fbpx
Wikipedia

Great Lakes megalopolis

February 15, 2024

The Great Lakes megalopolis consists of a bi-national group of metropolitan areas in North America largely in the Great Lakes region. It extends from the Midwestern United States in the south and west to western Pennsylvania and Western New York in the east and northward through Southern Ontario into southwestern Quebec in Canada. It is the most populated and largest megalopolis in North America.

Great Lakes megalopolis
Megaregion of the U.S. and Canada
Chicago
Toronto
Detroit-Windsor
Countries
  • United States
  • Canada
States
Provinces
Largest cityToronto (2,794,356)[1]
Largest metropolitan areaChicago metropolitan area (9,812,676)
Population
85,011,531[2]

At its most inclusive, in the United States the region cuts a wide swath from the twin cities of Minneapolis–Saint Paul in Minnesota in the west, south to St. Louis and Louisville, Kentucky, and east to Rochester, New York; in Canada, it continues northeasterly to Quebec City. This broader region had an estimated population of 59,144,461 as of 2011 and is projected to reach a population of about 65 million by 2025. Within this broad region, there is a core area of more continual urban development that includes Chicago, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, South Bend, Detroit–Windsor, Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Rochester, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and the metropolitan areas between these.

History of the concept edit

 
1907 Canadian major internal and cross border shipping routes
 
Map of the emerging American-Canadian megaregions as defined by America 2050.[3] This interpretation excludes the eastern part of the Windsor-Quebec City urban corridor from the Great Lakes Megalopolis.

The region was partially outlined as an emergent megalopolis in the 1961 book Megalopolis: The Urbanized Northeastern Seaboard of the United States by French geographer Jean Gottmann. Gottmann envisaged the development of other megalopolises in the U.S.: from Boston to Washington, D.C., from Chicago to Pittsburgh, and from San Francisco to San Diego.

In 1965, futurist Herman Kahn speculated about the three megalopolises in the year 2000.[4] In the 1960s and 1970s, urban planner and architect Constantinos Doxiadis wrote books, studies, and reports about the growth potential of the Great Lakes Megalopolis.[5] Doxiadis envisioned Detroit (on the U.S.-Canada border across from Windsor) as the central urban area in this megalopolis, which he defined as extending "from Milwaukee and Chicago to Detroit, Pittsburgh and Buffalo and into Canada from Windsor to Montreal and Quebec".[5][6]

In 2005, the Virginia Tech Metropolitan Institute's Beyond Megalopolis, an attempt to update Gottmann's work, outlined a similar "Midwest" megapolitan area as one of ten such areas in the United States (Canada is discussed tangentially).[7] Over 200 million tons of cargo are shipped annually through the Great Lakes.[8][9][10] The America 2050 project identified 11 Megaregions of the United States, including the Great Lakes Megalopolis.[11][A] The Canadian part of the region is also referred to as the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor, and the densest part in Southern Ontario has long been known as the Golden Horseshoe.[citation needed]

Governments edit

There are multiple government jurisdictions throughout the megalopolis. In addition to the federal governments of the United States and Canada, there are multiple U.S. states and two Canadian province jurisdictions, and many county and local governments. Most of the states have joined the provinces in forming the Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers to coordinate economic and environmental strategies throughout most of the region.[12]

Economy edit

The five Great Lakes contain one-fifth of the world's surface fresh water and have a combined shoreline of 10,210 miles (17,017 km). About 200 million tons of cargo are shipped through the Great Lakes each year.[9][13][14]

The Great Lakes Cruising Coalition supports passenger ship cruises through a joint U.S-Canadian venture to Great Lakes Ports and the Saint Lawrence Seaway.[15][16]

Education edit

The Great Lakes Megalopolis is home to many prestigious institutions of higher education. Two founding members of the Association of American Universities (AAU), the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, are located in the region. The University of Chicago and Northwestern University in the Chicago area are two high-ranking world universities. Other major universities include the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario; McGill University in Montreal, Quebec; McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario; Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio; and the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana.[17]

The region also contains large multi-campus state university systems such as the University of Illinois System, University of Minnesota System, University of Missouri System, University of Wisconsin System, the University System of Ohio, the State University of New York (SUNY) System, the Indiana University System, and the Purdue University System.

Major land and marine transportation corridors edit

 
Amtrak Wolverine crossing St. Joseph River

The Great Lakes Megalopolis includes the following major inter-urban corridors that are provided with freeway and passenger rail service in both the core and fringe areas of the mega-region. Major waterways for shipping and cruising are also indicated where applicable. Amtrak in the United States and Via Rail in Canada offer rail passenger service, while most Class I freight rail services also connect these points. Major rail shipping services in both Canada and the United States is provided on tracks owned by Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway.

Chicago-Minneapolis/St. Paul edit

This corridor occupies the northwestern fringe of the megalopolis. It occupies northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and parts of eastern Minnesota. Interstate 94 and Amtrak's Empire Builder train run roughly parallel from Chicago to Minneapolis/St. Paul by way of Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin.

Chicago-St. Louis edit

Interstate 55, Amtrak via the Lincoln Service, and the Illinois Waterway connect Chicago to St. Louis.

Chicago-Indianapolis-Cincinnati edit

Interstate 65 extends from the Chicago area southeast to Indianapolis, where Interstate 74 travels through to Cincinnati. Amtrak runs regular service along this same route via the Cardinal.

Chicago-Buffalo-Rochester edit

 
Lake Shore Limited

Interstate 90 and Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited run approximately parallel through the core area of the megalopolis from Chicago to Cleveland via South Bend, Indiana, and Toledo, Ohio, then into the eastern fringe area comprising Buffalo and Rochester, New York. Amtrak's Capitol Limited provides a passenger rail link from Cleveland to Pittsburgh which is roughly paralleled by Interstate 76. The main water route deviates well to the north of the land route from Chicago to Detroit. It runs north along Lake Michigan, east through the Straits of Mackinac, then south along Lake Huron, the St. Clair River, and Lake St Clair to the Detroit River. From this point, the water route roughly parallels the land route to Rochester by way of Lake Erie, the Welland Canal, and Lake Ontario.

Detroit-Chicago edit

Interstate 94 takes a more northerly route than I-90 through the megalopolis core area east of Chicago. It extends from that city to the west end of the Windsor-Quebec City Corridor by way of Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Port Huron, Michigan/Sarnia, Ontario. This interstate freeway also parallels Amtrak's Wolverine and Blue Water. The main water route is the same as for the western part of the Chicago-Rochester water corridor from Lake Michigan to the Detroit River. Amtrak also serves this route with the Wolverine service, between Chicago and Pontiac via Ann Arbor and Detroit.

Windsor-Quebec City edit

The Windsor-Quebec City Corridor lies along the northeastern fringe of the Great Lakes megalopolis. The entire Canadian section of the broader megaregion is sometimes considered a separate megalopolis. Key freeways include Highway 401 and Highway 417 in Ontario which connect with Autoroute 20 and Autoroute 40 respectively in Quebec. Highway 416 and Autoroute 50 link the National Capital Region with Highway 401 and the Montreal area respectively, but the two freeways do not link directly with each other across the Ontario-Quebec border. Passenger rail service is provided in both provinces by the Via Rail Corridor Service. Intermediate points along the corridor include London, Kitchener, Hamilton, St. Catharines, Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa, and Montreal. The main water shipping route is the same as for the eastern part of the Chicago-Rochester corridor, starting at the Detroit River but continuing east beyond Lake Ontario along the St. Lawrence Seaway to Quebec City and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Secondary land or marine transportation corridors edit

Several corridors have interstate highways but no comprehensive passenger rail service. These highway routes pass through both core and fringe areas of the Great Lakes megalopolis. The upper Great lakes region has a marine corridor that connects Lakes Superior, Huron, and Michigan. However, this route does not include parallel Amtrak passenger rail or interstate highway service.

Kansas City-Pittsburgh edit

Interstate 70 follows the southern fringe of the megaregion. It runs from Kansas City to just south of Pittsburgh by way of St. Louis, Indianapolis, Dayton, Ohio, and Columbus, Ohio.

Detroit-Grand Rapids edit

Interstate 96 serves traffic between the Detroit and Grand Rapids metro areas. The route passes through Lansing on the way and extends to Muskegon to the northwest of Grand Rapids

Evansville-Indianapolis-Port Huron edit

Interstate 69 extends from Evansville to Martinsville, Indiana. From there, the route is temporarily an arterial highway, Indiana State Road 37, to the Interstate 465 ring road around Indianapolis. From there, I-69 resumes and continues to the west end of the Windsor-Quebec City Corridor, crossing the border into Canada and becoming Ontario Highway 402, which eventually leads to Highway 401. Intermediate points include Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Lansing, Flint, and Port Huron, Michigan/Sarnia, Ontario.

Cincinnati-Saginaw edit

Interstate 75 runs from Saginaw, Michigan, to Cincinnati by way of Flint and Detroit in Michigan, and Toledo, Lima, and Dayton in Ohio.

Duluth-Lake Huron edit

The waterway connecting Duluth, Minnesota, and western Lake Superior to points east and south includes the Soo Locks connecting to Lake Huron, then south to Port Huron MI/Sarnia ON or through the Straits of Mackinac to the metropolitan areas around Lake Michigan.

Selected American and Canadian population centers edit

Largest cities (not metropolitan areas or census divisions) in the Great Lakes megalopolis with populations over 100,000[18][19]
2020 rank City Region 2020 census[a] 2010 census[b] Change Land area 2020 population density
1 Toronto   Ontario 2,794,356 2,615,060 +6.86% 243.3 sq mi (630.1 km2) 11,468/sq mi (4,428/km2)
2 Chicago   Illinois 2,746,388 2,695,598 +1.88% 227.3 sq mi (588.7 km2) 12,059/sq mi (4,656/km2)
3 Montréal   Quebec 1,762,949 1,649,519 +6.88% 166.6 sq mi (431.5 km2) 12,505/sq mi (4,828/km2)
4 Ottawa   Ontario 1,017,449 883,391 +15.18% 1,077.3 sq mi (2,790.2 km2) 950/sq mi (370/km2)
5 Columbus   Ohio 905,748 787,033 +15.08% 226.3 sq mi (586.1 km2) 4,110/sq mi (1,590/km2)
6 Indianapolis   Indiana 887,642 820,445 +8.19% 361.6 sq mi (936.5 km2) 2,455/sq mi (948/km2)
7 Mississauga   Ontario 717,961 713,443 +0.63% 112.9 sq mi (292.4 km2) 6,391/sq mi (2,468/km2)
8 Brampton   Ontario 656,480 523,911 +25.30% 102.3 sq mi (265 km2) 6,390/sq mi (2,470/km2)
9 Detroit   Michigan 639,111 713,777 −10.46% 138.7 sq mi (359.2 km2) 4,067/sq mi (1,570/km2)
10 Louisville   Kentucky 633,045 597,337 +5.98% 325.0 sq mi (841.7 km2) 1,900/sq mi (730/km2)
11 Milwaukee   Wisconsin 577,222 594,833 −2.96% 96.2 sq mi (249.2 km2) 6,001/sq mi (2,317/km2)
12 Hamilton   Ontario 569,353 519,949 +9.50% 431.8 sq mi (1,118.4 km2) 1,319/sq mi (509/km2)
13 Quebec City   Quebec 549,459 516,622 +6.36% 175.1 sq mi (453.5 km2) 3,039/sq mi (1,173/km2)
14 Kansas City   Missouri 508,090 459,787 +10.51% 314.7 sq mi (815 km2) 1,614/sq mi (623/km2)
15 Laval   Quebec 438,366 401,553 +9.17% 95.5 sq mi (247.3 km2) 4,431/sq mi (1,711/km2)
16 Minneapolis   Minnesota 429,954 382,578 +12.38% 54 sq mi (140 km2) 7,692/sq mi (2,970/km2)
17 London   Ontario 422,324 366,151 +15.34% 162.4 sq mi (420.6 km2) 2,365/sq mi (913/km2)
18 Cleveland   Ohio 372,624 396,815 −6.10% 77.7 sq mi (201.2 km2) 4,794/sq mi (1,851/km2)
19 Markham   Ontario 338,503 301,709 +12.20% 81.4 sq mi (211 km2) 4,156/sq mi (1,605/km2)
20 Vaughan   Ontario 323,103 288,301 +12.07% 105.2 sq mi (272.5 km2) 3,071/sq mi (1,186/km2)
21 Saint Paul   Minnesota 311,527 285,068 +9.28% 52 sq mi (135 km2) 5,994/sq mi (2,314/km2)
22 Cincinnati   Ohio 309,317 296,493 +4.33% 77.9 sq mi (201.8 km2) 3,970/sq mi (1,530/km2)
23 Pittsburgh   Pennsylvania 302,971 305,704 −0.89% 55.4 sq mi (143.5 km2) 5,471/sq mi (2,112/km2)
24 St. Louis   Missouri 301,578 310,294 −2.81% 61.7 sq mi (160 km2) 4,886/sq mi (1,886/km2)
25 Gatineau   Quebec 291,041 265,349 +9.68% 132.4 sq mi (342.9 km2) 2,004/sq mi (774/km2)
26 Buffalo   New York 278,349 261,310 +6.52% 40.4 sq mi (104.6 km2) 6,893/sq mi (2,661/km2)
27 Toledo   Ohio 270,871 287,208 −5.69% 80.5 sq mi (208.5 km2) 3,365/sq mi (1,299/km2)
28 Madison   Wisconsin 269,840 233,309 +15.66% 79.6 sq mi (206 km2) 3,391/sq mi (1,309/km2)
29 Fort Wayne   Indiana 263,886 253,691 +4.02% 110.6 sq mi (286.5 km2) 2,400/sq mi (930/km2)
30 Kitchener   Ontario 256,885 219,153 +17.22% 52.8 sq mi (136.8 km2) 4,900/sq mi (1,900/km2)
31 Longueuil   Quebec 254,483 231,409 +9.97% 44.6 sq mi (115.5 km2) 5,185/sq mi (2,002/km2)
32 Windsor   Ontario 229,660 210,891 +8.90% 56.5 sq mi (146.3 km2) 4,065/sq mi (1,570/km2)
33 Oakville   Ontario 213,759 182,520 +17.12% 53.7 sq mi (139.1 km2) 3,985/sq mi (1,539/km2)
34 Rochester   New York 211,328 210,565 +0.36% 35.8 sq mi (92.7 km2) 5,909/sq mi (2,281/km2)
35 Richmond Hill   Ontario 202,022 185,541 +8.88% 38.9 sq mi (101 km2) 5,191/sq mi (2,004/km2)
36 Grand Rapids   Michigan 198,917 188,040 +5.78% 44.8 sq mi (116.0 km2) 4,442/sq mi (1,715/km2)
37 Overland Park   Kansas 197,238 173,372 +13.77% 75.2 sq mi (194.8 km2) 2,600/sq mi (1,000/km2)
38 Akron   Ohio 190,469 199,110 −4.34% 61.9 sq mi (160 km2) 3,075/sq mi (1,187/km2)
39 Burlington   Ontario 183,314 175,779 +4.29% 71.7 sq mi (185.7 km2) 2,452/sq mi (947/km2)
40 Aurora   Illinois 180,542 197,899 −8.77% 45 sq mi (116.5 km2) 4,015/sq mi (1,550/km2)
41 Oshawa   Ontario 175,383 149,607 +17.23% 56.3 sq mi (145.8 km2) 2,660/sq mi (1,030/km2)
42 Kansas City   Kansas 156,607 145,786 +7.42% 124.7 sq mi (323.0 km2) 1,200/sq mi (460/km2)
43 Joliet   Illinois 150,362 147,433 +1.99% 65.1 sq mi (168.6 km2) 2,310/sq mi (890/km2)
44 Lévis   Quebec 149,683 137,218 +9.08% 173.4 sq mi (449.1 km2) 827/sq mi (319/km2)
45 Naperville   Illinois 149,540 141,853 +5.42% 39.1 sq mi (101.3 km2) 3,824/sq mi (1,476/km2)
46 Rockford   Illinois 148,655 152,871 −2.76% 64.9 sq mi (168.1 km2) 2,290/sq mi (880/km2)
47 Guelph   Ontario 143,740 121,688 +18.12% 33.7 sq mi (87.3 km2) 4,258/sq mi (1,644/km2)
48 Olathe   Kansas 141,290 125,872 +12.25% 61.6 sq mi (159.5 km2) 2,300/sq mi (890/km2)
49 Warren   Michigan 139,387 134,056 +3.98% 34.4 sq mi (89.1 km2) 4,055/sq mi (1,566/km2)
50 Trois-Rivières   Quebec 139,163 129,886 +7.14% 111.7 sq mi (289.3 km2) 1,203/sq mi (464/km2)
51 Whitby   Ontario 138,501 122,022 +13.50% 56.6 sq mi (146.6 km2) 2,445/sq mi (944/km2)
52 Cambridge   Ontario 138,479 126,748 +9.26% 43.6 sq mi (112.9 km2) 3,174/sq mi (1,225/km2)
53 Dayton   Ohio 137,644 141,527 −2.74% 55.8 sq mi (144.5 km2) 2,466/sq mi (952/km2)
54 St. Catharines   Ontario 136,803 131,400 +4.11% 37.1 sq mi (96.1 km2) 3,587/sq mi (1,385/km2)
55 Sterling Heights   Michigan 134,386 129,699 +3.61% 36.5 sq mi (94.5 km2) 3,686/sq mi (1,423/km2)
56 Milton   Ontario 132,979 84,362 +57.63% 140.2 sq mi (363.1 km2) 948/sq mi (366/km2)
57 Kingston   Ontario 132,485 123,363 +7.39% 174.2 sq mi (451.2 km2) 736/sq mi (284/km2)
58 Ajax   Ontario 126,666 109,600 +15.57% 25.7 sq mi (66.6 km2) 4,233/sq mi (1,634/km2)
59 Ann Arbor   Michigan 123,851 113,934 +8.70% 28.2 sq mi (73.0 km2) 4,388/sq mi (1,694/km2)
60 Independence   Missouri 123,011 116,830 +5.29% 78 sq mi (202.0 km2) 1,578/sq mi (609/km2)
61 Waterloo   Ontario 121,436 98,780 +22.94% 24.7 sq mi (64.0 km2) 4,910/sq mi (1,900/km2)
62 Rochester   Minnesota 121,395 106,796 +13.67% 55.6 sq mi (144.0 km2) 2,184/sq mi (843/km2)
63 Evansville   Indiana 118,414 117,429 +0.84% 47.4 sq mi (122.8 km2) 2,477/sq mi (956/km2)
64 Elgin   Illinois 114,797 108,188 +6.11% 38 sq mi (98.4 km2) 3,019/sq mi (1,166/km2)
65 Springfield   Illinois 114,394 116,250 −1.60% 61.2 sq mi (158.5 km2) 1,870/sq mi (720/km2)
66 Peoria   Illinois 113,150 115,007 −1.61% 48 sq mi (124.3 km2) 2,359/sq mi (911/km2)
67 Lansing   Michigan 112,644 114,297 −1.45% 39.1 sq mi (101.3 km2) 2,878/sq mi (1,111/km2)
68 Dearborn   Michigan 109,976 98,153 +12.05% 24.3 sq mi (62.9 km2) 1,751/sq mi (676/km2)
69 Green Bay   Wisconsin 107,395 104,057 +3.21% 45.5 sq mi (117.8 km2) 2,299/sq mi (888/km2)
70 Brantford   Ontario 104,688 93,650 +11.79% 38.1 sq mi (98.7 km2) 2,748/sq mi (1,061/km2)
71 Chatham-Kent   Ontario 103,988 103,671 +0.31% 949 sq mi (2,458 km2) 107/sq mi (41/km2)
72 South Bend   Indiana 103,453 101,168 +2.26% 42 sq mi (108.8 km2) 2,465/sq mi (952/km2)
73 Davenport   Iowa 101,724 99,685 +2.05% 63.8 sq mi (165.2 km2) 1,595/sq mi (616/km2)
74 Lee's Summit   Missouri 101,108 91,364 +10.67% 63.9 sq mi (165.5 km2) 1,582/sq mi (611/km2)
75 Clinton Township   Michigan 100,513 96,796 +3.84% 281 sq mi (727.8 km2) 3,445/sq mi (1,330/km2)
  1. ^ The 2020 census population for Canadian cities uses their 2021 census population.
  2. ^ The 2010 census population for Canadian cities uses their 2011 census population.

See also edit

Notes edit

A. ^ a Various sources include Quebec City, Montreal and Ottawa in the Great Lakes Megalopolis, while excluding Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Louisville, and Columbus.[20] All these partial-consensus and non-consensus cities lie at the eastern, western, and southern fringes of the megalopolis.

Gallery edit

  •  
    Chicago (left) and Milwaukee (center)
  •  
    Lakes Erie (right) and Ontario (left)
  •  
    Indianapolis (left) to St. Louis (right)
  •  
    Cleveland
  •  
    Saint Paul
  •  
    Fox Cities
  •  
    Duluth

References edit

  1. ^ "Census Data 2021". Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  2. ^ "Great Lakes States 2020". Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  3. ^ . Archived from the original on 2018-08-09. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  4. ^ Bell, Daniel; Stephen Richards Graubard (1997). Toward the year 2000: work in progress. MIT Press. p. 87. ISBN 0-262-52237-3.
  5. ^ a b .Time magazine, November 4, 1966. Retrieved on July 16, 2010.
  6. ^ Doxiadis, Constantinos. (1970) The Great Lakes Megalopolis. Doxiadis Assoc.
  7. ^ "MegaCensusReport.indd" (PDF). America2050.org.
  8. ^ . Glerl.noaa.gov. Archived from the original on 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  9. ^ a b . Great-lakes.net. 2012-04-13. Archived from the original on 2012-05-04. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  10. ^ U.S Army Corps of Engineers (January 2009).Great Lakes Navigation System: Economic Strength to the Nation 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on April 11, 2011.
  11. ^ America 2050: Megaregions: Great Lakes. 2020-02-20 at the Wayback Machine Regional Plan Association.
  12. ^ "Home - Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers". Cglslgp.org.
  13. ^ Our lakes facts 2012-03-08 at the Wayback Machine. NOAA. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  14. ^ U.S Army Corps of Engineers (January 2009).Great Lakes Navigation System: Economic Strength to the Nation 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on July 25, 2011.
  15. ^ Great Lakes Cruising Coalition Retrieved on July 25, 2011.
  16. ^ "Forecasting 2020 U.S. County and MSA Populations" (PDF). Knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu. April 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  17. ^ "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2021". ShanghaiRanking Consultancy. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  18. ^ "List of United States cities by population", Wikipedia, 2021-03-31, retrieved 2021-03-31
  19. ^ "List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population", Wikipedia, 2021-02-05, retrieved 2021-03-31
  20. ^ Example: (PDF) (Map). The Center for Urban and Regional Studies, Youngstown State University. 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-05.

41°N 85°W / 41°N 85°W / 41; -85

February 15, 2024
great, lakes, megalopolis, consists, national, group, metropolitan, areas, north, america, largely, great, lakes, region, extends, from, midwestern, united, states, south, west, western, pennsylvania, western, york, east, northward, through, southern, ontario,. The Great Lakes megalopolis consists of a bi national group of metropolitan areas in North America largely in the Great Lakes region It extends from the Midwestern United States in the south and west to western Pennsylvania and Western New York in the east and northward through Southern Ontario into southwestern Quebec in Canada It is the most populated and largest megalopolis in North America Great Lakes megalopolisMegaregion of the U S and CanadaChicagoTorontoDetroit WindsorCountriesUnited StatesCanadaStatesIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyMichiganMinnesotaMissouriNew YorkOhioPennsylvaniaWisconsinProvincesOntarioQuebecLargest cityToronto 2 794 356 1 Largest metropolitan areaChicago metropolitan area 9 812 676 Population85 011 531 2 At its most inclusive in the United States the region cuts a wide swath from the twin cities of Minneapolis Saint Paul in Minnesota in the west south to St Louis and Louisville Kentucky and east to Rochester New York in Canada it continues northeasterly to Quebec City This broader region had an estimated population of 59 144 461 as of 2011 and is projected to reach a population of about 65 million by 2025 Within this broad region there is a core area of more continual urban development that includes Chicago Milwaukee Grand Rapids South Bend Detroit Windsor Columbus Cleveland Toledo Pittsburgh Buffalo Rochester Toronto Ottawa Montreal and the metropolitan areas between these Contents 1 History of the concept 2 Governments 3 Economy 4 Education 5 Major land and marine transportation corridors 5 1 Chicago Minneapolis St Paul 5 2 Chicago St Louis 5 3 Chicago Indianapolis Cincinnati 5 4 Chicago Buffalo Rochester 5 5 Detroit Chicago 5 6 Windsor Quebec City 6 Secondary land or marine transportation corridors 6 1 Kansas City Pittsburgh 6 2 Detroit Grand Rapids 6 3 Evansville Indianapolis Port Huron 6 4 Cincinnati Saginaw 6 5 Duluth Lake Huron 7 Selected American and Canadian population centers 8 See also 9 Notes 10 Gallery 11 ReferencesHistory of the concept edit nbsp 1907 Canadian major internal and cross border shipping routes nbsp Map of the emerging American Canadian megaregions as defined by America 2050 3 This interpretation excludes the eastern part of the Windsor Quebec City urban corridor from the Great Lakes Megalopolis The region was partially outlined as an emergent megalopolis in the 1961 book Megalopolis The Urbanized Northeastern Seaboard of the United States by French geographer Jean Gottmann Gottmann envisaged the development of other megalopolises in the U S from Boston to Washington D C from Chicago to Pittsburgh and from San Francisco to San Diego In 1965 futurist Herman Kahn speculated about the three megalopolises in the year 2000 4 In the 1960s and 1970s urban planner and architect Constantinos Doxiadis wrote books studies and reports about the growth potential of the Great Lakes Megalopolis 5 Doxiadis envisioned Detroit on the U S Canada border across from Windsor as the central urban area in this megalopolis which he defined as extending from Milwaukee and Chicago to Detroit Pittsburgh and Buffalo and into Canada from Windsor to Montreal and Quebec 5 6 In 2005 the Virginia Tech Metropolitan Institute s Beyond Megalopolis an attempt to update Gottmann s work outlined a similar Midwest megapolitan area as one of ten such areas in the United States Canada is discussed tangentially 7 Over 200 million tons of cargo are shipped annually through the Great Lakes 8 9 10 The America 2050 project identified 11 Megaregions of the United States including the Great Lakes Megalopolis 11 A The Canadian part of the region is also referred to as the Quebec City Windsor Corridor and the densest part in Southern Ontario has long been known as the Golden Horseshoe citation needed Governments editThere are multiple government jurisdictions throughout the megalopolis In addition to the federal governments of the United States and Canada there are multiple U S states and two Canadian province jurisdictions and many county and local governments Most of the states have joined the provinces in forming the Conference of Great Lakes and St Lawrence Governors and Premiers to coordinate economic and environmental strategies throughout most of the region 12 Economy editThe five Great Lakes contain one fifth of the world s surface fresh water and have a combined shoreline of 10 210 miles 17 017 km About 200 million tons of cargo are shipped through the Great Lakes each year 9 13 14 The Great Lakes Cruising Coalition supports passenger ship cruises through a joint U S Canadian venture to Great Lakes Ports and the Saint Lawrence Seaway 15 16 Education editThe Great Lakes Megalopolis is home to many prestigious institutions of higher education Two founding members of the Association of American Universities AAU the University of Chicago in Chicago Illinois and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Michigan are located in the region The University of Chicago and Northwestern University in the Chicago area are two high ranking world universities Other major universities include the University of Toronto in Toronto Ontario McGill University in Montreal Quebec McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland Ohio and the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame Indiana 17 The region also contains large multi campus state university systems such as the University of Illinois System University of Minnesota System University of Missouri System University of Wisconsin System the University System of Ohio the State University of New York SUNY System the Indiana University System and the Purdue University System nbsp McGill University nbsp University of Michigan nbsp University of Chicago nbsp University of TorontoMajor land and marine transportation corridors editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed August 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message nbsp Amtrak Wolverine crossing St Joseph RiverThe Great Lakes Megalopolis includes the following major inter urban corridors that are provided with freeway and passenger rail service in both the core and fringe areas of the mega region Major waterways for shipping and cruising are also indicated where applicable Amtrak in the United States and Via Rail in Canada offer rail passenger service while most Class I freight rail services also connect these points Major rail shipping services in both Canada and the United States is provided on tracks owned by Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway Chicago Minneapolis St Paul edit This corridor occupies the northwestern fringe of the megalopolis It occupies northern Illinois southern Wisconsin and parts of eastern Minnesota Interstate 94 and Amtrak s Empire Builder train run roughly parallel from Chicago to Minneapolis St Paul by way of Milwaukee and Madison Wisconsin Chicago St Louis edit Interstate 55 Amtrak via the Lincoln Service and the Illinois Waterway connect Chicago to St Louis Chicago Indianapolis Cincinnati edit Interstate 65 extends from the Chicago area southeast to Indianapolis where Interstate 74 travels through to Cincinnati Amtrak runs regular service along this same route via the Cardinal Chicago Buffalo Rochester edit nbsp Lake Shore LimitedInterstate 90 and Amtrak s Lake Shore Limited run approximately parallel through the core area of the megalopolis from Chicago to Cleveland via South Bend Indiana and Toledo Ohio then into the eastern fringe area comprising Buffalo and Rochester New York Amtrak s Capitol Limited provides a passenger rail link from Cleveland to Pittsburgh which is roughly paralleled by Interstate 76 The main water route deviates well to the north of the land route from Chicago to Detroit It runs north along Lake Michigan east through the Straits of Mackinac then south along Lake Huron the St Clair River and Lake St Clair to the Detroit River From this point the water route roughly parallels the land route to Rochester by way of Lake Erie the Welland Canal and Lake Ontario Detroit Chicago edit Interstate 94 takes a more northerly route than I 90 through the megalopolis core area east of Chicago It extends from that city to the west end of the Windsor Quebec City Corridor by way of Kalamazoo Ann Arbor Detroit and Port Huron Michigan Sarnia Ontario This interstate freeway also parallels Amtrak s Wolverine and Blue Water The main water route is the same as for the western part of the Chicago Rochester water corridor from Lake Michigan to the Detroit River Amtrak also serves this route with the Wolverine service between Chicago and Pontiac via Ann Arbor and Detroit Windsor Quebec City edit The Windsor Quebec City Corridor lies along the northeastern fringe of the Great Lakes megalopolis The entire Canadian section of the broader megaregion is sometimes considered a separate megalopolis Key freeways include Highway 401 and Highway 417 in Ontario which connect with Autoroute 20 and Autoroute 40 respectively in Quebec Highway 416 and Autoroute 50 link the National Capital Region with Highway 401 and the Montreal area respectively but the two freeways do not link directly with each other across the Ontario Quebec border Passenger rail service is provided in both provinces by the Via Rail Corridor Service Intermediate points along the corridor include London Kitchener Hamilton St Catharines Toronto Kingston Ottawa and Montreal The main water shipping route is the same as for the eastern part of the Chicago Rochester corridor starting at the Detroit River but continuing east beyond Lake Ontario along the St Lawrence Seaway to Quebec City and the Gulf of St Lawrence Secondary land or marine transportation corridors editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed August 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Several corridors have interstate highways but no comprehensive passenger rail service These highway routes pass through both core and fringe areas of the Great Lakes megalopolis The upper Great lakes region has a marine corridor that connects Lakes Superior Huron and Michigan However this route does not include parallel Amtrak passenger rail or interstate highway service Kansas City Pittsburgh edit Interstate 70 follows the southern fringe of the megaregion It runs from Kansas City to just south of Pittsburgh by way of St Louis Indianapolis Dayton Ohio and Columbus Ohio Detroit Grand Rapids edit Interstate 96 serves traffic between the Detroit and Grand Rapids metro areas The route passes through Lansing on the way and extends to Muskegon to the northwest of Grand Rapids Evansville Indianapolis Port Huron edit Interstate 69 extends from Evansville to Martinsville Indiana From there the route is temporarily an arterial highway Indiana State Road 37 to the Interstate 465 ring road around Indianapolis From there I 69 resumes and continues to the west end of the Windsor Quebec City Corridor crossing the border into Canada and becoming Ontario Highway 402 which eventually leads to Highway 401 Intermediate points include Fort Wayne Indiana and Lansing Flint and Port Huron Michigan Sarnia Ontario Cincinnati Saginaw edit Interstate 75 runs from Saginaw Michigan to Cincinnati by way of Flint and Detroit in Michigan and Toledo Lima and Dayton in Ohio Duluth Lake Huron edit The waterway connecting Duluth Minnesota and western Lake Superior to points east and south includes the Soo Locks connecting to Lake Huron then south to Port Huron MI Sarnia ON or through the Straits of Mackinac to the metropolitan areas around Lake Michigan Selected American and Canadian population centers editLargest cities not metropolitan areas or census divisions in the Great Lakes megalopolis with populations over 100 000 18 19 2020 rank City Region 2020 census a 2010 census b Change Land area 2020 population density1 Toronto nbsp Ontario 2 794 356 2 615 060 6 86 243 3 sq mi 630 1 km2 11 468 sq mi 4 428 km2 2 Chicago nbsp Illinois 2 746 388 2 695 598 1 88 227 3 sq mi 588 7 km2 12 059 sq mi 4 656 km2 3 Montreal nbsp Quebec 1 762 949 1 649 519 6 88 166 6 sq mi 431 5 km2 12 505 sq mi 4 828 km2 4 Ottawa nbsp Ontario 1 017 449 883 391 15 18 1 077 3 sq mi 2 790 2 km2 950 sq mi 370 km2 5 Columbus nbsp Ohio 905 748 787 033 15 08 226 3 sq mi 586 1 km2 4 110 sq mi 1 590 km2 6 Indianapolis nbsp Indiana 887 642 820 445 8 19 361 6 sq mi 936 5 km2 2 455 sq mi 948 km2 7 Mississauga nbsp Ontario 717 961 713 443 0 63 112 9 sq mi 292 4 km2 6 391 sq mi 2 468 km2 8 Brampton nbsp Ontario 656 480 523 911 25 30 102 3 sq mi 265 km2 6 390 sq mi 2 470 km2 9 Detroit nbsp Michigan 639 111 713 777 10 46 138 7 sq mi 359 2 km2 4 067 sq mi 1 570 km2 10 Louisville nbsp Kentucky 633 045 597 337 5 98 325 0 sq mi 841 7 km2 1 900 sq mi 730 km2 11 Milwaukee nbsp Wisconsin 577 222 594 833 2 96 96 2 sq mi 249 2 km2 6 001 sq mi 2 317 km2 12 Hamilton nbsp Ontario 569 353 519 949 9 50 431 8 sq mi 1 118 4 km2 1 319 sq mi 509 km2 13 Quebec City nbsp Quebec 549 459 516 622 6 36 175 1 sq mi 453 5 km2 3 039 sq mi 1 173 km2 14 Kansas City nbsp Missouri 508 090 459 787 10 51 314 7 sq mi 815 km2 1 614 sq mi 623 km2 15 Laval nbsp Quebec 438 366 401 553 9 17 95 5 sq mi 247 3 km2 4 431 sq mi 1 711 km2 16 Minneapolis nbsp Minnesota 429 954 382 578 12 38 54 sq mi 140 km2 7 692 sq mi 2 970 km2 17 London nbsp Ontario 422 324 366 151 15 34 162 4 sq mi 420 6 km2 2 365 sq mi 913 km2 18 Cleveland nbsp Ohio 372 624 396 815 6 10 77 7 sq mi 201 2 km2 4 794 sq mi 1 851 km2 19 Markham nbsp Ontario 338 503 301 709 12 20 81 4 sq mi 211 km2 4 156 sq mi 1 605 km2 20 Vaughan nbsp Ontario 323 103 288 301 12 07 105 2 sq mi 272 5 km2 3 071 sq mi 1 186 km2 21 Saint Paul nbsp Minnesota 311 527 285 068 9 28 52 sq mi 135 km2 5 994 sq mi 2 314 km2 22 Cincinnati nbsp Ohio 309 317 296 493 4 33 77 9 sq mi 201 8 km2 3 970 sq mi 1 530 km2 23 Pittsburgh nbsp Pennsylvania 302 971 305 704 0 89 55 4 sq mi 143 5 km2 5 471 sq mi 2 112 km2 24 St Louis nbsp Missouri 301 578 310 294 2 81 61 7 sq mi 160 km2 4 886 sq mi 1 886 km2 25 Gatineau nbsp Quebec 291 041 265 349 9 68 132 4 sq mi 342 9 km2 2 004 sq mi 774 km2 26 Buffalo nbsp New York 278 349 261 310 6 52 40 4 sq mi 104 6 km2 6 893 sq mi 2 661 km2 27 Toledo nbsp Ohio 270 871 287 208 5 69 80 5 sq mi 208 5 km2 3 365 sq mi 1 299 km2 28 Madison nbsp Wisconsin 269 840 233 309 15 66 79 6 sq mi 206 km2 3 391 sq mi 1 309 km2 29 Fort Wayne nbsp Indiana 263 886 253 691 4 02 110 6 sq mi 286 5 km2 2 400 sq mi 930 km2 30 Kitchener nbsp Ontario 256 885 219 153 17 22 52 8 sq mi 136 8 km2 4 900 sq mi 1 900 km2 31 Longueuil nbsp Quebec 254 483 231 409 9 97 44 6 sq mi 115 5 km2 5 185 sq mi 2 002 km2 32 Windsor nbsp Ontario 229 660 210 891 8 90 56 5 sq mi 146 3 km2 4 065 sq mi 1 570 km2 33 Oakville nbsp Ontario 213 759 182 520 17 12 53 7 sq mi 139 1 km2 3 985 sq mi 1 539 km2 34 Rochester nbsp New York 211 328 210 565 0 36 35 8 sq mi 92 7 km2 5 909 sq mi 2 281 km2 35 Richmond Hill nbsp Ontario 202 022 185 541 8 88 38 9 sq mi 101 km2 5 191 sq mi 2 004 km2 36 Grand Rapids nbsp Michigan 198 917 188 040 5 78 44 8 sq mi 116 0 km2 4 442 sq mi 1 715 km2 37 Overland Park nbsp Kansas 197 238 173 372 13 77 75 2 sq mi 194 8 km2 2 600 sq mi 1 000 km2 38 Akron nbsp Ohio 190 469 199 110 4 34 61 9 sq mi 160 km2 3 075 sq mi 1 187 km2 39 Burlington nbsp Ontario 183 314 175 779 4 29 71 7 sq mi 185 7 km2 2 452 sq mi 947 km2 40 Aurora nbsp Illinois 180 542 197 899 8 77 45 sq mi 116 5 km2 4 015 sq mi 1 550 km2 41 Oshawa nbsp Ontario 175 383 149 607 17 23 56 3 sq mi 145 8 km2 2 660 sq mi 1 030 km2 42 Kansas City nbsp Kansas 156 607 145 786 7 42 124 7 sq mi 323 0 km2 1 200 sq mi 460 km2 43 Joliet nbsp Illinois 150 362 147 433 1 99 65 1 sq mi 168 6 km2 2 310 sq mi 890 km2 44 Levis nbsp Quebec 149 683 137 218 9 08 173 4 sq mi 449 1 km2 827 sq mi 319 km2 45 Naperville nbsp Illinois 149 540 141 853 5 42 39 1 sq mi 101 3 km2 3 824 sq mi 1 476 km2 46 Rockford nbsp Illinois 148 655 152 871 2 76 64 9 sq mi 168 1 km2 2 290 sq mi 880 km2 47 Guelph nbsp Ontario 143 740 121 688 18 12 33 7 sq mi 87 3 km2 4 258 sq mi 1 644 km2 48 Olathe nbsp Kansas 141 290 125 872 12 25 61 6 sq mi 159 5 km2 2 300 sq mi 890 km2 49 Warren nbsp Michigan 139 387 134 056 3 98 34 4 sq mi 89 1 km2 4 055 sq mi 1 566 km2 50 Trois Rivieres nbsp Quebec 139 163 129 886 7 14 111 7 sq mi 289 3 km2 1 203 sq mi 464 km2 51 Whitby nbsp Ontario 138 501 122 022 13 50 56 6 sq mi 146 6 km2 2 445 sq mi 944 km2 52 Cambridge nbsp Ontario 138 479 126 748 9 26 43 6 sq mi 112 9 km2 3 174 sq mi 1 225 km2 53 Dayton nbsp Ohio 137 644 141 527 2 74 55 8 sq mi 144 5 km2 2 466 sq mi 952 km2 54 St Catharines nbsp Ontario 136 803 131 400 4 11 37 1 sq mi 96 1 km2 3 587 sq mi 1 385 km2 55 Sterling Heights nbsp Michigan 134 386 129 699 3 61 36 5 sq mi 94 5 km2 3 686 sq mi 1 423 km2 56 Milton nbsp Ontario 132 979 84 362 57 63 140 2 sq mi 363 1 km2 948 sq mi 366 km2 57 Kingston nbsp Ontario 132 485 123 363 7 39 174 2 sq mi 451 2 km2 736 sq mi 284 km2 58 Ajax nbsp Ontario 126 666 109 600 15 57 25 7 sq mi 66 6 km2 4 233 sq mi 1 634 km2 59 Ann Arbor nbsp Michigan 123 851 113 934 8 70 28 2 sq mi 73 0 km2 4 388 sq mi 1 694 km2 60 Independence nbsp Missouri 123 011 116 830 5 29 78 sq mi 202 0 km2 1 578 sq mi 609 km2 61 Waterloo nbsp Ontario 121 436 98 780 22 94 24 7 sq mi 64 0 km2 4 910 sq mi 1 900 km2 62 Rochester nbsp Minnesota 121 395 106 796 13 67 55 6 sq mi 144 0 km2 2 184 sq mi 843 km2 63 Evansville nbsp Indiana 118 414 117 429 0 84 47 4 sq mi 122 8 km2 2 477 sq mi 956 km2 64 Elgin nbsp Illinois 114 797 108 188 6 11 38 sq mi 98 4 km2 3 019 sq mi 1 166 km2 65 Springfield nbsp Illinois 114 394 116 250 1 60 61 2 sq mi 158 5 km2 1 870 sq mi 720 km2 66 Peoria nbsp Illinois 113 150 115 007 1 61 48 sq mi 124 3 km2 2 359 sq mi 911 km2 67 Lansing nbsp Michigan 112 644 114 297 1 45 39 1 sq mi 101 3 km2 2 878 sq mi 1 111 km2 68 Dearborn nbsp Michigan 109 976 98 153 12 05 24 3 sq mi 62 9 km2 1 751 sq mi 676 km2 69 Green Bay nbsp Wisconsin 107 395 104 057 3 21 45 5 sq mi 117 8 km2 2 299 sq mi 888 km2 70 Brantford nbsp Ontario 104 688 93 650 11 79 38 1 sq mi 98 7 km2 2 748 sq mi 1 061 km2 71 Chatham Kent nbsp Ontario 103 988 103 671 0 31 949 sq mi 2 458 km2 107 sq mi 41 km2 72 South Bend nbsp Indiana 103 453 101 168 2 26 42 sq mi 108 8 km2 2 465 sq mi 952 km2 73 Davenport nbsp Iowa 101 724 99 685 2 05 63 8 sq mi 165 2 km2 1 595 sq mi 616 km2 74 Lee s Summit nbsp Missouri 101 108 91 364 10 67 63 9 sq mi 165 5 km2 1 582 sq mi 611 km2 75 Clinton Township nbsp Michigan 100 513 96 796 3 84 281 sq mi 727 8 km2 3 445 sq mi 1 330 km2 The 2020 census population for Canadian cities uses their 2021 census population The 2010 census population for Canadian cities uses their 2011 census population See also editMegalopolis city type Conference of Great Lakes and St Lawrence Governors and Premiers Megaregions of the United States Great Lakes Quebec City Windsor Corridor Conurbation Combined Statistical Area Census Metropolitan Area Rust BeltNotes editA a Various sources include Quebec City Montreal and Ottawa in the Great Lakes Megalopolis while excluding Minneapolis Saint Paul Kansas City Cincinnati Indianapolis Louisville and Columbus 20 All these partial consensus and non consensus cities lie at the eastern western and southern fringes of the megalopolis Gallery edit nbsp Chicago left and Milwaukee center nbsp Lakes Erie right and Ontario left nbsp Indianapolis left to St Louis right nbsp Cleveland nbsp Saint Paul nbsp Fox Cities nbsp DuluthReferences edit Census Data 2021 Retrieved 2022 08 24 Great Lakes States 2020 Retrieved 2020 04 12 Megaregions America 2050 Archived from the original on 2018 08 09 Retrieved 29 April 2023 Bell Daniel Stephen Richards Graubard 1997 Toward the year 2000 work in progress MIT Press p 87 ISBN 0 262 52237 3 a b Cities Capital for the New Megalopolis Time magazine November 4 1966 Retrieved on July 16 2010 Doxiadis Constantinos 1970 The Great Lakes Megalopolis Doxiadis Assoc MegaCensusReport indd PDF America2050 org About Our Great Lakes Great Lakes Basin Facts NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab GLERL Glerl noaa gov Archived from the original on 2012 03 08 Retrieved 2012 04 19 a b Economy of the Great Lakes Region Great lakes net 2012 04 13 Archived from the original on 2012 05 04 Retrieved 2012 04 19 U S Army Corps of Engineers January 2009 Great Lakes Navigation System Economic Strength to the Nation Archived 2011 07 18 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on April 11 2011 America 2050 Megaregions Great Lakes Archived 2020 02 20 at the Wayback Machine Regional Plan Association Home Great Lakes and St Lawrence Governors and Premiers Cglslgp org Our lakes facts Archived 2012 03 08 at the Wayback Machine NOAA Retrieved July 25 2011 U S Army Corps of Engineers January 2009 Great Lakes Navigation System Economic Strength to the Nation Archived 2011 07 18 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on July 25 2011 Great Lakes Cruising Coalition Retrieved on July 25 2011 Forecasting 2020 U S County and MSA Populations PDF Knowledge wharton upenn edu April 2016 Retrieved 27 May 2018 Academic Ranking of World Universities 2021 ShanghaiRanking Consultancy Retrieved May 12 2022 List of United States cities by population Wikipedia 2021 03 31 retrieved 2021 03 31 List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population Wikipedia 2021 02 05 retrieved 2021 03 31 Example Great Lakes Megalopolis PDF Map The Center for Urban and Regional Studies Youngstown State University 2005 Archived from the original PDF on 2010 07 05 41 N 85 W 41 N 85 W 41 85 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Great Lakes megalopolis amp oldid 1201577810, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.