If you’re considering moving to Michigan there are a number of things you should know before doing so. Some of the facts in this list are informational, while others are fun or just bizarre, but they’re all part of what makes the Great Lakes State so great!
Michigan is shaped like a mitten
If you’ve even looked at a map of the lower peninsula of Michigan, you’ve probably noticed that it greatly resembles the shape of a mitten. In fact, one of Michigan’s common nicknames among residents is “the Mitten.”
We use our hand as a map
Since Michigan is so conveniently shaped as a mitten, residents (or Michiganders) tend to use their hand as a map when describing where a city or town is located. It’s an easy way to give a visual idea of where in the state you’re referencing and you never need to worry about losing your map - unless you have an unfortunate encounter with a wood-chipper.
We call the Upper Peninsula The U.P.
Michigan is split into two peninsulas separated by the Straits of Mackinac, the waterway between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron - two of the Great Lakes. Rather than saying “Upper Peninsula” Michigan residents often refer to it as the U.P. Much of the U.P. is still wilderness with 84% of the land being forests. There are also waterfalls, mountains and wildlife including bears, wolves and moose.
Ope! Means I’m sorry
An extremely common term, sort of an onomatopoeic non-word, that is commonly used in Michigan and throughout the Midwest is “Ope”. The origin of this term, non-word, or sound is fairly unclear, but is used as a way of saying “sorry” if you accidentally bump into someone, drop something, or need to alert someone of something. “Ope! Let me sneak right past ‘ya there. Sorry.”
Two names for Michigan residents
Having two separate land masses (or peninsulas) in Michigan, residents have come to have two different names that were likely given to each other over the past several decades. Those who live in the U.P. are commonly referred to as “Yoopers,” while residents of the Lower Peninsula are called “Trolls,” since they live south of the Mackinac Bridge connecting the two. It’s pretty clear who got the short end of that stick.
Tourists are referred to as “Fudgies”
Of course, with many areas of Michigan being a vacation destination for millions of visitors each year, residents were bound to come up with a label for out-of-towners as well - and that name is “Fudgies”. It’s not meant to be derogatory in any way, but a reference to the large crowds of tourists who vacation in the northern part of the lower peninsula each year which contains a number of shops known for their homemade fudge. A delicious chocolate treat that tourists (and locals, if we’re being honest) purchase in large quantities. Hence, the name “Fudgies.”
Home to the Mackinac Bridge
Connecting the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan and stretching over the Straits of Mackinac is the Mackinac Bridge, affectionately called “Mighty Mac.” After decades of travelers relying on ferry service to cross the Straits, the bridge opened in 1957, an engineering feat in itself. Stretching 26,372 feet (4.995 miles), the Mackinac Bridge is the fifth longest suspension bridge in the world. Fun fact: it took 42,000 miles of cable wire to complete the bridge - enough to wrap around the planet 1.7 times!
Ambassador Bridge: Major Trade Route
Another impressive and extremely important Michigan structure is the Ambassador Bridge, stretching between Detroit and Windsor, Canada. Opened in 1929, it is the busiest international border crossing in North America in terms of trade volume, with 10,000 commercial vehicles crossing on average per day, carrying more than 25% of all merchandise trade between the United States and Canada by value every year.
It's Pronounced Mack-in-aw
Ok, so we waited until nearly a third of the way through the list to tell you this. It’s pronounced Mack-in-aw. The name “Mackinac” appears several times in northern Michigan between Mackinac Island, Mackinac Bridge, Mackinac County, Mackinaw City & Mackinaw Township, however they are all pronounced the same, as spelled in the last two examples.
A Midwest goodbye
If you’ve ever experienced a Midwest goodbye, you know they can take a long time - sometimes hours. Much like our fondness for using “ope” as a way to say sorry, there is common signal used by mid-westerners to signal other mid-westerners they are about ready to leave a gathering or function. From a sitting position, all it takes is a slap on the knee and a “welp, I spose” and others will know it’s time for you to hit the road. It sounds easy enough, but the actual process of leaving can take 2-4 hours by the time you have a quick chat with everyone and thank them for the invite, so plan accordingly. Don’t forget your leftovers.
A Mackinac myth
Maybe more of an inside joke than a myth, Michigan residents sometimes enjoy poking a bit of fun at tourists telling them that the Mackinac Bridge swings shut at night, effectively trapping travelers on either side of the bridge until it reopens the next morning. While this is untrue, as the bridge stays open 24 hours a day, it has had to occasionally be shut down due to severe weather such as wind and ice.
U of M vs. Michigan State
GO BLUE! GO GREEN! Hometown rivalries are nothing uncommon and here in Michigan we have quite the home-state rivalry between two powerhouses in collegiate sports - the University of Michigan and Michigan State. When these teams go head to head it is considered the biggest game of the year. Fans of both teams are extremely passionate and proudly wear their team’s colors not only on game day, but year round to show their support. The only time these fans tend to agree on who will (or should) win is when either team is playing against an even more despised opponent, Ohio State.
No Wearing red on game day
While not every Michigan resident follows college sports, on days that either U of M or Michigan State are in deed playing against Ohio State, wearing the color red is highly advised against as Ohio State’s colors are scarlet red and grey. It’s highly unlikely that anything bad would happen to someone who knowingly ignores this unspoken rule, but they may receive some unapproving glances.
We vacation “up north”
Michiganders enjoy traveling and vacationing as much as anyone else, yet many of us choose to vacation up north. Whether that be in the northern lower peninsula or the upper peninsula, there are a number of gorgeous destinations in Michigan to visit both during the summer months and offseason that are relatively close to home. Now, where the invisible line that depicts where “up north” truly begins is a different topic for another day.
We don’t cry over winter
Yes, Michigan gets cold in the winter. It always has and always will. For residents who grew up here, we may not love winter with the snow and cold that comes along with it, but the majority of us have learned to live with it - and we don’t whine or cry about it. Those who haven’t, well most of them are residents in other states now.
We forget how to drive in the snow
While we have learned to live with winter and snow, it seems a fair amount of Michiganders forget how to drive in the snow during the warmer month every year. The first snow of the season can lead to slippery conditions and hairy situations on the roads at times leading to much longer commute times and the occasional fender bender. When in doubt, sometimes it’s just smarter to stay at home.
Summer lasts 90 days
On average, summer only lasts 93 calendar days, but here in Michigan once those 90 glorious days are up it feels like winter is just around the corner. We do have some beautiful summers that aren’t overly hot or humid, but it can feel short lived and most residents would probably trade a few snow days for extended sunshine.
MAY THE CARDS FOREVER BE IN YOUR FAVOR
With plenty of winter days to pass the time, playing cards is a fairly popular activity in Michigan. Namely, Euchre (pronounced yoo-kr). Euchre has become a staple of Michigan card tables and family events and if the cards could fly, we’d probably make it the state bird, too.
Road construction never ends
Ah, summertime in Michigan. Sunny days, beach, water, road trips - and lots of road construction. Luckily it ends when the snow starts. Well, sort of. With the cold weather comes poor road conditions leading to road repairs to fix all the potholes that develop over time. Or we could just slap some asphalt over them as a band-aid and wait until next year to fix them properly. Either way, Michigan has a lot of road construction that seems to keep going, and going, and going ….
We drink pop
Let’s settle something once and for all. It isn’t soda. Not everything is a Coke. There’s only one name (at least in Michigan) that represents all carbonated soft drinks and that name is POP. Unless you’re actually ordering a Coke, then it’s a Coke.
We invented the greatest foods
Since we have such a strong pop game, of course our food is amazing as well. Quite a few delicious foods have been invented here in the Mitten including superman ice cream, Coney dogs, Vernors (again, POP), potato chips, bread (this one may be questionable), cereal, Mackinac Island fudge, pasties, and more. Trust us on this one. We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
You must own an ice scraper
Back to winter. And snow. And ice. If you own a car, you’ll need to own an ice scraper. Probably a backup one as well. And for the love of everything holy, don’t be one of those people who scrape a little 10 x 10 inch square spot in front of the driver’s seat. Clean your entire windshield and brush the snow off your car while you’re at it. And remember, no whining.
Fleece = Coat & Coat = Winter Jacket
While you’re standing there at 5AM in the middle of February scraping your windshield, you’ll want to bundle up. We dress in layers here. You may experience every season in a single day, so layers are a necessary evil. Living in Michigan, fleece is your friend. Many of us have grown fairly immune to cold weather, so we wear them as coats. But if a Michigander tells you to bring a coat, you had better bring a warm jacket.
Minimum clothing standards
Speaking of clothing - when you’re out shopping for a wardrobe, if it isn’t waterproof for playing in the sun, sand and water in summer months, or rated for sub-zero temperatures for winter activities, just put it back on the rack. Really, what were you thinking anyhow? Rayon was so 2021. Sheesh.
Add an 'S' to store names
“Hey, I’m going to Meijers for some pop and potato chips. Ope! Almost forgot my phone.” Yeah, we add an ‘S’ to the end of some store names for no real reason. Someone named those wrong to begin with.
S.O.S. stands for Secretary of State
You may want to send out an S.O.S. if you time your visit to the Secretary of State wrong. It’s not called the DMV here in Michigan. When you need to renew your driver's license or update your vehicle’s registration, you’ll need to visit the Secretary of State. Or what we refer to as “Hell”.
Cars are illegal on Mackinac Island
This is actually a true statement. Mackinac Island is full of history and also a popular tourist attraction which still operates today as it did in the olden days (with the exception of lots of tourist traps) where your main means of transportation are walking, bicycling, or horseback riding. Unless it’s winter. Then snowmobiles are completely acceptable. C’mon, we aren’t monsters.
Halloween costumes should fit over heavy coats
Hey, look! It’s cold again! We warned you that summer only lasts 90 days. Temps can drop pretty far by late October, so when you’re costume shopping for the little ones, go up a size of five so you can fit that fleece and coat underneath.
We’re die-hard Lions fans
Who’s never won a Super Bowl?! The Lions! Who’s only won one playoff game in 65 years?! The Lions! Why do we love ‘em?! We don’t know! No, the Detroit Lions have never won a Super Bowl since the Super Bowl became a thing in 1967, but they did win four NFL Championship games between 1935 and 1957. Are we living in the past awaiting the glory days to return? Maybe - but next year is OUR year. You just wait and see. These are a few reasons Michigan is a good place to live.
Don’t tell us you’re from California, Arizona or Florida
Did we mention it gets cold here for roughly half of the year? That means quite a few, okay a lot of cloudy, grey days as well. So if you’re moving here from California, Arizona, or Florida where it’s all sunshine and rainbows most of the time - why? Just do us a favor and say you’re from North Dakota or Iowa or something.
So maybe some of these 30 things are just for fun. Honestly, Michigan is an incredible place to live, work, play and to call home. True, we may not have the BEST weather in comparison to other states, but when it IS nice outside, there’s no better place to be. Whether you’re enjoying one of the more than 11,000 lakes either fishing, boating or just relaxing on a sunny, summer day, camping at one of over 1,000 state of private campgrounds in the fall, or sipping an ice cold Michigan craft beer next to a bonfire after hitting the slopes at one of the 40 ski resorts, you’ll fall in love with Michigan and everything that it has to offer. Welcome home.