Northern Michigan

Northern Michigan Northern Lower Michigan
Lower Peninsula of Michigan
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Mackinaw City and the Mackinac Bridge Ocqueoc Falls Mission Point Light Loud Dam on the Au Sable River
Northern Michigan is highlighted in light green.
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Largest city	Traverse City
Population
• Total	506,658
Time zone	Eastern: UTC −5/−4
Area code(s)	231, 989

Northern Michigan (also known as Northern Lower Michigan and colloquially within Michigan as "Up North") is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan. The region, which is distinct from the more northerly Upper Peninsula and Isle Royale, which are also located in the north of the state, is bounded to the west by Lake Michigan, and to the east by Lake Huron. The Upper Peninsula is accessible from the region via the Mackinac Bridge. While the region's southern boundary is not precisely defined, most definitions include the northernmost 21 counties of the Lower Peninsula, which had a population of 506,658 people at the 2020 census. Its largest cities are Traverse City, Cadillac, Alpena, Ludington, Manistee, and Petoskey.

Like the Upper Peninsula, Northern Michigan is a popular tourist destination, and is more rural than the rest of the state. The region is home to several small- to medium-sized cities, extensive state and national forests, lakes and rivers, and a large portion of Great Lakes shoreline. The region has a significant seasonal population much like other regions that depend on tourism as a primary industry.