Michigan Facts for Kids

A Map of the U.S. state Michigan
  • U.S. State: Michigan
  • Abbreviation: MI
  • Joined the USA: January 26th, 1837 (26th State)
  • Located: Midwestern United States
  • Capital City: Lansing, MI
  • Most Populated City: Detroit, MI

35 Michigan Facts for Kids

  1. Michigan is a state in the United States of America.
  2. Michigan became a U.S. State on Thursday, January 26th, 1837.
  3. Michigan was the 26th state to join the United States.
  4. The U.S. state of Michigan covers 96,716 square miles.
  5. Michigan is the 11th largest state by area in the United States.
  6. In 2019, the population of Michigan was estimated to be 9,987,000 residents by the U.S. Census Bureau.
  7. In 2019, Michigan was the 10th most populated state in the United States.
  8. A person who is from or lives in Michigan is called a Michigander or a Michiganian.
  9. The capital city of Michigan is Lansing.
  10. The four most populated cities in Michigan are Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren and Sterling Heights.
  11. The largest city by population in Michigan is Detroit.
  12. The largest metropolitan area in Michigan is the Detroit metropolitan area.
  13. The U.S. state of Michigan has 83 counties.
  14. The most populated county in Michigan is Wayne County with 1,749,000 residents (2019, U.S. Census Bureau).
  15. The largest county by area in Michigan is Keweenaw County with 5,966 square miles.
  16. The highest elevation point in Michigan is Mount Arvon at 1,979 feet above sea level.
  17. The lowest elevation point in Michigan is Lake Erie at 571 feet above sea level.
  18. The average precipitation (rain and snow) in Michigan is 32.7 inches.
  19. Michigan is the 35th wettest state by precipitation (rain and snow) in the United States.
  20. The average temperature in Michigan is 46.6 °F.
  21. Michigan is the 39th warmest state in the United States.
  22. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Michigan was 112 °F on July 13th, 1936.
  23. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Michigan was -51 °F on February 9th, 1934.
  24. A few natural disasters that can affect Michigan are blizzards, heat waves, ice storms, lightning, river flooding and thunderstorms.
  25. Michigan is in two time zone, Central Time Zone (CT) and Eastern Time Zone (ET).
  26. The USPS abbreviation for Michigan is MI.
  27. Michigan is also known as the Wolverine State.
  28. The official state motto for Michigan is “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.”
  29. The official state flower of Michigan is the apple blossom (Pyrus coronaria).
  30. The official state wildflower of Michigan is the dwarf lake iris (Iris lacustris).
  31. The official state tree of Michigan is the white pine (Pinus strobus).
  32. The official state fish of Michigan is the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis).
  33. The official state reptile of Michigan is the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta).
  34. The official state bird of Michigan is the robin (Turdus migratorius).
  35. The official state fossil of Michigan is the mastodon.

Additional Resources on Michigan

  • About Michigan – Discover more about the U.S. state of Michigan on the Michigan.org website.
  • History of Michigan – Learn about the history of Michigan on the History Channel website.
  • Facts About Michigan – Find more facts about Michigan on the Circle Michigan website.
  • Michigan – Wikipedia – Read this detailed article about the U.S. state of Michigan on the Wikipedia website.

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