Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Minnesota. We're the "core" of the Upper Midwest. Michigan and Wisconsin are great too, but they do have Milwaukee and Detroit. A bit more rough around the edges. We get less snow than them but more bitter cold. The trade off is sunnier winters. We're in the transition between the deciduous mixed woods to the east, the northwoods to the north and the open prairie to the south and west. The Twin Cities are urban enough without feeling congested.
Definitely, I like Wisconsin better than Minnesota, and, actually, like Milwaukee better than Minneapolis. Wisconsin has many more cities of size, than does Minnesota. Most of Minnesota's population is in the Twin Cities, where Wisconsin has it spread around more. Wisconsin has northwoods to the north, along with Door County. Where Minnesota has open prairie to the south and west, Wisconsin has an entire eastern border that is Lake Michigan. Not prairie here, but rolling hills and a much more interesting topography. I can attach pictures, if need be. Also, a big plus (IMO), is close proximity to Chicago...not as isolated as Minnesota.
From Minneapolis, you have to drive 5 hours, or so, to get to another city of size. Minnesota is just too isolated, for me. Although I do like South Dakota, which is their direct neighbor to the west. In Wisconsin, the direct western neighbor, is Minnesota
In what UNIVERSE is Illinois or Indiana in the Upper Midwest? No. Sorry, no.
Maybe (and that's a very indecisive maybe) Rockford and Chicagoland can be lumped in with the Upper Midwest, but the rest of Illinois is absolutely not Upper Midwestern.
You want a dry climate in North America, your options are as follows:
1) The West
2) The West
3) If you don't like the West as an option, there's always the West.
That's really it. Something has to give: your preference to be closer to Sweden, or your preference for a dry climate. The Midwest ranges from humid before the corn crop sprouts up to VERY humid once the corn crop is in full swing. Some of the western fringes of what is considered the Midwest is in a drier climate, but they're really more in the Plains region than the Midwest. And it's a very barren part of the country with virtually nothing going on. And definitely pretty far from Sweden, not to mention from the airports that can get you there conveniently.
I think what BadgerFilms means by saying Minnesota is the "core" of the Upper Midwest is more from a cultural standpoint.
When people from around the country think of the Upper Midwest, they immediately think Minnesota accents, Scandinavians, cold/snow, progressive culture/politics (as opposed to the rest of the Midwest), well-run state governments. Minnesota and the Twin Cities area is sort of the epitome of all of that within the region.
You want a dry climate in North America, your options are as follows:
1) The West
2) The West
3) If you don't like the West as an option, there's always the West.
That's really it. Something has to give: your preference to be closer to Sweden, or your preference for a dry climate. The Midwest ranges from humid before the corn crop sprouts up to VERY humid once the corn crop is in full swing. Some of the western fringes of what is considered the Midwest is in a drier climate, but they're really more in the Plains region than the Midwest. And it's a very barren part of the country with virtually nothing going on. And definitely pretty far from Sweden, not to mention from the airports that can get you there conveniently.
Yep!
The Midwest is very wet. The only time the air is super dry is during the middle of winter. (Ironic when there's a lot of snow on the ground) For the rest of the year - the air is either comfortable/tolerable or a damp mess because of the rain or a sticky mess because of the humidity.
Culturally, you would probably do better in the Midwest because many people claim a Scandinavian heritage and religion isn't particularly scorned upon. Lots of Catholics in the region.
However, something's got to give on the weather piece because most of America really isn't dry like you are describing.
I’d be a bit more inclined to lump Milwaukee with Minneapolis than with Detroit.
I can see why because Michigan is still the upper midwest - though it's not connected to MN/WI.
Still, as a Michigander, rarely is Minneapolis linked with Detroit.
Milwaukee and Minneapolis are north of the Chicago side of Lake Michigan/ I-94.
Still, Michigan is Midwestern. We've just got the lakes that separate us from Wisconsin, except that part that links with the UP. (Which is far from Detroit.)
The contenders for best state have to be Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Detroit is the biggest city. Minnesota has the better economy. Wisconsin has cheese.
Kidding (kind of). There are far more similarities than differences in these states. Farmland in the south, lakes to the north. Warm humid summers, cold dry winters. Wisconsin and Michigan have larger secondary cities. Minnesota is dominated by MSP (although it’s still a 50/50 urban/rural state). Minnesota is more geographically isolated. There’s a good argument to be made, however, that MSP has outpaced Milwaukee because of this - Milwaukee feels more like a rust belt city where as Minneapolis feels more modern. All the talent and small town kids from hundreds of miles in any direction of MSP go there for school/jobs etc.
Living in a Detroit suburb vs Milwaukee vs Minneapolis would be virtually indistinguishable. Same for picking a small town in any of these 3 states. Cultures will be similar enough as well.
Upper Midwest isn't hot per se (summertime highs usually in the low-to-mid-80s), but it's humid. Went to Chicago in early July for work a couple years ago. Even though it was only in the 80s, it was uncomfortably humid. I was drenched in sweat after walking a couple miles.
The winters are also bitterly cold there. It's not uncommon for parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin to stay below freezing for days or weeks on end.
As Timid said, if you truly want dry look at the high plains and the intermountain west (Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada).
Eastern Washington or Eastern Oregon may work as well.
It can be humid some days, but not everyday; to sum up all the humid days is around 1 to 2 weeks per summer
Also, by north-shore suburbs or downtown is less humid or fewer humid days due to lake
the same with winter; it might get cold for 1 to 2 days but then gets back to 20s ~ 30s
I can see why because Michigan is still the upper midwest - though it's not connected to MN/WI.
Still, as a Michigander, rarely is Minneapolis linked with Detroit.
Milwaukee and Minneapolis are north of the Chicago side of Lake Michigan/ I-94.
Still, Michigan is Midwestern. We've just got the lakes that separate us from Wisconsin, except that part that links with the UP. (Which is far from Detroit.)
Michigan borders both MN and WI, though only MN with a water border. Michigan is very much upper midwest, and culturally so in the UP.
Michigan borders both MN and WI, though only MN with a water border. Michigan is very much upper midwest, and culturally so in the UP.
I’d say Michigan is pretty upper Midwest culturally downstate as well.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
