How do you define the Midwest?

[kphoger]

Honestly, the terrain of Illinois surprised me.  I wasn't expecting so many farms that far east.

Coming back to this thought...  When I think of "Illinois countryside", this is what comes to mind first.  And, when I think of boring ol' I-55, this is what comes to mind.  Then there's stuff like this and this.  Eventually, I also think of more wooded areas, but that's not what comes to mind first.

[Scott5114]

National Geographic shaped my sense of United States regions as we had a set of paper maps that divided Great Plains from the Midwest.  So as NatGeo wrote, so as NatGeo does...

I think that largely influences how I divide the Midwest as well, lol.

Of course, they only divided it there because they had to print their maps on paper with edges.

I think another thing that might have shaped my perception is the old "Midwest/Great Lakes" board on the forum, since the rest of it is "Central States".  Even now, my brain still uses the old name for the board, despite Kentucky being merged in to make it "Great Lakes and Ohio Valley".

I recently stumbled across a draft map I made when we were trying to decide how to split things up originally. I think it underscores that any sort of understanding of the world based on those splits is folly.

[vdeane]

I have never heard of a mideast region being used in any situation.

So... where's Syria, then?

Middle East or Near East.

And the short form of middle is...

Honestly, the terrain of Illinois surprised me.  I wasn't expecting so many farms that far east.

Coming back to this thought...  When I think of "Illinois countryside", this is what comes to mind first.  And, when I think of boring ol' I-55, this is what comes to mind.  Then there's stuff like this and this.  Eventually, I also think of more wooded areas, but that's not what comes to mind first.

Yeah, what I was expecting turned out to be more like Michigan on I-94.  That last view is how I imagine Iowa.

[Roadgeekteen]

I have never heard of a mideast region being used in any situation.

So... where's Syria, then?

Middle East or Near East.

And the short form of middle is...

Fair enough, but nobody says "Middle West" so I wouldn't say Middle East and Mideast are the same.

[TheCatalyst31]

I have never heard of a mideast region being used in any situation.

So... where's Syria, then?

Middle East or Near East.

And the short form of middle is...

Fair enough, but nobody says "Middle West" so I wouldn't say Middle East and Mideast are the same.

People call the Midwest the Middle West every once in a while, even if it's not very common.

[Roadgeekteen]

I have never heard of a mideast region being used in any situation.

So... where's Syria, then?

Middle East or Near East.

And the short form of middle is...

Fair enough, but nobody says "Middle West" so I wouldn't say Middle East and Mideast are the same.

People call the Midwest the Middle West every once in a while, even if it's not very common.

Searched Middle West on Google, found this: https://middlewestspirits.com/. I guess this proves it, Ohio is Midwest or "Middle West".

[wriddle082]

Any state with a Big 10 school excepting NJ (Rutgers) and the former PAC 12 schools, but adding Missouri.  So I even count Pennsylvania (at least the western half), because they're about to get Meijer and possibly Menard's as well if they'd just break ground on their planned locations already.

[Big John]

^^ and Maryland?

[wriddle082]

^^ and Maryland?

Thanks, no Maryland either.  I keep thinking they're still an ACC school.

[Road Hog]

The Texas Heartland region is way too generic. There's the Hill Country, the Lost Pines, the Blacklands Prairie, the fairly expansive metro regions.

[Roadgeekteen]

Any state with a Big 10 school excepting NJ (Rutgers) and the former PAC 12 schools, but adding Missouri.  So I even count Pennsylvania (at least the western half), because they're about to get Meijer and possibly Menard's as well if they'd just break ground on their planned locations already.

Pennslyvania overall is more east coast than Midwest, though the west has Midwest influences. Maybe Pittsubrgh Er

^^ and Maryland?

Thanks, no Maryland either.  I keep thinking they're still an ACC school.

Maryland should have stayed in the ACC. Nobody really cares about them in the BIG.

[TheCatalyst31]

Any state with a Big 10 school excepting NJ (Rutgers) and the former PAC 12 schools, but adding Missouri.  So I even count Pennsylvania (at least the western half), because they're about to get Meijer and possibly Menard's as well if they'd just break ground on their planned locations already.

This puts Missouri and Nebraska in the Midwest but not Kansas, which feels wrong. Kansas is a central state that grows food crops and was firmly on the Union's side during the Civil War (unlike slave state Missouri), so it's Midwestern to me.

[Scott5114]

It also makes the definition of the Midwest dependent on a for-profit entity. Theoretically Nevada could become part of the Midwest if the Big 10 decided either UNLV or UNR being part of the Big 10 would make them more money (neither has ever been part of the Pac 12 and they are not in New Jersey or Maryland).

[minneha]

I like using the Census Bureau's 12-state definition of the Midwest. It keeps things simple. And like other posts have pointed out, public opinion surveys show that residents of those 12 states are the most likely to identify as living in the Midwest. So that 12-state region IS the most accurate definition of the Midwest.

[Roadgeekteen]

It also makes the definition of the Midwest dependent on a for-profit entity. Theoretically Nevada could become part of the Midwest if the Big 10 decided either UNLV or UNR being part of the Big 10 would make them more money (neither has ever been part of the Pac 12 and they are not in New Jersey or Maryland).

I would assume that said user would change the rules in that case. Though UNLV and UNR have like a 0% chance of joining the Big 10.

[Scott5114]

It also makes the definition of the Midwest dependent on a for-profit entity. Theoretically Nevada could become part of the Midwest if the Big 10 decided either UNLV or UNR being part of the Big 10 would make them more money (neither has ever been part of the Pac 12 and they are not in New Jersey or Maryland).

I would assume that said user would change the rules in that case. Though UNLV and UNR have like a 0% chance of joining the Big 10.

No shit?

[Roadgeekteen]

It also makes the definition of the Midwest dependent on a for-profit entity. Theoretically Nevada could become part of the Midwest if the Big 10 decided either UNLV or UNR being part of the Big 10 would make them more money (neither has ever been part of the Pac 12 and they are not in New Jersey or Maryland).

I would assume that said user would change the rules in that case. Though UNLV and UNR have like a 0% chance of joining the Big 10.

No shit?

So the defenition is not depended on the Big 10, the Big 10 happens to be a certain way that lines up with the traditionally accepted defenition of the midwest.

[Scott5114]

It also makes the definition of the Midwest dependent on a for-profit entity. Theoretically Nevada could become part of the Midwest if the Big 10 decided either UNLV or UNR being part of the Big 10 would make them more money (neither has ever been part of the Pac 12 and they are not in New Jersey or Maryland).

I would assume that said user would change the rules in that case. Though UNLV and UNR have like a 0% chance of joining the Big 10.

No shit?

So the defenition is not depended on the Big 10, the Big 10 happens to be a certain way that lines up with the traditionally accepted defenition of the midwest.

Is a defenition being not depended sort of like truck trarffic being elimitanted?

I still fail to see the need for either of these posts.

[wriddle082]

Any state with a Big 10 school excepting NJ (Rutgers) and the former PAC 12 schools, but adding Missouri.  So I even count Pennsylvania (at least the western half), because they're about to get Meijer and possibly Menard's as well if they'd just break ground on their planned locations already.

This puts Missouri and Nebraska in the Midwest but not Kansas, which feels wrong. Kansas is a central state that grows food crops and was firmly on the Union's side during the Civil War (unlike slave state Missouri), so it's Midwestern to me.

Ok I will clarify further...

No Nebraska either.  I would consider Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas to be defined as Great Plains states, which do have their differences from the core Midwestern states I had previously defined.

In hindsight, I suppose using college sports conferences was a poor method of comparison (thanks, NIL!).

Anyway, as a Southerner who has been sent to Midwestern states on and off for the past two or three years for work, I know when I'm in one based on the personalities of the locals.  Ohio (where I've been working a good majority of this year) is nearly all Midwestern, exceptions being most WV border areas.  Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri, all very much Midwestern (and most of which I have worked in and spent enough time in).  NW Pennsylvania could possibly be considered Midwestern, or at least a Rust Belt extension thereof.  Buffalo too, though they would never admit it.  I feel like the people of NW PA and Buffalo have similar ideals to Midwesterners.

[freebrickproductions]

I very much don't consider it to be midwestern, but the Memphis, TN, area honestly gives me midwest vibes in a way that no other southeastern city does. IDK entirely why, but downtown Collierville honestly feels like it was plucked straight out of Chicagoland to me for some reason.

[Scott5114]

Any state with a Big 10 school excepting NJ (Rutgers) and the former PAC 12 schools, but adding Missouri.  So I even count Pennsylvania (at least the western half), because they're about to get Meijer and possibly Menard's as well if they'd just break ground on their planned locations already.

This puts Missouri and Nebraska in the Midwest but not Kansas, which feels wrong. Kansas is a central state that grows food crops and was firmly on the Union's side during the Civil War (unlike slave state Missouri), so it's Midwestern to me.

Ok I will clarify further...

No Nebraska either.  I would consider Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas to be defined as Great Plains states, which do have their differences from the core Midwestern states I had previously defined.

In hindsight, I suppose using college sports conferences was a poor method of comparison (thanks, NIL!).

Anyway, as a Southerner who has been sent to Midwestern states on and off for the past two or three years for work, I know when I'm in one based on the personalities of the locals.  Ohio (where I've been working a good majority of this year) is nearly all Midwestern, exceptions being most WV border areas.  Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri, all very much Midwestern (and most of which I have worked in and spent enough time in).  NW Pennsylvania could possibly be considered Midwestern, or at least a Rust Belt extension thereof.  Buffalo too, though they would never admit it.  I feel like the people of NW PA and Buffalo have similar ideals to Midwesterners.

So Kansas City, Missouri is in the Midwest, but Kansas City, Kansas is not?