Where Does “North” Michigan Actually Begin? No, It’s Not the U.P.

Recently, a Tiktok has gone viral thanks to a very detailed argument about where "North" Michigan actually starts.

Apparently, this is a subject that has been debated amongst Michiganders for years. Some argue that "Up North" is just the Upper Penninsula. Some say that it's anything north of Grand Rapids. In light of the ongoing discourse, a Yooper took to Tiktok to boldly proclaim that he has the actual answer.

Aiden Losh, or @mhuweamens on Tiktok, begins his video by immediately shutting down two specific arguments: that "up north" begins at the Mackinac Bridge and that "up north" begins just north of Detroit.

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Aiden argues that it can't begin at the Mackinac Bridge because that's the U.P. which is obviously something completely different. If it starts just north of Detroit, that excludes Grand Rapids and Flint which, clearly, are more mid-Michigan.

So, What Qualifies "North Michigan" as "North Michigan"?

He claims that the number one thing people think of when contemplating northern Michigan is the forested areas. You can see the general area on Google Maps represented by the darker green areas:

But, if that's the case, wouldn't north Michigan start just north of Saginaw?

Aiden says, "No." Since Saginaw is surrounded by farms, he claims that it belongs in the "Mid-Michigan" category.

With that logic applied, he declares that "up north" OFFICIALLY begins at Standish, Michigan. Do you think he got it right? Check out his full video below:

While Aiden is a Yooper doing well on Tiktok, we actually have several SW Michigan Tiktok creators that are absolutely killing it on the app: