Michiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michiana
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| No. Counties | 7 (15 in Greater Michiana) |
| States | Indiana, Michigan |
| Postal Codes | 46-49 |
| Largest City | South Bend |
| Second Largest City | Elkhart |
| Time Zones | Eastern, Central |
| US Region | Midwest |
Michiana is a region in Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan centered on the city of South Bend, Indiana. The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County (Indiana) defines Michiana as "counties that contribute at least 500 inbound commuting workers to St. Joseph County daily." Those counties include Elkhart, La Porte, Marshall, St. Joseph, and Starke in Indiana, and Berrien and Cass in Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population of those seven counties was 840,697 (627,140 in Indiana and 213,557 in Michigan).
The name is a portmanteau of "Michigan" and "Indiana", and was chosen as the winning entry in a contest to name the area held by the South Bend Tribune in the early 20th century. The term is frequently used throughout the area, particularly by local radio and television stations based in South Bend that serve the entire area, but also by businesses that seek to draw customers from Indiana into Michigan or vice versa.
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[edit] Government
The Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) is the official Metropolitan Planning Organization for north central Indiana and the South Bend Metro area. MACOG conducts planning for transportation, water quality, and economic development. Currently, 22 cities and towns as well as 29 townships participate in MACOG. Despite the Michiana moniker, none of these participants are currently from the state of Michigan[1], although Berrien and Cass Counties formerly were until they along with Van Buren County were combined into their own MPO, the Southwestern Michigan Regional Planning Commission, later called the Southwestern Michigan Commission, and now called the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission[2].
[edit] Largest Cities
For a complete list, see List of cities and towns in Michiana
- Elkhart, Indiana
- Goshen, Indiana
- Mishawaka, Indiana
- Niles, Michigan
- South Bend, Indiana
- Benton Harbor, Michigan
[edit] Counties
Greater Michiana includes the following 15 counties in Indiana and Michigan:
- Berrien County, Michigan
- Cass County, Michigan
- St. Joseph County, Michigan
- Van Buren County, Michigan
- Elkhart County, Indiana
- Fulton County, Indiana
- Kosciusko County, Indiana
- LaGrange County, Indiana
- Lake County, Indiana
- La Porte County, Indiana
- Marshall County, Indiana
- Noble County, Indiana
- Porter County, Indiana
- St. Joseph County, Indiana
- Starke County, Indiana
The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County (Indiana) defines Greater Michiana as "counties within a 60-mile driving distance to St. Joseph County" that are not included in the seven counties making up Michiana "proper." However, the driving distance presumably refers to the distance between the metropolitan South Bend area and significant population centers in outlying areas, since a strict definition allowing for 60 miles from any point in St. Joseph County would add even more counties to the Greater Michiana area. For example, Walkerton in southwestern St. Joseph County is located approximately 30 miles from Monterey in northeastern Pulaski County, yet Pulaski is not included in the Chamber's list of Greater Michiana counties.
It should be noted that because Michiana is not a legal or political entity, opinions differ about what counties and communities actually constitute the region. Some definitions of the entire Michiana area include fewer than 15 counties; others include Pulaski County and exclude some other outlying counties, notably those in extreme northwestern Indiana, whose residents may identify as closely with Chicago as with the South Bend area.
[edit] Features
- College Football Hall of Fame (South Bend, Indiana)
- Fort St. Joseph Museum (Niles, Michigan)
- Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
- Indiana University South Bend
- Kingsbury State Fish and Wildlife Area (Indiana)
- Michiana Shopper Newspaper [Michiana Shopper Newspaper}
- LaPorte County Historical Society Museum (LaPorte County, Indiana)
- Northern Indiana Center for History (South Bend, Indiana)
- Old Lighthouse Museum (Michigan City, Indiana)
- Potato Creek State Park (Indiana)
- Studebaker National Museum (South Bend, Indiana)
- Warren Dunes State Park (Michigan)
- University of Notre Dame (South Bend, Indiana)
- South Bend Regional Airport
[edit] External links
- The Michiana Directory
- Michiana Area Council of Government
- Michiana Roads
- Michiana Shopper Newspaper
- Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County
- Northern Indiana Center for History
