This map features nothing but US Highways. Michigan is, of course, always easy to find on maps, so can you do it with just the US Highways in the state?

We should be clear right up front what exactly a US Highways is - these are the roads that are part of the United States Numbered Highway System. They have distinctive white shields with black letters. US Highways in Michigan include US 2, US 10, US 31, US 23.... So the map does not include interstates like I-75, I-94 and I-96. Nor does it include state routes like M-1, M-22 or M-28.

Picking out the highways on the map is fairly easy if you know what you're looking for. US 31 runs up the Lake Michigan shoreline making the west side of the Lower Peninsula well defined. US 23 is its east-side counterpart. Following that roadway south from Mackinaw City, the curve along Lake Huron around Alpena is evident, but the route turns inland to run through Saginaw and Flint leaving the Thumb undefined. Interestingly enough, there was once a US Highway that ran the loop of the thumb, US 25. However it is no longer a US route and now a state highway with the same number.

The two lines running north through the Lower Peninsula are US 131 on the left and US 127 on the right.

In the Upper Peninsula, things are a little more undefined. US 2 runs east west with US 41 is the tail sticking up representing that roadways travel into the Keweenaw Peninsula.

In Metro Detroit you'll find the stubby endings of two highways, US 24, better known locally as Telegraph, runs north to near Pontiac while US 12 ends in downtown Detroit.

The entire map, and its fascinating animation to watch, was created by reddit user tns22x, and you can see it here.

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