Traverse City, MI Metro Area
The Traverse City, MI metro area is made up of 4 counties in Michigan: Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Kalkaska, and Benzie, largest first. About 156,972 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 2.3% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 156,972 2.3% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 4: 1 central, 3 outlying
- Land area
- 1,691 sq mi (4,380 km²)
- Time zone
- Eastern TimeUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July
- State
- Michigan
- CBSA code
- 45900
Counties in the Traverse City, MI metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Traverse County | Central | 96,729 | 61.6% |
| Leelanau County | Outlying | 22,982 | 14.6% |
| Kalkaska County | Outlying | 18,693 | 11.9% |
| Benzie County | Outlying | 18,568 | 11.8% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central county, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Traverse City15,593 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Cadillac, MI Micro Area36 mi south
- Escanaba, MI Micro Area99 mi northwest
- Green Bay, WI Metro Area118 mi west
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.