Several interstates converge in downtown Detroit. I-75/the Chrysler (N. of Downtown)/the Fisher (S. of Downtown) Freeway North/South runs from Toledo through downtown Detroit to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-94/the Ford Freeway runs East/West from Chicago to Detroit and continues up to Sarnia. I-96 East/West heads from Detroit to Lansing, Michigan. I-696/the Reuther Freeway runs along about 3 miles north of city limit (8 Mile), connecting the eastern suburbs (e.g. St. Clair Shores) to Southfield. I-275 connects with the suburb of Livonia. Highways, the Lodge Freeway, M-14, M-23, and the Southfield Freeway are major freeways which interconnect with the Interstates in the Detroit metro area to ease navigation. The Southfield Freeway, connects Dearborn to Southfield. The Lodge Freeway, connects Southfield to downtown. Highway M-14 connects Ann Arbor to Detroit via the Jeffries Expressway. Bypassing Ann Arbor, highway M-23 connects I-94 to I-96.
The metro area's major Interstates and freeways were overhauled in preparation the 2006 National Football League Super Bowl XL in Detroit and are in good condition.
As with any major city, traffic during rush hour can make travel really slow. This is especially aggravated during shift changes at the local automotive plants. But due to economic hardships for the region, rush hour traffic lasts less than an hour, and some freeways are clear all day. The Mixing Bowl (see Get around, By Car), 75/696 Interchange the 94/Ford Freeway through Detroit, and the Southfield Freeway can be slow in late afternoons. However some freeways can be congested.
The following freeways have chronic congestion in the morning and evening rush:
Northbound I-75: Between 8 Mile and 12 Mile
Southbound I-75: Between Rochester Curve and I-696
Westbound I-696: Dequindre Curve to Woodward; Coolidge Highway out the Mixing Bowl; Drake Rd. to I-96.
Eastbound I-696: Mixing Bowl to Woodward Ave.; Groesbeck Highway to I-94
Westbound I-96: Off of I-696 to Wixom Rd. (due in part to the growing urban sprawl in the area)
Eastbound I-94: Warren Ave. to Mt. Elliott St.
Westbound I-94: 12 Mile to I-696; Connor to Jeffries Freeway
For smaller streets, the Detroit area is laid out in wheel-and-spoke, grid, and strip-farm configuration. This was due to first French development (strip farms along the river), early city layout (wheel and spoke from the river's edge), followed by the modern North/South grid. Mile roads run east-west, starting at downtown Detroit and increasing as you travel north. These mile roads may change name in different cities, so pay attention. There are also several spoke roads, including Woodward Ave, Michigan Ave, Gratiot Ave, and Grand River Ave. Only in the old downtown business district is the original Washington D.C./L'enfant style wheel and spoke layout found (it is quite confusing, with several one-way streets added for fun). In areas along the River and Lake St. Clair, the colonial-era French practice of allocating strips of land with water access is seen as main roads parallel the water, and secondary roads perpendicular to it. This is very confusing to non-residents.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Detroit
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Detroit - updated May 2024
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Detroit Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
