The congestion on US 131 and I-75 due to weekend travel up north is a challenge. It takes the joy out of vacation. Did you know there was a third option? US 127 is virtually untraveled. There are no traffic jams. No zipper merges. There are also stops for coffee, pie, apple cider, and a variety of jerked meats. It may be worth the few extra minutes added to your trip to avoid the stress of US 131 and I-75.
Seriously, I'm reporting this post as a violation of state secrets! Gonna LITERALLY add 3 minutes to my run up to Uncle John's this weekend!
Skip uncle John’s and go to Philips orchard for quality cider and donuts. Not to mention their hard ciders are so much better.
Bonus points: they now have a tap room in east Lansing.
You need more upvotes for Phillips. As someone who grew up in the area, it’s the superior cider and donuts
For "the Area". Parmentar's in Northville has the best Cider/Hard Cider in all of Michigan. Though I do wish they'd change the name of their hard cider.
Uncle johns is the mids of cider. Phillips is TOP SHELF
Their tap room is a blast, best thing to happen to frandor literally ever.
Uncle John's scrumpy is legitimately good hard cider. Never had Phillips, do they distribute to the West side of the state?
No, they are a very small family operation out of Lansing/St. Johns.
I 2nd this! US 127 is a North/South Hwy and kinda perfectly exists away from any metro areas aside from Lansing (and I guess Jackson).
As someone who grew up near Jackson, I appreciate the way you phrased this…
I think we need to kick em out…. What ya doin’ OP!?!?
Exactly!
Bruh it ain't even that good of a secret 127 isn't as sacred as this person is making it out to be tbh
Seriously. People know about it but the reason it's not used as much is because it's in BFE.
Is it a 2 lane highway?
Also be aware that traffic often slows and backs up on sundays near Clare southbound. Where M115 and west US10 rejoin 127 for a few miles
Oh yes I basically can’t leave e my neighborhood on Friday nights or Sundays because 115 traffic is so busy. People drive way too damn fast on 115. This isn’t 696. There’s no need to go that fast.
Side note, the 65mph limit on the 2 lane highway is nice, once you get over the terror of being so close to the other side. I do feel your pain, but I'll also happily zip by doing 68. :)
It’s 55 till you get past Cadillac. In between the us and Cadillac is 55 not 65. And the msp does not play games. They will light you up and ticket or impound and rightfully so. Drive the speed limit or don’t come up. There is a lot of deer and a lot of other variables. Is it really worth the ticket or an accident for you to get to your cottage or deer camp 2 mins faster.
I live up here. I know full well how to drive. My deer camp is my backyard, but if I want to drive 68mph north to Frankfort, I shall, I do, I will. I'm just not dumb enough to try it after the workday on Friday. All you flatlanders can enjoy your tickets. :) We go south, traffic free.
Just stop in Clare and go to Cops & Donuts then get directly on US-10 down fifth street and skip the congestion.
Huh?!
Traffic on US-127 can easily rival that of I-75 on a busy holiday weekend.
If anything, I’ve found US-131 to be the least travelled. Although it makes sense, since it’s significantly out of the way for the far majority of Michigan’s population.
Anyone who has lived in Lansing can tell you that 127 is absolutely not designed, at any point, for peak hours of traffic. That shit gets backed up pretty regularly.
And 127 also has a significant stretch of highway that's only 65 mph. There's not really any good argument for driving an hour from GR/Detroit just to start in Lansing.
I always wait in traffic on 127 for things to happen, an accident tomove, construction to finish in the winter, a guy to pick his deer hunt off the road
Has 127 had both lanes open for a decent stretch for the past decade? I swear they just take turns for each lane at a snail's pace.
And it was much much worse before they built the extension that goes around DeWitt and St John's.
Remember when it was a drive through the city instead of a detour by highway? Residents would sit out on their porches and watch the traffic crawl by on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. It was absurd to be part of the spectacle. Traffic backed up at the one traffic light for ages. One time I got out of our car, walked into a store and bought something, walked back out to my car, and my husband and kids had moved a whopping 5 meters in traffic in the meantime.
Yeah and that 65mph zone also has construction and a zipper merge last time I drove it lol
Speed limit's been 65 for a while so people are driving 75. Been 65 since like 2010.
It’s 75 for most of the stretch between Lansing and Mount Pleasant.
I should have been more clear, 65 on the non-limited access part, not 55 like MoraTacos had said before they fixed their "typo".
Okay I was like I just drove that last weekend did it change that recently? Is that why it felt like the autobahn and everyone was testing their max speeds? I had fun
Woops typo
I think the biggest advantage of 127 is that it's super easy to pop off one of the exits and have a relatively deserted rural road going north/south on either side. So if you spot traffic on google maps just hop off before hand, go 55mph for a bit on a side road, then hop back on. Usually only added an extra 15 minutes to any trip I took on a busy weekend.
So you’re saying if I shoot over to 127 (adds an hour) I can bypass some traffic (30 minutes saved time) from my regional north-south highway for a total of 30 additional minutes?! So much winning.
Except that requires you sitting in traffic on 696/96. This suggestion is only viable for those in the western burbs who already must travel west on 96 to get to 23/75 or just keep going further west to 127.
Less stress plus pie.
Less stress plus pie?!?! And you want everyone to know about this???
You own the pie shop, don't you? This is just an attempt to increase sales!
:-P
I just like pie
But that’s an added distraction (plus another 30 minutes)!
There's better pie up US 31 past Cadillac anyways, and if you're in GR that's the best way north. 131, cut across at Fife Lake into Elk Lake, then US 31 the rest of the way. ezpz, beautiful, and pie along your route!
Literally my mantra.
FYI - 127 between Jackson & Lansing has been under construction for the last 2 seasons.
Yes, it's been one lane both north and south for the probably almost a year at this point
131 and 75 are direct routes north from the state's two biggest population centers. Even with some congestion, they're still faster if, say, you're going from Grand Rapids to the UP, compared with driving laterally to get to 127.
In this regard, 127 is only really a good option if you're in Ann Arbor or the western suburbs of Detroit where it's just as efficient to take 96 to Lansing, or you're coming from Battle Creek or something.
My favorite part about this comment is how it seems like it's written with the assumption that nobody lives in Lansing.
I fucking love Lansing, my favorite town in this state.
I grew up here, and Lansing is... fine. Good enough, I guess. But I'm not sure what argument there is for Lansing being better than Grand Rapids or Ann Arbor. Or many of the nicer Detroit suburbs.
Cost of living. Essentially no traffic. Parking. Excellent public transit (by American small city standards). Central location allowing reasonable access to other areas of the state. Lots of parks and greenspace that are easy to access. LRT.
I won't say Lansing is better than GR, AA or metro Detroit, but there's plenty of reasons I prefer it to those areas
Lansing blows
I never thought of it that way. Thanks for the enlightening addition to the conversation at hand. You seem fun
Anytime
It really does super depressing. And heroin
It's not a suburb, so it's not comparable to those places in the same way they aren't comparable to some rural town. It's not better than GR or Detroit. It's better than AA in a few ways, but the biggest is affordability. It costs as much to live in AA as it does San Francisco. It's nicer, but it's full of yuppies. Lansing is a Blue Collar in a way that I like.
I love Lansing's blue collar backbone. Lansing is the sort of place that doesn't give a shit if you think those other places are better. We aren't interested in trying to be GR, AA or the Detroit Burbs. We do our thing here and no one is asking you to like it or live here.
Lol Detroit is better than all those places combined.
Toledo’s got you all beat- plus cheaper cigarettes!!
I just threw up at this comment
Oh good... cigarettes... how fun for you
🤮
Or go north and avoid all the cities. That’s my feeling on it.
Unfortunately the early retirees, remote execs, trust fundies and wine tourists are overwhelming the 45th.
I also grew up in Lansing and now live in Royal Oak. The Detroit Metro area has so much more to offer than Lansing. I’d basically never go back unless I had an amazing job offer or something.
Really?
Oh yeah. No idea why, maybe I'm over the modern city where everything looks alike. Lansing is just punk enough in places to feel like home.
If you dig it, that’s all that matters.
L take
Comparing the "catchment areas" for each route, (by which I mean, the areas where one route is preferred over another), 127 is the one with the fewest people in it, by a wide margin, because Lansing, while certainly not small, is not a big city. It's half the size of Grand Rapids, and there's no other even modest city in that zone.
131 has Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and everywhere in between. 75 (and 23) has Detroit, Flint, Ann Arbor, etc. except for those times when traffic really does render the extra time to slide over to 127 on 96 worthwhile.
To me it’s written with the assumption that no one from Lansing is driving to 75 or 131 to go north.
Detroit Metro is 4.5 million people
Grand Rapids Metro is just 1.1 million, but it's also the feeder route from Chicago, population 9.5 million
Lansing metro population is 500k
ok ok, here's my families cheat sheet for getting to Charlevoix from Grand Rapids:
we've been making this drive since the 50s and GPS confirms it is the fastest way.
Take 131 north to Fife Lake. This used to be Cadillac when 131 stopped just before there. Anyways, just past Fife Lake is Supply Road. Last I checked there's a giant willow tree and a single blinking yellow light. Turn left.
Take Supply Road through the state forest till Williamsburg Road. Veer right. Take this all the way up till it turns into Elk Lake road, and then follow that till you hit US 31. Take that into Charlevoix. From there you've got Traverse to the south, and Petosky/Mackinack/UP to the north, all up 31.
Traffic compared to 131 all the way up, or 75, or even 127 into the back roads is going to be far far less. This pathing works for anyone Lansing or west that wants to head north.
Ha, this sounds like my 88yr mom who prefers to take the back roads to M78 to M66 to M60 to US12 from Lansing to southern Berrien country rather than simply 69 to 94. More scenic and interesting? Yep. Less traffic? Yep. Faster? Err...
My wife takes every dirt road she can find when we are coming home from Lansing. Just head north. We'll hit 46 eventually.
My wife always jokes that I just take random roads.. but Michigan is entirely a grid system so just go north for a while and then go east for a while and eventually we'll end up at a road i recognize, or not. Sometimes that's the fun of it.
The first time I had to do that drive solo I did use my GPS and that's the way it took me. So maybe not "fastest" but definitely most efficient
You should absolutely take whatever route you most enjoy, but what's most efficient is going to vary depending on traffic, construction, weather, etc and 1 data point isn't enough to prove that out
As a Kalkaska county resident, this adds up.
User deleted comment
7mo
Shhh let me remember it as wooded, dark, and quiet.
No way. It's perfect as is.
Google takes me that way sometimes. Beautiful drive.
Most of the congestion from GR to Petoskey on 131 is within the radius of commuter communities.
Once you get past there, it’s fine. Getting out of the greater GR area in any direction is always the worst part.
Yep. Traffic in GR area drops right off at Cedar Springs exit when going north.
M-37 is the superior way north on the west side. Nearly as fast as 131, but much prettier and less traffic.
I love 37. I stop at Waldorff Brewpub in Hastings and Newaygo Brewing in, well, Newaygo whenever possible.
If you live in Western Detroit suburbs why would you pass 23N to go all the way to Lansing before heading back North?
It's not actually that much further, and so it doesn't take much traffic on 75/23 to make 127 the better option if 127 is not also busy. Dependent on your destination, of course.
It's still usually faster to take 23N from Ann Arbor to 75...
It's very often slower to go 94 or 96 West even when traffic is heavy on 75.
Google Maps is your friend.
Please stay off 127, I live next to it and I'm just trying to go visit my mom near Alma without dealing with half of the goddamned state going one way or the other.
Dude, take Wise road.
I take Crawford down sometimes but I wanna go 75
Go scots
Growing up I lived on Crawford Rd (the Warner Rd side), went to school in Alma, later moved to Mt Pleasant and now live in Shepherd. Howdy neighbor!
US 127 is virtually untraveled.
LOL what? That is the main way north from the Lansing area and there is tons of traffic on it. I travel down to Lansing from the Gaylord area regularly. Definitely traffic
Don’t forget Fr Wayne, Indianapolis, Toledo. Grew up in St Johns before the freeway was built. So many Indiana and Ohio cars used to drive through town.
Given what I've been experiencing on US 127 of late many are already taking your advice. The traffic encountered fell a bit short of your utopian enthusiasm. It's certainly true most drives can't claim the allure of alligator jerky. 😉
I feel like 127 is often the route of choice for Ohio...
Don’t forget Indiana.
What on earth are you talking about? I have seen a multitude of traffic jams on 127.
Growing up in Lansing 127, or 27 as it was called back then, always was our route north. There always seemed to be backups at the St. Johns stop light though.
They really should make it a proper highway and get rid of the intersections, etc.
In the 90s when 127 was extended to Lansing the St. Johns bottleneck was fixed. Now there is just a small section in northern Clinton and southern Gratiot counties that isn't limited access.
That small section feels like the longest part lol
Quit stopping at Uncle Johns Cider Mill and it goes by faster.
Maybe they will in another 30 years.
And then get off at 57 and head west a couple miles for some Mennonite pasties in Middleton
What?! Where? I used to drive across 57 all the time. Still do on occasion.
I forget the name but it’s this little place right across 57 from the Fulton school
It doesn’t need a name. I know the place of which you speak.
Just not on Sundays, they're closed then. My husband grew up in Middleton.
Virtually untraveled? Hardly. I live near there and travel it almost daily. Granted there are very few traffic jams unless there's construction but it certainly isn't an old dirt back road that nobody knows about. It's also not new. It was first built in 1926 and then extended in 2002. At the south end of Michigan, 127 starts near Waldron and goes north through Jackson, Lansing, St John's, Mt Pleasant, and Clare a d further north to where it merges in with I-75 just south of Grayling. This has been my main route to Michigan's Northland for 50 years.
It goes straight up the middle of the state (merges into I-75), I'm not sure how people cannot have heard of it...
I went to CMU. 127 all the way from lansing to mount pleasant
But it used to drop to 55. And it can get pretty packed because it’s only 2 lanes.
Now it’s 65, but everyone drives 80.
Unless you're my husband, he drives 90 and has never been pulled over.
Wrong - in the summer it’s bad going north on Friday’s and south on Sunday afternoons
Don't be fooled. I have been stuck in plenty of traffic jams on 127.
Of course I do that’s how I went back and forth from my hometown to MSU. Nice lil highway 😜
Life is too short to take anything other than 127. With a drive like that I prioritize comfort and sanity over ETA.
I try to drive over and take 131 up at least once a year to remind myself why I love 127... Especially the rest stop at 10!
This is valid
This post brought to you by the US 127 Chamber of Commerce Association. :-)
Stay off my commute wtf. There's enough traffic as is with all the construction
Why would you post this?
If it was true you’re trying to blow it for people that only have this as an option. But it’s not true, so you’re encouraging people to go out of their way to drive a two lane surface road that eventually turns into a highways that also gets backed up
One of us tells the truth. The other one lies.
Y’all sleeping on M66.
I’m not sure how you can say 127 is virtually untraveled.
I live east of Lansing and 127 is my route north.
I avoid Friday afternoons heading north and Sundays headed south because of the traffic.
Thankfully the long term construction in the St John’s area is thankfully mostly complete.
The St John’s stretch is also not controlled access so it has lower speeds and incredibly higher risk of accidents.
127 merges with 75 just south of Grayling. If you’re going further north it makes no difference from there onward.
127 feels like a death trap highway when there of traffic.
Just moved from metro Detroit to Lansing area and I love the benefit of traveling 127 instead of 75. Night and day! Now don’t tell others….
It’s a beautiful drive ( absent the orange cones/barrels )
I got diverted down 127 last weekend coming home from TC and it was delightful
I grew up in Jackson and always used 127 to get to places. It wasn't until I moved to Detroit that I used I75
Same re:127
( Family in Jackson, East Lansing, and the Irish Hills area. )
Reading this as I currently just placed barrels on 127 at 94 moving it down to one lane and messing with everyone's day...
THIS IS A LIE!!!! 127 is currently closed down for the next decade. You should use 131 or 75 instead.
Getting some Wrong Direction vibes.
And sometimes, garage sales
Jerked meats… lol
Shhh! Don't send that Metro traffic my way!
Living in Adrian we take 127 all the time
Shhhhhhhhhh. We don’t talk about that
Probably not the best time to post this when 127 has been down to 1 lane all summer. Some poor souls are going to get trapped in the backups.
Need to update it from St John's to Ithaca as a full freeway and build overpasses and exits
We take US 127 quite often!
Lol "basically untraveled"? I live less than 5 miles from 127 and it's far from untraveled!
Shush
I don't want to see anyone's meat when I stop on a road trip, jerked or otherwise. Please recommend family friendly highways only.
Shark meat. Ostrich meat. Python meat. Kangaroo meat. No man meat yet.
The Brick House, just south of Ithaca. I should try the gator.
Shush, you! Don’t tell anyone!
SHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Have you heard of this road that isn't congested? Let's make it congested.
Great logic you have there buddy.
Shut your goddamn mouth. Or stop typing in this case. :D
I was off French Rd trying to turn left on 127… not sure I agree with it being not busy.
…
You can’t turn left on 127 from French road.
You have to turn right, then get in the far left lane to turn left. And sit and wait for 10 minutes because the line of cars is solid.
Used it a few times when the grandparents lived on gun lake.
127 to 115 to 131 to 119. Go hit up that trail of trees in the fall even if you don't do any other touristy up-north stuff. I literally once did an entire day trip from Ann Arbor because I had the day off, my family was out of town, and it was fun.
Hey, that's my secret highway. It really is great for heading north or coming home.
One twenty seven absolutely gets backed up, especially when it's a two lane road and people are towing their giant RV's at 55mph.
I've only ever taken 131 once. Based on it, I'd do it again, but admit I might be unpleasantly surprised.
There are 100% traffic jams on 127. I'm in Lansing, it's my only route north.
127 doesn't get a lot of understanding because it's in the middle of the state and basically drops off outside of Jackson country going south.
However, a great route to take if you're going straight up!
Even if I know exactly where I’m going, I almost always use GPS simply because I know it will take me the quickest route. It’s rarely wrong
Does it take you to get pie?
Shut your god damn mouth!
Terrible suggestion. Tons of traffic, back ups and stops. You have to wonder sometimes about people
I drove on it yesterday, but I only went to Mount Pleasant.
I know about 127 because of Lansing. It sucks.
I wish it could be a better road for you.
I was in a rush when I posted this and realized I provided no reason for my comment. The reason why it goes relatively unused is because it truly does not connect the city particularly well. There’s constant construction that holds you back for hours at times, and it lends itself to the need for other freeways in the city, such as 496, which was built on a famous house that was once a landmark in the city. It just is not our favorite.
Until 127 merges with I-75
Just came down 127 still traffic haha and construction. But that’s everywhere
SILENCE!!! DO NOT GIVE AWAY OUR SECRETS! :P
I grew up in Lansing. I remember having to drive thru St John's to get to 127 northbound because it wasn't completed back then. 55mph until the Ithaca curve. MSP always sat there. Then bam, 65, but it was more like 75.
Lies! Lies!
Not just that but where I75 and US23 merge by I69 it gets super congested… but if you take I475 off I75 it speeds up the drive by about 10 minutes.
“Virtually untraveled” “No traffic jams”
Yeah no. You read that in a pamphlet with Cider House Mills music going on in the background.
Ask anyone who lives near or around lansing… 127 is not built for significant traffic volume. You also conveniently left out that it turns into “no longer a highway” in the middle of the state as well.
You don't deny that there is pie.
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Shhhh, quit telling our mid-state secrets!