Michigan Avenue is one of the major pre-interstate roads of the state of Michigan. Running through the state east to west, it follows the former course old US 12 which itself followed the earlier military territorial highway, the Chicago Road. Today it runs roughly from downtown Detroit to Battle Creek. It was replaced by I-94 in 1962 as a principal artery, and the state of Michigan re-routed the US 12 designation to the former route of US 112. The street ends (or rather, loses its Michigan Avenue designation) at the Kalamazoo/Calhoun county line.
In Detroit, Michigan Avenue is one of five major avenues (along with Woodward, Grand River, Gratiot and Jefferson) planned by judge Augustus Woodward in 1805 that extend from downtown Detroit in differing directions. Like the other major avenues, the road extends well beyond the city of Detroit, and historically served as a principal axis of expansion for development beyond Detroit and as the main street of many small towns along its route. The road was a principal settlement and trade route to the west, connecting the water route through the Great Lakes from the east to Chicago and the west without the long passage by water around the unsettled North of Michigan. In most communities, the road is still there and is named either Michigan Avenue or Old US 12. A major break in old US 12 is in the middle of Michigan half way between the village of Parma and the city of Albion. It is at this point that I-94 cuts south to some degree and bisects the old highway, forcing a motorist to navigate north on smaller roads.
Cities served
Near Walter J. Hayes State Park, the Michigan Avenue name is dropped and the road is known as simply US 12 (west of the junction with US 127 the road is also known as Chicage Road). At the Jackson County border with Washtenaw County, the route of Old US 12 is named Michigan Avenue and passes through the places below:
In Battle Creek, Michigan Avenue designation continues north away from the route of old US 12 on M-89 until the western border of Calhoun County. The name Michigan Avenue continues on the route of old US 12 in Kalamazoo County into the city of Kalamazoo.
Landmarks
Tiger Stadium, the home of the Detroit Tigers from 1895-1999, was colloquially named "The Corner", referring to its location on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Trumbull Street in Detroit.
