when they indicate direction; North, South, West, etc. when they indicate geographical regions. Phrases such as the Mid Atlantic, Silicon Valley, Dixie, Sun Belt, and Midwest are capitalized.

Is Midwestern capitalized?

Midwest is a proper noun in that context, so it must be capitalized. Unlike northeast, it is not a standard direction; it is referring to a specific region of the U.S. Northeast is both a direction and a region. When it is a direction, it is not capitalized unless it is used as part of a proper name.

Is Upper Midwest capitalized?

Is Seattle part of the Upper Midwest? Such words may also be capitalized when they refer to ideological or cultural regions or ideas. ... However, these words are not capitalized when they deal solely with direction.