Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| City of Sault Ste. Marie | |
 View of Sault Ste. Marie from the Canadian side of theSt. Marys River | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: The Sault, The Soo | |
 Location withinChippewa County | |
  Sault Ste. Marie Location within the state of Michigan Show map of Michigan Sault Ste. Marie Location within the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:46°29′49″N84°20′44″W / 46.49694°N 84.34556°W /46.49694; -84.34556 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Chippewa |
| Established | 1668 |
| Incorporated | 1879 (village) 1887 (city) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | Don Gerrie |
| • Manager | Brian Chapman |
| Area | |
• Total | 20.02 sq mi (51.86 km2) |
| • Land | 14.76 sq mi (38.22 km2) |
| • Water | 5.27 sq mi (13.64 km2) 26.74% |
| Elevation | 617 ft (188 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 13,337 |
| • Density | 903.8/sq mi (348.95/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | 49783 |
| Area code | 906 |
| FIPS code | 26-71740 |
| GNIS feature ID | 637276[2] |
| Website | www |
Sault Ste. Marie (/ˌsuːseɪntməˈriː/SOO saynt mə-REE) is a city in theUpper Peninsula of the U.S. state ofMichigan. It is thecounty seat ofChippewa County and is the only city within the county.[3] With a population of 13,337 at the2020 census,[4] it is the second-most populated city in theUpper Peninsula, behindMarquette. It is the primary city of theSault Ste. Marie, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Chippewa County and had a population of 36,785 at the 2020 census. Sault Ste. Marie was settled by mostly French colonists in 1668, making it theoldest city in Michigan.[5]
Sault Ste. Marie is located along theSt. Marys River, which flows fromLake Superior toLake Huron and forms part of theUnited States–Canada border. Across the river is the larger city ofSault Ste. Marie, Ontario; the two cities are connected by theSault Ste. Marie International Bridge. Between the two cities are theSoo Locks, a set of locks allowing ship travel between Lake Superior and the LowerGreat Lakes.
Sault Ste. Marie is home toLake Superior State University.[6]
The city name was derived from the French term for the nearby rapids, which were calledLes Saults de Sainte Marie.Sainte Marie (Saint Mary) was the name of the river andSaults referred to the rapids.(The archaic spellingSault is a relic of theMiddle French Period.Latinsalta successively becameOld Frenchsalte (c. 800 – c. 1340), Middle Frenchsault, and Modern Frenchsaut, as in the verbsauter, to jump.)
Whereas the modernsaut means simply "(a) jump",sault in the 17th century was also applied to cataracts,waterfalls and rapids. This resulted in such place names asGrand Falls/Grand-Sault, andSault-au-Récollet on theIsland of Montreal in Canada; andSault-Saint-Remy andSault-Brénaz in France. In contemporary French, the word for "rapids" israpides.
Sault Sainte-Marie in French means "the Rapids of Saint Mary" (for a more detailed discussion, refer to theSault Ste. Marie, Ontario page). The Saint Mary's River runs fromLake Superior toLake Huron, between what are now the twin border cities on either side.
Nohyphens are used in the English spelling, which is otherwise identical to the French, but the pronunciations differ. Anglophones say/ˌsuːseɪntməˈriː/ and Francophones say[sosɛ̃tmaʁi]. In French, the name can be writtenSault-Sainte-Marie. On both sides of the border, the towns and the general vicinity are calledThe Sault (usually pronounced/suː/), orThe Soo.
Anishinaabe 1668–1671
Kingdom of France 1671–1763
British Empire 1763–1783
United States 1783–present
For centuries,Oc̣eṭi Ṡakowiƞ (Dakota,Lakota,Nakoda), or Sioux, people lived in the area.[7]
In 1668, French missionariesClaude Dablon andJacques Marquette founded a Jesuit mission at this site. Sault Ste. Marie developed as one of oldest European cities in the United States west of theAppalachian Mountains, and the oldest permanent European settlement in Michigan.[5] On June 4, 1671,Simon-François Daumont de Saint-Lusson, a colonial agent, was dispatched from Quebec to the distant tribes, proposing a congress of Indian nations at the Falls of St. Mary between Lake Huron and Lake Superior. Trader Nicolas Perrot helped attract the principal chiefs, and representatives of 14 Indigenous nations were invited for the elaborate ceremony. The French officials proclaimed France's appropriation of the immense territory surroundingLake Superior in the name of KingLouis XIV.[8]
In the 18th century, the settlement became an important center of thefur trade, when it was a post for the British-ownedNorth West Company, based in Montreal. The fur traderJohn Johnston, aScots-Irish immigrant fromBelfast, was considered the first European settler in 1790. He married a high-ranking Ojibwe woman namedOzhaguscodaywayquay, the daughter of a prominent chief,Waubojeeg. She also became known as Susan Johnston. Their marriage was one of many alliances in the northern areas between high-ranking European traders and Ojibwe. The family was prominent among Native Americans, First Nations, and Europeans from both Canada and the United States. They had eight children who learned fluent Ojibwe, English and French. The Johnstons entertained a variety of trappers, explorers, traders, and government officials, especially during the years before theWar of 1812 between Britain and the United States.[9]
For more than 140 years, the settlement was a single community under French colonial, and later, British colonial rule. After the War of 1812, a US–UK Joint Boundary Commission finally fixed the border in 1817 between the Michigan Territory of the US and the British Province ofUpper Canada to follow the river in this area. Whereas traders had formerly moved freely through the whole area, the United States forbade Canadian traders from operating in the United States, which reduced their trade and disrupted the area's economy. The American and Canadian communities of Sault Ste. Marie were each incorporated as independent municipalities toward the end of the 19th century.[10]
As a result of the fur trade, the settlement attracted Ojibwe andOttawa,Métis, and ethnic Europeans of various nationalities. It was a two-tiered society, with fur traders (who had capital) and their families and upper-class Ojibwe in the upper echelon.[9] In the aftermath of the War of 1812, however, the community's society changed markedly.[9]
The U.S. builtFort Brady near the settlement, introducing new troops and settlers, mostly Anglo-American. The UK and the US settled on a new northern boundary in 1817, dividing the US and Canada along St. Mary's River. The US prohibited British fur traders from operating in the United States. After completion of theErie Canal in New York State in 1825 (expanded in 1832), the number of settlers migrating to Ohio and Michigan increased dramatically from New York and New England, bringing with them the Yankee culture of the Northern Tier. Their numbers overwhelmed the cosmopolitan culture of the earlier settlers. They practiced more discrimination against Native Americans and Métis.
The falls proved a choke point for shipping between the Great Lakes. Early ships traveling to and from Lake Superior wereportaged around the rapids[11] in a lengthy process (much like moving a house) that could take weeks. Later, only the cargoes were unloaded, hauled around the rapids, and then loaded onto other ships waiting below the rapids. The first American lock, the State Lock, was built in 1855; it was instrumental in improving shipping. The lock has been expanded and improved over the years.
In 1900, Northwestern Leather Company opened a tannery in Sault Ste. Marie.[12] The tannery was founded to process leather for the upper parts of shoes, which was finer than that for soles.[13] After the factory closed in 1958, the property was sold to Filborn Limestone, a subsidiary ofAlgoma Steel Corporation.[14]
In March 1938 during theGreat Depression, Sophia Nolte Pullar bequeathed $70,000 for construction of the Pullar Community Building, which opened in 1939. This building held an indoorice rink composed of artificial ice, then a revolutionary concept. The ice rink is still owned by the city.[15]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 20.16 square miles (52.21 km2), of which 14.77 square miles (38.25 km2) is land and 5.39 square miles (13.96 km2) is water.[16] The city's downtown is on an island, formed by the Sault Ste. Marie Power Canal to the south and the St. Mary's River and Soo Locks to the north.
Under theKöppen climate classification, Sault Ste. Marie has ahumid continental climate (Dfb) with cold, snowy winters and warm summers.[17] Sault Ste. Marie is one of the snowiest places in Michigan, receiving an average of 120 inches (3.0 m) of snow per winter season, with a record year when 209 inches (5.3 m) fell. 62 inches (1.6 m) of snow fell in one five-day snowstorm, including 28 inches (71 cm) in 24 hours, in December 1995. During this time, the city proper experienced a far greater level of snowfall than the farmlands past the canal and riverfront due to lake-effect snow. This caused the 1437th MRBC National Guard local armory to be mobilized for disaster relief in order to remove hundreds of tons of snow which effectively blockaded people within their own homes.[18] Precipitation measured as equivalent rainfall, Sault Ste. Marie receives an annual average of 34.46 inches (875 mm). Its immediate region is the cloudiest in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, having over 200 cloudy days a year.[citation needed]
Temperatures in Sault Ste. Marie have varied between a record low of −36 °F (−38 °C) and a record high of 98 °F (37 °C). Monthly average temperatures range from 13 °F (−11 °C) in January to 64 °F (18 °C) in July.[19] On average, only two out of every five years reaches 90 °F (32 °C), while there are 85.5 days annually where the high remains at or below freezing and 26.5 nights with a low of 0 °F (−18 °C) or colder.
Average monthly precipitation is lowest in February, and highest in September and October. This autumn maximum in precipitation, unusual for humid continental climates, owes to this area's Great Lakes location. From May through July (usually the year's wettest months in most of the upper Midwestern United States, away from large bodies of water), the lake waters surrounding Sault Ste. Marie are cooler than nearby land areas. This tends to stabilize the atmosphere, suppressing precipitation (especially showers and thunderstorms) somewhat, in May, June and July. In autumn, the lakes are releasing their stored heat from the summer, making them warmer than the surrounding land, and increasingly frequent and strong polar and Arctic air outbreaks pick up warmth and moisture during their over-water passage, resulting in clouds and instability showers. In Sault Ste. Marie, this phenomenon peaks in September and October, making these the wettest months of the year. Also noteworthy is that in Sault Ste. Marie, the year's third wettest month, on average, is November, and not any summer month.
| Climate data for Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (Sault Ste. Marie Municipal Airport) 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1888–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 48 (9) | 50 (10) | 83 (28) | 85 (29) | 91 (33) | 93 (34) | 98 (37) | 98 (37) | 95 (35) | 83 (28) | 74 (23) | 62 (17) | 98 (37) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 39.3 (4.1) | 41.9 (5.5) | 52.5 (11.4) | 67.5 (19.7) | 81.8 (27.7) | 85.6 (29.8) | 87.7 (30.9) | 86.6 (30.3) | 81.6 (27.6) | 71.8 (22.1) | 56.4 (13.6) | 44.5 (6.9) | 89.4 (31.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 24.0 (−4.4) | 26.4 (−3.1) | 35.5 (1.9) | 48.5 (9.2) | 63.2 (17.3) | 72.5 (22.5) | 76.8 (24.9) | 75.8 (24.3) | 68.0 (20.0) | 54.1 (12.3) | 41.2 (5.1) | 30.5 (−0.8) | 51.4 (10.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.2 (−8.8) | 17.8 (−7.9) | 26.7 (−2.9) | 39.4 (4.1) | 52.1 (11.2) | 61.1 (16.2) | 66.0 (18.9) | 65.6 (18.7) | 58.4 (14.7) | 46.3 (7.9) | 34.8 (1.6) | 23.8 (−4.6) | 42.4 (5.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 8.4 (−13.1) | 9.3 (−12.6) | 17.9 (−7.8) | 30.2 (−1.0) | 41.0 (5.0) | 49.7 (9.8) | 55.2 (12.9) | 55.4 (13.0) | 48.7 (9.3) | 38.5 (3.6) | 28.3 (−2.1) | 17.1 (−8.3) | 33.3 (0.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −14.0 (−25.6) | −11.1 (−23.9) | −4.4 (−20.2) | 15.9 (−8.9) | 29.8 (−1.2) | 37.4 (3.0) | 45.0 (7.2) | 45.0 (7.2) | 35.5 (1.9) | 26.7 (−2.9) | 10.4 (−12.0) | −5.1 (−20.6) | −17.6 (−27.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −36 (−38) | −37 (−38) | −28 (−33) | −13 (−25) | 18 (−8) | 26 (−3) | 36 (2) | 29 (−2) | 25 (−4) | 15 (−9) | −12 (−24) | −31 (−35) | −37 (−38) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.21 (56) | 1.51 (38) | 1.81 (46) | 2.63 (67) | 2.64 (67) | 2.85 (72) | 3.07 (78) | 3.19 (81) | 3.93 (100) | 4.38 (111) | 3.44 (87) | 2.80 (71) | 34.46 (875) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 30.3 (77) | 20.7 (53) | 13.0 (33) | 7.6 (19) | 0.4 (1.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.7 (4.3) | 16.0 (41) | 30.4 (77) | 120.1 (305) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 18.5 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.7 | 11.2 | 11.1 | 11.3 | 10.6 | 13.1 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 18.6 | 164.9 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 19.6 | 15.5 | 10.4 | 5.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 10.3 | 17.4 | 81.3 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 77.2 | 75.2 | 74.7 | 69.9 | 67.9 | 74.7 | 76.3 | 79.6 | 81.6 | 80.4 | 81.7 | 81.0 | 76.7 |
| Averagedew point °F (°C) | 7.5 (−13.6) | 8.2 (−13.2) | 17.2 (−8.2) | 28.2 (−2.1) | 38.7 (3.7) | 49.3 (9.6) | 55.6 (13.1) | 55.6 (13.1) | 48.6 (9.2) | 38.3 (3.5) | 27.3 (−2.6) | 14.7 (−9.6) | 32.4 (0.2) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 104.9 | 142.5 | 206.4 | 227.5 | 280.3 | 281.2 | 303.6 | 248.9 | 172.9 | 122.6 | 70.4 | 77.4 | 2,238.6 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 37 | 49 | 56 | 56 | 60 | 59 | 64 | 57 | 46 | 36 | 25 | 29 | 50 |
| Source:NOAA (relative humidity, dew point, and sun 1961–1990)[20][21][22] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 596 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,947 | — | |
| 1890 | 5,760 | 195.8% | |
| 1900 | 10,538 | 83.0% | |
| 1910 | 12,615 | 19.7% | |
| 1920 | 12,096 | −4.1% | |
| 1930 | 13,755 | 13.7% | |
| 1940 | 15,847 | 15.2% | |
| 1950 | 17,912 | 13.0% | |
| 1960 | 18,722 | 4.5% | |
| 1970 | 15,136 | −19.2% | |
| 1980 | 14,448 | −4.5% | |
| 1990 | 14,689 | 1.7% | |
| 2000 | 14,324 | −2.5% | |
| 2010 | 14,144 | −1.3% | |
| 2020 | 13,337 | −5.7% | |
| source:[23] | |||
As of thecensus of 2020,[4] the population was 13,337. Thepopulation density was 903.8 inhabitants per square mile (349.0/km2). There were 6,234 housing units at an average density of 422.4 per square mile (163.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 68.9%White, 17.8%Native American, 1.0%Black orAfrican American, 0.9%Asian, 0.8% fromother races, and 10.7% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.4%Hispanic orLatino of any race.
Tourism is a major industry in the area. TheSoo Locks and nearbyKewadin Casino, Hotel and Convention Center—which is owned by theSault Tribe of Chippewa Indians—are the major draws, as well as the forests, inland lakes, and Lake Superior shoreline. Sault Ste. Marie is also a gateway to Lake Superior's scenic north shore through its twin citySault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The two cities are connected by theSault Ste. Marie International Bridge, a steeltruss arch bridge with suspended deck passing over the St. Marys River.
Sault Ste. Marie is home toLake Superior State University (LSSU), founded in 1946 as an extension campus of Michigan College of Mining and Technology (nowMichigan Technological University); the campus was originallyFort Brady. LSSU is home to the LSSU Lakers (D1 Hockey (CCHA), D2 all other sports (GLIAC)). LSSU has around 1500 students, making it Michigan's smallest public university.
The area school district isSault Ste. Marie Area Schools.[24]
The Sault's primary public high school isSault Area High School (SAHS). "Sault High" is one of the few high schools in the state with attached career center. The school's mascot is the Blue Devil. "Sault High" houses a variety of successful varsity sports teams, such as hockey, wrestling, baseball, and basketball. Altogether, the school provides 24 competitive sports teams for both boys and girls at all levels.[25] The school district also operates Malcolm High School as an alternative high school.
Sault Ste. Marie has two middle schools, one in the Sault Ste. Marie School System known as Sault Area Middle School. Before the 6th grade annex was added in the late 1980s, the school was referred to as Sault Area Junior High School. The Second Middle School is a part ofJoseph K. Lumsden Bahweting School, a Native American-affiliated Public School Academy.
There are two elementary schools in Sault Ste. Marie, Lincoln Elementary and Washington Elementary. There is also a Public School Academy, Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting School, and the St. Mary's Catholic School. Jefferson Elementary, McKinley Elementary, Bruce Township Elementary, and Soo Township Elementary (converted into an Alternative High School) have closed because of declining enrollment in the school system.
St. Mary's Catholic School serves students in grades K–8. It is affiliated with theRoman Catholic Diocese of Marquette.[26]
There is aBureau of Indian Education-affiliated tribal school,Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe School.[27] It was established in 1994 and received its current name in 1998.[28]
All stations listed here are rebroadcasters of television stations based inTraverse City andCadillac.
NBC and ABC are also served byWTOM channel 4 fromCheboygan, which repeats WPBN-TV and WGTU. The market can also receive select over the air channels from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, includingGlobal Toronto on channel 12.1 atCIII-DT-12, andCTV Northern Ontario on analog channel 2 atCHBX. Channel 8.3 was previously the science fiction networkComet until being replaced by Charge!, which is also operated by theSinclair Broadcast Group.
The area has no localPBS,The CW, orMyNetworkTV service over-the-air. TheSpectrum cable system offers all three in their regional packages throughMarquette's PBS member stationWNMU-TV, Cadillac's CW affiliateWFQX-CW, and joint MyNetworkTV/Cozi TV affiliateWXII-LD out ofCedar. The next closest PBS station after WNMU is Cadillac satellite stationWCMV.
None of these stations are seen on cable in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, asShaw Cable chooses to largely airDetroit affiliates for over the air channels, whileWUHF inRochester, New York,WPIX inNew York City, New York, andWSBK-TV inBoston, Massachusetts, provide the closest Fox, CW, and MNTV affiliates carried by Shaw in the market.
| Frequency | Call sign | Branding | Format | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00AM 1230 | WSOO | 1230 WSOO | adult contemporary/news/sports) | Sovereign Communications | |
| 00AM 1400 | WKNW | News Talk 1400 | talk/sports | Sovereign Communications | |
| 00FM 91.5 | WJOH | Smile FM | Contemporary Christian | Superior Communications | "Smile FM"(rebroadcastsWLGH fromLansing) |
| 00FM 98.3 | WCMZ | CMU Public Radio | NPR/jazz | Central Michigan University | (rebroadcastsWCMU-FM fromMount Pleasant) |
| 00FM 99.5 | WYSS | 99.5 Yes FM | contemporary hit radio | Sovereign Communications | |
| 00FM 101.3 | WSUE | Rock 101 | active rock | Sovereign Communications | |
| 00FM 102.3 | WTHN | The Promise FM | religious | Northern Christian Radio, Inc. | (rebroadcastsWPHN fromGaylord) |
| 00FM 103.3 | W277AG | religious | Gospel Opportunities, Inc. | (rebroadcastsWHWL-FM fromMarquette)
|
Other radio stations serving the Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, market:
| Frequency | Call sign | Branding | Format | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FM 88.1 | CBON-FM-18 | Ici Radio-Canada Première | news/talk | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | French; repeatsCBON-FM,Sudbury |
| FM 89.5 | CBSM-FM | CBC Radio One | news/talk | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | RepeatsCBCS-FM, Sudbury |
| FM 93.9 | WNBY | Oldies 93 | oldies | Sovereign Communications | Originates fromNewberry, Michigan |
| FM 95.1 | WUPN | The Bridge | classic hits | Timothy S. Ellis(TSE Broadcasting LLC) | Originates fromPickford, Michigan |
| FM 97.9 | WIHC | Strong Tower Radio | Christian radio | West Central Michigan Media Ministries | Originates fromNewberry, Michigan |
| FM 100.5 | CHAS-FM | Kiss 100.5 | hot adult contemporary | Rogers Media | |
| FM 104.3 | CJQM-FM | 104.3 The Fox | Mainstream rock | Rogers Media | |
| FM 105.5 | WMKD | Country 105 | country music | Sovereign Communications | Originates fromPickford, Michigan |
| FM 106.5 | CJTK-FM-8 | KFM | Christian | Harvest Ministries Sudbury | RepeatsCJTK-FM, Sudbury |
The city's main daily paper isThe Sault News, formerly theSault Evening News.
Spectator sports in Sault Ste. Marie includeLake Superior State University Athletics and theSoo Eagles of theNorthern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). The Lakers participate in NCAA Division I Ice Hockey and Division II Women's and Men's Basketball, Women's and Men's Golf, Women's Volleyball, Women's and Men's Track and Field, Women's and Men's Tennis and Women's and Men's Cross Country.
Nicknamed the Lakers, LSSU's hockey program is celebrating its 59th season of intercollegiate competition. The team plays its home contests atTaffy Abel Arena (4,000 seats) on LSSU's campus and is one of the most decorated programs in NCAA hockey history. The squad claimed two NAIA titles in the early 1970s (1972, 1974), before a run of three NCAA Division I championships (1988,1992,1994) and one finalist appearance (1993) in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In total, the Lakers have made 11NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament appearances. The Lakers compete in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).
The rest of the athletic teams play in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). The basketball programs at LSSU have seen their share of success. The Men's program won overall GLIAC regular season titles in 2014–15, 2013–14, 1995-1996 (Tournament Champion) and also claimed the north division crown in 2008–09. LSSU's women's program won GLIAC gold from 2001 to 2002 through 2004–05. They also captured GLIAC tournament titles in 2002–03 and 2003–04. Both Men's and Women's squads play their home games in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium within the Norris Center.
Sault Ste. Marie is the home of theInternational 500 Snowmobile Race (commonly called the I-500), which takes place annually and draws participants and spectators from all over the U.S. and Canada. The race, which was inspired by theIndianapolis 500,[29] originated in 1969 and has been growing ever since.
The city is home to the northern terminus ofInterstate 75 (I-75), which connects with theMackinac Bridge atSt. Ignace approximately 50 miles (80 km) to the south, and continues south to nearMiami.M-129 also has its northern terminus in the city. M-129 was at one time a part of theDixie Highway system, which was intended to connect the northern industrial states with the southern agricultural states. Until 1984 the city was the eastern terminus of the western segment ofUS 2. County Highway H-63 (orMackinac Trail) also has its northern terminus in the city and extends south to St. Ignace and follows a route very similar to I-75. The city is joined to its Canadian counterpart by theInternational Bridge, which connects I-75 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and Huron Street in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
Commercial airline service is provided to the city by theChippewa County International Airport inKinross, about 20 miles (32 km) south of the city. Smaller general aviation aircraft also use theSault Ste. Marie Municipal Airport about one 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of downtown.
Sault Ste. Marie was the namesake of theMinneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway, now theSoo Line Railroad, the U.S. arm of theCanadian Pacific Railway. This railroad had a bridge parallel to the International Bridge crossing the St. Marys River. The Soo Line has since, through a series of acquisitions and mergers of portions of the system, been split between Canadian Pacific andCanadian National Railway (CN). Canadian National operates the rail lines and the bridge in the Sault Ste. Marie area that were part of the Soo Line.
The Sugar Island Ferry provides automobile and passenger access between Sault Ste. Marie andSugar Island, formerly a center of maple sugaring. The short route that the ferry travels crosses the shipping channel. Despite the high volume of freighter traffic through the locks, freighters typically do not dock in the Sault. However, the city hosts tugs, a tourist passenger ferry service, and a Coast Guard station along the shoreline on the lower (east) side of the Soo Locks. The United States Postal Service operates a "Marine Post Office", situated within the locks, to service ships as they pass through.
Shipping traffic in theGreat Lakes system bypasses the rapids in the St. Marys River via the AmericanSoo Locks. Locally, it is often claimed to be the world's busiest canal in terms of tonnage passing through it. The largest ships are 1,000 feet (300 m) long by 105 feet (32 m) wide. These are domestic carriers (calledlakers). Smaller recreational and tour boats use the CanadianSault Ste. Marie Canal. The lakers, being too large to transit theWelland Canal that bypassesNiagara Falls, are therefore land-locked. Foreign ships (termedsalties) are smaller and can exit the Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean.
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada (alsotwin city)[34]
Ryūō, Shiga, Japan[35]
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