Lake Michigan — United States

Chicago - Michigan

63.3 km
Distance
Chicago ↔ Michigan
Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · Copernicus Sentinel data
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Crossings
5
Swimmers
23
Countries
2
Women
0%
Median time
25:38
Busiest month
August

Crossings per year

Each bar is a year, split between skin and wetsuit.

1219701980199020002010
SkinWetsuit and other assisted swimwear
Show the data as a table
YearCrossingsSkinWetsuit and other assisted swimwearBestMedian time
2013202——
2012000——
2011000——
2010000——
200910125:3825:38
2008000——
2007000——
2006000——
2005000——
2004000——
2003000——
2002000——
2001000——
2000000——
1999000——
1998000——
1997000——
1996000——
1995000——
1994000——
1993000——
1992000——
1991000——
1990000——
1989000——
1988000——
1987000——
1986000——
1985000——
1984000——
1983000——
1982000——
1981000——
1980000——
1979000——
1978000——
1977000——
1976000——
1975000——
1974000——
1973000——
1972000——
197111024:3024:30
1970000——
1969000——
1968000——
1967000——
1966000——
1965000——
1964000——
1963000——
1962000——
196111036:3736:37

When people swim it

The month with most crossings is August.

123JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Show the data as a table
MonthCrossings%
January00%
February00%
March00%
April00%
May00%
June00%
July00%
August3100%
September00%
October00%
November00%
December00%

Women and men

0%Women
  • Women0 · 0%
  • Men2 · 40%
  • Relays or not stated3 · 60%

Equipment and format

5Crossings
  • Skin · Solo2 · 40%
  • Wetsuit and other assisted swimwear · Relay2 · 40%
  • Wetsuit and other assisted swimwear · Solo1 · 20%

Starting side

5Crossings
  • From Chicago4 · 80%
  • From Michigan1 · 20%

Where swimmers come from

2Countries
  • 🇺🇸 United States2 · 67%
  • 🇨🇦 Canada1 · 33%

Age at the crossing

Solo crossings only, where the source gives the age.

0.51<2020–2930–3940–4950–5960–6970+

Youngest: Paula Stephanson🇨🇦, 30 · Oldest: Paula Stephanson🇨🇦, 30

Time distribution

Solo crossings, in half-hour bands. Mean 28:55, median 25:38.

0.5124:3025:3026:3027:3028:3029:3030:3031:3032:3033:3034:3035:3036:30

Times year by year

Median and best time of each year's solo crossings; higher is faster.

24:56:1030:33:3036:10:501970198019902000
Median timeBest

The record over time

Each step is a crossing that beat the best time up to that day, in its category.

24:56:1030:33:3036:10:5019621964196619681970
Skin · Solo
DateSwimmerTimeTaken off the record
1971Jon Erikson🇺🇸24:30−12:07
1961Ted Erikson🇺🇸36:37—
Wetsuit and other assisted swimwear · Relay
DateSwimmerTimeTaken off the record
Aug 20, 2013Swim Across Lake Michigan Team23:01—
Wetsuit and other assisted swimwear · Solo
DateSwimmerTimeTaken off the record
Aug 23, 2009Paula Stephanson🇨🇦25:38—

Countries

  • 🇺🇸 United States2
  • 🇨🇦 Canada1
Show the data as a table
CountryCrossingsWomenBestFirst from the country
🇺🇸 United States2024:30Ted Erikson🇺🇸 · 1961
🇨🇦 Canada1025:38Paula Stephanson🇨🇦 · Aug 23, 2009

Where swimmers land

  • Michigan2
  • Michigan City, Indiana2
  • Chicago, Illinois1

Distance is the shortest straight line between the start and finish coastal stretches, not the GPS track length: currents cause swimmers to cover much more distance.