High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern Michigan University. The city of Marquette averages about 148.9 inches (378 cm) of snow per year, making it the third snowiest city in the contiguous United States as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In 2012, Marquette was listed among the 10 best places to retire in the U.S. by CBS Money Watch.