Primary route
I-96
Muskegon to Detroit
Length192.1 mi
Designated1957
States1
Junctions7
About I-96
Also known as Jeffries Freeway.
From Norton Shores, MI (US 31) to Detroit, MI (I-75)
Interstate 96 is an east-west route running about 192 miles entirely within the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, from the Muskegon area on Lake Michigan to Detroit. Its western end is near Norton Shores and Muskegon, and from there it runs southeast and then east across the state through Grand Rapids and Lansing before reaching Detroit at Interstate 75 near the Ambassador Bridge. For much of its course it stays close to the historic Grand River Avenue corridor.
The route links three of Michigan's major population centers, connecting the west Michigan city of Grand Rapids, the state capital at Lansing, and the Detroit metropolitan area. Across the central part of the state it crosses farmland and smaller communities, while near Detroit it carries heavy commuter and freight traffic on urban freeway sections.
Within Detroit the highway uses a local-express lane configuration and carries several local freeway names, including the Jeffries Freeway. It serves as a primary connection across the southern Lower Peninsula and feeds traffic into the metropolitan freeway network near the international crossing to Canada.
State-by-state mileage
| State | Miles |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 192.1 |
| Total | 192.1 |
History
Interstate 96 was designated in 1957 under the federal Interstate program and built in segments over the following two decades, with the route completed in 1977. The alignment was developed to parallel the long-established Grand River Avenue route across the state.
Portions of the Detroit area route carry memorial and local names, including a Rosa Parks Memorial Highway designation, reflecting changes made after the freeway was built.
Major cities and places
MuskegonGrand RapidsLansingDetroit
Did you know
- It lies entirely within the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.
- The western terminus is near Muskegon and the eastern terminus is at I-75 in Detroit near the Ambassador Bridge.
- It parallels the historic Grand River Avenue corridor across much of the state.
- Within Detroit it carries the Jeffries Freeway name and a Rosa Parks Memorial Highway designation.