The Midwest region, often called the American “Heartland,” encompasses 12 states stretching from Ohio to the Dakotas. It is defined by natural resources that underpin the national economy. This geography, situated between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, has created a unique landscape of flat plains, deep rivers, and vast freshwater systems. The region’s resource base—from its fertile soil to its mineral deposits—has historically fueled both the country’s agricultural output and its heavy manufacturing industries. These assets make the Midwest an important economic engine, providing the raw materials that drive domestic production and international trade.
The Foundation: Fertile Soil and Agricultural Land
The defining resource of the Midwest is the deep, dark, and highly fertile topsoil that blankets the interior plains. The richness of this soil is a direct result of Pleistocene glaciation, a process that scoured the landscape and deposited a thick layer of sediment called glacial till. As the ice sheets retreated, meltwater carried fine, silt-sized particles, which were later picked up by wind and deposited as loess, sometimes several meters thick.
The resulting soil is classified largely as Mollisols, characterized by a dark surface layer rich in organic matter from decomposed prairie grasses. These base-rich soils form the core of the nation’s “Corn Belt,” with Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota consistently ranking among the top producing states. More than 85% of the United States’ corn and soybean production is concentrated in this north-central region, accounting for approximately 27% of global corn and 32% of global soybean production.
Vast Freshwater Systems
The Midwest is home to the largest system of fresh surface water in the world. The Great Lakes—Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie—contain approximately 21% of the world’s surface freshwater, supplying drinking water for more than 30 million people. These bodies of water also function as a maritime highway, facilitating the transport of bulk commodities like iron ore and coal to industrial centers on the lower lakes.
South of the Great Lakes, the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers form a comprehensive inland waterway system. Commercial barges move approximately 175 million tons of freight annually on the Upper Mississippi alone through a system of 29 locks and dams. This system is instrumental in shipping grain exports and other raw materials to the Gulf Coast. Beyond surface water, regional aquifers, such as the Cambrian-Ordovician system, are a substantial source of groundwater, providing hundreds of millions of gallons per day for public supply to major metropolitan areas like Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Subsurface Minerals and Geological Assets
The region’s geology holds assets, with iron ore being historically important for the steel industry. Primary production now centers on taconite, a lower-grade iron-bearing rock found in the Mesabi Range in Minnesota and the Marquette Iron Range in Michigan. This rock, which contains 30% to 35% iron, is processed into pellets containing around 65% iron before being shipped to steel mills.
The Illinois Basin, which underlies Illinois, southwestern Indiana, and western Kentucky, contains some of the largest known bituminous coal reserves in the country. This thermal coal has historically been a significant source of power generation, though its production has declined due to environmental shifts. Beneath the surface are deposits of aggregates, including limestone, sand, and gravel. These are processed into crushed stone used for infrastructure projects like road base, concrete, and asphalt.
Harnessing Renewable Energy Potential
The western Midwest offers some of the best wind resources in the United States, positioning the region as a leader in renewable energy generation. The Great Plains states, including Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota, have leveraged this geography to achieve some of the highest wind power penetration rates nationally. Iowa, for example, generates over 57% of its electricity from wind, and the region as a whole boasts high average capacity factors. This resource continues to grow, attracting investment in new generating capacity and transmission infrastructure.
The region’s agricultural output serves as the feedstock for the biofuels industry. Ethanol, primarily derived from corn, uses approximately 43% of the total annual U.S. corn crop, with Midwestern states like Iowa, Nebraska, and Illinois driving fuel ethanol production. Similarly, biodiesel production relies heavily on soybean oil, accounting for a significant share of total U.S. soybean oil usage.