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128-457: The counties that constitute the Thumb form the peninsula that stretches northward into Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay . There is no formal list of which counties are part of the Thumb, but virtually all definitions include Huron , Tuscola , and Sanilac counties, and most include Lapeer and St. Clair counties. The population of the Thumb region as of the 2020 census was 370,617. The Thumb region

256-477: A 2013 underwater discovery along the ridge. On the eve of European contact, the extent of development among Eastern Woodlands Native American societies is indicated by the archaeological evidence of a town on or near Lake Huron that contained more than one hundred large structures housing a total population of between 4,000 and 6,000. The French, the first European visitors to the region, often referred to Lake Huron as La Mer Douce, "the fresh-water sea". In 1656,

384-664: A dominant influence until after the War of 1812, when the northern border was firmly defined and this area came under US control. The US organized the Northwest Territory, and American settlement of Michigan and the Thumb was well underway by the mid-19th century. Construction of the Erie Canal through Central New York created stronger connections with the port of New York and eastern markets. Settlers migrated west from New York and New England into Ohio and Michigan, seeking new territory. As

512-641: A few interchanges have been rebuilt, a second span was constructed for the Blue Water Bridge, and, in 1987, a plane crashed on the freeway during takeoff from the airport in Detroit. The routing of I-94 is notable for containing the first full freeway-to-freeway interchange in the United States , connecting to the Lodge Freeway ( M-10 ), and for comprising the first complete border-to-border toll-free freeway in

640-586: A few large-scale farms located in the county, the numbers are not found to the same extent, and these days, most farming in Lapeer now takes place on smaller, independent farms, which usually supply the local markets only. Lastly, in addition to its economic and agricultural differences, Lapeer County's geography is very different from the other counties of the Thumb. Its topography is generally gently rolling to quite hilly, and unlike its neighbors, which are flatter, and border on Lake Huron or Lake St. Clair , Lapeer County

768-1003: A fierce storm after leaving, Le Griffon ran aground before the storm. The people of Manitoulin Island say that the wreck in Mississagi Strait at the western tip of the island is that of Le Griffon . Meanwhile, others near Tobermory , say that the wreck on Russell Island , 150 miles (240 km) farther east in Georgian Bay, is that of Le Griffon . On November 9, 1913, the Great Lakes Storm of 1913 in Lake Huron sank 10 ships, and more than 20 were driven ashore. The storm, which raged for 16 hours, killed 235 seamen. Matoa—a propeller freighter measuring 2,311 gross register tons —had passed between Port Huron, Michigan, and Sarnia, Ontario, just after midnight. On November 9, just after six in

896-479: A jog around Parma . West of the county airport , the Jackson business loop follows M-60 southward, and I-94 travels through the north side of Jackson . North of downtown, US 127 merges in from the north and runs concurrently with I-94 around the city. Southeast of Michigan State Prison , US 127 departs to the south, and I-94 continues eastward through the rest of the county. The freeway runs north of

1024-524: A map by French cartographer Nicolas Sanson refers to the lake by the name Karegnondi , a Wyandot word that has been translated variously, as "Freshwater Sea", "Lake of the Hurons", or simply "lake". Generally, the lake was labeled "Lac des Hurons" (Lake of the Huron) on most early European maps. By the 1860s, many European settlements on the shores of Lake Huron were becoming incorporated , including Sarnia,

1152-516: A northerly bypass of Jackson opened, and the former route through downtown on Michigan Avenue became another Bus. US 12. By the next year, the western half of the Jackson bypass opened, including a bypass of Parma . In 1954, a new bypass of Kalamazoo and Galesburg opened; US 12 was rerouted to follow the new highway while M-96 replaced part of the old route and US 12A in the area. The first planning maps from 1947 for what later became

1280-435: A profound food web change that took place in 2003. Lake trout have also been stocked for decades in an attempt to rehabilitate the species and today are largely self sustaining, especially in the northern half of the lake. Lake Huron has suffered recently by the introduction of a variety of new invasive species, including zebra and quagga mussels , the spiny water flea , and round gobies . The demersal fish community of

1408-485: A reference to the rounded stones, or flint pebbles, found in the rivers and streams throughout the area. Another theory is that it may be an English variation of Le Pays Plat , meaning "the flat land", which is one of the original names given to the area by the French, and can be found on many early fur trader maps of the area. The idea is that "Le Pays" may have evolved into the current pronunciation, "Lapeer". Lapeer County

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1536-600: A result of the almost complete disappearance of the invasive Alewife in the lake). These native species include Lake Trout and Walleye . The Walleye population in Saginaw Bay area of Lake Huron reached recovery targets in 2009. Michigan Ontario Interstate 94 in Michigan Interstate ;94 ( I-94 ) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Billings, Montana , to

1664-515: A result of this history, the land was settled primarily by people of ethnic English and Scots-Irish descent; many arrived from Canada . Other settlers of the same ancestry migrated from eastern states such as New York , and Pennsylvania , as well as from New England. Immigration from the British Isles took place through the century, and later 19th and 20th century residents included Polish and German immigrants who migrated from Europe through

1792-494: A segment between Galesburg to Battle Creek. The overall 45-mile (72 km) section from Paw Paw to Battle Creek was dedicated on December 7, 1959. In addition, a new northwest–southeast section of freeway was built east of Ypsilanti to create a more gradual curve in the routing between present-day exits 185 and 186, the original routing of the Willow Run Expressway having followed present-day Wiard Road. Signage for

1920-526: A single number for a more direct routing of a Detroit–Chicago freeway; the state proposed rerouting I-94 to replace I-92 in the state, but retained the I-77 designation. On June 27, 1958, AASHO adopted their original numbering plan for Michigan, minus the state's proposed changes. Around the same time, a section of M-146 near Port Huron was converted into an approach freeway for the Blue Water Bridge. In January 1959, officials announced that sections of US 12,

2048-584: A state in the United States. The highway has one auxiliary route, I-194 , which serves downtown Battle Creek, and eight business routes . Various segments have been dedicated to multiple people and places. The entire length of I-94 is listed on the National Highway System , a network of roadways important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility. The freeway carried 168,200 vehicles on average between I-75 and Chene Street in Detroit , which

2176-459: A western bypass of Detroit which was under construction at the time. The Willow Run segment was also resurfaced at this point, as the old road bed did not contain steel mesh. Construction of this interchange also obliterated a partial interchange with Huron River Drive. The final section of I-94 in Michigan opened to traffic on November 2, 1972, when the connection across the state line into Indiana

2304-885: A western entrance to the city. Further east, the Interstate intersects M-39 (Southfield Freeway) and passes the Uniroyal Giant Tire in Allen Park . I-94 then turns to the northeast through the Ford River Rouge complex in Dearborn before turning back easterly on the Edsel Ford Freeway into Detroit. I-94 traverses Detroit in an east–west direction well inland of, and parallel to, the Detroit River . The freeway intersects I-96 (Jeffries Freeway) and M-10 (Lodge Freeway) on

2432-441: Is 1.00 foot (30 cm) below datum ( 577.5 ft or 176.0 m ). In the winter of 1964, Lakes Michigan and Huron reached their lowest level at 1.38 feet (42 cm) below datum. As with the high-water records, monthly low-water records were set each month from February 1964 through January 1965. During this twelve-month period, water levels ranged from 1.38 to 0.71 feet (42–22 cm) below Chart Datum. The all-time low-water mark

2560-564: Is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Many visitors choose to begin the circle tour in Port Huron, from which they can circle Lake Huron. M-25 winds around the Thumb and along Saginaw Bay to Saginaw and Bay City. Lexington and Port Austin feature beaches and boardwalks that are favorites with visitors. In order from east to west: Huron County

2688-509: Is a strategic commercial gateway between the Midwestern United States and Ontario, Canada , with multi-modal transportation infrastructure that offers a wide range of distribution options. The I-69 International Trade Corridor Next Michigan Development Corporation (NMDC) offers economic incentives to growing businesses, both existing and new, that utilize two or more forms of transportation to move their products and are located within

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2816-466: Is in many ways different from the other counties of the Thumb. First, it is heavily influenced by its proximity to Flint and Detroit , so as a result, its economy depends more heavily on manufacturing than the other counties of the region. Second, although agriculture is still a key economic factor in Lapeer County, it is not as important to the economy as in the other counties. Although there are still

2944-614: Is in the Thumb, both are relatively close by. Area code 989 covers about half of the Thumb: Huron, Tuscola, and far northern Sanilac County (and the Marlette area). The Thumb's other half is covered by area code 810 , which takes in most of Sanilac, Lapeer, Genesee and Saint Clair counties. All of Macomb County is served by area code 586 , as is a small part of south-western Saint Clair County. Lake Huron Lake Huron ( / ˈ h jʊər ɒ n , - ən / HURE -on, -⁠ən )

3072-727: Is influenced by Detroit Radio Market , the Tri-Cities Radio Market and the Flint Market , with stations in Port Huron and Sarnia , Ontario , also serving the region. The Lapeer County , St. Clair County and Sanilac County area lies in the Detroit Television Market . The far northern and western areas lie inside the Flint/Tri-Cities Television Market . The only broadcast TV station licensed to

3200-610: Is landlocked. The county still has hundreds of acres of inland lakes such as Barnes Lake , Miller Lake , Lake Neppessing, the Holloway Reservoir, Big Fish Lake, and Lake Metamora, and several state recreation areas, including the Ortonville Recreation Area and the Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area , which still bring in many campers and tourists. Sanilac County has the largest area of land in both

3328-480: Is located at the tip of the Thumb. The county is surrounded on three sides by water – Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron , and has over 90 miles (140 km) of shoreline, from White Rock on Lake Huron to Sebewaing on Saginaw Bay, and more shoreline parks than any other county in the state. The county's economy relies on agriculture and ranks as one of the top agricultural counties in Michigan. Rich farmland inland produces beans, sugar beets and grain, including most of

3456-446: Is located in the southwest corner of the lake. The main inlet is the St. Marys River from Lake Superior , and the main outlet is through the St. Clair River toward Lake Erie . Lake Huron has a fairly large drainage basin covering parts of Michigan and Ontario. Water flows through Lake Huron faster than the other Great Lakes with a retention time of only 22 years. By surface area, Lake Huron

3584-480: Is one of the five Great Lakes of North America . It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan . The name of the lake is derived from early French explorers who named it for the indigenous people they knew as Huron (Wyandot) inhabiting the region. Hydrologically , Lake Huron comprises the eastern portion of Lake Michigan–Huron , having

3712-614: Is the peak traffic count in 2015, and it carried 12,554 vehicles immediately west of the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron , the lowest traffic count in 2015. As the state trunkline highway closest to the lake shore in these areas, I-94 carries the Lake Michigan Circle Tour south of Benton Harbor – St. Joseph and the Lake Huron Circle Tour in the Port Huron area. Sections through the Detroit area are named

3840-522: Is the second-largest of the Great Lakes, with a surface area of 23,007 square miles (59,590 km )—of which 9,103 square miles (23,580 km ) lies in Michigan and 13,904 square miles (36,010 km ) lies in Ontario—making it the third-largest fresh water lake on Earth (or the fourth-largest lake, if the Caspian Sea is counted as a lake). By volume however, Lake Huron is only the third largest of

3968-589: Is the world's largest lake island . A smaller bay that protrudes southwest from Lake Huron into Michigan is called Saginaw Bay . Cities with over 10,000 people on Lake Huron include Sarnia , the largest city on Lake Huron, and Saugeen Shores in Canada and Bay City , Port Huron , and Alpena in the United States. Major centres on Georgian Bay include Owen Sound , Wasaga Beach , Collingwood , Midland , Penetanguishene , Port Severn and Parry Sound . Historic high water The lake fluctuates from month to month with

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4096-521: Is very flat with fertile soil , the reason for its historical role as a chiefly agricultural area. Major agricultural products include sugar beets , navy beans , corn , fruits, and fish from Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron . Manufacturing—particularly concerning the automotive industry —is also prevalent in Michigan's Thumb due to the region's proximity to the automotive centers of Detroit and Flint . The Thumb has many notable businesses, many linked to agriculture. The I-69 International Trade Corridor

4224-463: The Black River north of downtown. On the eastern bank of the river, there is one final interchange for M-25 and BL I-69/ BL I-94 before the freeway reaches the toll and customs plazas for the twin-span Blue Water Bridge. Past these plazas, I-94/I-69 ascends the approach to the bridge which crosses the St. Clair River to Point Edward ( Sarnia ), Ontario. At the international boundary at the center of

4352-559: The Detroit area. Many of the customs, much of the regional lifestyle, and even the local accent, strongly reflect these origins. Some local radio stations have featured polka shows, and various ethnic festivals, such as the Polkafest, in Kinde , are representative of Eastern European cultures. In the early years, Europeans encountered and traded with people of the Fox and Sauk tribes, already living in

4480-460: The Detroit River and Detroit , Michigan; into Lake Erie and thence – via Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River – to the Atlantic Ocean. Like the other Great Lakes, it was formed by melting ice as the continental glaciers retreated toward the end of the last ice age . Before this, Lake Huron was a low-lying depression through which flowed the now-buried Laurentian and Huronian Rivers;

4608-576: The Grand Trunk Western Railroad , CSX Transportation , Canadian National Railway , and the Huron and Eastern Railway . Pere Marquette Railway was a railroad that had lines throughout the Thumb; its lines are now either abandoned or in use by CSX, or Huron and Eastern. Major railroad centers are Vassar , Bad Axe and Port Huron . Blue Water Area Transit serves the city of Port Huron and surrounding areas. The only international airport in

4736-573: The Interstate Highway System included a highway along I-94's route in Michigan. This highway was included on the 1955 plan for the "National System of Interstate and Defense Highways" with a proposed spur in the Battle Creek area. The modern I-94 was numbered I-92 between Benton Harbor–St. Joseph and Detroit with I-77 from Detroit to Port Huron in the August 1957 plans. In April 1958, the MSHD wanted to provide

4864-558: The Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan . In Michigan, it is a state trunkline highway that enters the state south of New Buffalo and runs eastward through several metropolitan areas in the southern section of the state. The highway serves Benton Harbor – St. Joseph near Lake Michigan before turning inland toward Kalamazoo and Battle Creek on the west side of the peninsula. Heading farther east, I-94 passes through rural areas in

4992-670: The Michigan Legislature . O'Hara was a World War II veteran who served in the US House of Representatives from 1959 until 1977. During his tenure in Congress, he procured federal funds for the construction of I-94 through his district. The first attempt to name the highway after him failed in 1991, but the honor was included in a budget bill passed in 1997. The section of I-94 was dedicated on October 16, 1998, after donors privately raised nearly $ 10,000 (equivalent to $ 17,000 in 2023 ) to pay for

5120-865: The Ottawa . The displacement of native peoples took place in many areas during the settling of North America. More comprehensive lists are available at individual cities, villages, etc. See local towns of interest at the bottom of the page for links. Local politicians in Washington and Lansing are listed below. District 9 – Northern Macomb, and all of St Clair, Lapeer, Sanilac, Huron, and Tuscola counties. District 8 – Saginaw/Bay City Area, and all of Genesee County. 32nd District – Northern Macomb and six townships in St Clair County. 81st District – Most of St Clair County, except Port Huron. 82nd District – All of Lapeer County. 83rd District – City of Port Huron,

5248-518: The Saginaw , Bay City , and Flint areas. The boundaries of what is included in the Thumb are often debated, but nearly all definitions include Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola counties, known as the tri-county region. Disputed areas include: The Blue Water Area is another term describing the Thumb of Michigan. The term usually applies to St. Clair County and surrounding areas. The title is also extended to include all of Michigan's Thumb. The name refers to

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5376-431: The St. Clair River . The Interstate travels along the western edge of residential areas for Marysville and Port Huron as it continues northward. Immediately west of downtown Port Huron, it intersects I-69; the two freeways merge and turn first east and then north through an interchange that also features connections to BL I-69 . I-94/I-69 turns back to the east about a mile (1.6 km) north of their confluence to span

5504-516: The St. Clair River . Tourism and farming drive the local economy. The Tip of The Thumb Heritage Water Trail is a nonprofit citizens organization working with the Huron County Parks to establish and maintain a water trail along Michigan's Lake Huron's shoreline. Many of the residents commute for work to Metro Detroit , Flint or the Tri-Cities . Incorporated cities with 2,000+ population in

5632-524: The St. Joseph River near Riverview Park. East of Benton Harbor, I-94 meets the other end of BL I-94 at an interchange where US 31 merges onto the freeway. East of the Southwest Michigan Regional Airport , I-94/US 31 meets the southern end of I-196 ; US 31 departs the I-94 freeway to follow I-196, and I-94 continues its course away from Lake Michigan. South of Coloma ,

5760-539: The Warren Dunes State Park as the freeway runs parallel to the Red Arrow Highway, a former routing of US 12 named after the 32nd Infantry Division (Red Arrow Division). The freeway crosses its companion highway south of St. Joseph; Red Arrow turns northward carrying the business loop for Benton Harbor and St. Joseph ( Business Loop I-94 , [BL I-94]). The Interstate curves further inland to bridge

5888-513: The business loop for Marshall follows I-69 southward. Continuing eastward, I-94 traverses rural land on the north side of Marshall. The freeway runs north of, and parallel to, the Kalamazoo River through eastern Calhoun County. It angles southeasterly toward Albion before returning to an easterly course on the north side of town. I-94 crosses into western Jackson County before intersecting M-99 . From there, it runs generally due east with

6016-479: The Alpena-Amberley Ridge was exposed. That land bridge was used as a migration route for large herds of caribou . Since 2008, archaeologists have discovered at least 60 stone constructions along the submerged ridge that are thought to have been used as hunting blinds by Paleo-Indians . That a trade network brought obsidian from Oregon almost ten thousand years ago to be used for toolmaking was confirmed by

6144-643: The Blue Water Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau. It is designed to attract visitors to the shoreline of eastern Michigan. Communities participating in Discover the Blue include Algonac in St. Clair County (at the southern end of the Thumb) and others to the north, such as Port Austin (at the tip of the Thumb). See also List of Michigan state parks and geography of Michigan . The Thumb has many waterways. Since

6272-560: The British won the French and Indian War, they took over this former French territory. Many of these new settlers were sent into the area by the British from Canada in an effort to establish their dominance over the Great Lakes. In 1783, control of the Thumb was officially transferred to the newly formed United States, after the American Revolution and by the Treaty of Paris . The British were

6400-679: The Chrysler Chelsea Proving Grounds in Chelsea next to the M-52 interchange. As I-94 continues easterly, it passes into the western edge of the Ann Arbor area. West of downtown, the M-14 freeway splits off to the northeast, and the Interstate turns to the south and southeast to curve around the south side of the city. The freeway passes between Briarwood Mall and Ann Arbor Municipal Airport . On

6528-475: The Detroit Industrial Expressway, continued the route of the Willow Run Expressway eastward into Detroit. Both highways were built to move workers from Detroit to the industrial plants at Willow Run during the war and were later incorporated into I-94 in the 1950s as part of a Detroit–Chicago highway. The section of I-94 northeast of Detroit was named after former Congressman James G. O'Hara by

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6656-674: The Detroit Industrial and Edsel Ford freeways. I-94 in the state is either a four- or six-lane freeway for most of its length; one segment in the Detroit area has up to 10 lanes total near the airport. I-94 enters Michigan from Indiana south of New Buffalo. The freeway runs northeasterly through rural Michiana farmland in the southwestern corner of the Lower Peninsula and parallels the Lake Michigan shoreline about three miles (4.8 km) inland. I-94 traverses an area just east of

6784-405: The Great Lakes, being surpassed by Lake Michigan and Lake Superior . When measured at the low water datum, the lake contains a volume of 850 cubic miles (3,500 km ) and a shoreline length (including islands) of 3,827 mi (6,159 km). The surface of Lake Huron is 577 feet (176 m) above sea level . The lake's average depth is 32 fathoms 3 feet (195 ft; 59 m), while

6912-459: The Interstate parallels the north shore of Belleville Lake . East of the water body, it intersects I-275 near the northwest corner of Detroit Metropolitan Airport and angles northeasterly through the southwestern Detroit suburbs along the Detroit Industrial Freeway. I-94 uses the Gateway Bridge over the single-point urban interchange (SPUI) at US 24 (Telegraph Road) in Taylor ; these bridges were inspired by Super Bowl XL and provide

7040-401: The Interstate runs through Mattawan before entering western Kalamazoo County . In Texas Township , the freeway enters the western edges of the Kalamazoo suburbs. South of the campus for Western Michigan University 's College of Engineering & Applied Sciences in Portage , I-94 intersects US 131 . Near the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport , the Interstate passes into

7168-412: The Lodge Freeway and the Edsel Ford Freeway was built in 1953 as the first full freeway-to-freeway interchange in the US. In mid-1956, the M-112 designation was decommissioned and replaced by a rerouted US 12. During the mid-1950s, the Detroit Streets and Rails campaign proposed a high-speed rail line in the median of the Willow Run, Detroit Industrial and Edsel Ford freeways; instead of building

7296-401: The Port Huron area started in late 2013 to rebuild and reconfigure the I-94/I-69 interchange outside the city. The project improved 3.7 miles (6.0 km) of freeway, replaced several bridges and ramps and cost $ 76 million (equivalent to $ 98 million in 2023 ). In June 2014, MDOT closed the ramps from I-69 eastbound to BL I-69 through the interchange until later in the year. The project

7424-475: The St. Clair River. Sugar beets were cultivated and annual festivals were held at harvest time. In addition, many farms had mixed agriculture. There are steep hills and small canyons near the Black River. Since the mid-20th century, manufacturing had dominated in and around Port Huron. Like Huron County, Tuscola is mostly dependent on agriculture. Industries such as sugar refining and ethanol processing, as well as growing various grains and beans, make up most of

7552-421: The Straits of Mackinac, La Salle made landfall on Washington Island , off the tip of the Door Peninsula on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan. La Salle filled Le Griffon with pelts and in late November 1679 sent Le Griffon back to the site of modern-day Buffalo, never to be seen again. Two wrecks have been identified as Le Griffon , although neither has gained final verification as the actual wreck. Blown by

7680-530: The Taylor Police Department, who was killed in 2010 while helping motorists who had car trouble. There are nine highways related to I-94 in Michigan. The first is the spur into downtown Battle Creek numbered I-194 and nicknamed "The Penetrator" and officially called the "Sojourner Truth Downtown Parkway". This auxiliary Interstate Highway runs for about three miles (4.8 km) to connect I-94 northward into downtown. The other eight highways are business loops of I-94 that connect various cities' downtowns with

7808-403: The Thumb and the entire Lower Peninsula. Like other counties, Sanilac has fertile and flat land, great for growing crops. Towns like Lexington and Port Sanilac bring in many tourists from the Detroit Area . Sandusky is the county seat and largest city. St. Clair County has the largest population in the Thumb, and is considered part of the Metro Detroit MSA. Many residents farther north in

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7936-462: The Thumb area are Port Huron , Marysville , Lapeer , St. Clair , Marine City , Algonac , Caro , Imlay City , Bad Axe , Vassar , Sandusky and Croswell . The majority of these cities are in the southern portion of the Thumb. Unique features in the area include the following: A favorite of tourists who visit this area is traveling the Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay shoreline via M-25 (formerly US Highway 25 until 1973). M-25 starts at

8064-428: The Thumb is St. Clair County International Airport about 6 miles (9.7 km) outside Port Huron. City airports include: Caro Municipal, Dupont-Lapeer Airport, Huron County Memorial Airport, Marine City Airport, Marlette Municipal, Sandusky City, and Yale Airport. Scheduled airline service is available from MBS International Airport in Freeland and Flint Bishop International Airport . While neither of these airports

8192-466: The Thumb region is WDCQ-TV , the PBS station licensed to Bad Axe . The border between Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia , Ontario , is one of the busiest connections between Canada and the US. Crossings include the two Blue Water Bridges and the two St. Clair River Railway Tunnels . Ferries also connect to Canada at Marine City and Algonac . (organized by numbers) Area Amtrak stations are in Lapeer, Port Huron, and Flint. Local railroads are

8320-413: The Thumb, especially Sanilac County , travel to Port Huron for shopping and work. It is the farthest county to the east in Michigan, and most of the eastern border is the St. Clair River , which separates Michigan from Ontario . For the most part, St. Clair County is flat with an agricultural economy dominating in the north and west; in the 19th century, agriculture and lumbering were important east to

8448-425: The Townships of Fort Gratiot and Burtchville, and all of Sanilac County. 84th District – All of Huron and Tuscola counties. 25th District – All of Huron, St Clair and Sanilac counties, and the Cities of Memphis, New Baltimore, and Richmond and the Townships of Armada and Richmond in Macomb County. 31st District – All of Bay, Lapeer and Tuscola counties. The Thumb Area Radio Region is an unranked market that

8576-407: The US 12 designation was dropped from the freeway. Subsequent extensions in the 1960s completed most of the rest of the route, including the remaining sections between Detroit and Port Huron which superseded the routing of US 25 . The last segment opened to the public in 1972 when Indiana completed its connection across the state line. Since completion, I-94 has remained relatively unchanged;

8704-415: The Wayne–Macomb county line and the end of the freeway near Mount Clemens was filled in when another section of freeway opened. In late 1964, a plan was approved to improve the interchange with Telegraph Road ( US 24 ), as the original interchange did not feature access in all directions. North of Albion , the route of the freeway previously crossed a branch of the New York Central Railroad at-grade;

8832-399: The West Side, passing the main campus of Wayne State University before entering the East Side at M-1 (Woodward Avenue). Immediately east of the interchange with I-75 (Chrysler Freeway), I-94 forms the southern border of the Milwaukee Junction district. The Edsel Ford Freeway continues through residential neighborhoods of Detroit's East Side. The Interstate turns more northerly, mimicking

8960-450: The Willow Run, Detroit Industrial and Edsel Ford expressways were to be given the I-94 designation, temporarily co-designated with US 12. These sections connected Ann Arbor to Detroit, along with a bypass of Kalamazoo to Galesburg and a bypass of Jackson. Later that year, additional segments of I-94 were opened, starting with a 10-mile (16 km) section from Hartford to Coloma, then another from Paw Paw to Kalamazoo which connected with

9088-418: The area for centuries. There may have also been other tribes in the area such as the Potawatomi , Ojibwe , and Kickapoo , but they would have been transient tribes, or found in very small numbers. All native Thumb area tribes are members of the Algonquian peoples , a large language family. Other tribes who migrated later into the area included the Wyandot ( Huron ), an Iroquoian language-speaking people; and

9216-530: The area. US 31 was rerouted to follow its new freeway section for 1.8 miles (2.9 km) from the previous end of the freeway at Napier Avenue that opened in 2003 to I-94 at BL I-94, where US 31 then followed I-94 to the I-196 interchange as before. This new routing opened on November 9, 2022. In December 2022, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) procured a statewide tolling study. Under

9344-610: The center of Detroit was being planned in the 1940s, it was unofficially named the Harper–McGraw Expressway after the streets along which it was to run. There was some initial support to name it after Roy D. Chapin , the late president of the Hudson Motor Car Company and a former US secretary of commerce under President Herbert Hoover . On April 23, 1946, the Detroit Common Council voted instead to name

9472-460: The county being bordered by water: on the east is the St. Clair River, connecting Lake Huron to the north to Lake St. Clair . Below that is the Detroit River. The namesake Blue Water Bridge spans the St. Clair River, connecting Port Huron to Sarnia, Ontario . A similar name, "Blue Water Country," is used to describe the same region on the Canadian side. Discover the Blue is a promotion by

9600-538: The crossing was eliminated when the tracks were removed in 1968. The sections originally designated as the Willow Run Expressway were rebuilt from Rawsonville Road in Belleville to Ozga Road in Romulus starting in 1972. As part of this reconstruction, the segment between Haggerty and Ozga roads was widened from four to six lanes, and the eastbound lanes were realigned to facilitate construction of an interchange with I-275 ,

9728-401: The economy. Caro , one of the largest cities in the Thumb (the largest if you exclude St. Clair and Lapeer counties), is named after Cairo, Egypt and is the county seat. Tuscola County only has 18 miles (29 km) of shoreline along Saginaw Bay , so it is not as dependent on tourism as the other counties in the area. Tuscola County is economically tied to the surrounding region as well as to

9856-563: The end of I-69 / I-94 in Port Huron at the foot of the Blue Water Bridge and ends in Bay City . The whole highway is about 150 miles (240 km), and passes through quaint cities and villages. Located along Lake Huron through which M-25 passes are five lighthouses: Fort Gratiot Lighthouse , Port Sanilac lighthouse , Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse , Harbor Beach Light , and the Port Austin Lighthouse . The Lake Huron Circle Tour

9984-487: The first state to complete a border-to-border toll-free Interstate within their state, running for 205 miles (330 km) from Detroit toward New Buffalo, creating the longest toll-free freeway in the country at the time. In January 1962, the US ;12 designation was removed from the I-94 freeway. In the process, the designation was transferred to replace the US 112 designation in its entirety. After this transfer, I-94

10112-514: The freeway from the New Baltimore area northward. The eastern terminus of I-94 in the Port Huron area was dedicated on October 14, 1964, signaling the completion of the highway between Marysville and the Blue Water Bridge. This completion displaced part of the M-146 bypass of Port Huron, the southern leg of which was retained as a connector to present-day Lapeer Road. Two years later, the gap between

10240-404: The freeway's right lane, while also moving the carriageways of I-94 closer together. On August 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed after attempting to take off from Detroit Metropolitan Airport , killing all but one passenger upon exploding at the I-94 overpass over Middlebelt Road; that overpass was not damaged in the crash. The freeway was closed until August 18, and a memorial

10368-762: The freeway, the Legislature added the designation by passing Public Act 305 of 2002. The name was dedicated in ceremonies at a rest stop along the section of I-94 on September 28, 2002. Another piece of I-94 in Calhoun County was designated in 2004 as part of the Underground Railroad Memorial Highway. Starting in 1990, the National Park Service started working to identify routes of the Underground Railroad . The Battle Creek area

10496-478: The highest lake levels in October and November. The normal high-water mark is 2.00 feet (0.61 m) above datum ( 577.5 ft or 176.0 m ). In the summer of 1986, Lakes Michigan and Huron reached their highest level at 5.92 feet (1.80 m) above datum. The high-water records were broken for several months in a row in 2020. Historic low water Lake levels tend to be the lowest in winter. The normal low-water mark

10624-557: The highway after Edsel Ford , the son of Henry Ford and president of the Ford Motor Company from 1918 until his death in 1943. Two other original sections of I-94's predecessor highways in the Detroit area were given early names. The westernmost of these is the Willow Run Expressway, named for the Willow Run complex. The plants at Willow Run produced B-24 Liberator bombers for Ford Motor Company during World War II. The second,

10752-670: The highway signs. A segment of I-94 in Battle Creek between the exits for BL I-94 and I-194 was named the 94th Combat Infantry Division Memorial Highway by the Michigan Legislature in 2002. The name honors the US Army's 94th Infantry Division , which was activated at nearby Fort Custer in 1942 and served with distinction in the European theater of World War II. Because the unit originated in Battle Creek, and its number matched that of

10880-400: The hull. To keep from being pushed aground, they kept their bow into the wind with the engines running half to full in turns, yet the ship still drifted 800 feet (240 m) before its movement was arrested. Waves breaking over the ship damaged several windows, and the crew reported seeing portions of the concrete break wall peeling off as the waves struck it. Meanwhile, fifty miles farther up

11008-434: The lake bed was criss-crossed by a large network of tributaries to these ancient waterways, with many of the old channels still evident on bathymetric maps. The Alpena-Amberley Ridge is an ancient ridge beneath the surface of Lake Huron, running from Alpena, Michigan , southwest to Point Clark , Ontario. About 9,000 years ago, when water levels in Lake Huron were approximately 100 m (330 ft) below today's levels,

11136-437: The lake by the 1930s. The major native top predator, lake trout, was virtually extirpated from the lake by 1950 through a combination of overfishing and the effects of sea lamprey. Several species of ciscos were also extirpated from the lake by the 1960s; the only remaining native ciscoes are bloater and Cisco (lake herring). Non-native Pacific salmon have been stocked in the lake since the 1960s, but are less abundant since

11264-432: The lake was in a state of collapse by 2006, and a number of drastic changes have been observed in the zooplankton community of the lake. Chinook salmon catches have also been greatly reduced in recent years, and lake whitefish have become less abundant and are in poor condition. These recent changes may be attributable to the new exotic species. Some native species, however were beneficiaries of these chances (principally

11392-646: The lake, Matoa and Captain Hugh McLeod had to ride out the storm without a safe harbor. Matoa was found stranded on the Port Austin reef when the winds subsided. It was noon on Monday before the winds let up and not until 11:00 p.m. that night before Captain Light determined it to be safe to continue his journey. Although Manola survived the storm, she was renamed Mapledawn in 1920, and on November 24, 1924, she became stranded on Christian Island in Georgian Bay. It

11520-694: The lakeshore and travels to the west of Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township . It turns back to the northeast at 23 Mile Road at the interchange with M-3 and M-29 . North of 26 Mile Road, the freeway exits the northern suburbs and passes into farmland in The Thumb region. South of Michigan Meadows Golf Course, I-94 crosses County Line Road and enters St. Clair County . The freeway continues northeasterly as far as Marysville before turning northward near St. Clair County International Airport . From there, it runs roughly parallel to

11648-523: The largest city on Lake Huron. On October 26, 2010, the Karegnondi Water Authority was formed to build and manage a pipeline from the lake to Flint, Michigan . More than a thousand wrecks have been recorded in Lake Huron. Of these, 185 are located in Saginaw Bay, and 116 are found in the 448-square-mile (1,160 km ) Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve , which

11776-485: The late 18th century, ethnic European Americans have displaced the Native American tribes that historically occupied this territory. Since the early 20th century, they have dominated the population and culture of the Thumb. The French were the first Europeans to arrive, and thus influenced much of the early culture. They were mostly engaged in the fur trading and lumber industries, and had relatively few settlers. After

11904-529: The maximum recorded (by sonar) depth is 125 fathoms (750 ft; 229 m). It has a length of 206 statute miles (332  km ; 179  nmi ) and a greatest breadth of 183 statute miles (295 km; 159 nmi). A large bay that protrudes northeast from Lake Huron into Ontario, Canada, is called Georgian Bay . A notable feature of the lake is Manitoulin Island , which separates the North Channel and Georgian Bay from Lake Huron's main body of water. It

12032-545: The middle of the southern Lower Peninsula, crossing I-69 in the process. I-94 then runs through Jackson , Ann Arbor , and portions of Metro Detroit , connecting Michigan's largest city to its main airport . Past the east side of Detroit , the Interstate angles northeasterly through farmlands in The Thumb to Port Huron , where the designation terminates on the Blue Water Bridge at the Canada–United States border . The first segment of what later became I-94 within

12160-576: The morning, Senator pushed upstream. Less than an hour later, Manola —a propeller freighter of 2,325 gross register tons also built in Cleveland in 1890—passed through. Captain Frederick W. Light of Manola reported that both the Canadian and the American weather stations had storm flag signals flying from their weather towers. Following behind at 7:00 a.m. that Sunday, Regina steamed out of Sarnia into

12288-421: The northwest gale. The warnings had been up for four hours. Manola passed Regina off Port Sanilac, 22 statute miles (19 nmi; 35 km) up the lake. Captain Light determined that if it continued to deteriorate, he would seek shelter at Harbor Beach , Michigan, another 30 statute miles (26 nmi; 48 km) up the lake. There, he could seek shelter behind the breakwater. Before he reached Harbor Beach,

12416-480: The northwest to round Beadle Lake , intersecting M-294 before spanning the Kalamazoo River. East of the river crossing, the freeway meets an interchange for M-96 , M-311 , and the eastern end of the Battle Creek business loop near FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Emmett Township . Turning back eastward, the Interstate exits the eastern Battle Creek suburbs and continues to an interchange with I-69 near Marshall ;

12544-626: The only driveway on any of Michigan's Interstate Highways for a gate providing access for military vehicles into the Fort Custer Training Center . The Interstate enters Calhoun County southwest of the W. K. Kellogg Airport and enters the city of Battle Creek. Immediately east of the county line, the freeway has an interchange with the western end of Battle Creek's business loop . Next to Lakeview Square Mall , I-94 meets its only auxiliary Interstate in Michigan: I-194 . I-94 turns to

12672-451: The rail line, special boarding stations adjacent to dedicated bus lanes in the interchanges along the highway were used. In other parts of the state, other segments of highway were built to bypass the cities along the future I-94 corridor. In 1940, a southern bypass of Battle Creek opened along Columbia Avenue, and the former routing through downtown on Michigan Avenue became Business US 12 (Bus. US 12). In late 1951 or early 1952,

12800-524: The river, the Interstate designations jointly terminate, becoming Ontario Highway 402 . The first major overland transportation corridors in the future state of Michigan were the Indian foot trails. One of these, the St. Joseph Trail, followed the general route of the modern I-94 across the state from the Benton Harbor – St. Joseph area east to the Ann Arbor area. The State Trunkline Highway System

12928-423: The same lake'). Aggregated, Lake Huron-Michigan, at 45,300 square miles (117,000 km ), "is technically the world's largest freshwater lake". Lake Superior, at 21 feet higher elevation, drains into the St. Marys River which then flows into Lake Huron. The water then flows south to the St. Clair River, at Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario . The Great Lakes Waterway continues thence to Lake St. Clair ;

13056-432: The same surface elevation as Lake Michigan , to which it is connected by the 5-mile-wide (8.0 km), 20-fathom-deep (120 ft; 37 m) Straits of Mackinac . Combined, Lake Michigan–Huron is the largest freshwater lake by area in the world. The Huronian glaciation was named from evidence collected from Lake Huron region. The northern parts of the lake include the North Channel and Georgian Bay . Saginaw Bay

13184-415: The second span between Port Huron and Point Edward, Ontario in 1995. In July 1997, the second span opened. The original span was closed for rehabilitation, and both were opened to traffic in 1999. The interchange with US 24 (Telegraph Road) following its mid-1960s redesign had only two bridges, and left-hand exits were used throughout. This interchange was reconfigured in 2005 to a SPUI design that

13312-410: The shoreline of Lake St. Clair , and exits Detroit for Harper Woods . Just north of the interchange for M-102 (Vernier Road), the freeway crosses 8 Mile Road and enters Macomb County . Running northward through Macomb County, I-94 meets the eastern end of I-696 (Reuther Freeway) about three miles (4.8 km) north of the county line in St. Clair Shores . The freeway continues to parallel

13440-460: The shoreline, which are Caseville Park, Lighthouse Park, Stafford Park, McGraw Park, Philp Park, Port Austin Bird Creek Park, Wagener Park, Oak Beach Park, and Sebewaing Park. The county seat is Bad Axe , located in the center of the county. The origin of the name of the county is often disputed, but it may have derived from the French words la pierre , meaning "the stone". This name could be

13568-460: The southeastern corner of Ann Arbor, I-94 intersects US 23 and continues around the south side of Ypsilanti . South of that city, the freeway also carries US 12 and crosses the Huron River north of the river's mouth at Ford Lake . I-94 jogs southeasterly around the south side of Willow Run Airport complex, separating from US 12 and entering Wayne County . South of Willow Run,

13696-516: The southeastern corner of Kalamazoo before entering Comstock Township . The freeway intersects the eastern end of Business Spur I-94 (BS I-94) at a partial interchange near Morrow Lake in the township. I-94 continues out of the eastern Kalamazoo suburbs, paralleling the Kalamazoo River through the Galesburg area. Before crossing into Calhoun County on the west side of Battle Creek , I-94 has

13824-523: The state's Interstate Highways was placed on hold pending finalization of the numbering scheme, and by late 1959 that signage was being added starting with I-75 and followed by the other open segments of freeway in the state. Sections of freeway opened in southwestern Michigan in 1960 between the Benton Harbor–St Joseph area and between Jackson and Ann Arbor; the latter was built over existing portions of US 12. In this year, Michigan became

13952-409: The state, the Willow Run Expressway, was built near Ypsilanti and Belleville in 1941, with an easterly extension to Detroit in 1945. This expressway was initially numbered M-112 . In the mid-1950s, state and federal officials planned an Interstate to replace the original route of US Highway 12 (US 12). By 1960, the length of I-94 was completed from Detroit to New Buffalo. Two years later,

14080-422: The study, I-94 would be the first highway to be converted into a toll road starting in 2028. Lawmakers have not yet acted upon the department's recommendation in the proposal. Construction began on August 7, 2023, on a privately funded three-mile (4.8 km) MDOT pilot project to upgrade the left lane for connected and autonomous vehicles between Ann Arbor and Detroit. As the original expressway through

14208-583: The territory of the NMDC. The I-69 International Trade Corridor Next Michigan Development Corporation is the largest in the state of Michigan with 35 municipal partners. Constituent counties of the trade corridor are: Shiawassee , Genesee , Lapeer , and St. Clair counties. Some towns, such as Bay Port , Caseville , Harbor Beach , Lakeport, Lexington , Port Austin , Port Hope , Port Huron , Port Sanilac , Sebewaing , and St. Clair enjoy seasonal tourism, due to their locations on Lake Huron , Saginaw Bay , or

14336-525: The trunkline turns eastward and roughly follows the Paw Paw River on a course that takes it south of Watervliet and Hartford . Between the latter two cities, the freeway transitions from northeastern Berrien County into western Van Buren County . It curves around and between Lake Cora and Threemile Lake near the junction with the northern end of M-51 . About four miles (6.4 km) further east, I-94 crosses M-40 south of Paw Paw . Continuing eastward,

14464-443: The winds turned to the northeast and the lake began to rise. It was noon when he reached Harbor Beach and ran for shelter. The waves were so violent that Manola touched bottom entering the harbor. With help from a tugboat , Manola tied up to the break wall with eight lines. It was about 3:00 p.m. when Manola was secured and the crew prepared to drop anchor. As they worked, the cables began to snap from wind pressure against

14592-482: The world's supply of navy beans. Tourism is also important to Huron County with bay front and lakefront towns such as Sebewaing , Caseville , Port Austin , Port Hope , and Harbor Beach , attracting tourists from all over. Huron County borders Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron . There are two state parks – Sleeper State Park and Port Crescent State Park . Three roadside parks – Jenks Park, Brown Park, and White Rock Park. Also, Huron County maintains nine county parks along

14720-564: Was M-19 from Detroit northeast to Port Huron . On November 11, 1926, the United States Numbered Highway System was approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), and the original route of US 12 replaced the highways from the state line northeasterly to Detroit; US 31 overlapped the highway between St. Joseph and Watervliet . The remainder of the future I-94 corridor

14848-570: Was active in the railroad during the Civil War, and the section of I-94 between exits 98 and 110 east of Battle Creek was included in the memorial designation. In June 2012, after a resolution passed by the Michigan Legislature was signed by Governor Rick Snyder , a portion of I-94 in Taylor between Inkster and Pelham roads was named the Auxiliary Lt. Dan Kromer Memorial Highway after a 20-year veteran of

14976-729: Was completed in December of that year. A pair of bridges called the Gateway Arch Bridges (alternately "Gateway to Detroit" ) was incorporated in the new interchange. In 2011, construction was started to widen I-94/I-69 approaching the Blue Water Bridge and to allow for dedicated local traffic and bridge traffic lanes. The lane configuration changes confused drivers in the area, especially motorists with outdated GPS devices; because of this, MDOT installed updated signs complete with American and Canadian flags to help prevent drivers from heading to Canada by mistake. Additional construction in

15104-628: Was completed in September 2015. In 2016, the sections of I-94 from the Indiana state line to the M-63 interchange was designated as part of the West Michigan Pike Pure Michigan Byway . The West Michigan Pike originated in efforts in the 1910s to improve a highway along the western part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and to increase tourism along the Lake Michigan shore. The auto trail

15232-540: Was created on May 13, 1913, by an act of the Michigan Legislature ; at the time, Division 6 corresponded to the rough path of today's I-94. In 1919, the Michigan State Highway Department (MSHD) signposted the highway system for the first time, and three different highways followed sections of the modern I-94 corridor. The original M-11 ran from the Indiana state line north to Coloma where M-17 connected easterly to Detroit . The third highway

15360-540: Was declared a total loss. Salvagers were able to recover approximately 75,000 bushels of barley. Lake Huron has a lake retention time of 22 years. Like all of the Great Lakes, the ecology of Lake Huron has undergone drastic changes in the last century. The lake originally supported a native deepwater fish community dominated by lake trout , which fed on several species of ciscos as well as sculpins and other native fishes. Several invasive species , including sea lamprey , alewife and rainbow smelt , became abundant in

15488-477: Was dedicated. This last segment in Michigan between M-239 and the state line opened when Indiana completed an 18-mile (29 km) segment of freeway in their state. The interchange with the Southfield Freeway ( M-39 ) was closed entirely in 1985 to replace the original exit design, which included four on-ramps that sharply merged into the left lanes of I-94. Reconstruction added new on-ramps that merge into

15616-474: Was eclipsed in January 2013. Lake Huron has the largest shore line length of any of the Great Lakes, counting its 30,000 islands. It is separated from Lake Michigan, which lies at the same level, by the 5-mile-wide (8.0 km), 20-fathom-deep (120 ft; 37 m) Straits of Mackinac, making them hydrologically the same body of water (sometimes called Lake Michigan-Huron and sometimes described as two 'lobes of

15744-443: Was established in 2000. Georgian Bay contains 212 sunken vessels. Purportedly the first European vessel to sail the Great Lakes, Le Griffon also became the first ship lost on the Great Lakes. It was built in 1679 on the eastern shore of Lake Erie near Buffalo , New York . Robert Cavalier, Sieur de la Salle navigated across Lake Erie, up the Detroit River , Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River out into Lake Huron. Passing

15872-427: Was eventually superseded by US 12 and US 31 after the creation of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926. In 2020, work began on the final link of the St. Joseph Valley Parkway to connect the US 31 freeway to I-94 east of Benton Harbor. The project cost $ 121.5 million and involved reconstructing the interchange with the eastern terminus of BL I-94 and 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of I-94 in

16000-593: Was given the M-112 designation at the time. The expressway was extended eastward as the Detroit Industrial Expressway into Detroit; the first section opened in 1943 and the remainder was completed in March 1945. Land acquisition for the Edsel Ford Freeway started in 1945. Originally referred to as the Crosstown Freeway, the freeway became known as the Edsel Ford Freeway following an April 1946 petition. The interchange between

16128-543: Was later installed near the interchange between I-94 and Middlebelt Road. The completion of I-69 in the 1980s, and the approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement , increased traffic at the Blue Water Bridge. A new toll and customs plaza was built in 1991, and, later the next year, an international task force determined that traffic on the existing structure was exceeding capacity. Environmental planning started in 1993, and construction started on

16256-538: Was no longer concurrent with US 12, except for the Ypsilanti bypass. In 1963, the freeway was extended south of New Buffalo to end at M-239 . Traffic was diverted down M-239 into Indiana where State Road 39 carried traffic the rest of the way to the Indiana Toll Road . By the end of the year, a section of highway opened between Mount Clemens and Marysville, and US 25 was rerouted to run concurrently along

16384-493: Was served by US 25 between Detroit and Port Huron. The first span of the Blue Water Bridge opened between Port Huron and Point Edward, Ontario , in 1938. The first segments of upgraded highways along the future route of I-94 were added during World War II . Construction on the Willow Run Expressway started in 1941 before the US entered the war. It was opened on September 12, 1942, to provide improved access to Ford Motor Company 's Willow Run bomber plants. The highway

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