Lake Michigan is one of the five North American Great Lakes. It is bounded, in clockwise order from the south, by the US states of Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan, which is named for it.

Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes wholly within the borders of the US; the others are shared with Canada. It has a surface area of 22,300 square miles (57750 square km), making it the largest freshwater lake in the US, and the 5th largest lake in the world. It is 307 miles long by 118 miles wide. It greatest depth is 923 feet (281 m). It contains a volume of 4,918 cubic km of water. Its surface averages 580 feet above sea level, the same as Lake Huron, to which it is connected through the Straits of Mackinac. Geologically, Michigan and Huron are the same body of water, but are geographically distinct. Both are part of the Great Lakes Waterway. In earlier maps (http://www.libs.uga.edu/darchive/hargrett/maps/1733d4.jpg) of the region, the name "Lake Illinois" has been found in place of "Michigan".

Cities (with populations larger than 30,000) on the shores of Lake Michigan include:

• Hammond, Indiana
• East Chicago, Indiana
• Gary, Indiana
• Portage, Indiana
• Michigan City, Indiana
• Holland, Michigan
• Muskegon, Michigan
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
• Manitowoc, Wisconsin
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Racine, Wisconsin
• Kenosha, Wisconsin
• Waukegan, Illinois
• North Chicago, Illinois
• Highland Park, Illinois
• Evanston, Illinois
• Chicago, Illinois.

The southern tip of the lake is heavily industrialized. Some 12 million people live along its shores.

Lake Michigan beaches, especially those beaches of western Michigan and northern Indiana, are known for their beauty. The sand is soft and near-white, there are often high sand dunes covered in prickly green dune grass and rambling sand cherries, and the water is cold and clear. When standing on beaches in Michigan, it is impossible to see across the lake to Wisconsin.

Several state parks are located on the lakeshore as well as the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Part of the shoreline is also in the Hiawatha National Forest and the Manistee National Forest. Part of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is located in Lake Michigan.

Motorists can cross Lake Michigan by a ferry that runs from Ludington, Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. An additional ferry, started in 2004, allows motorists to cross the lake between Muskegon, Michigan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at a much higher speed compared to the Ludington ferry.

North American Great Lakes

Lake Superior | Lake Michigan | Lake Huron | Lake Erie | Lake Ontario

da:Lake Michigan de:Michigansee es: Lago Michigan et:Michigani järv fr:Lac Michigan he:ימת מישיגן ja:ミシガン湖 la:Lacus Michigan nl:Michiganmeer pl:Jezioro Michigan simple:Lake Michigan sv:Michigansjön