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M-25 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-25 is a state trunkline highway
in the US state of Michigan
. The route follows an arc-like shape closely along the Lake Huron
shore of the Thumb
in the eastern Lower Peninsula
between Port Huron
and Bay City
. It serves the lakeshore resorts along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay
and generally lies within sight of the lake and the bay. All is surface road and generally scenic, except for the freeway segment near the junction with I-75
and connection into the US 10
freeway.
Between Port Huron and Port Austin
it is the north–south highway that used to be US 25 before the designation was removed from Michigan. Between Port Austin and Bay City it is an east–west route that appeared on some maps as US 25 and on some maps as a M-25. Since the 1970s, when all of US 25 was deleted north of Cincinnati, Ohio
it is now entirely M-25.
. At this intersection, M-25 turns north on 24th Avenue to Lakeshore Road then runs parallel to the Lake Huron shoreline.
In the community of Lakeport, M-25 passes through Lakeport State Park
. Past the park, M-25 changes names from Lakeshore Road to Kimball Road temporarily. M-25 intersects the east end of M-90
blocks from Lake Huron in Lexington
. There are public beaches in Lexington and in Port Sanilac
. M-25's street name changes after the M-46
intersection to that of North Lakeshore Road. The Huron Shores Golf Club is located off the highway north of Port Sanilac at the intersection of Snover Road. Sanilac County
has established the Sanilac County Park at the intersection of Downington Road and M-25 south of Richmondville. North of Forestville
M-25 is once again called South Lakeshore Road as the highway crosses into Huron County
.
Wagener County Park is located off M-25 in the community of Helena. M-25 beings to curve to the northwest in Sand Beach near the Rock Falls Cemetery. In the city of Harbor Beach
, M-25 is called Huron Avenue and meets M-142
for the first of two occasions. Here is the Harbor Beach Golf Course on the south side of town as M-25 moves inland through town. North of town, the trunkline parallels an old routing of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway as it is once again renamed Lakeshore Road. The highway moves farther inland north of Rubicon and Port Hope
as it begins to round the tip of the Thumb
. In Grindstone City, M-25 loses the Lakeshore Road name in favor of Grindstone Road all the way to Port Austin
.
and meets Port Crescent State Park
. From here south west, M-25 hugs the bay and its miles of beaches. North of Caseville
is the Albert E. Sleeper State Park. Through Caseville, M-25 uses Main Street and passes the city beach off State Street. McKinley is home to the Scenic Golf & Country Club and Wild Fowl Bay. M-25 follows the shore of Wild Fowl Bay, a smaller bay off Saginaw Bay, to the city of Bay Port and the western terminus of M-142 on Fairhaven a smaller community south of Bay Port. From here south, the road is called Unionville Road and turns inland to Sebewaing
.
At Unionville, M-25 turns more westerly to round the bottom of Saginaw Bay into Bay City
along Bay City-Forestville Road in Tuscola County
. In the community of Quanicassee, it transitions to Center Road and crosses into Bay County
. M-25 is routed the one-way street pair of 7th Street and McKinley Street before crossing the Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Saginaw River
. West of the bridge, the one-way pairing of Jenny Street and Thomas Street are used before the two merge into Thomas Street west of the M-13
intersections.
The western terminus is at the junction of I-75
/US 23
and US 10
. As the roadway crosses the I-75/US 23 freeway it feeds into the eastern end of US 10 freeway.
. The highway ran from Skandia along what is today M-94
to Munising
. From there it used today's routing of M-28
eastward to Newberry
and Sault Ste. Marie
. This designation was replaced by M-28 in 1927.
. M-25 was designated along the portion of M-29 disconnected by the US 25 extension, from Bay City to Port Austin. M-25 was extended along US 25 to Port Huron when the latter was removed from Michigan in 1973. The southern terminus was placed at I-94 in Marysville, Michigan
until it was moved northward to end at BL I-94 (now BL I-69/BL I-94) in 1987.
The section of M-25 in the City of Bay City was named a history heritage route by the Michigan Department of Transportation
(MDOT). This designation was made on 10 23, 1997 for the section of M-25 along Center Avenue between Madison Avenue and the eastern city limits.
Michigan Highway System
The Michigan State Trunkline Highway System is made up of all the highways designated as Interstates, U.S. Highways and State Highways in the US state of Michigan. The system is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation and comprises of trunklines in all 83 counties of Michigan on...
in the US state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The route follows an arc-like shape closely along the Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
shore of the Thumb
The Thumb
The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten; thus the Thumb is the area that looks like the thumb of the mitten. The Thumb is generally considered to be in the Mid-Michigan area of the state, located east of Flint/Tri-Cities...
in the eastern Lower Peninsula
Lower Peninsula of Michigan
The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is the southern of the two major landmasses of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is surrounded by water on all sides except its southern border, which it shares with Ohio and Indiana. Geographically, the Lower Peninsula has a recognizable shape that many people...
between Port Huron
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
and Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
. It serves the lakeshore resorts along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay
Saginaw Bay
Saginaw Bay is a bay within Lake Huron located on the eastern side of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms the space between Michigan's Thumb region and the rest of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Saginaw Bay is in area...
and generally lies within sight of the lake and the bay. All is surface road and generally scenic, except for the freeway segment near the junction with I-75
Interstate 75 in Michigan
Interstate 75 is a part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from Miami, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-75 enters the state from Ohio in the south, just to the north of Toledo. It runs generally north through Detroit, Pontiac and Bay City, crossing the...
and connection into the US 10
U.S. Route 10
U.S. Route 10 is an east–west United States highway formed in 1926. Though it never became the cross-country highway suggested by the "0" as the last digit of its route number, U.S...
freeway.
Between Port Huron and Port Austin
Port Austin, Michigan
Port Austin is a village in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 737 at the 2000 census. The village is within Port Austin Township.-Geography:...
it is the north–south highway that used to be US 25 before the designation was removed from Michigan. Between Port Austin and Bay City it is an east–west route that appeared on some maps as US 25 and on some maps as a M-25. Since the 1970s, when all of US 25 was deleted north of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
it is now entirely M-25.
North to Port Austin
The starting point of M-25 at a junction with Business Loop I-69/Business Loop I-94 (BL I-69/BL I-94) in Port Huron. M-25 is part of the Lake Huron Circle Tour for its entire length. From here M-25 heads north on Pine Grove Avenue until meeting M-136M-136 (Michigan highway)
M-136 is a state highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from Brockway to north of Port Huron in the lower Thumb area of the Lower Peninsula. The route serves as a connector between M-19 and the coastal route, M-25.-Route description:...
. At this intersection, M-25 turns north on 24th Avenue to Lakeshore Road then runs parallel to the Lake Huron shoreline.
In the community of Lakeport, M-25 passes through Lakeport State Park
Lakeport State Park
Lakeport State Park is a state park in St. Clair County, Michigan. It is located on the shore of Lake Huron. The park is split into two sections on either side of the Village of Lakeport. Two campgrounds, a beach and the camp store are on the north side of the village...
. Past the park, M-25 changes names from Lakeshore Road to Kimball Road temporarily. M-25 intersects the east end of M-90
M-90 (Michigan highway)
M-90 is a state trunkline highway in The Thumb region of the US state of Michigan. It runs from near North Branch eastward to Lexington situated on Lake Huron. The highway is a lightly traveled roadway that runs through rural farmlands. The trunkline runs mostly east–west with two short north–south...
blocks from Lake Huron in Lexington
Lexington, Michigan
Lexington is a village in Sanilac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,104 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Lexington Township.-Geography:...
. There are public beaches in Lexington and in Port Sanilac
Port Sanilac, Michigan
Port Sanilac is a village in Sanilac Township, Sanilac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 658 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. M-25's street name changes after the M-46
M-46 (Michigan highway)
M-46 is an east–west state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan between Muskegon and Port Sanilac, terminating near Lake Michigan and Lake Huron on each end. Except for the north–south segment that corresponds with the US Highway 131 freeway between Cedar Springs and Howard City, M-46 is...
intersection to that of North Lakeshore Road. The Huron Shores Golf Club is located off the highway north of Port Sanilac at the intersection of Snover Road. Sanilac County
Sanilac County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-19* M-25* M-46* M-53* M-81* M-90-History:Sanilac County was probably named for a Wyandot chief named Sanilac. See List of Michigan county name etymologies....
has established the Sanilac County Park at the intersection of Downington Road and M-25 south of Richmondville. North of Forestville
Forestville, Michigan
Forestville is a village in Sanilac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 127. It does not have a true harbor onto Lake Huron, but the village does have a boat launch site. Forestville receives city water from nearby Harbor Beach...
M-25 is once again called South Lakeshore Road as the highway crosses into Huron County
Huron County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-19* M-25* M-53* M-142-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 36,079 people, 14,597 households, and 10,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile . There were 20,430 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
.
Wagener County Park is located off M-25 in the community of Helena. M-25 beings to curve to the northwest in Sand Beach near the Rock Falls Cemetery. In the city of Harbor Beach
Harbor Beach, Michigan
Harbor Beach is a city in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,837 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 1,587 in 2009.-Geography:...
, M-25 is called Huron Avenue and meets M-142
M-142 (Michigan highway)
M-142 is a state trunkline highway in the Thumb region of the US state of Michigan. It is a "trans-peninsular" route in that it travels from Bay Port on Saginaw Bay to Harbor Beach on Lake Huron, thereby crossing the thumb peninsula.-Route description:...
for the first of two occasions. Here is the Harbor Beach Golf Course on the south side of town as M-25 moves inland through town. North of town, the trunkline parallels an old routing of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway as it is once again renamed Lakeshore Road. The highway moves farther inland north of Rubicon and Port Hope
Port Hope, Michigan
Port Hope is a village in Huron County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 310. The village is within Rubicon Township.-Geography:...
as it begins to round the tip of the Thumb
The Thumb
The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten; thus the Thumb is the area that looks like the thumb of the mitten. The Thumb is generally considered to be in the Mid-Michigan area of the state, located east of Flint/Tri-Cities...
. In Grindstone City, M-25 loses the Lakeshore Road name in favor of Grindstone Road all the way to Port Austin
Port Austin, Michigan
Port Austin is a village in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 737 at the 2000 census. The village is within Port Austin Township.-Geography:...
.
West to Bay City
Port Austin is the location of the historical northern terminus of US 25. Through town, M-25 turns north along Lake Street before continuing west on Port Austin Road along the lake. West of town, M-25 turns south along the Saginaw BaySaginaw Bay
Saginaw Bay is a bay within Lake Huron located on the eastern side of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms the space between Michigan's Thumb region and the rest of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Saginaw Bay is in area...
and meets Port Crescent State Park
Port Crescent State Park
Port Crescent State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Michigan. The park is located in Huron County at the tip of The Thumb of Michigan...
. From here south west, M-25 hugs the bay and its miles of beaches. North of Caseville
Caseville, Michigan
Caseville is a city in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 888 at the 2000 census. The city is surrounded by Caseville Township. It is home to the 10-day festival, a tribute to Jimmy Buffett's song "Cheeseburger in Paradise"...
is the Albert E. Sleeper State Park. Through Caseville, M-25 uses Main Street and passes the city beach off State Street. McKinley is home to the Scenic Golf & Country Club and Wild Fowl Bay. M-25 follows the shore of Wild Fowl Bay, a smaller bay off Saginaw Bay, to the city of Bay Port and the western terminus of M-142 on Fairhaven a smaller community south of Bay Port. From here south, the road is called Unionville Road and turns inland to Sebewaing
Sebewaing, Michigan
Sebewaing is a village in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,974 at the 2000 census. The village is within Sebewaing Township. This small community is known as the Sugar Beet Capital, due to the Michigan Sugar slicing mill located within the village and the yearly...
.
At Unionville, M-25 turns more westerly to round the bottom of Saginaw Bay into Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
along Bay City-Forestville Road in Tuscola County
Tuscola County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-15* M-24* M-25* M-46* M-81* M-138-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 58,266 people, 21,454 households, and 15,983 families residing in the county. The population density was 72 people per square mile . There were 23,378 housing units at an average density of 29 per...
. In the community of Quanicassee, it transitions to Center Road and crosses into Bay County
Bay County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 110,157 people, 43,930 households, and 30,048 families residing in the county. The population density was 248 people per square mile . There were 46,423 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile...
. M-25 is routed the one-way street pair of 7th Street and McKinley Street before crossing the Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Saginaw River
Saginaw River
The Saginaw River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is formed by the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Shiawassee rivers southwest of Saginaw. It flows northward into the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron just northeast of Bay City. The watershed area is .The river is an important shipping...
. West of the bridge, the one-way pairing of Jenny Street and Thomas Street are used before the two merge into Thomas Street west of the M-13
M-13 (Michigan highway)
M-13 is a north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Saginaw Bay region of the US state of Michigan. It runs from Interstate 69 south of Lennon to US Highway 23 near Standish. The southern section of the trunkline runs long a pair of county lines in a rural area dominated by farm...
intersections.
The western terminus is at the junction of I-75
Interstate 75 in Michigan
Interstate 75 is a part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from Miami, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-75 enters the state from Ohio in the south, just to the north of Toledo. It runs generally north through Detroit, Pontiac and Bay City, crossing the...
/US 23
U.S. Route 23 in Michigan
US Highway 23 is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan, it is a major north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Lower Peninsula...
and US 10
U.S. Route 10 in Michigan
US Highway 10 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from West Fargo, North Dakota, to the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The highway enters the state on the SS Badger crossing Lake Michigan at Ludington and ends at Bay City.US 10 was created as part of...
. As the roadway crosses the I-75/US 23 freeway it feeds into the eastern end of US 10 freeway.
Previous designation
The M-25 designation was first used by July 1, 1919. in the Upper PeninsulaUpper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
. The highway ran from Skandia along what is today M-94
M-94 (Michigan highway)
M-94 is a state trunkline in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs for from K. I. Sawyer to Manistique. The highway is part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour during a concurrency with M-28. M-94 crosses the Siphon Bridge in Manistique, unique for the fact that the bridge roadway...
to Munising
Munising, Michigan
Munising is a city on the southern shore of Lake Superior on the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,539. It is the county seat of Alger County...
. From there it used today's routing of M-28
M-28 (Michigan highway)
M-28 is an east–west state trunkline highway that almost completely traverses the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan, from Wakefield to near Sault Ste. Marie in Bruce Township...
eastward to Newberry
Newberry, Michigan
Newberry is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Luce County. Located within McMillan Township at its very southern end, it shares some administrative responsibilities with the surrounding township. The population was 2,686 at the 2000 census.The village was named in...
and Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
. This designation was replaced by M-28 in 1927.
Current designation
In 1933, US 25 was extended north from Port Huron to Port Austin. along M-29M-29 (Michigan highway)
M-29 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs in a south–north direction from Chesterfield Township to Marysville. It generally runs along the shore of Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River....
. M-25 was designated along the portion of M-29 disconnected by the US 25 extension, from Bay City to Port Austin. M-25 was extended along US 25 to Port Huron when the latter was removed from Michigan in 1973. The southern terminus was placed at I-94 in Marysville, Michigan
Marysville, Michigan
Marysville is a city in St. Clair County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,684 at the 2000 census.-Geography:* According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.* It is considered to be part of the Thumb of...
until it was moved northward to end at BL I-94 (now BL I-69/BL I-94) in 1987.
The section of M-25 in the City of Bay City was named a history heritage route by the Michigan Department of Transportation
Michigan Department of Transportation
The Michigan Department of Transportation is a constitutional government agency in the US state of Michigan. The primary purpose of MDOT is to maintain the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interstate, US and state highways in Michigan with the exception of the Mackinac...
(MDOT). This designation was made on 10 23, 1997 for the section of M-25 along Center Avenue between Madison Avenue and the eastern city limits.