Sault Ste. Marie: One Name, Two Cities, Two Countries
Twin Cities Across the Border
Sault Ste. Marie exists in both Canada and the United States**—twin cities separated by the St. Marys River, connected by the International Bridge.
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (Canada)
- Population: ~73,000 (2021)
- Algoma District seat
- Steel (Algoma Steel), renewable energy, healthcare, education (Algoma University)
- Historic: Sault Ste. Marie Canal (Canadian side of locks)
- Tourism: Agawa Canyon Train, Lake Superior Provincial Park
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (USA)
- Population: ~13,000 (2020)
- Chippewa County seat
- Soo Locks (US side) — world's busiest lock system by tonnage
- Lake Superior State University
- Tourism: Tower of History, Museum Ship Valley Camp, International Bridge Walk
Shared Identity
- Name: "Sault" = rapids/jumps (French); "Ste. Marie" = Saint Mary
- Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) territory: Bawating ("place of rapids")
- Oldest European settlement in Midwest (1668 Jesuit mission)
- International Bridge (1962): 4.4 km, 2.7M vehicles/year
- Joint events: Soo Locks Engineers Day, Bridge Walk, fishing tournaments
Key Difference
Canadian side: larger, more diversified economy. US side: lock-centric, smaller, more tourism-dependent. But functionally one community—residents cross daily for work, shopping, healthcare, hockey.
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