Several large corporations have operations in the Greater Tri Cities Region. TheMichigan Sugar Company, which is a cooperative owned by 1,250 farmers, operates a factory and has its headquarters in Bay City.General Motors operatesPowertrain plants inFlint,Bay City, andSaginaw. TheDow Chemical Company world headquarters is inMidland. Nexteer Corporation operates Saginaw Steering Systems inSaginaw. S.C. Johnson and Son has a manufacturing facility in Bay City makingZiploc products.
Local media outlets include:WNEM, CBS TV5 operates out of Saginaw and is licensed to Bay City.WEYI, NBC 25 is also licensed to Saginaw.NewsRadio 790 WSGW andFM Talk 100.5, are the area's local news, talk and sports affiliates. Other highly rated stations in the Tri-Cities includeWIOG,WCEN,WHNN, andWKCQ. TheSaginaw News,Bay City Times andMidland Daily News are available through the region, as well asGreat Lakes Bay (Regional Lifestyle Magazine).
Tourism also makes up a large portion of the local economy. A popular spot along I-75 for "Up North" bound visitors is the outlets atBirch Run. Also, nearby Frankenmuth attracts year round visitors. Frankenmuth alone draws over three million tourists annually to its Bavarian-themed shops and restaurants. Frankenmuth also attracts tourists with festivals and other events throughout the year. The Thumb lies within the east-central tourism region of the state[6]
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