How Is Michigan's Upper Peninsula Divided Into Regions?

Many native Michiganders would be familiar with the regions of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Metro Detroit/Southeast Michigan, West Michigan, Mid-Michigan, and Northern Lower Michigan are all well defined.

But how would you divide the Upper Peninsula of Michigan?

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Sure, you could say that the entire UP is a single region in the greater subdivision of Michigan's regions. But that classification belies the vastness of the peninsula nearly equal in size to its Lower counterpart.

This map, shared on Reddit, attempts to subdivide the UP into 4 regions, the Eastern, Central and Western Yoop as well as the Keweenaw to the north:

Regions of the upper peninsula
byu/MsBatDuck inMichigan

Regional Divisions of Michigan's Upper Peninsula

As with any divide like this, there won't be widespread agreement. To the east, there's an argument to be made that 'East of the Bridge' - communities like Cedarville and the Les Cheneaux Islands, DeTour Village, and Drummond Island are different enough to have their own region.

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Or perhaps the Keweenaw is too broad and the Copper Country region shouldn't dip as close to Baraga and L'Anse as it does on this map.

For what it's worth, the State of Michigan has its own definition of regions of the Upper Peninsula. For planning and development purposes, the UP is divided into 3 regions along county lines.

👇🏼BELOW: Northern Michigan's Queen City - A Scenic Look at Marquette + 24 Bridges to Enter the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that Aren't the Mackinac Bridge👇🏼

The Western Upper Peninsula includes Gogebic, Ontonagon, Iron, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Baraga Counties.

The Central Upper Peninsula consists of Marquette, Dickinson, Menominee, Delta, Alger, and Schoolcraft.

The Eastern Upper Peninsula then are the three remaining UP counties, Luce, Mackinac, and Chippewa.

Northern Michigan's Queen City - A Look at Marquette

Marquette is the largest city in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and home to Northern Michigan University. It sits on the shores of Lake Superior. This is a look at the sights of Michigan's Queen City.

Gallery Credit: Getty Images

24 Bridges to Enter the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that Aren't the Mackinac Bridge

Some people just don't enjoy crossing the majestic Mackinac Bridge. For others it's not in the route of thier travel. There are at least 24 other bridges that travelers can use to enter Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Here they are from east to west