Does This Map Get West Michigan Wrong?

The people who live in West Michigan are a proud bunch. We are hardened by lake effect rain and snow, and we're home to the second-largest city in the state. From Kent to Allegan, a nice mixture of urban and rural offers a little for everyone. At least, we thought Kent and Allegan were part of West Michigan.

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A debate has recently started online about what counties really make up West Michigan after a map was found that completely redefines what most people think of when they hear "West Michigan". Since when was Benzie County part of West Michigan, and when did Muskegon get kicked out? Let's break it down together.

Manistee, MI. Allegedly part of West Michigan. / Photo by Paul W on Unsplash

The Map That Broke The Internet

On the r/Michigan subreddit, a user posted a photo of a magazine page from Big Rapids Pioneer with a map of West Michigan seemingly highlighting some tourist attractions in counties like Wexford, Osceola, Mecosta, and Newaygo. In theory, there's nothing wrong with this. These counties are among the less-popular counties in Michigan, so putting a spotlight on them is excellent.

Where Is West Michigan?

I live in Grand Rapids, the largest city on the west side of Michigan. Kent County, where GR is based, is the fourth-largest county by population. I've always considered West Michigan as the counties that border Kent County on the west side, which make up West Michigan (Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa, and Allegan).

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Many commenters seem to generally agree with this depiction of West Michigan and find it absurd that the article does not include at least one of the big counties usually in West Michigan. While West Michigan doesn't have an official definition, the West Michigan depicted in the map seems to be more focused on what one commenter calls "North West Michigan".

What do you consider West Michigan? Let us know. Here are some of our favorites if you try to check out some spots in the universally understood West Michigan.

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