West Michigan | |
|---|---|
 A broad definition of West Michigan. | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| Largest city | Grand Rapids |
| Other cities | |
West Michigan andWestern Michigan are terms for aregion in theU.S. state ofMichigan'sLower Peninsula. Generally, it refers to theGrand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Peninsula'sLake Michigan shoreline, but there is no official definition.
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In general, "West Michigan" often refers to the area bounded by the cities ofMuskegon (in the north),Grand Rapids (in the northeast),Kalamazoo–Battle Creek (in the southeast) andSt. 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 ofAllegan,Kent,Muskegon, andOttawa, which form the core of theGrand 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 asMichiana,Southern Michigan, orSouthwest Michigan,[1][2][3] the latter according to one definition comprisingBerrien County,Cass County, andVan Buren County.[4]
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 asLudington andWhite Cloud may be included because of their close economic ties to the cities to the south. Other areas, such asMontcalm 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, aroundVestaburg andEdmore, has historically more closely associated with the cities ofMount Pleasant andAlma, which are almost universally reckoned as part ofCentral Michigan.
The following table contains the largest municipalities of West Michigan according to the2010 Census. This defines the region fairly broadly, but not at its most broadly; if Battle Creek were included, it would be ranked fourth.
| Rank | Municipality | County | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Rapids | Kent | 198,917 |
| 2 | Wyoming | Kent | 76,501 |
| 3 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 73,598 |
| 4 | Kentwood | Kent | 54,304 |
| 5 | Georgetown Charter Township | Ottawa | 54,091 |
| 6 | Portage | Kalamazoo | 48,891 |
| 7 | Muskegon | Muskegon | 38,318 |
| 8 | Holland Charter Township | Ottawa | 38,276 |
| 9 | Holland | Ottawa/Allegan | 34,378 |
| 10 | Plainfield Charter Township | Kent | 33,535 |
| 11 | Gaines Charter Township | Kent | 28,812 |
| 12 | Walker | Kent | 25,132 |
| 13 | Norton Shores | Muskegon | 25,030 |
| 14 | Kalamazoo Charter Township | Kalamazoo | 21,918 |
| 15 | Oshtemo Charter Township | Kalamazoo | 21,705 |
| 16 | Allendale Charter Township | Ottawa | 20,708 |
| 17 | Byron Township | Kent | 20,317 |
| 18 | Muskegon Charter Township | Muskegon | 17,840 |
| 19 | Park Township | Ottawa | 17,802 |
| 20 | Cascade Charter Township | Kent | 17,134 |
| 21 | Grand Rapids Charter Township | Kent | 16,661 |
| 22 | Grandville | Kent | 15,378 |
| 23 | Grand Haven Charter Township | Ottawa | 15,178 |
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.
Prominent West Michigan corporations include:
Amtrak operates itsPere Marquette service in West Michigan, with daily service between Grand Rapids and Chicago.
I-96, running fromMuskegon toDetroit
I-196, splitting from I-96 in Grand Rapids and going west-southwest and merging with US 31 nearHolland before intersecting I-94 nearBenton Harbor
I-94, running fromBillings, Montana, toPort Huron, Michigan
US 12Michigan Avenue andChicago Road
US 31, running fromMackinaw City, Michigan, toMobile, Alabama
US 131, running from north ofMiddlebury, Indiana, toPetoskey, Michigan
M-6, also known as theSouth Beltline, bypassesGrand Rapids connecting to I-96 east of town and I-196 west of town
M-37, running from the southwest corner of Battle Creek at exit 92 on I-94 to theMission Point Light onOld Mission Point inGrand Traverse County.
M-43, a highway in southwestern and centralMichigan fromSouth Haven toWebberville
M-45 (Lake Michigan Drive), running east–west fromGrand Rapids throughAllendale and ending atLake Michigan.
M-46, a cross-peninsular road, running across the entire mitten of theLower Peninsula includingthe Thumb, fromPort Sanilac on theLake Huron shore, throughSaginaw nearSaginaw Bay, and on toMuskegon on theLake Michigan shore.[6]
M-40 running North and South fromMottville, Michigan, toHolland, Michigan. | This article's list of residentsmay not follow Wikipedia'sverifiability policy. Pleaseimprove this article by removing names that do not have independentreliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are residents, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriatecitations.(March 2011) |
More comprehensive lists are available at individual cities, villages, etc.
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