If the Midwest was split entirely by "Lower Midwest" and "Upper Midwest", which part would Iowa be in? (food, suburbs)

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by mwalker96

I'm no midwest expert but upper and lower midwest seem a bit too simplified. My midwest classification is Upper midwest (Minnesota, Wisconson, and most of Michigan) where it's more Candian influenced, Great Lakes/i-90 corridor (Northern Ohio, Northern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Southern Michiagin and Northern Iowa) It's the most urban part of the region since the rust belt was mostly concentrated in that area. The northern city vowel shift accent plays a big role in the area. The lower midwest (Southern Ohio, Southern Indiana, all of Missouri, Southern Illnois, and Southern Iowa) are all southern influenced and where evangelical culture plays a bigger role.

I have heard others here on c-d say that the Upper Midwest is "Canadian-influenced" also, but I've never heard anyone who lives there say that. I'm guessing those who believe so do so because the northern reaches of MN and MI (but not WI!) do touch Canada, but those are the least populated areas of those states, and on the Canadian side of the border it is even LESS populated, just a couple small cities (Thunder bay and Sault Ste. Marie) with a little ag and very small towns, but mostly forested wilderness. Minneapolis, the most populated area of MN is 300 miles from someplace you've never heard of on the Canadian border, Milwaukee and Madison are ~400 miles to the border, and Lansing, the approximate center of population in MI, is ~300 miles to the border. These states are more integrated with the other parts of the US, and clearly not "influenced" by Canada.

[jennifat]

The "Canadian influence" that people from outside the Upper Midwest perceive is more about the accents than anything else, even though the Canadian accent is absolutely nothing alike. Really it's just lack of exposure/familiarity.

It's why there's this widespread belief in the US that Canadians say "aboot". People just don't know any better.

[jas75]

Originally Posted by Ben Around

Minneapolis, the most populated area of MN is 300 miles from someplace you've never heard of on the Canadian border, Milwaukee and Madison are ~400 miles to the border, and Lansing, the approximate center of population in MI, is ~300 miles to the border. These states are more integrated with the other parts of the US, and clearly not "influenced" by Canada.

I would agree that there is very little Canadian influence in the upper Midwest, but Lansing is under 100 miles from Windsor (Ontario), which is a significant mid-sized Canadian metro area.

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by jas75

I would agree that there is very little Canadian influence in the upper Midwest, but Lansing is under 100 miles from Windsor (Ontario), which is a significant mid-sized Canadian metro area.

True, but what influence does Windsor have on Lansing (or Detroit, Ann Arbor, Jackson, etc.) Just because they are close doesn't mean they have "influence".

[knke0204]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

What about speech patterns? Do most people from Iowa have a stronger accent like someone from Minnesota or Wisconsin; or is it less pronounced like someone from Ohio or Indiana? I think that would factor into which side to group Iowa with.

My college roommate was from southwest Iowa (I'm from the Twin Cities). And he had a noticeably different dialect. I remember talking about this many times with him. He mad fun of the way we said "bag" (long vowel) and "pen" (heavy E). I remember him pronouncing "pencil" like "PINCIL"

[Omahahonors]

Originally Posted by knke0204

My college roommate was from southwest Iowa (I'm from the Twin Cities). And he had a noticeably different dialect. I remember talking about this many times with him. He mad fun of the way we said "bag" (long vowel) and "pen" (heavy E). I remember him pronouncing "pencil" like "PINCIL"

Yeah. Southwest Iowa, which is the same as Nebraska - has a very midlands accent

[innovator82]

The fact that Iowa is bordered only by other Midwestern states sold it for me as Upper. The Lower Midwestern states of OH, IN, IL, and MO all border Southern states.

[Northeasterner1970]

I think there’s vague southern Midwest vibes in the southernmost tier of counties in the state but all that disappears past Ottumwa and Burlington. Iowa feels more Minnesota and Wisconsin than Missouri.

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by personone

You classify Illinois in the Lower Midwest? Granted it’s a big state that spans regions, but Chicagoland is the third largest metro in the US, and it is unequivocally Upper Midwest/Great Lakes region. So that would tip Illinois to upper Midwest.

This is the first time I’ve seen Illinois classified in the lower Midwest, especially since it touches the Great Lakes.

To be fair, the state touches Kentucky and actually extends as far south as northern Oklahoma. Many would be surprised to find out that its the Midwestern state that extends the second most far south.

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by mwalker96

I'm no midwest expert but upper and lower midwest seem a bit too simplified. My midwest classification is Upper midwest (Minnesota, Wisconson, and most of Michigan) where it's more Candian influenced, Great Lakes/i-90 corridor (Northern Ohio, Northern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Southern Michiagin and Northern Iowa) It's the most urban part of the region since the rust belt was mostly concentrated in that area. The northern city vowel shift accent plays a big role in the area. The lower midwest (Southern Ohio, Southern Indiana, all of Missouri, Southern Illnois, and Southern Iowa) are all southern influenced and where evangelical culture plays a bigger role.

Southern Iowa isn't southern influenced at all. The southern influence dies around central Missouri when you head up that way (and on I-35 it dies quickly as you enter Kansas)