The Midwest is known as "America's Heartland": the massive Great Lakes, the vast northwoods, wide-open plains full of corn and wheat, a patchwork of industrial cities and small towns, and one of America's greatest cities, Chicago.
The following eight states of the Midwest account for one-fifth of the U.S. population:
Ranging from Southern-influenced Southern Illinois to rural farmland in Central Illinois to the iconic metropolis of Chicago.
The heart of the Midwest, with the pristine Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan, extensive farmland, and a few concentrated cities like Indianapolis.
Though starting to urbanize, Iowa still has lots of farms and college towns. Every four years it gets the eyes of the nation upon it when it kicks off the presidential election campaign.
Including miles of Great Lakes coastline and extensive forests, Michigan is blessed with natural beauty, as well as important college towns like Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo and the major city of Detroit.
The cheery "land of 10,000 lakes" has both beautiful wilderness and the Twin Cities. Lace up your skates for hockey and take a visit to the city-sized Mall of America.
With Midwestern, Southern, and Great Plains flavor, Missouri has a foot in a few different parts of the country—vibrant St. Louis is known as the "Gateway to the West".
Said to be "The Heart of It All", Ohio is centrally located and quintessentially American, with a mosaic of big cities like Cleveland and Columbus and large agricultural areas dotted with small towns.
Lakes, nature, and outdoor recreation, as well as the university town of Madison and the major city of Milwaukee. Known for its fresh-from-the-cow dairy and hospitality, Wisconsin has small-town charm even in its big cities.
Although Pennsylvania is classified as a Mid-Atlantic state on Wikivoyage, the western parts of the state around Pittsburgh is Midwestern in character. The city of Buffalo in New York state is also often considered to have some Midwestern characteristics, with the traditional Buffalo accent being very similar to the traditional Chicago accent.
See also the pages for the states of the Midwest, for smaller but still substantial cities in the region.
The term "Midwest" refers to the states generally west of Appalachia, north of the Ohio River and east of the Great Plains. This area is sometimes referred to as the "heart" or "rust belt" of America and is often associated with agriculture and industry (historically manufacturing but this has faded as years have passed). The culture of the Midwest is generally acknowledged to be "down to earth", as much of the population is far from the influences of coastal cities and cultural centers such as New York City and Los Angeles. The Midwest is largely nearly evenly divided between liberals and conservatives, and the region has the highest concentration of swing states in presidential elections.
A synonym, the North Central Region, describes its geographic location more accurately; the "west" suffix is a historical artifact from the country's early history, when most of the U.S. population lived east of the Appalachian Mountains.
States bordering the Great Lakes (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin) are sometimes called the "North Coast", "Third Coast" or "Fresh Coast" as parallels to the East and West coasts. These are the states of the region which make up the rust belt.
Also known as "America's Heartland", for its primary role in the nation's manufacturing and farming sectors as well as its patchwork of big commercial cities and small towns that, in combination, are considered as the broadest representation of American culture. In fact, most national television broadcasters speak with a Midwestern accent. The Midwest was the home of more than one quarter of U.S. Presidents (and that's taking into account that a half dozen people were President before most the Midwest achieved statehood) as well as the birthplace of the inventors and entrepreneurs of most of the technology that fuels the world's economy- examples include airplane, automobile, electric lighting, the transistor, petroleum, steel production.
Major population centers tend to be located either on the Great Lakes (Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee and Duluth) or on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers (Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Louis and Cincinnati). This reflects the historical importance of waterways as a method of connecting the region to the ports of New York (via the Erie Canal) and New Orleans (via the rivers). Chicago, originally a marshy area, boomed due to being the easiest method of shipping from the St. Lawrence and Erie Canal to New Orleans. Commerce via the Great Lakes remains a major portion of the region's economy. The major exception to this is Indianapolis, which has unnavigable waterways but is a major intersection for road travel. Chicago also became the main railroad hub for the entire country in the 19th century and has kept this position to this day.
With the advent of globalization, much of the heavy industry that many Midwestern cities were dependent on were outsourced to countries in Asia and Latin America with lower labor cost, leading to a decline of many once-great cities. As such, many Midwestern cities continue to suffer from high unemployment, urban decay and high violent crime rates. This is particularly true in cities which were built on a single industry such as Detroit, Flint, East St. Louis and Gary, with automobiles.
While the Midwest has been home to several indigenous nations, the Iroquois came to conquer most of the lands during the 17th and 18th centuries. France became the first colonial power in the Midwest, mostly doing peaceful commerce with the indigenous peoples, with few settlements.
In the 1783 Treaty of Paris, the United States annexed the territories which came to form the Midwest; still, well into the 19th century, the Midwest was considered to be part of the Wild West. Large-scale settlement came with the railroads and the Industrial Revolution.
The Midwest was primarily settled by Central European and Scandinavian immigrants, the heritage of which is reflected in the local cuisines, which tend to be simple and hearty, with a strong emphasis on meat and potatoes, as well as dairy products.
English is, as with the rest of the U.S., the de facto official language. The "Midwestern Accent" is the voice most commonly heard on national newscasts across the country. Some areas with large Hispanic populations might have a majority speaking Spanish, but most native speakers of Spanish in the Midwest have at least basic English skills. There is also a substantial German-speaking history which is now mostly confined to rural areas made up of plain Anabaptist communities.
Most of the larger cities have sizeable diverse ethnic communities with many first-generation immigrants. This is particularly true of Chicago, which is known for its large communities of Assyrians, Jews, Poles, Ukrainians and African-Americans transplanted from the South: dialectical and linguistic diversity vary widely in this city. That said, the classic Chicago accent is moribund, and most younger Chicagoans speak with a general American accent. Milwaukee is home to a large Hmong-speaking population as well. Missouri, Wisconsin and Minnesota have their own minor linguistic quirks, but generally the English spoken here is among the easiest dialects to understand in all America and is largely devoid of unusual terms for everyday items.
Local dialects of other European languages such as German, Norwegian and Swedish are spoken by some elderly residents, though these dialects are now moribund, and most of the younger generation is monolingual in English.
The Midwest is served by several international airports, including many of the major US airlines' national hubs. Chicago-O'Hare (United and American), Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky (Delta), Detroit (Delta), and Minneapolis-Saint Paul (Delta). Many major metropolitan areas also have secondary international and regional airports, served by minor and discount airlines.
The Midwest is served by several interstate highways. Most of the states in the Midwest can be accessed by the major east-west corridors of:
Additionally, several major interstate highways have their northern, eastern and western termini in Midwest states including:
See also: Rail travel in the United States
Amtrak also operates several routes through the Midwest, including several that primarily connect Chicago directly to other major Midwest cities. The major routes running through several Midwest states and major cities include:
Many major metropolitan areas also have secondary international and regional airports, supporting national, discount and commuter airlines.
In addition to the major interstates listed above, many Midwest cities have secondary interstate service such as outerbelt and by-pass systems. With the exception of Chicago, Midwestern cities have unreliable public transportation networks, making driving the best way to get around.
Most of the Midwest lacks regional passenger rail service, but segments of Amtrak routes may suffice. Chicago, however, is a major Amtrak hub, and also has a relatively comprehensive urban rail network.
Great Lakes
River Dancing
Inland History and Culture
Great Lakes
River Valleys
Amusement Parks
Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City have legendary jazz and blues clubs. Many of the greats have not only traveled the region extensively whilst on tour, but more than a handful were born or resided in the region, with these three cities leading the way.
The Midwest is a patchwork of big cities, small towns and farming communities. Being the epicenter of the American Industrial Revolution, it attracted an influx of immigrants and African Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, resulting in a diverse ethnic culinary experience from the heavy German, Irish, Polish, Italian, Greek, Scandinavian and African-American urban populations to rural Amish and Mennonite cooking traditions. Due to its harsh climate away from the coast, as well as a history of Central European and Scandinavian settlement, Midwestern cuisines tend to be simple and hearty, with a heavy emphasis on meat, potatoes and dairy products.
Being the main center of cattle farming in the United States, the Midwest is generally regarded as having the best steaks in the country. Chicago in particular is known for having an exceptionally large number of top quality steakhouses.
Big Midwest cities, like Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee, are known for their bratwurst, kielbasa, Italian sausage and good old American hot dogs. Smaller, rural clusters, like the German Amana Colonies, in east-central Iowa, is home to some of the best German-American food in the Midwest. Known for family-style dining, the Amana Colonies provide hearty foods the Midwest is known for. As many African-Americans trace their family roots to the South, regional specialities of the South are often found in African-American communities.
Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin have heavier Scandinavian influences. Large Hispanic, pan-Asian, Middle-eastern and Indian now add spice to this international potpourri.
Wisconsin is also known as one of America's main cheesemaking regions, with cheddar cheeses being the most popular. Due to a history of Swiss-German settlement Wisconsin is also known for its Emmentaler cheeses (known as "Swiss cheese" in most of the U.S.), and some parts of Wisconsin are known for their localized version of Swiss-German dishes such as rösti and kalberwurst.
Locally grown food is seasonally available in rural areas, often at roadside stands. Spring crops include salad greens, radishes, sweet peas and spinach. Summer's abundance includes sweet corn, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, onions, melons, berries, apples, cherries, peaches and pears. The agricultural abundance can be excellent in season and seems to encourage large helpings year around.
The rural areas and small cities of the Midwest are among the safest for travelers and residents in all America. Parts of the larger cities—particularly southern Chicago, the north side of Milwaukee, the east side of Cleveland, East Saint Louis, and several regions in Detroit—should be avoided after dark.
Weather in the Midwest ranges from blistering heat waves in July and August, to fierce blizzards in January and February. Tornadoes are common in the southern parts of this region in the springtime, but ample warnings are often given to help protect property and lives. If the weather on the road appears to be turning inclement, local radio and television stations will continuously offer advice and information. Disastrous weather is rare and the region is not earthquake prone.