M-1 | ||||
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Woodward Avenue | ||||
M-1 highlighted in red
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Route information | ||||
Maintained by MDOT | ||||
Length: | 21.488 mi (34.582 km) | |||
History: | Woodward Avenue platted in 1805 and designated M-1 in 1970 | |||
Tourist routes: |
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Major junctions | ||||
South end: | Adams Avenue in Detroit | |||
North end: |
BL I-75 / Bus. US 24 near Pontiac |
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Location | ||||
Counties: | Wayne, Oakland | |||
Highway system | ||||
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M-1, commonly known as Woodward Avenue, is a north–south state trunkline highway in the Metro Detroit area of the US state of Michigan. The highway, called "Detroit's Main Street", runs from Detroit north-northwesterly to Pontiac. The street is one of the five principal avenues of Detroit, which also include Michigan, Grand River, Gratiot and Jefferson avenues. These streets were platted in 1805 by Judge Augustus B. Woodward, namesake to Woodward Avenue. The US Department of Transportation has listed the highway as the Automotive Heritage Trail, an All-American Road in the National Scenic Byways Program. It has also been designated a Pure Michigan Byway by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). The roadway was also included in the MotorCities National Heritage Area designated by the US Congress in 1998.
The trunkline is the dividing line between Detroit's East and West sides, and it connects to some of the city's major freeways like Interstate 94 (I-94, Edsel Ford Freeway) and M-8 (Davison Freeway). Woodward Avenue exits Detroit at M-102 (8 Mile Road) and runs through the city's northern suburbs in Oakland County on its way to Pontiac. In between, Woodward Avenue passes through several historic districts in Detroit and provides access to many businesses in the area. The name Woodward Avenue has become synonymous with Detroit, cruising culture and the automotive industry.