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160 Michigan Trivia Questions, Answers, and Fun Facts

How much do you know about Michigan? This category is for trivia questions and answers related to Michigan (Geography). Each one is filled with fun facts and interesting information.
Related Questions & Answers:   Missouri    Michigan Wolverines (NCAA Football)  
1 The word "Michigan" is translated from the Native American Ojibwe word "Mishigami". What is the generally accepted meaning?
Answer: Big Water

The first documented contact with the Objibwe by the French was in 1640. Part of the loose confederation of three Algonquian nations, along with the Odawa and the Pottawatomi, the Ojibwe controlled most of the northern part of what is now Michigan when the French began exploring the area in the 1600s. Their word "Mishigami" came to be applied to the peninsula surrounded by the Great Lakes.
  From Quiz: Michigan: The Great Lakes State
2 Dearborn, Michigan wasn't always a city. What township was the city cut from?
Answer: Dearborn Township

Ok so a bit of a red herring to start the quiz. Dearborn was incorporated as a city in 1927. Prior to that the area was Dearbornville Village, which itself had come from Dearborn Township. In 1928 the city merged with neighboring Fordson but retained the name of Dearborn.
  From Quiz: Dearborn
3 What river, headquartered in Oakland County, travels through three other counties before having its mouth in Monroe County?
Answer: Huron River

The Huron River, named after the Huron Indians, starts in Oakland, then travels through Livingston, Washtenaw, Wayne, and Monroe counties before ending. The river is about 130 miles long and passes through 13 state parks, game and recreation areas.
  From Quiz: Rivers in Michigan
4 Michigan is called the land of what?
Answer: 11,000 lakes

Michigan is called the land of 11,000 lakes and 11,000,000 mosquitoes. Michigan is named this for its many lakes and its many mosquitoes. Nearly half of the state is made up of water!
  From Quiz: Michigan Facts: How Well Do You Know Michigan?
5 Michigan's state stone is the Petoskey stone. What is a Petoskey stone?
Answer: Fossilized coral

Petoskey stones are only found along the lakeshore in northwestern Michigan. The name comes from the Ottawa Indian Chief Pet-O-Sega.
  From Quiz: Even More Great Lake State Trivia
6 Michigan's Motto is 'Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice'. What is the English translation?
Answer: If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you

The motto was adopted in 1835 on the coat-of-arms. It was never proclaimed the official motto, but when the state legislature created the coat of arms, it was then included in the act.
  From Quiz: More Great Lake State Trivia
7 Detroit was the first capital city of Michigan, but Lansing later replaced it as the capital city. Which municipality was also once the state capital?
Answer: Lansing Township

Lansing Township was the capital of Michigan for two years, 1847-1848. It has an area of 5.1 square miles (13.1 km²).
    Your options: [ Marshall ] [ Flint ] [ Ann Arbor ] [ Lansing Township ]
  From Quiz: The Great Lake State
8 What third most populous city in the state of Michigan shares a rather famous border with Detroit?
Answer: Warren

The rather famous border between Detroit and Warren is Eight Mile Rd. Eminem is from Warren which is an industrial town and bedroom community north of Detroit.
  From Quiz: Detroit Suburbs
9 Where in the U.P. is the state fair held every year?
Answer: Escanaba

According to the Delta County Historical Society, the Upper Peninsula's State Fair began back in April of 1927 when then governor of Michigan Fred Green signed into life Act 89, which read, "An annual state fair at the City of Escanaba, which shall have for its main purpose the exploiting, and encouragement of improved methods in agriculture and industrial pursuits I hereby authorize."
  From Quiz: Michigan's Upper Peninsula
10 What is the name of the site in the Upper Peninsula where there are waterfalls?
Answer: Tahquamenon Falls

Tahquamenon Falls is a very beautiful part of Michigan which contributes to the tourism business.
  From Quiz: Michigan, My Home State
11 What is the tallest building in Detroit?
Answer: Renaissance Center

The Renaissance Center is 73 stories, One Detroit Center also called the Comerica Tower is 50 stories, the Penobscot Building is 47 stories and the Guardian Building is 43 stories.
  From Quiz: Detroit
12 Dearborn is often regarded as the home of Henry Ford. Why is he famous?
Answer: Automotive baron

Henry, Clara, and Edsel Ford moved to Dearbornville in 1916, many years before it would become a city. Henry was actually born in Greenfield Township in 1863. A little more than a decade later, that township no longer existed as it had been annexed by Detroit and Highland Park. Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, would later start the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in honor of his birthplace.
  From Quiz: Dearborn
13 Named for one of the largest cities in Michigan, which river connects Lake Erie to Lake St. Clair?
Answer: Detroit River

The Detroit River is many things, including part of the boarder between the U.S. and Canada. It separates Detroit and Windsor. The river flows for 24 nautical miles, or 28 regular miles. The entire length of the river serves as a border between the two countries.
    Your options: [ Ecorse River ] [ Escanaba River ] [ Detroit River ] [ Huron River ]
  From Quiz: Rivers in Michigan
14 What was Michigan's FIRST capital?
Answer: Detroit

On January 26, 1837, Michigan was declared a state. Detroit was the first capital. It is the state's largest city.
  From Quiz: Michigan Facts: How Well Do You Know Michigan?
15 Which Native American chief led a rebellion against the British military occupation of present-day Michigan following the British victory in the 18th-century French and Indian War?
Answer: Pontiac

Chief Pontiac won an important victory over the British in the 1763 Battle of Bloody Run, but he later withdrew from the area. The war which bears his name, Pontiac's Rebellion, lasted from 1763 until 1766, when he made peace with the British. The city of Pontiac, Michigan was named after him, as well as the General Motors car called the Pontiac.
    Your options: [ Pontiac ] [ Red Cloud ] [ Tecumseh ] [ Sitting Bull ]
  From Quiz: Marvelous Michigan
16 Michigan has four interstate highways, but one of them doesn't actually exist in any other state but Michigan. Which one?
Answer: I-96

I-96 begins at Muskegon on Lake Michigan and terminates near the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit. That's 192 miles without once leaving the state of Michigan!
    Your options: [ I-96 ] [ I-69 ] [ I-75 ] [ I-94 ]
  From Quiz: Even More Great Lake State Trivia
17 In what Detroit suburb is Ford Motor Company's World headquarters?
Answer: Dearborn

Dearborn is also the site of the world famous Henry Ford Museum, which includes many artifacts from recent modern history and the history of various types of transportation in the U.S., and Greenfield Village, which is an outdoor museum of sorts where many places such as the Wright brothers' bicycle shop have been moved or recreated.
  From Quiz: Detroit Suburbs
18 What is the name of the movie from 1991 that was partially filmed in Calumet?
Answer: Children of the Night

"Children of the Night" is a pretty good "B" horror film - with Ami Dolenz and Peter DeLuise. (I was also an extra in it!)
  From Quiz: Michigan's Upper Peninsula
19 In the 2003-2004 season where did the Detroit Red Wings play?
Answer: Joe Louis Arena

The Detroit Lions used to play football in the Silver Dome. The Pistons play basketball at the Palace. The Gerald Ford Arena doesn't exist.
  From Quiz: Michigan, My Home State
20 Where is the 'Worlds Largest Tire' located?
Answer: Allen Park

The 8 story tire that weighs 12 tons is located alongside I-94 near the Southfield Freeway. It was a ferris wheel at the 1964 World's Fair.
  From Quiz: Detroit
21 What is the name of the river that runs between Sault Saint Marie, Michigan and Sault Saint Marie, Ontario, and connects Lake Huron with Lake Superior?
Answer: St. Marys River

The St. Marys River runs from Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior to the North Channel of Lake Huron and separates the cities of Sault Saint Marie, Michigan and Sault Saint Marie, Ontario. The Sault Saint Marie International Bridge, opened in 1962, spans the river and connects the two cities.
  From Quiz: Michigan: The Great Lakes State
22 As of the 2010 U.S. Census what was the approximate population of Dearborn?
Answer: 100,000

The census bureau reported 98,153 as the official population of the city. At that time the city had the largest population of Arab people living outside of the middle east in the entire world. About 41.7 percent of the city's population was Arabic at the time.
  From Quiz: Dearborn
23 Also called a creek, what river is named after the French word for bark?
Answer: Ecorse River

The original French settlers in the region named the 18.8 mile river, Rivière aux Écorces, which was later changed into the Ecorse River. Because it's so short, locals also refer to it as the Ecorse Creek.

The river runs through the city of the same name, and continues in the area known as "Downriver" which is in the southern park of Wayne County.
  From Quiz: Rivers in Michigan
24 Michigan was the ____ state admitted into the Union.
Answer: 26th

Michigan became a state on January 26, 1837. Before gaining statehood status, it was known as the Michigan Territory.
    Your options: [ 24th ] [ 27th ] [ 25th ] [ 26th ]
  From Quiz: Michigan Facts: How Well Do You Know Michigan?
25 The Michigan Territory qualified for statehood in 1835, but was not admitted to the United States as a state until 1837. What was the cause of this delay?
Answer: There was a dispute with Ohio over a strip of land near Toledo.

Congress finally resolved the dispute by giving Ohio the Toledo Strip, and giving Michigan the Upper Peninsula. Most Michiganders were not happy with this compromise at the time, as the rich farmland of the Toledo Strip was considered much more valuable than the Upper Peninsula. Over time, however, the UP has proven to be valuable for its logging, mining, and tourism industries.
  From Quiz: Marvelous Michigan
26 Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline of any political subdivision in the world (bordering the Great Lakes). How many miles of shoreline does it have?
Answer: 3,288 miles

Because Michigan consists of two peninsulas, it has an exceptionally long shoreline. Only Alaska has a longer shoreline, but Alaska's shoreline is not freshwater.
  From Quiz: Even More Great Lake State Trivia
27 This national lakeshore takes its name from an ancient Chippewa legend which declared that a certain animal was buried under the sand, waiting for her young. Name it.
Answer: Sleeping Bear

Unfortunately, according to the legend, the mother bear's two cubs drowned in Lake Michigan and the "Great Spirit" created North and South Manitou Islands to commemorate the cubs. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is found on the northwest coast of Michigan.
    Your options: [ Resting Moose ] [ Snoring Squirrel ] [ Sleeping Wolverine ] [ Sleeping Bear ]
  From Quiz: The Great Lake State
28 Which set of small but similarly named suburbs were the setting for a quirky action-comedy starring Minnie Driver and John Cusack?
Answer: The Grosse Pointes

The Grosse Pointes include five separate communities: Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Woods, and Grosse Pointe Shores.
    Your options: [ The Grosse Pointes ] [ The Heights ] [ The Bloomfields ] [ The Woods ]
  From Quiz: Detroit Suburbs
29 What is the common nickname for people from the U.P.?
Answer: Yoopers

The people that live in the Upper Peninsula or the U.P. are called "Yoopers" and are proud of it. The people that live under the bridge are called "trolls."
  From Quiz: Michigan's Upper Peninsula
30 When completed in 1930, this nearly a mile long landmark became the first of its kind in the world?
Answer: Detroit Windsor Tunnel

The tunnel became the first international vehicular tunnel in the world. The Davison Freeway was in fact the first freeway in the United States. The Northland Center was the first mall built in the United States and there isn't a Detroit Boardwalk.
  From Quiz: Detroit
31 Which smaller lake, not considered one of the Great Lakes, connects Lakes Erie and Huron?
Answer: Lake St. Clair

Lake St. Clair lies between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, connecting the two larger bodies of water via the St. Clair River in the north and the Detroit River in the south.
    Your options: [ Long Lake ] [ Lake Detroit ] [ Lake Ponchartrain ] [ Lake St. Clair ]
  From Quiz: Michigan: The Great Lakes State
32 What river runs through the city?
Answer: The Rouge River

The city popped up on both sides of the Rouge River, using it as a base to become a heavily industrialized city in the early 20th century. Not only was the city home to Ford Motor Company, but several steel factories and other industrial factories were built there.

The other three rivers don't come anywhere near Dearborn.
  From Quiz: Dearborn
33 What river joins into the Detroit River near Zug Island?
Answer: River Rouge

The River Rouge (which also has a city named after it) runs for 127 miles through Metro-Detroit. It joins with the Detroit River at the boundary between the cities of River Rouge and Detroit, right at Zug Island.

Zug Island is man made and is used for heavy industry.
  From Quiz: Rivers in Michigan
34 Which city became Michigan's capital in 1848?
Answer: Lansing

Lansing became the capital in 1848. Lansing is located in Ingham and Eaton Counties. It was first settled in 1835.
    Your options: [ Detroit ] [ Battle Creek ] [ Kalamazoo ] [ Lansing ]
  From Quiz: Michigan Facts: How Well Do You Know Michigan?
35 Which Michigan town is nicknamed the "Furniture City" because of its large furniture industry?
Answer: Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids is home to five of the world's leading office furniture companies. The furniture industry got its start in Grand Rapids in the second half of the nineteenth century, thanks to the nearby source of lumber. At one time Grand Rapids was recognized as a worldwide leader in the production of quality home furniture, but due to market changes the focus turned to office furniture.
    Your options: [ Grand Rapids ] [ Flint ] [ Saginaw ] [ Marquette ]
  From Quiz: Marvelous Michigan
36 What percentage of Michigan's total area is water?
Answer: 41.5%

Because the legal boundaries between Michigan and several adjoining states and Canadian provinces are in the middle of lakes Michigan, Superior, and Huron, over 40% of Michigan's total area is water. This is the highest percentage of any US state.
  From Quiz: Even More Great Lake State Trivia
37 What is the busiest International Border crossing point in North America, in terms of trade volume?
Answer: Ambassador Bridge

More than 25% of the merchandise trade between the US and Canada crosses the Ambassador Bridge. The main span of the suspension bridge is 1,850 feet, with an overall length of 7,500 feet.
  From Quiz: More Great Lake State Trivia
38 Which famed island prohibits private automobiles and is home to the hotel with one of the longest porches in the world?
Answer: Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island is also the home to two pre-colonial forts, Fort Holmes and Fort Mackinac. It is situated in Lake Huron.
    Your options: [ Beaver Island ] [ Drummond Island ] [ Bois Blanc Island ] [ Mackinac Island ]
  From Quiz: The Great Lake State
39 In what Detroit suburb did the Detroit Pistons play their home games from 1988 to 2017?
Answer: Auburn Hills

The Pistons played their home games at the Palace of Auburn Hills, one of the premiere arenas in the NBA. Auburn Hills is 30 to 45 minutes north of Detroit along I-75. In 2017 they moved to Little Caesars Arena in the city.
  From Quiz: Detroit Suburbs
40 What is the name of the bridge that connects the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the Lower Peninsula?
Answer: The Mackinac Bridge

  From Quiz: Michigan's Upper Peninsula
The rest of the questions and answers can be found in our quizzes here:
Michigan Quizzes