The name Tri-Cities refers to two regions in the U.S. state of Michigan. Both are located in the Lower Peninsula.
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The Greater Tri-Cities Region
The larger and more well known Tri-Cities is the region surrounding the cities of Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland. This region, which is also considered to be part of the Central Michigan, includes much of Bay County, Saginaw County, and Midland County. These three counties make up the Greater Tri Cities, a common term describing this region of Michigan. As of recently, the region also goes by the name of the Great Lakes Bay Region.
Statistically, the region is known as the Saginaw, Midland, and Bay City Metropolitan Area, a combined statistical area composed of Saginaw, Midland, and Bay counties. The combined population of these three counties was 391,569 as of the 2010 census, down from the 403,070 recorded at the 2000 Census. The population was estimated to have fallen further to 384,618 as of the July 1, 2014, Census estimate.
Grand Haven/Ferrysburg/Spring Lake
The other Tri-Cities lies in Michigan's Ottawa County. The three constituent towns are Grand Haven, Ferrysburg, and the village of Spring Lake. The combined population of these three places and adjacent townships is 46,922 as of the 2000 Census. These tri-cities are located in Western Michigan, near Grand Rapids, Michigan.