Is the Midwest one region or two?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The biggest city in PA is definitely mid-Atlantic.

Kansas and Nebraska and the Dakotas are not the midwest.

KS and NE are definitely the Midwest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grew up on a family farm in Western Nebraska, nothing but prairie grass for hours. I've always considered KS/NE/SD/ND and the eastern parts of CO/WY/MT part of the Great Plains. When you actually see and experience the terrain (and wide open spaces), you'll know why.

No shortage of flat wide open spaces in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, or even Mich

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

People in Michigan don't think they're in the same region as Nebraska. People in Nebraska don't think they're in the same region as Michigan

100% wrong

100% right. No one from Detroit including myself considers Nebraska as part of the same region. My colleague from Nebraska — and my husband’s family who were original European settlers in Nebraska do not think of Michigan as part of the same region.

Generally states that were part of the Louisiana purchase that people consider midwestern are actually plains states. Listen to weather reports. That’s how they distinguish them from the former (north) states (eg, Michigan) — that is, the ones generally east of The Mississippi River. After the Louisiana Purchase, those states became the Midwest bc they were between the new West and the East.

Oh stop with the Louisiana Purchase. I bet I’ve lived in the Midwest & Mich longer than you. I will agree that you can make a distinction between Great States & Plains States, but those are 2 parts of the Midwest. I’ve heard Michiganders identify as Midwesterners countless times. Never heard a Michigander say he was a “Great Lakesian” or other name representing the 5 Great Lakes states.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chicago is the center of the region.

People in Michigan don't think they're in the same region as Nebraska. People in Nebraska don't think they're in the same region as Michigan.

But from the Chicago vantage point including both makes sense.

Omaha and eastern Nebraska is extremely Midwest

The clear dividing line is the 100th degree longitude where there is a drastic shift in rainfall/westher/soil/ag-farming patterns

+1 I heard in a recent discussion about Fargo that if the Dakota territory was going to be split into two states (in a shameless power grab for more Republican Senators and electoral college votes) they should have made it East and West Dakota instead. Would make way more sense historically, culturally, agriculturally etc. etc. etc.

[Anonymous]

People from states that border the Great Lakes certainly seem to think so. Though I live in the Midwest now, I’m from the coasts and just think of all of the middle as the middle. Sorry, a big lake is not an ocean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

People in Michigan don't think they're in the same region as Nebraska. People in Nebraska don't think they're in the same region as Michigan

100% wrong

100% right. No one from Detroit including myself considers Nebraska as part of the same region. My colleague from Nebraska — and my husband’s family who were original European settlers in Nebraska do not think of Michigan as part of the same region.

Generally states that were part of the Louisiana purchase that people consider midwestern are actually plains states. Listen to weather reports. That’s how they distinguish them from the former (north) states (eg, Michigan) — that is, the ones generally east of The Mississippi River. After the Louisiana Purchase, those states became the Midwest bc they were between the new West and the East.

Oh stop with the Louisiana Purchase. I bet I’ve lived in the Midwest & Mich longer than you. I will agree that you can make a distinction between Great States & Plains States, but those are 2 parts of the Midwest. I’ve heard Michiganders identify as Midwesterners countless times. Never heard a Michigander say he was a “Great Lakesian” or other name representing the 5 Great Lakes states.

People from Michigan are obsessed with Michigan and being from it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest city in PA is definitely mid-Atlantic.

Kansas and Nebraska and the Dakotas are not the midwest.

Kansas and Nebraska are pretty much the definition of the Midwest imo.

No. The definitive Midwest is Ohio/Michigan/Illinois/Indiana.

What is Kentucky? It’s further west than Ohio and most of it is on the same latitude of a lot of Il, In, and Oh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest city in PA is definitely mid-Atlantic.

Kansas and Nebraska and the Dakotas are not the midwest.

Kansas and Nebraska are pretty much the definition of the Midwest imo.

No. The definitive Midwest is Ohio/Michigan/Illinois/Indiana.

What is Kentucky? It’s further west than Ohio and most of it is on the same latitude of a lot of Il, In, and Oh.

From an Iowan’s perspective, Kentucky is the south.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grew up on a family farm in Western Nebraska, nothing but prairie grass for hours. I've always considered KS/NE/SD/ND and the eastern parts of CO/WY/MT part of the Great Plains. When you actually see and experience the terrain (and wide open spaces), you'll know why.

No shortage of flat wide open spaces in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, or even Mich

not really. Much of those states is owned, settled and lived upon. You can drive for hours in ND and not see a soul. It's refreshingly beautiful. I grew up there and I miss it. I currently live in Iowa and it feels crowded to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grew up on a family farm in Western Nebraska, nothing but prairie grass for hours. I've always considered KS/NE/SD/ND and the eastern parts of CO/WY/MT part of the Great Plains. When you actually see and experience the terrain (and wide open spaces), you'll know why.

No shortage of flat wide open spaces in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, or even Mich

not really. Much of those states is owned, settled and lived upon. You can drive for hours in ND and not see a soul. It's refreshingly beautiful. I grew up there and I miss it. I currently live in Iowa and it feels crowded to me.

Apparently you’re talking out you butt & have never been to the states you claim to be an expert on.

[Anonymous]

There are many ways the country is divided and labeled. Every state fits under more than one regional division.

[Anonymous]

Shocked at how many people think pa is the Midwest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest city in PA is definitely mid-Atlantic.

Kansas and Nebraska and the Dakotas are not the midwest.

Kansas and Nebraska are pretty much the definition of the Midwest imo.

No. The definitive Midwest is Ohio/Michigan/Illinois/Indiana.

What is Kentucky? It’s further west than Ohio and most of it is on the same latitude of a lot of Il, In, and Oh.

From an Iowan’s perspective, Kentucky is the south.

Kentucky and Ohio are connected by a bridge over the Ohio River, but in a map dividing the US into 4 regions, Ohio is midwest and Kentucky is South; Ohio is Rust Belt and Kentucky is Bible Belt (though some of Southern Ohio is also Bible Belt). Ohio and Kentucky are part of both the Interior Lowlands and the Appalachian Plateau. Ohio has central lowlands and lake planes, and Kentucky is east-south central lowlands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it one region or are the two halves (Great Lakes and Great Plains) fundamentally different?

Great Lakes states (East North Central division): IL, IN, MI, OH, WI

Great Plains states (West North Central division): IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD

Both. In a map of 4 regions and according the the U.S. Census Bureau, the midwest is one region with 12 states. It is further subdivided into East North Central and West North Central, and also Upper Midwest and Lower Midwest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it one region or are the two halves (Great Lakes and Great Plains) fundamentally different?

Great Lakes states (East North Central division): IL, IN, MI, OH, WI

Great Plains states (West North Central division): IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD

Mostly I find it odd you didn't include Minnesota in your Great Lakes region.

There are some pretty significant cultural difference. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan are pretty much fall into one group. The others are culturally more conservative.