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West Michigan
A broad definition of West Michigan.
A broad definition of West Michigan.
Country United States
State Michigan
Largest city Grand Rapids
Other cities
WestMichiganNarrowDefinition
Map of the region, employing a narrow definition.

West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for an arbitrary region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Most narrowly it refers to the Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Peninsula's Lake Michigan shoreline, but there is no official definition.

Definition

In general, "West Michigan" often refers to the area bounded by the cities of Muskegon (in the north), Grand Rapids (in the northeast), Kalamazoo-Battle Creek (in the southeast) and St.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 of Allegan, Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa, which together compose the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Muskegon SMSA. 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 as Michiana, Southern Michigan, or Southwest Michigan, in the case of Benton Harbor-St. Joseph.

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 as Ludington and White Cloud may be included because of their close economic ties to the cities to the south. Other areas, such as Montcalm County in the northeast corner of the region, are transitional areas that straddle Michigan regions but are included for classification purposes. In the case of Montcalm County, the area around Greenville in the county's southwest corner is closely tied economically with Grand Rapids, while the area around Vestaburg and Edmore in the northeastern corner of county are more closely associated with the cities of Mount Pleasant and Alma, which are included in almost any definition of Central Michigan.

Geography

  • See also List of Michigan state parks and geography of Michigan.
  • The area is considered to be part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids.
  • In northwest Kent County is Fruit Ridge, which is a prime fruit-growing region; that accounts for 65% of all Michigan apple production.

Municipalities

The following table contains the largest municipalities of West Michigan according to the 2010 Census. This list holds for nearly every geographic definition of West Michigan. If Battle Creek were included, it would be ranked fourth.

Rank Municipality County Population
1 Grand Rapids Kent 188,040
2 Kalamazoo Kalamazoo 74,262
3 Wyoming Kent 72,125
4 Kentwood Kent 48,707
5 Georgetown Charter Township Ottawa 46,985
6 Portage Kalamazoo 46,292
7 Muskegon Muskegon 38,401
8 Holland Charter Township Ottawa 35,636
9 Holland Ottawa/Allegan 33,051
10 Plainfield Charter Township Kent 30,952
11 Gaines Charter Township Kent 25,146
12 Norton Shores Muskegon 23,994
13 Walker Kent 23,537
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.

Events

Attractions

Business

Prominent West Michigan corporations include:

Transportation

Major airports

Railways

  • Coopersville and Marne Railway
  • CSX
  • Grand Trunk Western Railway, subsidiary of Canadian National Railway.
  • Grand Elk Railroad
  • Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad
  • Michigan Shore Railroad
  • Michigan Southern Railroad
  • Norfolk Southern Railway
  • West Michigan Railroad

Major roads

Interstate highways

US highways

Michigan highways

Other

  • Eastern port of the Lake Express High Speed Car Ferry; Muskegon
  • The SS Badger in Ludington
  • The West Michigan Tourist Association promotes the region from a tourism standpoint

Notable residents or former residents

More comprehensive lists are available at individual cities, villages, etc.

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