Flint/Tri-Cities

The Flint/Tri-Cities area is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The Flint/Tri-Cities region has two subregions, The Thumb and the Greater Tri Cities. Flint's population is 124,943, the fifth largest city in Michigan, the combined population of the Greater Tri-Cities (Saginaw, Midland, and Bay City) is 398,482. Genesee, St. Clair and Lapeer counties are located in Detroit–Ann Arbor–Flint Combined Statistical Area.

Economy

The Flint and Tri-Cities area, as well as most of Michigan is dependent on manufacturing. Automobile manufacturing is most prevelent in Saginaw and Flint, whereas Midland is the headquarters of the Dow Chemical Company, the world's second largest chemical producer. Rural areas grow crops such as sugar beets, navy beans, corn, fruits, and fish from the Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron.

Business

Several large corporations have operations in the Tri-Cities. The Michigan Sugar Company, which is a cooperative owned by 1250 farmers, operates factories in Bay City, Caro, Croswell, and Sebewaing. [ [http://www.michigansugar.com/ Michigan Sugar Company ] ] General Motors operates the Flint Truck Assembly factory in Flint and Powertrain plants in Flint, Bay City, and Saginaw. The Dow Chemical Company world headquarters is based in Midland. Delphi Corporation operates Delphi Saginaw Steering Systems in Saginaw. S.C. Johnson and Son has a manufacturing facility in Bay City making Ziploc products.

Geography

*"See also" List of Michigan state parks and geography of Michigan.

Counties Included

*Midland County, Michigan
*Bay County, Michigan
*Saginaw County, Michigan
*Tuscola County, Michigan
*Genesee County, Michigan
*Huron County, Michigan
*Sanilac County, Michigan
*Lapeer County, Michigan
*St. Clair County, Michigan

Geographic features

The area has many lakes and rivers.
*Cass River has many branches, one of which flows into the Shiawassee River in the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge at coord|43|22|42|N|83|59|04|W| less than a mile from where the Shiawassee merges with the Tittabawassee River to form the Saginaw River
*The Saginaw Bay forms a low basin known as the Saginaw Valley, which covers most of the region.
*Lake Huron rests in the far eastern portion of the area, known as the thumb

Transportation

Airlines and Airports

Scheduled airline service is available from MBS International Airport [ [http://www.mbsairport.org/ MBS International Airport] ] near Midland, Michigan and Flint Bishop International Airport. [ [http://www.bishopairport.org/ Flint Bishop International Airport] ] The only international airport in the thumb area is St. Clair County International Airport about 6 miles outside Port Huron.

Highways

Interstate Highways

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U.S. Highways

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Michigan Highways

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* shore. [ [http://www.state-ends.com/michigan/m46/ M-46 Endpoint Photos.] ] This east-west surface route nearly bisects the Lower Peninsula of Michigan latitudinally.
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Rail

*Main article: Michigan Services

Area Amtrak stations are in Lapeer, Port Huron, Flint and Durand. Local railroads are the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, CSX Transport, Canadian National Rail , Pere Marquette Railway, and the Huron & Eastern Saginaw Valley Railroad.

Media

Newspaper

* Daily editions of the "Detroit Free Press" and "The Detroit News" are available throughout the area.
* Editions of the "Bay City Times" [ [http://www.mlive.com/bctimes/ "Bay City Times"] ] and "Saginaw News" [ [http://www.mlive.com/saginawnews/ Saginaw News] ] are available in the Tri-Cities area.
* The "Flint Journal" [ [http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal Flint Journal] ] ] has daily editions in the Flint area.

Radio

The Flint/Tri-Cities area lies within three radio media markets.
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Broadcast Television

Television in Tri-Cities and Flint is mostly produced from the . Far eastern areas such as Lapeer County, St. Clair County and Sanilac County lie in the . Areas like Genesee County can view programing from the Detroit and Flint/Saginaw media markets.

Flint/Tri-Cities

*WSMH, Fox 66
*WEYI, NBC 25
*WJRT, ABC 12
*WNEM, CBS 5
*WFUM, PBS 28

Detroit Area

*WJBK, Fox 2
*WDIV, NBC 4
*WXYZ, ABC 7
*WWJ, CBS 62
*WTVS, PBS 56
*WKBD, CW 50

Principal Cities

* Tri-Cities
** Saginaw
** Midland
** Bay City

* Flint
* Port Huron

ee also

* List of Michigan county name etymologies
* Michigan
* the Thumb area
* The Greater Tri Cities
* Metro Detroit

References

External links

* [http://clarke.cmich.edu/ Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Michigan (arranged by counties and regions)]
* [http://www.michigan.gov/dnr Michigan Department of Natural Resources website, harbors, hunting, resources and more.]
* [http://www.michigan.org/travel/attractions/?city=G2760&m=2;9 List of Museums, other attractions compiled by state government.]
* [http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEBLIGHTHOUSES/LHMI.html USCG's complete list of Michigan lighthouses.]
* [http://www.michigan.gov/documents/hal_mhc_shpo_lightmap_50933_7.pdf Map of Michigan Lighthouse] in PDF Format.
* [http://www.terrypepper.com/Lights/index.htm Seeing the Light, Terry Pepper on lighthouses of the Western Great Lakes.]