About

The Region 2 Planning Commission (R2PC) is one of fourteen Regional Planning Associations (RPAs) in the state formed under Michigan’s Public Act 281 of 1945, Regional Planning, which recognizes that planning services can most economically be provided among local units of government on a cooperative and voluntary basis.  Each region provides a different range of services because of this mandate although there are some common services that many of the regions provide. In response to those differences and commonalities, the Michigan Association of Regions (MAR) was created as a forum for regions to receive needed information on common programs, to learn from each other, and to promote the benefits of regionalism in Michigan. Please visit the MAR website to learn more about the RPAs in Michigan.

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Region-wide, about two-thirds of the 90 eligible local governments, including two of the three counties, are active R2PC members in 2024.  The membership breakdown can be found below. See the map for which communities are R2PC members in 2024.

Region-wide Membership: 60 of 90 (67%)

Hillsdale County Membership: 9 of 28 (32%)

Jackson County Membership: 26 of 28* (93%)

Lenawee County Membership: 26 of 35* (74%)

*Village of Cement City is included for both Jackson and Lenawee County totals

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The region is located  in the south-central portion of the Lower Peninsula, just north of where Indiana, Michigan and Ohio meet. The region comprises 2,092 square miles of land, including areas of rich farmland and forests, lakes and rivers, and 36 distinct incorporated (e.g., cities and villages) and unincorporated (e.g., census designated places) settlements with a variety of neighborhoods and other distinct areas.  The region also contains the Irish Hills Area and the flatlands of eastern Lenawee County.

The region contained 305,535 residents in the year 2020.  Jackson County has the greatest population (160,366), followed by Lenawee County (99,423) and Hillsdale County (45,746). In the year 2020, population counts were also taken of the urban areas (UAs) in the region. These areas include the Jackson UA (84,307), Adrian UA (29,206), Tecumseh UA (13,684), and the Hillsdale-Jonesville UA (10,642).

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The R2PC is comprised of interested local units of governments (including counties) in the counties of Hillsdale, Jackson, and Lenawee who get together to discuss issues of regional interest and to avail themselves of the professional expertise of its staff on land use and other related issues.

9th Floor of the Jackson County Tower Building
Downtown Jackson
120 W. Michigan Avenue
Jackson, MI 49201

Yes.  The State of Michigan designates the counties of Hillsdale, Jackson, and Lenawee as Region 2.  Different organizations also operate in the three-county area and their clients may also refer to them as “Region 2”.  For example the Community Action Agency, which aids the disadvantaged, is often confused with the R2PC.