Lower Peninsula of Michigan

Lore & Background

The Lower Peninsula of Michigan, the larger and southern of the state’s two landmasses, is bounded on the west by Lake Michigan and on the northeast by Lake Huron, which meet at the Straits of Mackinac. To the southeast, a continuous waterway—the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, Detroit River, and Lake Erie—separates it from the Canadian province of Ontario. Its southern land border with Indiana and Ohio is irregular: the Indiana line was shifted ten miles north from its original territorial boundary to grant Indiana more Lake Michigan shoreline, while the angled border with Ohio resulted from the compromise ending the Toledo War. The peninsula is part of the Great Lakes Plain, a region extending into Wisconsin and Ohio. At its widest, it stretches 277 miles north to south and 195 miles east to west, containing nearly two-thirds of Michigan’s total land area. The terrain is generally level, broken by conical hills and glacial moraines rarely exceeding a few hundred feet, most common in the north. The highest point is either Briar Hill at 1,705 feet above sea level or nearby points near Cadillac; the lowest is the Lake Erie shore at 571 feet. The western coast features extensive sandy beaches and dunes shaped by Lake Michigan and prevailing westerly winds. Major river systems—including the Kalamazoo, Grand, Muskegon, Manistee, Au Sable, and Tittabawassee–Shiawassee–Saginaw—flow into the Great Lakes. Because of numerous rivers and lakes, no point is more than six miles from a body of water, and the farthest from a Great Lake is about 85 miles near Lansing. The peninsula is nicknamed “The Mitten” due to its shape, with the eastern region called “The Thumb”; residents often indicate their location by pointing to a spot on the palm of their right hand. The more populated southern part dominates state politics, while the northern region is sparsely forested. Residents of the Upper Peninsula sometimes refer to Lower Peninsula inhabitants as “flat-landers” or “trolls,” the latter because they live south of the Mackinac Bridge.

Reader's Guide

The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is significant as the more populated and culturally diverse part of the state, dominating Michigan politics. Maps of it without the Upper Peninsula are sometimes mistakenly presented as the whole of Michigan, contributing to resentment by Yoopers (residents of the U.P.), who jokingly refer to Lower Peninsula residents as flat-landers or trolls. The peninsula is part of the Great Lakes Plain and contains nearly two-thirds of Michigan's total land area. Its surface is generally level, broken by conical hills and glacial moraines, with extensive sandy beaches and dunes along the western coast. The peninsula is sometimes divided into the Northern Lower Peninsula—sparsely populated and largely forested—and the Southern Lower Peninsula—largely urban or farmland. It is served by major airports, interstate highways, and Amtrak passenger rail routes. The American Bird Conservancy and National Audubon Society have designated several locations on the peninsula as internationally Important Bird Areas.

Did You Know?

• The Lower Peninsula is nicknamed The Mitten, and residents may hold up their right hand and point to a spot on the palmar side to indicate where they live.
• Yoopers jokingly refer to Lower Peninsula residents as trolls because, being south of the Mackinac Bridge, they 'live under the bridge.'
• No point on land in the Lower Peninsula is more than six miles from one of its rivers or lakes, and at most 85 miles from one of the Great Lakes.