Midland is located in the Great Lakes Bay region of the state near Saginaw and Bay City, and is widely known as the global headquarters for two Fortune 500 companies -- The Dow Chemical Company and Dow Corning Corporation. In addition to Dow, Midland also is considered a hub for a number of entrepreneurial ventures, industrial innovation, and solar energy companies. In 2009, the community won an award from the University of Michigan-Dearborn College of Business as one of the "top performers in attracting and retaining entrepreneurial firms" in the state. Midland also is home to Northwood University, and is located near other higher education institutions like Delta College, Saginaw Valley State University, Central Michigan University, and Davenport University.

The influence of Herbert Henry Dow -- the founder of The Dow Chemical Company -- and his son, Alden B. Dow -- a world-reknowned architect -- are visible in the arts, cultural, and architectural destination points throughout the community. Alden B. Dow, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed a number of distinctive, Wright-influenced buildings throughout Midland. His own home, the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio, is listed as a National Historic Landmark, and sits adjacent to Dow Gardens, a 110-acre, Japanese-inspired garden and arboretum that was created by Herbert Henry Dow and his son. Alden's architectural work also resulted in the design of the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library and the Midland Center for the Arts, which draws a number of nationally and internationally reknowned musicians, theater productions, ballets, and other arts and cultural productions every year. Midland also is home to the Chippewa Nature Center, a 1,200-acre nature area with more than 15 miles of hiking trails. The community also other outdoor attractions, including a 520-acre nature park called the City Forest, a three-way footbridge over the Chippewa and Tittabawassee rivers called the Tridge, and the Dow Diamond, a minor league baseball stadium and home of the Great Lakes Loons.
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Midland is also home to one of the region's top newspapers, the Midland Daily News. The paper, unlike many in the struggling industry, has maintained its daily press and continues to be a forward-thinking member of the media and a great source of all things local.
For trivia buffs, notable Midlanders include: cartoonist Cathy Guisewite; Robert Jarvik, inventor of the Jarvik-7 artificial heart; Cardinal Archbishop James Aloysius Hickey of Washington, D.C.; and Scott Winchester, former pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds.