5 Surprising Reasons Why Michigan is the Water Capital of the World

Michigan claims the title of the 'Water Capital of the World,' and with so much water around, you can see why it's hard to argue otherwise.

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5 Reasons Why Michigan is the Water Capital of the World.

1. Michigan has more coastline than any U.S. state except Alaska.

That includes ocean states. Michigan is bordered by 4 of the 5 Great Lakes with nearly 3,300 miles of freshwater shoreline. Michigan has more coastline than Florida (1,350 miles) and California (850 miles) combined.  Alaska has 6,640 miles of coastline.

2. You’re never more than 6 miles from inland water.

Whether it's a lake, river, stream, or wetland, you are always a hop, skip, and a jump from inland water in Michigan.  Not only are you always at least 6 miles from inland water anywhere in Michigan, but you are also never more than 85 miles from a Great Lake.

3. There are more than 11,000 inland lakes.

That giant number is not counting the Great Lakes. In fact, Michigan (41.5%) has more water coverage than any state, including Hawaii (41%), according to the Detroit Free Press.

4. Michigan has a floating post office.

Mail is delivered by boat to islands in the Straits of Mackinac. Michigan is the only state in the world to have a floating post office.

5. You can see both the sunrise and sunset over water.

Thanks to the Great Lakes wrapping around the state, Michigan is one of the few places where you can see the sunrise and the sunset over water without leaving the state.  Michigan is not alone on this one, as you can also see this in Florida and Louisiana.

Get more fun facts about Michigan that just might blow your mind by tapping here.