Upper Peninsula of Michigan | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s): "The U.P.", "The Yoop", "The 906" | |
 | |
| Coordinates:46°15′N87°0′W / 46.250°N 87.000°W /46.250; -87.000 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Largest city | Marquette |
| Area | |
• Total | 36,139 sq mi (93,600 km2) |
| • Land | 16,378 sq mi (42,420 km2) |
| • Water | 19,761 sq mi (51,180 km2) 54.7% |
| Population (2020)[2] | |
• Total | 301,609 |
| • Density | 18.415/sq mi (7.1103/km2) |
| Demonym | Yooper |
| Time zones | |
| Most of the Upper Peninsula | UTC−05:00 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| Counties bordering Wisconsin | UTC−06:00 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−05:00 (CDT) |
| Area code | 906[a] |
TheUpper Peninsulaof Michigan—also known asUpper Michigan or colloquially theU.P. orYoop—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state ofMichigan; it is separated from theLower Peninsula by theStraits of Mackinac. It is bounded primarily byLake Superior to the north, separated from the Canadian province ofOntario at the east end by theSt. Marys River, and flanked byLake Huron andLake Michigan along much of its south. Although the peninsula as a geographic feature extends into the state ofWisconsin, the state boundary follows theMontreal andMenominee rivers and a line connecting them.
First inhabited byAlgonquian-speaking native American tribes, the area was explored by French colonists, then occupied by British forces, before being ceded to the newly established United States in the late 18th century. After being assigned to various territorial jurisdictions, it was granted to the newly formed state of Michigan as part of the settlement ofa dispute withOhio over the city ofToledo. The region's exploitable timber resources and the discovery of iron and copper deposits in the 19th century brought immigrants, especiallyFinnish,French Canadian,Swedish,Norwegian,Cornish, andItalian; the peninsula includes the only counties in the United States where a plurality of residents claim Finnish ancestry.[3][4] The area's economy declined in the 20th century when all of the readily available minerals had been removed, and it became largely dependent on logging and tourism.
The Upper Peninsula contains 29% of the land area of Michigan and has 3% of its total population; at the height of the mining and timber era in the early 20th century it had as much as 11% of the state's population. Residents are nicknamedYoopers (derived from "UP-ers") and have a strong regional identity, enhanced by the perception that the rest of the state neglects them. Proposals have been made to establish theUpper Peninsula as a separate state but have failed to gain traction. Its largest cities areMarquette,Sault Ste. Marie,Escanaba,Menominee,Houghton, andIron Mountain. Because of the surrounding waters and northern latitude, it receives more snow than most of the eastern U.S. The heavily forested land, soil types, short growing season, and logistical factors (e.g. long distance to market, lack of infrastructure) make the Upper Peninsula poorly suited for agriculture. The region is home to a variety of wildlife, including moose, wolves, coyotes, deer, foxes, bears, mountain lions, bobcats, eagles, hawks, and owls.
The first known inhabitants of the Upper Peninsula were tribes speakingAlgonquian languages, specifically the Algonquian branches ofOjibwe andMenominee. They arrived roughly around 800 C.E. and subsisted chiefly from fishing. Early tribes included theMenominee,Odawa,Ojibwe,Nocquet, andPotawatomi.
Étienne Brûlé, an explorer and Catholic missionary working on behalf of the colony ofNew France under the tutelage of fellow explorerSamuel de Champlain, was the first known European to visit the peninsula.[5] Accompanied byWendat tribesmen, he is recorded to have sailed theSt. Marys River around the year 1620 in search of a route to theFar East.[6]French colonists subsequently laid claim to the land in the 17th century, with other European explorers and missionaries (includingJacques Marquette) mapping the area and engaging with Indians throughout the century and into the 1700s. The government of New France set about establishing missions andfur trading posts such asSault Ste. Marie andSt. Ignace, Sault Ste. Marie (est. 1668) being the oldest European settlement in Michigan and the site of Native American settlements for centuries, including the contemporarySault Tribe of Chippewa Indians. By 1680, the major Ojibwe communities on the peninsula were in the Sault,L’Anse, and onGrand Island.
Following the end of theFrench and Indian War (part of theSeven Years' War) in 1763, the territory was ceded toGreat Britain.American Indian tribes who formerly allied with the French were dissatisfied with the British occupation, which brought new territorial policies. Whereas the French cultivated alliances among the Indians, the British postwar approach was to treat the tribes as conquered peoples. In 1763, tribes united inPontiac's Rebellion to try to drive the British from the area. American Indians capturedFort Michilimackinac, at present-dayMackinaw City, then the principal fort of the British in theMichilimackinac region, as well as others and killed hundreds of British. In 1764, they began negotiations with the British, resulting in temporary peace and changes in objectionable British policies.
Although the Upper Peninsula nominally became United States territory with the 1783Treaty of Paris, the British did not give up control until 1797 under terms of theJay Treaty. As an American territory, the Upper Peninsula was still dominated by the fur trade.John Jacob Astor founded theAmerican Fur Company onMackinac Island in 1808; however, the industry began to decline in the 1830s as beaver and other game were overhunted.[7]
When theMichigan Territory was first established in 1805, it included only theLower Peninsula and the eastern portion of the Upper Peninsula. In 1819, the territory was expanded to include the remainder of the Upper Peninsula, all of what later becameWisconsin, and part ofMinnesota (previously included in theIndiana andIllinois Territories). When Michigan applied for statehood in the 1830s, the proposal corresponded to the original territorial boundaries. However, there was an armed conflict known as theToledo War with the state of Ohio over the location of their mutual border. Meanwhile, the people of Michigan approved a constitution in May 1835 and elected state officials in late autumn 1835. Although the state government was not yet recognized by theUnited States Congress, the territorial government effectively ceased to exist. PresidentAndrew Jackson's government offered the remainder of the Upper Peninsula to Michigan if it would cede the Toledo Strip to Ohio. A constitutional convention of the state legislature refused, but a second convention, hastily convened by GovernorStevens Thomson Mason, consisting primarily of his supporters, agreed in December 1836 to the deal. In January 1837, the U.S. Congress admitted Michigan as a state of the Union.
At the time, Michigan was considered the losing party in the compromise. The land in the Upper Peninsula was described in a federal report as a "sterile region on the shores of Lake Superior destined by soil and climate to remain forever a wilderness."[6] This belief changed when rich mineral deposits (primarily copper and iron) were discovered in the 1840s. The Upper Peninsula's mines produced more mineral wealth than theCalifornia Gold Rush, especially after shipping was improved by the opening of theSoo Locks in 1855 and docks inMarquette in 1859. The Upper Peninsula supplied 90% of America's copper by the 1860s. It was the nation's largest supplier of iron ore by the 1890s, and production continued to a peak in the 1920s but sharply declined shortly afterward. The last copper mine closed in 1995, although the majority of mines had closed decades before. Some iron mining continues near Marquette.[6] TheEagle Mine, a nickel-copper mine, opened in 2014.[8]
Thousands of Americans and immigrants moved to the area during the mining boom, prompting the federal government to createFort Wilkins nearCopper Harbor to maintain order. The first wave were theCornish from Great Britain, with centuries of mining experience; followed by Irish,Germans, andFrench Canadians. During the 1890s,Finnish immigrants began settling there in large numbers, forming the population plurality in the northwestern portion of the peninsula. In the early 20th century, 75% of the population was foreign-born.[7]
From 1861 to 1865, 90,000 Michigan men fought in theAmerican Civil War, including 1,209 from the Upper Peninsula.Houghton County contributed 460 soldiers, whileMarquette County sent 265.[9]
Including extensive parts of the Great Lakes, the Upper Peninsula contains about 36,139 square miles (93,600 km2) of total area. Of that, about 16,378 square miles (42,420 km2) is its land area,[1] about 29% of the state.[citation needed] It is bounded on the north byLake Superior, on the east bySt. Marys River, on the south by theNiagara Escarpment,Lake Michigan andLake Huron, and on the west byWisconsin and (counting the water border on Lake Superior) byMinnesota. It has about 1,700 miles (2,700 km) of continuous shoreline with theGreat Lakes. There are about 4,300 inland lakes, the largest of which isLake Gogebic, and 12,000 miles (19,000 km) of streams.[10] Its lowest elevation is along the shoreline of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, averaging 577 feet (176 m) above sea level.[11] Its highest elevation isMount Arvon, at 1,979 feet (603 m).[12]
Michigan's Upper Peninsula is bounded on land by Wisconsin to the southwest and west; and in territorial waters by Minnesota to the west,Ontario to the west, north and east, and theDoor Peninsula of Wisconsin extends intoLake Michigan east of the western Upper Peninsula.
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Five Michigan Upper Peninsula counties include nearby major islands:Mackinac Island,Round Island andBois Blanc Island in Lake Huron are inMackinac County;Sugar Island andNeebish Island in theSt. Marys River, andDrummond Island in Lake Huron are inChippewa County;Grand Island is inAlger County;Summer Island isDelta County; andIsle Royale is part ofKeweenaw County.The peninsula is divided between the flat, swampy areas in the east, part of theGreat Lakes Plain, and the steeper, more rugged western half, called theSuperior Upland, part of theCanadian Shield.[13] The rock in the western portion is the result of volcanic eruptions and is estimated to be at least 3.5 billion years old (much older than the eastern portion) and contains the region's ore resources.Banded-iron formations were deposited 2 billion years ago; this is theMarquette Range Supergroup. A considerable amount ofbedrock is visible. Mount Arvon is within theHuron Mountains, located in Marquette and Baraga counties. ThePorcupine Mountains are located in the extreme northwest of the peninsula. All of the higher areas are the remnants of ancient peaks, worn down over millions of years by erosion and glaciers.[14]
TheKeweenaw Peninsula is the northernmost part of the peninsula (not counting Isle Royale, which is politically part of the UP). It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States, part of a larger region of the peninsula called theCopper Country.[15]Copper Island is its northernmost section. About one-third of the peninsula is government-owned recreational forest land today, including theOttawa National Forest andHiawatha National Forest. Although heavily logged in the 19th century, the majority of the land was forested with mature trees by the 1970s.[6]
There was a boundary dispute over the border with Wisconsin. The northwesternmost portion of the border follows a line fromLac Vieux Desert to the headwaters of theMontreal River. An 1847 survey established the east branch of the Montreal River as the border. However, the 1908 revision of theConstitution of Michigan specified that the west branch of the Montreal River was the proper border, which would have placed an additional 360 square miles of land on the Michigan side of the border.[16] A 1926 Supreme Court decision awarded this tract of land to Wisconsin.[17]
The Upper Peninsula contains a large variety of wildlife. Some of the mammals found in the UP includeshrews,moles, mice,white-tailed deer,moose,black bears,cougar,gray andred foxes,wolves,river otters,martens,fishers,muskrats,bobcats,coyotes,snowshoe hares,cotton-tail rabbits,porcupines,chipmunks, squirrels,raccoons,opossum and bats. There is a large variety of birds, including hawks, osprey, owls, gulls, hummingbirds, chickadees,robins (the state bird), woodpeckers, warblers, and bald eagles. In terms of reptiles andamphibians, the UP has commongarter snakes,red bellied snakes,pine snakes,northern water snakes,brown snakes,eastern garter snakes,eastern fox snakes,eastern ribbon back snakes,green snakes,northern ringneck snakes,eastern milk snakes (Mackinac and Marquette counties) andeastern hognose snakes (Menominee County only), plussnapping turtles,wood turtles, andpainted turtles (the state reptile),green frogs,bullfrogs,northern leopard frogs, andsalamanders. Lakes and rivers contain many fish such aswalleye,muskie,northern pike,trout,salmon,bullhead catfish, and bass. Invasive species like the alewife and sea lamprey can be found in the Great Lakes. The UP also contains many shellfish, such asclams, aquatic snails, andcrayfish. TheAmerican Bird Conservancy and theNational Audubon Society have designated several locations as internationallyImportant Bird Areas.[18]
After being nearlyextirpated from theconterminous United States,gray wolves survived in the remote northeastern corner of Minnesota and Ontario. Therepopulation of wolves in this region has occurred naturally as they have expanded their territory after they were protected under the federalEndangered Species Act in 1978.[19] Michigan Department of Natural Resources's principal goals set in 2008 included maintaining a viable wolf population, facilitating wolf-related benefits, minimizing wolf-related conflicts and conducting "science-based and socially acceptable management of wolves".[20] Michigan removed wolves from the state's list of threatened and endangered species in 2009 having reached the recovery goal of 200 for five consecutive years in 2004.[21] In 2012, FWS issued a rule that classified and delisted a sub-species called the Western Great Lakes wolves under the federal Endangered Species Act. Michigan had a legal wolf hunt in 2013.[21] Wolves were returned to the list of federally threatened species in December 2014 as a result of a court ruling. The Department of Natural Resources found that an equilibrium has been achieved between the available habitat and the number of this predators the region can support.[22] The department supports delisting as wolves have met and exceeded the biological recovery goals that would necessitate protection.[23]
There is significant discussion and studies over the presence ofeastern cougars in the UP.[24] Historically, the last of the species, or subspecies, was extirpated nearNewberry in 1906, although there have been sightings of the creatures over the years since.[25][26] These reports increased in number over the first decade of the 21st century. TheMichigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE)[b] formed a four-person team to investigate sightings in the state. The biologists with the DNRE currently do not believe that there is a breeding population anywhere in the state, rather that the sighted animals are visitors to the state.[28] As late as January 2007, the DNRE's official position was that no cougars lived in Michigan.[29] Several residents in the state disagree with both current and previous positions on the part of the DNRE.[29][30] Researchers atCentral Michigan University and theMichigan Wildlife Conservancy in 2006 published the findings of a study using DNA analysis of fecal samples taken in the Upper and Lower peninsulas that showed the presence of cougars at the time.[31] These results were disputed in a second journal article in 2007 by other researchers fromEastern Michigan University and theU.S. Forest Service.[32] A citizen's group, the Michigan Citizens for Cougar Recognition (MCCR), independently tracked sightings and in 2009 listed Delta County as the location with the greatest number of reports in the state.[33] The DNRE verified five sets of tracks and two trail camera photos in Delta, Chippewa, Marquette, and Menominee counties since 2008.[34] DNRE officials acknowledge that there are cougars in the UP, but not elsewhere in the state. Critics of the DNRE's position on the species, including the founder of the MCCR, say that the department is attempting to "avoid paying for a cougar management program".[30] In March 2025 the DNR released a statement that two cougar cubs were verified to be living in an undisclosed area of Ontonagon County, the first time cougar cubs have been verified the Western Great Lakes in over 100 years. The presence of the cubs, estimated via photographic evidence to be around seven weeks old, is in contrast to previous sightings which are thought to be transient adult animals and not representative of resident or breeding populations.[35]
There also manyinvasive species that are primarily brought in theballast water of foreign ships, usually from the ocean bordering northeastern Asia. This water is dumped directly into the Great Lakes, depositing a variety of fresh and salt water fish and invertebrates, most notably thezebra mussel,Dreissena polymorpha. There are also many plant species that have been transported to the Great Lakes, including purple loosestrife,Lythrum salicaria[36] andPhragmites australis, both of which are considered to be a threat to nativehydrophyte wetland plants.[37][38] Theemerald ash borer was first reported in the UP atBrimley State Park[39] and is considered to be a serious ecological threat to the habitat and economy.
The Upper Peninsula has ahumid continental climate (Dfb in theKöppen climate classification system). The Great Lakes have a great effect on the larger part of the peninsula. Winters tend to be long, cold, and snowy for most of the peninsula, and because of its northern latitude, the daylight hours are short—around 8 hours between sunrise and sunset in the winter. Lake Superior has the greatest effect on the area, especially the northern and western parts.Lake-effect snow causes many areas to get in excess of 100–250 inches (2.5–6.4 m) of snow per year—especially in the Keweenaw Peninsula and Gogebic County, and to a lesser extent Baraga, Marquette and Alger counties, making the western UP a prominent part of themidwesternsnowbelt.
Records of 390 inches (9.9 m) of snow or more have been set in many communities in this area.[40] The Keweenaw Peninsula averages more snowfall than any other location east of theMississippi River.[41] Because of the howling storms across Lake Superior, which cause dramatic amounts of precipitation, it has been said that the lake-effect snow makes the Keweenaw Peninsula the snowiest place east of theRockies.Herman averages 236 inches (5.99 m) of snow every year.[42] Lake-effect snow can cause blindingwhiteouts in just minutes, and some storms can last for days.Hancock is found frequently on lists of the snowiest cities in America.[43]
Thebanana belt along the Wisconsin border has a more continental climate since most of its weather does not arrive from the lakes. Summers tend to be warmer and winter nights much colder. Coastal communities have temperatures tempered by the Great Lakes. In summer, it might be 10 °F (5.6 °C) cooler at lakeside than it is inland, and the opposite effect is seen in winter. The area of the Upper Peninsula north ofGreen Bay through Menominee and Escanaba (and extending west to Iron River) does not have the extreme weather and precipitation found to the north.[6] The coldest temperature officially recorded in the Upper Peninsula was −48 °F (−44 °C) in Humboldt in January 1915.[44]
Like the entire Lower Peninsula, most of the Upper Peninsula is within theEastern Time Zone. However, the four counties bordering Wisconsin are in theCentral Time Zone. In 1967, when theUniform Time Act came into effect, the Upper Peninsula went under year-round Central Standard Time, with nodaylight saving time.[45] In 1973, the majority of the peninsula switched to Eastern Standard Time;[46] only the four western border counties ofGogebic,Iron,Dickinson, andMenominee continue to observe Central Standard Time. Daylight saving time is observed peninsula-wide.
The Upper Peninsula remains a predominantly rural region. As of the2020 census the region had a population of 301,608, just more than 3% of Michigan's total population and a decline of 3.2% from 2010.[2]
According to the2010 census, 103,211 people live in the 12 towns of at least 4,000 people, covering 96.5 square miles (250 km2). A total of 116,548 people live in the 18 towns and villages of at least 2,000 people, which cover 108.5 square miles (281 km2)—less than 1% of the peninsula's land area.
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Federal censuses indicate that the population of the Upper Peninsula grew throughout the 19th century as European settlers moved into the region, then boomed around the turn of the century, and experienced gradual decline overall during most of the 20th century.[49][50] The decline was uneven, however: the population in the largest cities – Marquette, Sault Ste Marie, and Escanaba – grew somewhat, while smaller cities and non-urban areas have generally declined in population. The six westernmost counties experienced the largest decrease, from a 1920 population of 153,674 to a 2020 population of 79,392. Manyghost towns exist in the region.[51]
A "
" indicates an increase in population from the previous census, and a "
" indicates a decrease in population from the previous census.
| County | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alger | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1,238 | 5,868 | 7,675 | 9,983 | 9,327 | 10,167 | 10,007 | 9,250 | 8,568 | 9,225 | 8,972 | 9,862 | 9,601 | 8,842 |
| Baraga | — | — | — | — | — | 1,804 | 3,036 | 4,320 | 6,125 | 7,662 | 9,168 | 9,356 | 8,037 | 7,151 | 7,789 | 8,484 | 7,954 | 8,735 | 8,860 | 8,158 |
| Chippewa | 626 | 534 | 898 | 1,603 | 1,689 | 5,248 | 12,018 | 21,338 | 24,472 | 24,818 | 25,047 | 27,807 | 29,206 | 32,655 | 32,412 | 29,029 | 34,604 | 38,543 | 38,520 | 36,785 |
| Delta | — | — | — | 1,172 | 2,542 | 6,812 | 15,330 | 23,881 | 30,108 | 30,909 | 32,280 | 34,037 | 32,913 | 34,298 | 35,924 | 38,947 | 37,780 | 38,520 | 37,069 | 36,903 |
| Dickinson | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17,890 | 20,524 | 19,456 | 29,941 | 28,731 | 24,844 | 23,917 | 23,753 | 25,341 | 26,831 | 27,427 | 26,168 | 25,947 |
| Gogebic | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13,166 | 16,738 | 23,333 | 33,225 | 31,577 | 31,797 | 27,053 | 24,370 | 20,676 | 19,686 | 18,052 | 17,370 | 16,427 | 14,380 |
| Houghton | — | — | 708 | 9,234 | 13,879 | 22,473 | 35,389 | 66,063 | 88,098 | 71,930 | 52,851 | 47,631 | 39,771 | 34,654 | 34,652 | 37,872 | 35,446 | 36,016 | 36,628 | 37,361 |
| Iron | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4,432 | 8,990 | 15,164 | 22,107 | 20,805 | 20,243 | 17,692 | 17,184 | 13,813 | 13,635 | 13,175 | 13,138 | 11,817 | 11,631 |
| Keweenaw | — | — | — | — | 4,205 | 4,270 | 2,894 | 3,217 | 7,156 | 6,322 | 5,076 | 4,004 | 2,918 | 2,417 | 2,264 | 1,963 | 1,701 | 2,301 | 2,156 | 2,046 |
| Luce | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2,455 | 2,983 | 4,004 | 6,149 | 6,528 | 7,423 | 8,147 | 7,827 | 6,789 | 6,659 | 5,763 | 7,024 | 6,631 | 5,339 |
| Mackinac | 877 | 923 | 3,598 | 1,938 | 1,716 | 2,902 | 7,830 | 7,703 | 9,249 | 8,026 | 8,783 | 9,438 | 9,287 | 10,853 | 9,660 | 10,178 | 10,674 | 11,943 | 11,113 | 10,834 |
| Marquette | — | — | 136 | 2,821 | 15,033 | 25,394 | 39,521 | 41,239 | 46,739 | 45,786 | 44,076 | 47,144 | 47,654 | 56,154 | 64,686 | 74,101 | 70,887 | 64,634 | 67,077 | 66,017 |
| Menominee | — | — | — | — | 1,791 | 11,987 | 33,639 | 27,046 | 25,648 | 23,778 | 23,652 | 24,883 | 25,299 | 24,685 | 24,587 | 26,201 | 24,920 | 25,109 | 24,029 | 23,502 |
| Ontonagon | — | — | 389 | 4,568 | 2,845 | 2,565 | 3,756 | 6,197 | 8,650 | 12,428 | 11,114 | 11,359 | 10,282 | 10,584 | 10,548 | 9,861 | 8,854 | 7,818 | 6,780 | 5,816 |
| Schoolcraft | — | — | 16 | 78 | — | 1,575 | 5,818 | 7,889 | 8,681 | 9,977 | 8,451 | 9,524 | 9,148 | 8,953 | 8,226 | 8,575 | 8,302 | 8,903 | 8,485 | 8,047 |
| Total | 1,503 | 1,457 | 5,745 | 21,414 | 43,700 | 85,030 | 180,522 | 261,362 | 325,626 | 332,556 | 318,676 | 323,544 | 302,258 | 304,952 | 304,347 | 319,757 | 313,915 | 317,213 | 311,361 | 301,608 |
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has three state universities (Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie,Michigan Technological University in Houghton, andNorthern Michigan University in Marquette) and five community colleges (Bay Mills Community College in Brimley,Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba and Iron Mountain,Gogebic Community College in Ironwood, andKeweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College in Baraga).
Early settlers included multiple waves of people fromNordic countries, and people of Finnish ancestry make up 16% of the peninsula's population. TheFinnish sauna and the concept ofsisu have been adopted widely by residents of the Upper Peninsula. The television programFinland Calling was for a long period the only Finnish-language television broadcast in the United States; it aired on Marquette stationWLUC-TV from March 25, 1962, until March 29, 2015.[52]Finlandia University, America's only college with Finnish roots, was located in Hancock, but has shut down as of spring 2023.[53] Street signs in Hancock appear in English and Finnish to celebrate this heritage.
Other sizable ethnic communities in the Upper Peninsula includeFrench-Canadian, German,Cornish, Italian, andOjibwe ancestry.
People from the Upper Peninsulaspeak a dialect influenced by Scandinavian and French-Canadian speech. A popular bumper sticker, a parody of the "Say YES to Michigan" slogan promoted by state tourism officials, shows an outline of the Upper Peninsula and the slogan, "Say ya to da UP, eh!" The dialect and culture are captured in many songs byDa Yoopers, a comedy music and skit troupe fromIshpeming.
The Keweenaw Peninsula is home to several ski areas.Mont Ripley, just outside Houghton, is popular among students ofMichigan Technological University (the university actually owns the ski hill). Further up the peninsula in the small town ofLac La Belle isMt. Bohemia. A skiing purist's resort, Bohemia is a self-proclaimed "experts only" mountain, and it does notgroom its heavilygladed slopes.[54] Other ski areas are Pine Mountain located in Iron Mountain, Norway Mountain in the town of the same name, and thePorcupine Mountains Ski Area located in Ontonagon.
Houghton is where professional ice hockey was first started in 1904.[55][56]
When the Mackinac Bridge first opened, many feared the U.P. would cease to maintain its singular identity and start to blend in culturally with the lower peninsula. But it has, in fact, been the opposite. If anything, the Yooper identity has strengthened since that time. There's even more of a sense of identity of place, culture and way of life.
As of 2018, the western Upper Peninsula is home to about 173,887 people, while the eastern Upper Peninsula is home to about 133,499 people, a total of 307,386—only about 3% of the state's population—living in almost one-third of the state's land area.[58][59] Upper Peninsula residents are known as Yoopers (from "UP-ers"), and many consider themselves Yoopers before they consider themselvesMichiganders.[60] (People living in the Lower Peninsula are commonly called "trolls" by Upper Peninsula residents, as they live "Under the Bridge".) Thisregionalism is not only a result of the physical separation of the two peninsulas, but also the history of the state.
Residents of the western Upper Peninsula take on some of the cultural identities of both Wisconsin and Michigan. In terms of sports fandom, residents may support Detroit professional teams or those of Wisconsin, particularly theGreen Bay Packers. This is a result of both proximity and the broadcast and print media of the area.[57] The four counties that border Wisconsin are also in the Central Time Zone, unlike the rest of Michigan, which is on Eastern time. In some cases, commercial cartographers draw incorrect maps that inadvertently annex the Upper Peninsula into Wisconsin.[61] Other maps of Michigan or the United States sometimes omit the Upper Peninsula, as doesThe Mitten, how residents of the Lower Peninsula use a hand to depict where in the state they are from.[57]
The Upper Peninsula has a distinctive local cuisine. Thepasty (pronounced "pass-tee"), a kind of meat turnover originally brought to the region by Cornish miners, is popular among locals and tourists alike. Pasty varieties include chicken, venison, pork, hamburger, and pizza, all of which many restaurants serve.[60]Many restaurants serve potato sausage andcudighi, a spicyItalian meat.
Finnish immigrants contributednisu, acardamom-flavored sweet bread;limppu, anEastern Finnish rye bread;pannukakku, a variant on the pancake with a custard flavor;viili (sometimes spelled "fellia"), a stretchy, fermented Finnish milk; andkorppu, hard slices of toasted cinnamon bread, traditionally dipped in coffee. Some Finnish foods such asjuusto (squeaky cheese, essentially acheese curd, likeLeipäjuusto) andsaunamakkara (a ring-bologna sausage) have become so ubiquitous in Upper Peninsula cuisine that they are now commonly found in most grocery stores and supermarkets.
Maple syrup is a highly prized local delicacy.[62] Fresh Great Lakes fish, such as thelake trout,whitefish, and (in the spring)smelt are widely eaten. There is minimal concern about contamination of fish from Lake Superior waters.[63]Smoked fish is also popular.Thimbleberry jam andchokecherry jelly are a treat.[64]
The Upper Peninsula is rich in mineral deposits, including iron, copper, nickel, and silver. Small amounts of gold have also been discovered and mined. In the 19th century, mining dominated the economy, and the UP became home to many isolatedcompany towns. For many years, mines in the Keweenaw Peninsula were the world's largest producers of copper. The mines began declining as early as 1913, with most closing temporarily during theGreat Depression. Mines reopened duringWorld War II, but almost all quickly closed after the war ended. The last copper mine in theCopper Country was theWhite Pine mine, which closed in 1995. Marquette County sits along theMarquette Iron Range, which sent out a significant portion of the iron ore mined in the United States for many years.[65] As of 2020[update], Marquette County is home to one remaining iron ore mine and one nickel and copper mine.[66][67]
From approximately 1870 to 1915, about 32 quarries minedJacobsville Sandstone in the Upper Peninsula, particularly near Marquette and the community ofJacobsville. The sandstone was used in many buildings, both locally and around the United States.[68]
Since logging ofwhite pine began in the 1880s, timber has been an important industry.[69] Stands ofhemlock andhardwood in the western reaches of the forest experienced larger scale selection-cutting beginning in the mid-20th century. Because of the highly seasonal climate and the short growing season, agriculture is limited in the Upper Peninsula, though potatoes,strawberries and a few other small fruits are grown.
Tourism has become the main industry in recent decades. In 2005, ShermanTravel, LLC listed the Upper Peninsula as #10 in its assessment of all travel destinations worldwide.[70][71] The peninsula has extensive coastline on the Great Lakes, large tracts of state and national forests,cedar swamps, more than 150 waterfalls, and low population densities. Because of the skiing, camping, boating, fishing, snowmobiling, hunting, and hiking opportunities, many Lower Peninsula and Wisconsin families spend their vacations in the UP, and tourists visit from Detroit, Chicago,Grand Rapids,Milwaukee, and other metropolitan areas. The opening of theMackinac Bridge in 1957 (see below) has made the Upper Peninsula easily accessible to tourists from the Lower Peninsula and southeast of Michigan, and has helped make the UP a year-round tourist destination.
During theCold War, the U.P. was home to twoU.S. Air Force bases,Kincheloe south ofSault Ste. Marie, andK.I. Sawyer, south ofMarquette. Both were bases of theStrategic Air Command (SAC), withB-52Hbombers; Kincheloe closed in 1977, and Sawyer in 1995.
In 2004,microbreweries began opening across the Upper Peninsula; 14 opened by 2014, and 23 by 2019.[72][73] In 2019, their annual economic impact totaled $346 million.[73][74] As of 2018[update], three of Michigan's fifty largest breweries were in the Upper Peninsula:Keweenaw Brewing Company,Blackrocks Brewery, and theOre Dock Brewing Company.[75]
There are five dailynewspapers published in the Upper Peninsula,The Mining Journal inMarquette,The Daily Mining Gazette inHoughton,The Daily News inIron Mountain, theDaily Press inEscanaba, andThe Evening News inSault Ste. Marine. All butThe Evening News are owned byOgden Newspapers, with the former being owned byGannett.The Mining Journal, is the only daily newspaper that publishes a Sunday edition, which is distributed, with the exception of Chippewa and eastern Mackinac counties, across the entire UP (the other six days are distributed in its local area only). Additional, there are monlthly[76] and student[77] publications serving the region.
The Upper Peninsula is home to eighttelevision stations, 15AM broadcasting stations, and 90FM broadcasting stations.[78] Most of the UP lies within the Marquettemedia market. The eastern three counties of the peninsula are in the Cadillac-Traverse City market, whileGogebic County in the western UP is served by stations in theDuluth market, andMenominee County in the southern UP is served by stations from theGreen Bay region. The peninsula's oldest television station isWLUC-TV inNegaunee Township, while the UP's longest continually operated radio station isWCCY in Houghton. Most of the region's radio signals originate from the population centers of Sault Ste. Marie, Escanaba, Marquette, or Houghton.[79] Due to the vast and sparsely populated geography of the UP, many of the FM stations operate at maximumeffective radiated power.[80]
There are 15 counties in the Upper Peninsula. All counties in the UP are part ofMichigan's 1st congressional district.Jack Bergman, a Republican, has been theU.S. representative for this district since January 2017.
In Michigan's 2010gubernatorial election RepublicanRick Snyder carried every UP county but one, Gogebic, on his way to victory over his Democratic opponent,Virg Bernero.[81]
State prisons are located inBaraga,Marquette,Munising,Newberry, andKincheloe.
| Year | REP | DEM | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024[83] | 58.75%101,383 | 39.67%68,453 | 1.58%2,730 |
| 2020[84] | 57.34%95,351 | 41.04%68,249 | 1.62%2,695 |
| 2016[85] | 56.40%82,018 | 37.77%54,923 | 5.83%8,476 |
| 2012[86] | 50.80%73,529 | 47.49%68,747 | 1.71%2,477 |
| 2008[87] | 46.12%69,647 | 51.82%78,257 | 2.06%3,108 |
| 2004[88] | 51.52%78,276 | 47.31%71,888 | 1.17%1,781 |
| 2000[89] | 50.61%70,256 | 45.95%63,791 | 3.43%4,768 |
| 1996[90] | 36.75%48,134 | 51.05%66,856 | 12.20%15,974 |
| 1992[91] | 33.37%47,447 | 46.46%66,060 | 20.18%28,695 |
| 1988[92] | 47.86%63,151 | 51.65%68,152 | 0.49%645 |
| 1984[93] | 54.07%75,591 | 45.56%63,695 | 0.37%516 |
| 1980[94] | 47.78%71,025 | 44.12%65,579 | 8.10%12,046 |
| 1976[95] | 48.04%67,596 | 50.70%71,338 | 1.25%1,762 |
| 1972[96] | 54.08%72,967 | 44.23%59,670 | 1.69%2,279 |
| 1968[97] | 44.75%55,070 | 50.26%61,858 | 4.99%6,141 |
| 1964[98] | 32.40%41,267 | 67.46%85,923 | 0.14%183 |
| 1960[99] | 48.05%64,764 | 51.76%69,765 | 0.19%252 |
| 1956[100] | 58.72%77,576 | 41.12%54,326 | 0.17%219 |
| 1952[101] | 55.09%74,639 | 44.45%60,230 | 0.46%625 |
| 1948[102] | 47.28%58,346 | 48.46%59,801 | 4.27%5,265 |
| 1944[103] | 45.63%58,704 | 53.88%69,310 | 0.49%630 |
| 1940[104] | 46.14%69.164 | 53.26%79.835 | 0.67%1,003 |
| 1936[105] | 39.21%54,153 | 58.78%81,176 | 2.02%2,784 |
| 1932[106] | 48.73%61,473 | 47.57%60,012 | 3.71%4,677 |
| 1928[107] | 61.53%65,913 | 37.04%39.677 | 1.44%1,542 |
| 1924[108] | 68.51%61,396 | 8.10%7,261 | 23.39%20,964 |
| 1920[109] | 74.50%61,475 | 19.24%15,876 | 6.27%5,171 |
| 1916[110] | 59.51%34,269 | 35.31%20,333 | 5.17%2,979 |
| 1912[111][112] | 31.41%15,825 | 19.46%9,803 | 49.14%24,757 |
| 1908[113] | 72.69%37,194 | 21.12%10,805 | 6.20%3,170 |
| 1904[114] | 79.83%37,400 | 14.87%6,965 | 5.31%2,486 |
| 1900[115] | 73.00%34,180 | 24.31%11,382 | 2.69%1,258 |
| 1896[116] | 68.39%29,591 | 28.65%12,397 | 2.95%1,278 |
During most of the "System of 1896", the Upper Peninsula was overwhelmingly Republican even by the standards of Michigan during this era. Some of its counties would often vote for the Republican candidate by among the widest margins in the nation. However, the region's politics began shifting in1924, when the Upper Peninsula was the strongest region in Michigan for the insurgent candidacy ofProgressiveRobert M. La Follette.[117] After theGreat Depression and as theNew Deal era progressed, the Upper Peninsula became more Democratic than the state as a whole, voting that way when the state did not in1940,1948,1976, and1988. However, the region would move back to Republicans in the 21st century, voting for the GOP candidate every time except in2008.
Due to the geographic separation and perceived cultural and political differences from the Lower Peninsula, at various times there have been proposals for the Upper Peninsula tosecede from Michigan as a51st state namedSuperior, sometimes including portions of northern Wisconsin and/or the northernLower Peninsula. Several prominent legislators, including the region's long-serving state representativeDominic Jacobetti, attempted unsuccessfully to gain passage of such a bill in the 1970s.[118] It would be the least populous state in the union, and as stronger connections to the rest of Michigan have developed since completion of theMackinac Bridge in the 1950s, the proposal has remained largely dormant since the 1970s.[119]
American Indian casinos contribute to the tourist attractions and are popular in the UP. Originally the casinos were simple, one-room affairs. Some of the casinos are now quite elaborate and are being developed as part of resort and conference facilities, including features such as golf courses, pool and spa, dining, and rooms to accommodate guests.
The Upper Peninsula is separated from the Lower by theStraits of Mackinac, five miles (8 km) across at the narrowest, and is connected to it by theMackinac Bridge atSt. Ignace, one of the longestsuspension bridges in the world. Until the bridge was completed in 1957, travel between the two peninsulas was difficult and slow (and sometimes even impossible during winter). In 1881, theMackinac Transportation Company was established by three railroads, theMichigan Central Railroad, theGrand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, and theDetroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad, to operate a railroad car ferry across the Straits. Beginning in 1923, the State of Michigan operated automobile ferries between the two peninsulas. At the busiest times of year the wait was several hours long, much longer at holidays.[123] In winter, travel was possible over the ice only after the straits had solidly frozen.
There are oneInterstate Highway, fiveUS Highways and 24 otherstate highways in the Upper Peninsula.Interstate 75 is the only freeway in the region and runs from theMackinac Bridge at St. Ignace to theInternational Bridge at Sault Ste. Marie. Two highways run the east–west length of the peninsula,US Highway 2 along the south andM-28 to the north.US 41 runs north–south through the central and western UP, connecting Menominee, Escanaba, Marquette and Houghton before terminating near the tip of the Keweenaw at Copper Harbor.M-185 encircles Mackinac Island as the only state highway in the country without motor vehicles.
TheUnited States Forest Service andFederal Highway Administration have designated certain roads within the several National Forests in the UP asFederal Forest Highways.[124] State-maintained highways closest to the Upper Peninsula'sGreat Lakes shorelines are marked by theMichigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) with signs indicating that they are part of theGreat Lakes Circle Tour, a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.[125] MDOT has also designated five UP highways asPure Michigan Byways for their historic, recreational or scenic qualities.[126][127] They are: US 2 in Iron County (Iron County Heritage Trail) and in Schoolcraft and Mackinac counties (Top of the Lake Scenic Byway), US 41 from Houghton to Copper Harbor (Copper County Trail, also aNational Scenic Byway),M-35 (UP Hidden Coast Recreational Heritage Trail),M-123 (Tahquamenon Scenic Heritage Route) andM-134 (M-134 North Huron Byway)
There are 43 airports in the Upper Peninsula. Of these, six airports have commercial passenger service:Gogebic-Iron County Airport north ofIronwood,Houghton County Memorial Airport southwest ofCalumet,Ford Airport west ofIron Mountain,Sawyer International Airport south ofMarquette,Delta County Airport inEscanaba, andChippewa County International Airport south ofSault Ste. Marie. There are 19 other public use airports with a hard surface runway. These are used forgeneral aviation and charter. Notably,Mackinac Island,Beaver Island, andDrummond Island are all accessible by airports. There are five public access airports with turf runways and thirteen airports for the private use of their owners.[citation needed] There is only onecontrol tower in the Upper Peninsula, atSawyer.[128]
TheEastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority operates car ferries in its area. These include ferries forSugar Island,Neebish Island, andDrummond Island. Two ferry companies run passenger ferries from St. Ignace to Mackinac Island.
The three major bridges in the Upper Peninsula are:
Despite its rural character, there are public buses in several counties of the Upper Peninsula.[131] These includeMarqTran serving Marquette, as well as intercity services provided byIndian Trails.
record snowfall keweenaw peninsula.
Bela Hubbard.
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