Traverse City metropolitan area

Traverse City MSA
Northwestern Michigan, Grand Traverse Area
Traverse City metropolitan statistical area
Traverse City MSA
Country United States
State Michigan
Counties
Area
4,564 sq mi (11,820 km2)
 • Land1,691 sq mi (4,380 km2)
 • Water2,873 sq mi (7,440 km2)
 • Urban
56.6 sq mi (146.6 km2)
Population
 (2020)
153,448 (MI: 10th)
 • Estimate 
(2024)
156,634
 • Density33.6/sq mi (13.0/km2)
 • Urban
59,493
 • Urban density1,051/sq mi (405.8/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code231

The Traverse City Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a metropolitan area in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, encompassing the counties of Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau, and anchored by the city of Traverse City. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the MSA had a population of 153,448, making it Michigan's tenth-largest metropolitan area. Between 2010 and 2020, the metropolitan area was also the fastest growing in Michigan. The region is colloquially referred to as "Northwestern Michigan", the "Grand Traverse Area", and less commonly, the "Traverse Bay Area".