UP
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Upper Peninsula of Michigan |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Geography & Places, Transportation & Travel, Writing & Everyday |
UP has three meanings. The most common are Upper Peninsula of Michigan (region) and Union Pacific Railroad (rail and transit); it can also stand for University Press.
Meanings of UP at a glance
| # | UP stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upper Peninsula of Michigan | Geography & Places › Region |
| 2 | Union Pacific Railroad | Transportation & Travel › Rail and Transit |
| 3 | University Press | Writing & Everyday › Citation and Bibliography |
1. Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Geography & Places · Region Abbreviations
Northern part of Michigan between Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron, connected to the Lower Peninsula by the Mackinac Bridge. About 300,000 people live there, and residents call themselves Yoopers, from U.P.
Example: Snowfall totals in the UP topped 200 inches this winter.
Also written U.P. The region is known for pasties brought by Cornish miners, iron and copper mining history, and long winters. Some residents have periodically proposed forming a separate state, Superior.
2. Union Pacific Railroad
Transportation & Travel · Rail and Transit Abbreviations
One of the largest US freight railroads, covering 23 western states and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Its tracks include part of the first transcontinental railroad, completed at Promontory Summit, Utah, in 1869.
Example: Union Pacific (UP) restored its Big Boy steam locomotive for public excursions in 2019.
Union Pacific is the only Class I railroad to maintain a heritage steam program, including Big Boy No. 4014, one of the largest steam locomotives ever built. In 2025 Union Pacific agreed to acquire Norfolk Southern, a deal requiring approval by the Surface Transportation Board. Its reporting mark is UP.
3. University Press
Writing & Everyday · Citation and Bibliography Abbreviations
Abbreviates "University Press" in publisher names in MLA-style citations, as in "Oxford UP" or "Harvard UP." It saves space in works-cited lists while keeping the publisher identifiable.
Example: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli, Cambridge UP, 1991.
MLA abbreviates University Press as UP and drops business words such as "Inc." and "Co.," producing forms like "U of Chicago P." Chicago and APA write university press names in full. In other settings UP stands for Uttar Pradesh or United Press, unrelated meanings.
Related abbreviations
More region abbreviations
- SSA – Sub-Saharan Africa
- SWFL – Southwest Florida
- Tri-State – Tri-State Area
- UK&I – United Kingdom and Ireland
- UT – Union Territory
- WNC – Western North Carolina
- WNY – Western New York
- ZCTA – ZIP Code Tabulation Area
See all 60 region abbreviations →
More rail and transit abbreviations
- TOD – Transit-oriented development
- TOFC – Trailer on flatcar
- TTC – Toronto Transit Commission
- U-Bahn – Untergrundbahn (underground railway)
- VTA – Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
- WL – Waiting list
- WMATA – Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
- ÖBB – Österreichische Bundesbahnen (Austrian Federal Railways)