Midland is a city in and the county seat of

Midland County, Michigan Midland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 83,494. The county seat is Midland. The county's name is due to its closeness to the geographical Lower Peninsula's geographical center ...

. The city's population was 42,547 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

History

By the late 1820s, Midland was established as a fur trading post of the American Fur Company supervised by the post at Saginaw. Here agents purchased furs from

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

trappers. The

Campau family The Campau family of Detroit, Michigan, was established when brothers Michel and Jacques Campau settled in Detroit, Michigan in 1707 and 1708, respectively. Jacques, Joseph Campau, and Barnabé Campau are among the Barons of Detroit, according to R ...

of Detroit operated an independent trading post at this location in the late 1820s. Dow Chemical Company was founded in Midland in 1897, and its world headquarters are still located there. Through the influence of a Dow Chemical plant opening in

Handa, Aichi is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 118,259 in 51,846 households, and a population density of 2,494 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Geography Handa is located in northeastern ...

, Japan, Midland and Handa have become

sister cities A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

Dow Corning Dow Corning Corporation, was an American multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. Originally established as a joint venture between The Dow Chemical Company and Corning Incorporated, Dow bought out Corning and ...

was also headquartered in Midland. In 1969, the city unilaterally defined a Midland Urban Growth Area (MUGA), a two-mile territory around the city limits, in an attempt to control

urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...

. As the county's only capable drinking water supplier, the city would provide water services to communities outside the MUGA such as the nearby village of Sanford. The city would not provide water services within the MUGA without

annexation Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...

to the city of Midland. This allowed the city to control most of the growth in the county. Since 1991, the policy has since been revised with a series of Urban Cooperation Act Agreements with surrounding townships. Case-by-case redrawings of the MUGA line now allow Midland to sell water to the surrounding townships without annexation. On May 19, 2020, the Sanford Dam and

Edenville Dam Edenville Dam was an earthen embankment dam at the confluence of the Tittabawassee River and the Tobacco River in Mid Michigan, United States, forming Wixom Lake. The dam was about north of Edenville, mostly in the southeast corner of Toba ...

both failed, prompting an evacuation of 10,000 Midland residents. Governor

Gretchen Whitmer Gretchen Esther Whitmer (born August 23, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 49th governor of Michigan since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001 to 2006 a ...

declared a state of emergency, predicting that parts of Midland and Sandford would be covered in nine feet of water within 12–15 hours. She urged residents to seek shelter with family and friends or at emergency shelters. This major “500 year” flooding event occurred just months after the COVID-19 stay at home order went into effect.

Geography

While the vast majority of the city exists within Midland County, a small portion of the city extends into

Bay County Bay County is the name of three counties: * Bay County, Florida, United States * Bay County, Michigan, United States * Baicheng County Baicheng County () as the official romanized name, also transliterated from Uyghur as Bay County (pronounced l ...

. Most of the city's area is incorporated from Midland Township.

Topography

*According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. *Midland is part of the

Flint/Tri-Cities Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and Mid Michigan corr ...

Climate

Midland has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(

Dfb DFB may refer to: * Deerfield Beach, Florida, a city * Decafluorobutane, a fluorocarbon gas * Dem Franchize Boyz, former hip hop group, Atlanta, Georgia * Dfb, Köppen climate classification for Humid continental climate * Distributed-feedback ...

) with hot, rainy summers with cool nights and cold, snowy winters with average highs around freezing.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 41,863 people, 17,506 households, and 10,766 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 18,578 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 2.0%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

, 0.3% Native American, 3.3%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.5% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.4% of the population. There were 17,506 households, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.5% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the city was 38.3 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 41,685 people, 16,743 households, and 11,000 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,254.9 per square mile (484.5/km²). There were 17,773 housing units at an average density of 535.0 per square mile (206.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.38%

, 1.82%

, 0.29% Native American, 2.69%

, 0.06%

, 0.57% from

, and 1.19% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.92% of the population. There were 16,743 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 25.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $48,444, and the median income for a family was $64,949. Males had a median income of $53,208 versus $31,098 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $26,818. About 5.5% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Retail

The city's major shopping district is located north of town, on Eastman Avenue near US-10. There are several

Big-box store A big-box store (also hyperstore, supercenter, superstore, or megastore) is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain of stores. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store. The t ...

s located here, as well as the Midland Mall, which includes Barnes & Noble,

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, f ...

GameStop GameStop Corp. is an American video game, consumer electronics, and gaming merchandise retailer. The company is headquartered in Grapevine, Texas (a suburb of Dallas), and is the largest video game retailer worldwide. , the company operates 4,5 ...

, and Dunhams. Midland also has a downtown on Main Street which includes local restaurants, artist co-ops, and local retail.

Arts and culture

Historical markers

There are four recognized Michigan historical markers in the city. * John and Almira Kelly House * Midland County Courthouse * Origins of Salt Industry / State Salt Well No. 1 * The Upper Bridge

Sites of interest

Midland has many cultural opportunities in fields ranging from music and theater to science and the arts. The Midland Center for the Arts delivers hands-on exhibits in science, art and technology, at the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art. The Center also provides two state-of-the-art auditoriums for audiences of 400 to 1500 to enjoy everything from the Midland Symphony Orchestra and Center Stage Theatre, to professional programming through MATRIX: Midland. Midland County Historical Societies Heritage Park provides an opportunity to explore Midland County's history through a variety of avenues. The Herbert D. Doan Midland County History Center houses a research library, gift shop and the interactive Dorothy Dow Arbury Midland County History Gallery, which provides hands on exhibits for exploring Midland County's history. Also located at Heritage Park is the Herbert H. Dow Historical Museum, which explores the history and growth of Dow Chemical Company founded in Midland by Herbert H. Dow. Also located on the campus is the Bradley Home Museum and Carriage House; this 1874 house built by Benjamin F. Bradley allows visitors to see an historic home and furnishings of its time. The Carriage House holds an extensive collection of sleighs and carriages, and it has the largest working blacksmith shop in the Mid-Michigan area. Midland City parks number 72 with over of park land. Seven are classified as '' Regional Parks'', typically larger than 200 acres; seven are considered ''Community Parks'', normally over 15 acres; ''Neighborhood Parks'' number 19, usually from five to ten acres in size, located within residential areas; and the 36 ''Mini-Parks'' are mostly less than an acre. Other city-owned land includes pathways, undeveloped areas intended for "passive recreation", waterfront areas and protected natural areas. Skaters of all skill levels use Midland's Civic Arena, which has two

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

-sized rinks and one Olympic-sized rink. A BMX track is located in Midland's Stratford park. Winner of a 2005 Michigan Cool Cities grant (a grass-roots, volunteer-based training program to revitalize a downtown area), Downtown Midland offers dining, shopping and entertainment for the whole family. Walkers, joggers, bikers, and skaters can use the

Pere Marquette Rail-Trail The Pere Marquette Rail-Trail (PMRT) is a rail trail in Michigan occupying a abandoned CSX railroad corridor in Midland County and Isabella County that was once part of the Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad. In 1874, the tracks stretched fro ...

, a ribbon of asphalt stretching to the neighboring city of Clare. Midland County's system of natural pathways continues to expand with the recent addition of the Chippewa Trail, which connects to the Pere Marquette trail. The Chippewa Trail ends at the

Chippewa Nature Center Chippewa Nature Center (CNC) is both a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization and a protected wildlife area in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, encompassing over of forest, rivers and wetlands. Located in Midland County, it is one of the ...

. This has a territory of more than of deciduous and coniferous woods, rivers, ponds, wetlands (

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

fen A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich Groundwater, ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as ...

, bog, and

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

) and upland fields. Also in the recreation mix are two golf courses, the

Midland Community Center The Midland Community Center (MCC) is a nearly complex on three levels in the heart of Midland, Michigan that provides comprehensive Social change, social, recreational and Personal development, personal development opportunities for all residen ...

(with multiple swimming pools and exercise facilities), the West Midland Family Center, the North Midland Family Center, the Midland Gymnastics Training Center, the Midland Community Tennis Center and the Midland

Curling Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding ...

Center. Midland's

Dow Gardens Dow Gardens is a botanical garden located at 1809 Eastman Avenue, Midland, Michigan, United States. Visitors are invited to leave the pathway and explore the uniquely-designed landscape, take a tour of the historic Pines Home, participate in one o ...

feature of flower and vegetable gardens, plus an

arboretum An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...

. These were the original gardens of the Herbert H. Dow homestead and are open for tours. In addition, the

Alden B. Dow Alden B. Dow (April 10, 1904 – August 20, 1983) was an American architect based in Midland, Michigan, and known for his contributions to the style of Michigan Modern. During a career that spanned from the 1930s to the 1960s, he designed more than ...

Home and Studio offers tours of this landmark American architect's unique and influential style. Alden B. Dow F.A.I.A designed the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library, Midland's public library named in his mother's honor. Whiting Forest is now connected to Dow Gardens with a series of pedestrian bridges and walks. It is also home to the Longest Canopy Walk in the nation. The canopy walk is suspended 40 feet above the ground and is 1,400 feet long. Visitors can walk the trails, play in the children's playground and enjoy drinks and snacks in the cafe.

Architecture

In the early 1930s, Alden B. Dow F.A.I.A. introduced modern design to Midland, Michigan and created over 130 structures during his 50-year career. His innovative and dynamic structures initiated an architectural heritage that is unprecedented in the United States. Dow’s creative concepts inspired dozens of other architects, including Jackson Hallett A.I.A, Glenn Beach A.I.A., Robert Schwartz A.I.A, and Francis “Red” Warner A.I.A. These gifted architects and more, also created beautifully-crafted Mid-Century Modern structures that are an integral part of the over 400 buildings that dominate Midland.

List of notable places

* Alden B. Dow Home & Studio *

* Dahlia Hill * Dow Chemical Company headquarters *

headquarters *

Midland plant *

Dow Diamond Dow Diamond is a Minor League baseball stadium located in Midland, Michigan. It is the home of the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League. The Loons are affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The stadium is located near Buttles, Ellsworth and ...

, Home of the Great Lakes Loons, the Single-A Affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League in Major League Baseball *

* Grace A. Dow Memorial Library * Herbert H. Dow House * Midland Barstow Airport * Midland Center for the Arts * Midland Civic Arena, a 1,000-seat indoor arena *

Midland Community Stadium Midland Community Stadium (MCS) is located in Midland, Michigan and is owned by Midland Public Schools. The stadium is notable because the fan seating is built into man-made earthen hills, and does not have scaffolding type bleachers that are typi ...

* Midland Community Tennis Center *

* The Tridge, a three-way pedestrian bridge over the Tittabawassee and Chippewa rivers. More than 100 places of worship county-wide represent a variety of denominations and architectural styles, earning Midland the nickname "City of Beautiful Churches". Midland's Volunteer Center recruits upwards of 2,000 volunteers each year, and the United Way of Midland County supports 25 community organizations.

Sports

Midland is home to many recreational sporting facilities and organizations. These include the civic ice arena which hosts 2 NHL and one Olympic-sized rinks, a skate park downtown, and the Midland Community Tennis Center and its 32 courts. The tennis center also hosts a

USTA The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is the national governing body for tennis in the United States. A not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, ...

Pro Circuit event and was part of the USTA award to Midland as America's Best Tennis Town 2009. Midland is also host to the following professional sports teams.

Government

Midland uses the council–manager form of government. The council consists of five members elected from geographic wards. Council members serve a two-year term, and the full council is elected during odd years. The mayor and the mayor

pro tem ''Pro tempore'' (), abbreviated ''pro tem'' or ''p.t.'', is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a ''locum tenens'' (placeholder) in the absence of ...

are chosen from the elected council by a vote of the council, who also appoint the city manager and city attorney, who serve at the pleasure of the council. Federally, Midland is located in Michigan's 4th congressional district, represented by

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

John Moolenaar.

Education

Midland Public Schools Midland Public Schools is a public school district located in Midland, Michigan, United States. History The roots of Midland Public Schools go back to the 1872 ''Union High School'', which educated local students until a boiler explosion destro ...

* Bullock Creek Public Schools *

Davenport University Davenport University is a private university with campuses throughout Michigan and online. It was founded in 1866 by Conrad Swensburg and currently offers associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees; diplomas; and post-grad certification progra ...

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

(research facility) *

Northwood University Northwood University (NU) is a private university focused on business education with its main campus in Midland, Michigan. Opened in 1959, more than 33,000 people have graduated from the institution. History Northwood University opened as Nort ...

* Delta College Midland Center (DCMC) *

Ross Medical Education Center Ross Medical Education Center is a nonprofit allied-health school with 43 locations across eight states offering both campus and online programs. Ross was an investment of JLL Partners from 2011 until its conversion to 501(c)(3) nonprofit sta ...

*Alternative High Schools **Education and Training Connection (ETC) **Windover High School *Good Shepherd Lutheran School *Calvary Baptist Academy (since 1973)

Media

Midland Community Television Network (Charter Communications Channels 188,189,190,& 191 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99) is the City of Midland's public, government, and education access cable television channel group. It is the purpose of MCTV to provide the people and organizations in the Midland area with an opportunity to be involved in using the television medium to inform, communicate, educate, and entertain. Midland Community Television Network is a service of the City of Midland serving the residents of the City of Midland and outlying areas through Charter Cable, AT&T U-Verse, and online video-on-demand. MCTV is funded through Video Service Provider franchise fees paid by Charter Communications and AT&T to the City of Midland for use of the public rights-of-way. Franchise fees are a small percentage of the service provider's gross revenue from subscribers within the service area. The MCTV Network is non-commercial and offers video services, training, and multi-media delivery for residents and non-profit organizations within the city or county of Midland. http://cityofmidlandmi.gov/MCTV Midland is the city of license of two FM radio stations serving the Tri-Cities (Saginaw/Bay City/Midland) area.

WKQZ WKQZ (93.3 FM broadcasting, FM The Rock Station, Z93) is an active rock radio station serving east-central Michigan, owned by Cumulus Media. The station is licensed to Midland, Michigan, although its studios are in Saginaw, Michigan, Saginaw. WK ...

("Z93") is an active rock station owned by

Citadel Broadcasting Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country. Only iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media ...

and broadcasting at 93.3 FM.

WUGN WUGN (99.7 Family Life Radio ) is a non-commercial Christian FM radio station in Midland, Michigan, operating on 99.7 MHz. The station broadcasts with 100,000 watts from a 997-foot tower, giving it a strong signal throughout the middle of ...

is a non-commercial station at 99.7 FM owned by Family Life Communications, broadcasting adult-contemporary Christian music and teaching. WMPX (1490 AM) is Midland's "hometown" locally owned radio station, owned by Steel Broadcasting and airing an adult standards ("Timeless Classics") format satellite-fed from ABC Radio. WMPX has an FM simulcast station in

Beaverton, Michigan Beaverton is a city in Gladwin County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,071 at the 2010 census. The city is bordered by Beaverton Township on the west, but the two are administered autonomously. History Beaverton was firs ...

, WMRX (97.7 FM), which airs a small amount of local weekend programming separate from the AM. Other area stations include WEJC (88.3 FM) in White Star, Michigan, which airs

contemporary Christian Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

music and is affiliated with the Lansing-based "

Smile FM Smile FM is a network of non-commercial, contemporary Christian radio stations owned by Superior Communications, a nonprofit organization. Most programming originates from studios in Williamston, Michigan (just east of Lansing) and is relayed (wi ...

" network;

WPRJ WPRJ is the callsign for an FM radio station in Coleman, Michigan which is licensed to Spirit Communications, Inc. and broadcasts at 101.7 FM. WPRJ is a non-profit Christian Rock station which retransmits the Radio U network based at WUFM in Co ...

(101.7 FM) in

Coleman, Michigan Coleman is a city in Midland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,243 at the 2010 census. History Coleman began with the building of a sawmill in 1870. The following year a station of the Pere Marquette Railroad was opened. ...

, a Christian CHR station known as "The Fuse"; and country music station WGDN (103.1 FM) in nearby

Gladwin, Michigan Gladwin is a city in Gladwin County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,933 at the 2010 census. Gladwin is the county seat of Gladwin County. The city is at the southwest corner of Gladwin Township, but the two are administered ...

. Midland is also served by radio and television stations from Saginaw, Bay City, Flint, Mount Pleasant, and Houghton Lake. Midland's main newspaper is the ''

Midland Daily News The ''Midland Daily News'' is a daily newspaper which serves Midland County, Michigan. The offices for the paper are located at 219 East Main Street in downtown Midland; the paper is widely circulated around Midland County. The newspaper also p ...

''.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Scheduled airline service is available from

MBS International Airport MBS International Airport , located in Freeland, Michigan, is a commercial and general aviation airport serving the nearby cities of Midland, Bay City, and Saginaw. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of ...

near

Freeland Freeland may refer to: Places Canada *Freeland, Prince Edward Island United Kingdom *Freeland, Oxfordshire United States *Freeland, Maryland *Freeland, Michigan *Freeland, Ohio *Freeland, Pennsylvania *Freeland, Washington Other uses *Freel ...

and Flint's

Bishop International Airport Bishop International Airport is a commercial and general aviation airport located in Flint, Michigan, United States. It is named after banker and General Motors board member Arthur Giles Bishop (April 12, 1851 – January 22, 1944), who dona ...

. The Jack Barstow Municipal Airport, dedicated May 30, 1936, is a general aviation airport operated by the city and available for general aviation aircraft. There is no regularly scheduled public transportation (bus service). Residents can call in advance to schedule pickup or return transport by one government sponsored agency, "Dial-A-Ride", offering transport within the city only. Then there is "County Connection" a private run public transport for those outside the city of Midland but still within Midland County both for a nominal fee. Both also offer reduced fare rides for elderly and youth. *, a freeway passing the northern edge of Midland, connects with Bay City on the east; Clare and Ludington (as a two-lane highway) to the west. * is a business loop through the downtown. * connects Midland with Mount Pleasant and Big Rapids to the west. * runs northerly from nearby Sanford to

West Branch West Branch may refer to: Communities * West Branch, Iowa, city in Cedar and Johnson counties * West Branch, Michigan, city in Ogemaw County * West Branch, New Brunswick, in the Local Service District of Weldford Parish * West Branch River John, i ...

. * links from US-10 east of the city to

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

and

Power

In 1967, Dow Chemical attained criticality on a 100 kW nuclear

research reactor Research reactors are nuclear fission-based nuclear reactors that serve primarily as a neutron source. They are also called non-power reactors, in contrast to power reactors that are used for electricity production, heat generation, or marit ...

at the Midland facility, primarily as a neutron source and to irradiate samples. The reactor continues to operate. In 1968, Consumers Power began construction of a

nuclear power plant A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power stations, heat is used to generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a electric generator, generato ...

in Midland, primarily for Dow Chemical Company. The project's budget was $257 million, with completion anticipated in 1972. Extreme construction problems caused years of delays and costs soared. The

Three Mile Island accident The Three Mile Island accident was a partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island, Unit 2 (TMI-2) reactor in Pennsylvania, United States. It began at 4 a.m. on March 28, 1979. It is the most significant accident in U.S. commercial nuclea ...

in 1979 resulted in a massive change in nuclear regulatory requirements and system redesign. When it was revealed that the containment buildings were settling and foundation cracks were discovered, Dow canceled their contract with Consumers Power, and the project was abandoned in 1984. The $4.1 billion investment nearly bankrupted Consumers Power. However, in 1985, Consumers Power formed a partnership with eight other companies to convert Midland's abandoned nuclear plant into a gas-fired power plant. Transformation of the plant began in 1986 and was completed at a cost of $500 million. The

Midland Cogeneration Venture The Midland Cogeneration Venture (MCV) is a natural gas-fired electrical and steam co-generation plant in Midland, Michigan owned by Midland Cogeneration Venture Limited Partnership. When it began operation in 1991, it was the largest gas-fired st ...

began producing power in 1991 and that success restored faith in Consumers Power.Lascari, Tony
"Former Midlander, ‘Pioneer for the Environment’, dies at 92"
Midland Daily News, January 15, 2011 The facility now produces 10% of the power consumption for the lower peninsula of Michigan."Midland Cogeneration Venture"
EQT Private Equity Funds, Investments

Notable people

* Bobby Anderson, NFL player, member of College Football Hall of Fame *

Dick Anderson Richard Paul Anderson (born February 10, 1946) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Miami Dolphins of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 196 ...

, safety for undefeated

1972 Miami Dolphins The 1972 Miami Dolphins season was the franchise's seventh season and third in the National Football League (NFL). The team was led by third-year head coach Don Shula and achieved the only perfect season in NFL history. They also led the league ...

* Jeff Backus, former offensive tackle for NFL's

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

* Mary Brown, Michigan state legislator and educator *

David Lee Camp David Lee Camp (born July 9, 1953) is a former American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2015. Camp represented since 1993, and previously served one term representing . A member of the ...

, former member of

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

Michael Cohrs Michael Cohrs (born 1956 in Midland, Michigan) is an American financier. He was Co-head of Corporate and Investment Banking and head of Global Banking (which comprises the mergers and acquisitions, global capital markets, coverage, commercial ba ...

, member of Court and Financial Policy Committee

Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government of ...

Terry Collins Terry Lee Collins (born May 27, 1949) is an American former professional baseball manager. He managed the Houston Astros, the Anaheim Angels and New York Mets in Major League Baseball and the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball. He c ...

, manager of

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

Mikey "Bug" Cox Coal Chamber is an American nu metal band formed by Dez Fafara and Meegs Rascón in Los Angeles, California in 1993. Prior to Coal Chamber, the two had also created the band She's in Pain, in 1992. The original lineup also consisted of bassist ...

, ex-drummer of

Coal Chamber Coal Chamber is an American nu metal band formed by Dez Fafara and Meegs Rascón in Los Angeles, California in 1993. Prior to Coal Chamber, the two had also created the band She's in Pain, in 1992. The original lineup also consisted of bassist ...

, architect * Herbert H. Dow, founder of Dow Chemical * Chris Dowling,

Cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...

Midland High School *

Paul Emmel Paul Lewis Emmel (born May 2, 1968) is an American Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire. He worked in the National League in 1999, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. Emmel was named a crew chief in 2017 and wears uniform numbe ...

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

umpire *

Gary Gerould Gary Gerould, nicknamed “The G-Man”, is an American sportscaster, best known as the radio voice of the NBA's Sacramento Kings since 1985. The Sacramento Kings renewed his radio broadcaster contract for 4 years on September 15, 2017. He is ...

, sportscaster for NBA's

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

* Cathy Guisewite, cartoonist known for comic strip

Cathy ''Cathy'' is an American gag-a-day comic strip, drawn by Cathy Guisewite from 1976 until 2010. The comic follows Cathy, a woman who struggles through the "four basic guilt groups" of life—food, love, family, and work. The strip gently pokes f ...

James Aloysius Hickey James Aloysius Hickey (October 11, 1920 – October 24, 2004) was an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Washington from 1980 to 2000, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1988. Hickey previously serve ...

, Cardinal Archbishop of Washington, D.C. * Robert Jarvik, inventor of Jarvik-7 artificial heart * Larry Jaster, former

pitcher with

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

, and

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

Jim Kern James Lester Kern (born March 15, 1949) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. A three time American League All-Star (1977–1979), Kern went 13–5 with a 1.57 ERA and 29 saves out of the Texas Rangers' bullpen in to finish four ...

, MLB pitcher, attended high school in Midland * Nancy LaMott, cabaret singer *

Logan Lynn Logan Dennis Lynn (born October 15, 1979) is an American musician, writer, producer, filmmaker, television personality, mental health advocate, and LGBT activist. Since 1998 he has released ten studio albums, and he is the former host of Logo's ...

, musician, composer, singer, producer and LGBT activist *

Kevin Mahar Kevin Eric Mahar (born June 8, 1981) is an American professional baseball former outfielder and current coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers in 2007. Playing career Mahar made his major league debut on May 16, 20 ...

, former

player (minor league of the Texas Rangers) *

Andrew Maxwell Andrew Maxwell (born 3 December 1974) is an Irish comedian and narrator, known for narrating the MTV reality series '' Ex on the Beach''. Career In 1992, Maxwell tried stand-up comedy for the first time at the Comedy Cellar at The Internation ...

, football player for

Meredith McGrath Meredith McGrath (born April 28, 1971) is a former professional tennis player. She was born in Midland, Michigan, and made her debut on the WTA Tour in 1988. In her eight-year professional career, Meredith achieved career-high world rankings of ...

, former

Women's Tennis Association The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) is the principal organizing body of women's professional tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women and was founded to create a better future for women's tenni ...

professional *

Matt Mieske Matthew Todd Mieske (born February 13, 1968) is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from to for the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros and Arizona Diamondbacks. In 663 games over eight ...

, former baseball player for five MLB teams *

Chuck Moss Charles J. (Chuck) Moss (born 1953) was the Republican State Representative representing the 40th District, which covers the municipalities of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Keego Harbor, Michigan, Orchard Lake Village, Michigan, Franklin, Michig ...

, member of Michigan House of Representatives *

Howard Mudd Howard Edward Mudd (February 10, 1942 – August 12, 2020) was an American football offensive lineman and coach. He attended Midland High School and then Michigan State University. While at Michigan State he joined Delta Tau Delta International ...

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

offensive guard for

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

, assistant coach for

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

* Joseph P. Overton, creator of the

Overton Window The Overton window is the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time. It is also known as the window of discourse. Background The term is named after American policy analyst Joseph Overton, who stat ...

Jalen Parmele Justin Alexander "Jalen" Parmele (born December 30, 1985) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguar ...

, running back for six NFL teams *

Bill Schuette William Duncan Schuette ( ; born October 13, 1953) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 53rd attorney general of Michigan from 2011 to 2019. He was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Senate in 1990 and for Governor of Mi ...

, former

Michigan Attorney General The Attorney General of the State of Michigan is the fourth-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan. The officeholder is elected statewide in the November general election alongside the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, m ...

, former District Court of Appeals Judge, former member of

* Jim Shaw, visual artist *

Steve Shelley Steven Jay Shelley (born June 23, 1962) is an American drummer. He is best known as the longtime drummer of the alternative rock band Sonic Youth, for whom he played from 1985 until their 2011 disbandment. Biography Shelley was born in Midland, ...

, drummer of

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...

* Mary P. Sinclair, nuclear activist *

Cheryl Studer Cheryl Studer (born October 24, 1955) is an American dramatic soprano who has sung at many of the world's foremost opera houses. Studer has performed more than eighty roles ranging from the dramatic repertoire to roles more commonly associated ...

, opera singer * Tom Vaughn,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

and Episcopal priest formerly at St. John's Episcopal Church *

Scott Winchester Scott Joseph Winchester (born April 20, 1973) is an American former professional baseball player. A pitcher, Winchester played all or parts of four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds between 1997 and 2001. Amateur ca ...

, former pitcher for

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

Roger L. Worsley Roger Lewis Worsley (born March 22, 1937) is a retired college administrator, who from 1985 to 1995 was the president of Laredo Community College in Laredo, Texas, Laredo, Texas. He also from 1996 to 2005 served as the Chancellor (education), cha ...

, educator; reared in Midland; graduated in 1955 from Midland High School * Andrew Wylie offensive tackle for the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

Sister cities

, Japan

References

External links

City of Midland web siteMidland Area Chamber of Commerce web siteMidland Tomorrow (economic development corporation)
* {{Authority control Cities in Midland County, Michigan Cities in Bay County, Michigan County seats in Michigan Micropolitan areas of Michigan 1887 establishments in Michigan Populated places established in 1887

History

Geography

Topography

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

2000 census

Economy

Retail

Arts and culture

Historical markers

Sites of interest

Architecture

List of notable places

Sports

Government

Education

Media

Infrastructure

Transportation

Power

Notable people

Sister cities

See also

References

External links