Michiana


Michiana is a region in northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan centered on the city of South Bend, Indiana. The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County, Indiana defines Michiana as St. Joseph County and "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 2020 census, those seven counties had a population of 867,747.
The name is a portmanteau of "Michigan" and "Indiana" and was chosen as the winning entry, purportedly submitted by Indiana politician Thurman C. Crook, among others, in a contest to name the area held by the Associated South Bend Merchants in 1934. The term is frequently used throughout the area, particularly by local radio and television stations based in Mishawaka/South Bend that serve the entire area, but also by businesses that seek to draw customers from Indiana into Michigan or vice versa. A 2016 report stated that residents in the Michigan portion are particularly fond of the term because it contains part of the state name as opposed to generic terms for the area such as "the South Bend region."

Government

The Michiana Area Council of Governments is the official Metropolitan Planning Organization for north central Indiana and the South Bend-Mishawaka metropolitan 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 name, none of these participants are currently from the state of Michigan, although Berrien and Cass Counties were until they along with Van Buren County were combined into their own MPO, what is now called the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission.

Counties

Indiana Counties
  • St. Joseph County: Population: 272,912
  • Elkhart County: Population: 207,047
  • LaPorte County: Population: 112,417
  • Marshall County: Population: 46,095
  • Starke County: Population: 23,371
Michigan Counties
  • Berrien County: Population: 154,316
  • Cass County: Population: 51,589

    Largest cities

  • South Bend, Indiana Population: 103,453
  • Elkhart, Indiana Population: 53,923
  • Mishawaka, Indiana Population: 51,063
  • Goshen, Indiana Population: 34,517
  • Michigan City, Indiana Population: 32,075
  • Granger, Indiana Population: 30,337
  • La Porte, Indiana Population: 22,471
  • Niles, Michigan Population: 11,876
  • Plymouth, Indiana Population: 11,249
  • Benton Harbor, Michigan Population: 8,982

    Greater Michiana

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
Michiana's borders overlap with those of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the two regions have significant cultural ties. South Bend in particular has strong ties to Chicago: it is home to the last stop on the South Shore Line, a commuter rail line connecting Chicago's downtown and south side to Indiana, and the nearby University of Notre Dame is noted for its strong connection with Chicago. Berrien County, Michigan, is known as a common summer vacation destination for wealthy Chicagoans; the Wall Street Journal called the area "the Hamptons of the Midwest".

Economy

Throughout the twentieth century, the economy of Michiana was based on heavy industry, especially as connected to the automobile industry centered in nearby Detroit. In 1960, 41% of the employment was in manufacturing, followed by 17% in hospitality 8% in business services, 6% in transportation, 5% in education, and 5% in agriculture, with healthcare at 4% and government at 2%. Deindustrialization had a major impact after 1970, and by 2013, only 27% of the employment was in manufacturing, 20% was in hospitality, 12% in healthcare, 11% in government, 8% in business services, 5% in transportation, and 4% in education. In 2013, three of the top 10 Michiana employers were in the Elkhart area and focused on recreational vehicles, trailers, and related products, including Forest River with 7600 employees, Thor Industries with 7500, and Drew industries with 4700. Many hospitals were consolidated, as health spending doubled and tripled. By 2013 three health systems were among the top 10 employers: Beacon Health System ; Lakeland Regional Health System, and Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center. The University of Notre Dame had 5700 employees in the educational sector, and the South Bend Community School Corporation had 3000. Whirlpool Corporation, the appliance maker, with 3400 employees, is based in Benton Harbor. Martin's Super Markets operated 21 grocery stores in the region with 3100 employees. With the loss of manufacturing, per capita income in Michiana has declined from 105% of the national average in 1960 to 82% in 2013.

Points of interest

For more information and other points of interest not listed below, see the articles on the individual communities in the region.

Historical sites

  • The History Museum

    Museums

  • Fort St. Joseph Museum
  • LaPorte County Historical Society Museum
  • Old Lighthouse Museum
  • Studebaker National Museum
  • Mishawaka Historical Museum

    Universities

  • Andrews University
  • Bethel University
  • Goshen College
  • Holy Cross College
  • Indiana University South Bend
  • Saint Mary's College
  • University of Notre Dame
  • Ivy Tech Community College
  • Marian University Ancilla College

    Parks

  • Indiana Dunes National Park
  • Kingsbury Fish and Wildlife Area
  • Potato Creek State Park
  • Warren Dunes State Park
  • Warren Woods State Park

    Transportation

  • South Bend International Airport
  • South Shore Line