Getting here
Getting up north
Most visitors drive up from Chicago, Detroit or Grand Rapids. Others cross Lake Michigan by ferry or fly into a regional airport. Here is how long the drive takes, the usual routes, and the best drives once you arrive.
Drive times
Estimated drive times from OpenStreetMap routing data, without traffic or stops. Summer Friday traffic and winter weather can add a lot.
| To | From Chicago | From Detroit | From Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Haven | 3 hr 30 min | 3 hr 30 min | 45 min |
| Muskegon | 3 hr 45 min | 3 hr 45 min | 50 min |
| Spring Lake | 3 hr 30 min | 3 hr 30 min | 40 min |
| Whitehall and Montague | 4 hr | 4 hr | 1 hr |
| Ludington | 4 hr 45 min | 4 hr 45 min | 1 hr 45 min |
| Manistee | 5 hr 15 min | 4 hr 45 min | 2 hr 15 min |
| Arcadia | 5 hr 45 min | 5 hr | 2 hr 45 min |
| Bear Lake | 5 hr 45 min | 5 hr | 2 hr 45 min |
| Kaleva | 5 hr 45 min | 4 hr 45 min | 2 hr 30 min |
| Onekama | 5 hr 30 min | 5 hr | 2 hr 30 min |
| Pentwater | 4 hr 30 min | 4 hr 30 min | 1 hr 30 min |
| Frankfort | 6 hr | 5 hr | 2 hr 45 min |
| Beulah | 6 hr | 4 hr 45 min | 2 hr 45 min |
| Empire | 6 hr 30 min | 5 hr 15 min | 3 hr |
| Glen Arbor | 6 hr 30 min | 5 hr 30 min | 3 hr 15 min |
| Honor | 6 hr | 5 hr | 2 hr 45 min |
| Leland | 6 hr 45 min | 5 hr 30 min | 3 hr 15 min |
| Cadillac | 5 hr | 4 hr | 1 hr 45 min |
| Traverse City | 6 hr | 4 hr 45 min | 2 hr 45 min |
| Elk Rapids | 6 hr 15 min | 4 hr 45 min | 2 hr 45 min |
| Interlochen | 6 hr | 4 hr 45 min | 2 hr 30 min |
| Northport | 6 hr 45 min | 5 hr 30 min | 3 hr 30 min |
| Suttons Bay | 6 hr 30 min | 5 hr 15 min | 3 hr |
| Charlevoix | 7 hr | 5 hr | 3 hr 30 min |
| Harbor Springs | 7 hr 15 min | 5 hr | 4 hr |
| Petoskey | 7 hr | 5 hr | 3 hr 45 min |
| Bay View | 7 hr | 5 hr | 3 hr 45 min |
| Boyne City | 6 hr 45 min | 4 hr 45 min | 3 hr 30 min |
| East Jordan | 6 hr 45 min | 4 hr 45 min | 3 hr 15 min |
| Walloon Lake | 6 hr 45 min | 4 hr 45 min | 3 hr 30 min |
| Mackinac IslandTo Mackinaw City, then a passenger ferry | 7 hr 30 min | 5 hr | 4 hr 15 min |
| Mackinaw City | 7 hr 30 min | 5 hr | 4 hr 15 min |
Times are rounded to 15 minutes. Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Routes by car
From Chicago
Getting here from ChicagoFrom Chicago, drivers round the south end of Lake Michigan on I-94, then follow I-196 and US-31 north along the Michigan shore.
From Detroit
Getting here from DetroitFrom Detroit, I-75 is the main road north to Gaylord, Petoskey and Mackinaw City, while I-96 leads west to US-31 and the Lake Michigan shore.
From Grand Rapids
Getting here from Grand RapidsFrom Grand Rapids, US-131 runs north through the middle of the state to Petoskey, and I-96 heads west to US-31 on the Lake Michigan shore.
From Milwaukee
Getting here from Milwaukee by ferryTwo car ferries cross Lake Michigan from Wisconsin, the Lake Express from Milwaukee to Muskegon and the S.S. Badger from Manitowoc to Ludington.
By ferry and rail
Not every trip up north has to start on the interstate. Two car ferries cross Lake Michigan from Wisconsin, passenger ferries are the usual way onto Mackinac Island, and an Amtrak line reaches Grand Rapids from Chicago. Schedules and fares change every season, so check each operator’s site before you plan around a sailing or a train.
Across Lake Michigan by car ferry
Lake Express (Milwaukee to Muskegon). The Lake Express is a high-speed catamaran running daily round trips between Milwaukee and Muskegon. It carries passengers and vehicles, with a drive-through vehicle deck, and accepts motorcycles and towable trailers within posted size limits. Its 2026 sailing season ran from May into October. In Muskegon the terminal is on Lakeshore Drive, and US-31 and I-96 are close by for the drive onward.
S.S. Badger (Manitowoc to Ludington). The Badger is a steamship that entered service in 1953 and carries passengers, cars, motorcycles, RVs, trailers, buses and commercial trucks between Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and Ludington. The operator lists a May through October season. The ship docks on Maritime Drive in Ludington, and the crossing moves from Central to Eastern time on the way east.
Ferries to Mackinac Island
Mackinac State Historic Parks notes that reaching Mackinac Island takes either a ferry or a plane, and the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau says day visitors can leave their cars in designated ferry parking lots in Mackinaw City or St. Ignace. The bureau and Mackinac State Historic Parks both name two passenger ferry companies: Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry and Arnold Transit Company. Both sail from Mackinaw City, on the Lower Peninsula side of the Mackinac Bridge, and from St. Ignace on the Upper Peninsula side.
The tourism bureau describes the main ferry season as late April through the end of October. Arnold Transit, which dates to 1878, also carries freight and bicycles and posts a separate winter schedule on its site. Shepler’s, part of the Hoffmann Family of Companies, also runs cruises and group tours. Ice can close the Straits in deep winter, and the tourism bureau notes that air taxis then become the way across.
Amtrak’s Pere Marquette
Amtrak’s Pere Marquette connects Chicago with Grand Rapids, with stops along the way that Amtrak names as St. Joseph and Holland. From Grand Rapids, travelers continue north by car on US-131 or toward the shore on I-96 and US-31. Traverse City Tourism also mentions an Indian Trails bus route that runs from Grand Rapids north through Traverse City to St. Ignace.
By air
Airline service into Traverse City, Pellston, Muskegon and Manistee, and general aviation fields across the region for private and charter flights.
| Airport | Town | Service | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) | Traverse City | Airlines | 7,016 ft |
| Manistee County Blacker Airport (MBL) | Manistee | Airlines | 5,501 ft |
| Muskegon County Airport (MKG) | Muskegon | Airlines | 6,500 ft |
| Pellston Regional Airport (PLN) | Pellston | Airlines | 6,513 ft |
| Antrim County Airport (ACB) | Bellaire | General aviation | 5,003 ft |
| Beaver Island Airport (SJX) | Beaver Island | General aviation | 4,299 ft |
| Boyne City Municipal Airport (N98) | Boyne City | General aviation | 4,001 ft |
| Boyne Mountain Airport (BFA) | Boyne Falls | General aviation | 5,187 ft |
| Charlevoix Municipal Airport (CVX) | Charlevoix | General aviation | 4,549 ft |
| East Jordan City Airport (Y94) | East Jordan | General aviation | 3,250 ft |
| Frankfort Dow Memorial Field (FKS) | Frankfort | General aviation | 4,050 ft |
| Grand Haven Memorial Airpark (3GM) | Grand Haven | General aviation | 3,752 ft |
| Harbor Springs Airport (MGN) | Harbor Springs | General aviation | 4,149 ft |
| Mackinac Island Airport (MCD) | Mackinac Island | General aviation | 3,501 ft |
| Mason County Airport (LDM) | Ludington | General aviation | 5,003 ft |
| Oceana County Airport (C04) | Hart and Shelby | General aviation | 3,500 ft |
| Welke Airport (6Y8) | Beaver Island | General aviation | 3,500 ft |
| Wexford County Airport (CAD) | Cadillac | General aviation | 5,001 ft |
| William B. Bolton Airport (Y87) | Empire | General aviation | 2,600 ft |
| Woolsey Memorial Airport (5D5) | Northport | General aviation | 3,663 ft |
Airports
20 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Four airports along the West Michigan shore and in the northern Lower Peninsula have scheduled commercial flights. Most of their routes run to Chicago or Detroit, where travelers connect to the rest of the country. Airline lineups change, so confirm current service on the airport and airline sites before you book.
Cherry Capital Airport, Traverse City (TVC)
Cherry Capital serves Traverse City and the surrounding area, and Traverse City Tourism describes it as the third busiest airport in Michigan. The airport’s own site lists six airlines: Allegiant, American, Delta, JetBlue, Sun Country and United. Its destination list includes Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Denver, Dallas and Fort Worth, Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, both Washington DC airports (Dulles and Reagan), Newark, Philadelphia, New York LaGuardia, Boston, Phoenix-Mesa, Punta Gorda, St. Pete-Clearwater and Orlando. Traverse City Tourism notes that many of these routes are seasonal, with year-round connections through Detroit and Chicago. The airport broke ground on a second terminal in April 2026.
From the airport, Traverse City Tourism points travelers to BATA, the regional bus system, and to the Benzie Bus airport service for trips into Benzie County.
Pellston Regional Airport (PLN)
Pellston Regional, a department of Emmet County, serves the Petoskey and Harbor Springs area and the Straits of Mackinac. The county’s airport page lists Delta Air Lines and United Airlines for booking and describes daily flights to and from Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau notes that shuttle services run from Pellston to the ferry docks in Mackinaw City.
Muskegon County Airport (MKG)
Muskegon County Airport sits at the southern end of the region. According to the airport’s site, Denver Air Connection flies daily jet service to Chicago O’Hare, and the airline shares baggage and ticketing agreements with American, United and Delta, so connecting itineraries can be booked through those carriers.
Manistee County Blacker Airport (MBL)
Pure Ludington lists Manistee’s airport among those serving the Ludington area. The airport’s site lists Contour Airlines with daily jet service to Chicago O’Hare, where Contour’s interline partners (American, Alaska, JetBlue and United) connect passengers onward.
Other airports nearby
Pure Ludington also lists Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids and Mason County Airport near Ludington among the airports that serve the area. For the Straits, Mackinac State Historic Parks lists Mackinac County Airport in St. Ignace and Mackinac Island Airport alongside Pellston.
Flying to Mackinac Island
Mackinac State Historic Parks notes that reaching the island takes either a ferry or a plane. For the plane, the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau describes an air taxi service from St. Ignace and charter flights to the island’s airport from airports around Michigan, along with private planes. In winter, when ice closes the Straits to ferries, the bureau notes that flying can be the only way to reach the island.
Scenic drives
US-31, M-119
M-119 Tunnel of Trees from Harbor Springs to Cross VillageThe narrow, winding shoreline stretch of M-119 north of Harbor Springs through Good Hart to Cross Village, a designated scenic byway.
M-22, M-109
M-22 around the Leelanau PeninsulaThe designated byway loop from Traverse City up the bay side to Northport, then down the Lake Michigan side through Leland, Glen Arbor and Empire.
M-37
M-37 up the Old Mission PeninsulaAn out-and-back drive on Center Road along the ridge of the Old Mission Peninsula, ending at Mission Point Lighthouse near the tip.
US-31, BUS US-31, US-10
The West Michigan Pike from Grand Haven to LudingtonThe northern stretch of the West Michigan Pike byway, following US-31 and its business loops past Muskegon, White Lake and Pentwater to Ludington.
Scenic drive
Muskegon County fall color drive on the West Michigan PikeVisit Muskegon's self-guided fall color route along the historic West Michigan Pike, linking lakeshore parks, dunes and lighthouses north to White Lake.
US-31
US-31 from Traverse City to PetoskeyA shoreline run on the Lake Michigan Circle Tour past Elk Rapids and Charlevoix to Petoskey on Little Traverse Bay.
Day trips
From Manistee
Manistee to Arcadia, Frankfort and Point BetsieNorth on the M-22 byway from Manistee past Portage Lake and Arcadia Dunes to Frankfort, Elberta and the Point Betsie Lighthouse.
From Petoskey
Petoskey to Mackinaw City and the StraitsNorth on US-31 from Petoskey through Alanson and Pellston to Mackinaw City, with the Mackinac Bridge, Colonial Michilimackinac and ferries to Mackinac Island.
From Traverse City
Traverse City to Sleeping Bear Dunes and Glen ArborWest on M-72 to the national lakeshore at Empire, then the M-109 loop past the dunes and Glen Haven to Glen Arbor before heading back.
From Charlevoix
Charlevoix around Lake Charlevoix to East Jordan and Boyne CityA loop from Charlevoix down the South Arm on M-66 to East Jordan, across on the Ironton Ferry to Boyne City, and back along the north shore.
From Ludington
Ludington to Ludington State Park and Big Sable PointOut and back on M-116 along the Lake Michigan dunes to Ludington State Park, with a walk to Big Sable Point Lighthouse.
Bringing a boat, a sled or a fishing rod? See licenses and passes.
Planning several days? See our trip ideas.