Midwest

There is no formal definition, so you’ll get many different answers. I generally consider the Midwest to be the northern half of states (those that remained in the Union during the Civil War) that are west of the Appalachian mountains and east of the Mississippi River.

If you look at a map of the pre-2014 Big Ten Conference, you'll see the midwestern states. As far East as Pennsylvia and as far West as Nebraska and technically as far south as Missouri (although Missouri wasn't in the Big Ten).

It was called the west before the colonial expansion further west. Then it became the midwest.

Its classic Americana. Being in the middle of the country it became synonymous with average America. Nowadays its a poor shadow of what it used to be though.

Much of it is the rust belt. Former industrial areas that were destroyed when businesses shut down and moved to the third world. Its like the third world now. Think of the dead industrial towns in the UK

North of Tennessee and Oklahoma from Ohio in the east to Nebraska in the west I would say

Google AI answer:
The Midwestern United States is a central region of the country, often called the "Heartland," comprising 12 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

I think the term "midwest" comes from the fact that the continent was colonized from the east. To the west of the new settlements lay wilderness. As the settlements expanded, what used to be the wild west was now not so wild, but still west of what was considered "civilization". Now the far west (Rocky Mountains and beyond) became the true west. And so the middle areas were thought of as "midwest" rather than "middle". And the whites came in from the south as well. And I think that is why there is a distinct area referred to as the "South", but the northern states are more usually lumped with the Midwest. There is a "North" but it is not as distinct as the "South". And that probably has to do with the Civil War as well. There is also the concept of the "mid-South", for example Memphis.

I refuse to call Ohio Midwest.

Fascinating, you guys can give so much more info, or a different perspective than Google ever can. @ JamesSD, what is your beef with Ohio?

Let's look at the borders.

Pittsburgh is probably the northeast. It feels more like a northeastern city than a midwestern city.

Louisville is probably the south. Southern culture but the city's bones look like a Midwest city. Cincinatti some may argue has a southern feel but I would say it's still the Midwest.

The northern border is Canada, that one's easy

There's also maybe a couple different midwests you got Great Lakes Midwest and the great plaines Midwest.

Where does the west begin. Hell I don't know. Probably after KC, Omaha, Sioux Falls right down that line but some say Denver is still the Midwest so fuck if I know.

With the exception of the Deep South, the midwest is generally regarded as the land between the western slopes of the Appalachians and the eastern foothills of the Rockies - i.e. the Middle West.

You could make the case St Louis as it the "gateway to the west" with the arch and all that. It was our western most outpost for a long time. Lewis and Clark started their adventures from there. There's also a saying Kansas City is the eastern most western city and St. Louis is the westernmost eastern city. I could definitely see why they say that.

Also whats today the West wasnt wild or uncivilized. It eas mostly Mexico. And the Louisiana purchase....land Napoleon acquired when he conquered Spain and sold to finance his wars.

Prior ro that. The midwest was the West

Side note, probably the worst accent in America. People from Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago all sound the same to me.

I think the map Icee posted is perfect when it comes to states being in the right “area.”

The first map Icey posted probably explains it best. That said, the western part of Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas, which are more ranchland than farmland, can be lumped in with the West. The mountainous part of Missouri is more like the South. OTOH, some people like to claim that Pittsburgh and Buffalo are more like the Midwest than Northeast. Also, my one coworker, who lived in Louisville for a year, says Louisville is more Midwestern than Southern.

I am going to agree with Muddy and amend my earlier statement. The Midwest generally boundaries to the west on the Mississippi River. Beyond that, excepting the South, are the Great Plains.

It stems from people on the US Eastern Seaboard, like people in Britain, naming regions relative to themselves. At least there's no confusion between calling it the Midwest and the Near West.

without Googling anything or talking to people I would consider the Midwest just to be anything along the Mississippi River over to the Rockies.

@Jascoi so Indiana and Ohio aren't in the Midwest? What region are they in? Are they considered the Middle East in Arizona?

Over here we have the same sort of issues and debate. In England we have the South, South East. South West, East Anglia, The Midlands, The West Midlands, The East Midlands, The North, The North East (God’s favourite area) and the North West. Some people are very sensitive about it and there’s no clarity defined borders

The North is the Beatles part, and the South is the Stones part. Not that complicated.