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Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes wholly within the borders of the US; the others are shared with Canada. It has a surface area of 22,300 square miles ( 57750 square km), making it the largest freshwater lake in the US, and the 5th largest lake in the world. It is 307 miles long by 118 miles wide. It greatest depth is 923 feet (281 m). It contains a volume of 4,918 cubic km of water. Its surface averages 580 feet above sea level, the same as Lake Huron, to which it is connected through the Straits of Mackinac. Geologically, Michigan and Huron are the same body of water. Both are part of the Great Lakes Waterway. In earlier maps of the region, the name "Lake Illinois" has been found in place of "Michigan".

Cities (with populations larger than 30,000) on the shores of Lake Michigan include:

• Hammond, Indiana
• East Chicago, IndianaEast Chicago is a city located in Lake County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 32,414. Geography East Chicago is located at 41°38'20" North, 87°27'44" West (41. 638885, -87. According to the United States Census Bureau,
• Gary, IndianaGary is a city located in Lake County in northwest Indiana in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 102,746. It borders Lake Michigan and is known for its large steel mills, emissions from which are of
• Portage, IndianaPortage is a city located in Porter County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 33,496. Geography Portage is located at 41°34'55" North, 87°11'12" West (41. 581850, -87. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city
• Michigan City, IndianaMichigan City is a city located in LaPorte County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 32,900. Geography Michigan City is located at 41°42'34" North, 86°53'13" West (41. 709389, -86. According to the United States Census Bur
• Muskegon, MichiganMuskegon is a city located in Muskegon County, Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 40,105. It is the county seat of Muskegon County 6. The city is located in the southwest corner of Muskegon Township. Geography According to
• Green Bay, WisconsinGreen Bay is the county seat of Brown County in the U. state of Wisconsin. The city is located at 44º 28' 46" N, 88º 08' 12" W, at the head of the Bay of Green Bay and the mouth of the Fox River, with an altitude of 581 feet. It is 112 miles north of Milw
• Manitowoc, WisconsinManitowoc (pronounced Ma-nih-toe-wok') is the county seat of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. The city is located at 044º 5' 47" N 087º 40' 30" W, on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. According to the 2000 census, Manitowoc had a population o
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Racine, Wisconsin
• Waukegan, Illinois
• North Chicago, Illinois
• Highland Park, Illinois
• Evanston, Illinois
• Chicago, Illinois.

The southern tip of the lake is heavily industrialized. Some 12 million people live along its shores.

Lake Michigan beaches, especially those beaches of western Michigan and northern Indiana, are known for their beauty. The sand is soft and white, there are often high sand dunes covered in prickly green dune grass and rambling sand cherries, and the water is cold and amazingly clear. When standing on most of the beaches in Michigan, it is impossible to see across the lake to Wisconsin.

Several state parks are located on the lakeshore as well as the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Part of the shoreline is also in the Hiawatha National Forest and the Manistee National Forest. Part of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is located in Lake Michigan.

Motorists can cross Lake Michigan by a ferry that runs from Ludington, Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin.