Ishpeming, Michigan

Ishpeming /ˈɪʃpᵊmɪŋ/ is a city in Marquette County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,470 at the 2010 census. This is down from a higher population in the 1950s and 1960s when the economically supportive iron ore mines employed more workers. A statue of a Native American figure, erected in 1884 in the small town square, is referred to as "Old Ish".

Ishpeming Township is located to the northwest of the city but is administratively autonomous. Ishpeming is considered the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States and is the home to the National Ski Hall of Fame. The city was also prominently featured in the 2010 documentary Catfish.

The name Ishpeming comes from the Ojibwe word ishpiming, meaning "above", "in the air" or "on high".

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.35 square miles (24.22 km²), of which 8.74 square miles (22.64 km²) is land and 0.61 square miles (1.58 km²) is water. Ishpeming's elevation is 1,436 feet (438 m) above mean sea level, which is over 800 feet (240 m) higher than that of nearby Lake Superior. The highlands of Ishpeming and the surrounding area, including the city of Negaunee to its east, receive an unusually high yearly average of lake effect snow.