Measuring Michigan: 11 Random Geographic Facts About the Mitten

Michigan is an incredibly unique state. It's not 1 but 2 peninsulas. You can spot 3/4's of their borders from space. The state's Mitten shape has made its residents infamous for using their hands as maps.

Beyond its unique shape, the state that changed the automotive landscape has some pretty impressive measurements. Let's take a look at 11 Random Geographic Facts About the Mitten:

Great Lakes State Facts and Figures

1. The State of Michigan has 3,288 linear miles of coastline, making it the largest freshwater coast in the world.

2. The trip from Detroit to Washington D.C. is shorter than a trip from Detroit to Houghton, Michigan.

• Detroit to Washington D.C.: 521 miles
• Detroit to Houghton, Michigan: 554 miles

3. The 'tallest' north-to-south distance for the Upper Peninsula is 160 miles, according to A-Z-Animals.com.

"...just east of Copper Harbor in the north to the Menominee River in the south"

4. There are 11,077 inland lakes in Michigan that are 5 acres or more in size according to the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association:

"Michigan has 1,148 lakes exceeding 100 acres, 98 lakes exceeding 1,000 acres, and 10 lakes over 10,000 acres"

Related: Has There Ever Been a Tidal Wave in a Michigan Great Lake?

5. Houghton Lake is Michigan's largest inland lake, at 22,044 acres. Michigan's largest lake by total volume is Torch Lake due to its size and maximum depth of 285 feet.

6. Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake that is entirely located within the United States.

7. Mt. Arvon is the highest point in Michigan at 1,979 feet above sea level.

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8. Michigan was once located a mile beneath ice during the Earth's last ice age, with glacial movement that ebbed and flowed over the years carving our state's distinctive shape. The last glacier retreated from Michigan over 12,000 years ago.

9. There are over 19.3 million acres of forest in the state of Michigan which represents 52% of Michigan's total landmass.

Related: Michigan History: Michigan's Last 750 Million Years in Pictures

10. Lake Michigan's shores are home to the largest freshwater sand dunes in the world, including Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

11. The geographic center of Michigan is in Wexford County, five miles north-northwest of Cadillac.