.gif)
M-33 (Michigan highway)
Encyclopedia
M-33 is a north–south state trunkline highway
in the US state of Michigan
that runs from Interstate 75
(I-75) at Alger in Arenac County
north to M-27
near Cheboygan
. In between, the trunkline runs through rural sections of the northeastern Lower Peninsula
including state and national forest areas. M-33 connects to a handful of parks and crosses several of the rivers in that section of the state. It runs concurrently
with three other state highways, sharing pavement to connect through several small communities of Northern Michigan
.
M-33 was designated by 1919 along a section of the current highway between Mio
and Atlanta
. The highway also included roadway segments south of Mio that are now parts of other trunklines. The portion south of Mio was rerouted in mid 1920s, transferring sections to M-72
in the process. The state started extending M-33 in both directions in 1930s. The current highway segment between Onaway
and Cheboygan was the former route of US Highway 23
(US 23) until 1940 when the latter highway was realigned onto an alignment that runs along Lake Huron
. Several minor changes have been made to M-33's routing since the 1950s to straighten out curves or finish paving the highway.
and Old 76 Road before turning north. The highway runs north parallel to the Rifle River
across the Arenac–Ogemaw County
line. It meets the eastern terminus of F-18 and continues through woodland to an intersection with M-55
east of West Branch
. North of the junction, the environment transitions to farm land that borders the edge of the Au Sable State Forest
to the Rose City
area. North of Rose City, M-33 crosses into the Huron National Forest as the highway continues due north into Oscoda County
, passing Mack Lake campground.
M-33 follows Morenci Avenue into the center of Mio where the highway joins M-72 south of Mio Pond, and they run concurrently
together across the Mio Pond section of the Au Sable River
out of town. On the north side of the river, F-32 merges in from the east and the three roadway designations run concurrently north. The highway continues to a sweeping 90° turn east near Smith Lake. F-32 separates to turn west and M-33/M-72 turns eastward. The trunkline continues to Fairview
where M-33 turns north, leaving the M-72 concurrency to continue northward. M-33 crosses into the Mackinaw State Forest
and passes through Comins. North of that unincorporated community, the highway curves northeast, east and back north to cross into Montmorency County
. Before reaching M-32
, M-33 crosses the Thunder Bay River
. After the river, M-33 turns westward along M-32 to the community of Atlanta. The highway passes near the Atlanta Municipal Airport
as it enters the community. In the middle of town, M-33 turns back north. The highway provides access to the Clear Lake State Park
in northern Montmorency County before crossing into Presque Isle County
.
M-33 parallels the Cheboygan
– Presque Isle county line as it runs northward along the Black River
to Onaway
. Once in town, M-33 turns west with M-68
toward Cheboygan County. The highway passes through Tower, and a junction with F-05, before it continues west to the Afton area. There M-33 turns north one last time, running along the east shore of Mullett Lake
past Aloha and M-212
; M-212 is the shortest highway in Michigan that provides access to Aloha State Park
. North of Aloha, M-33 crosses the Cheboygan River
and meets M-27
, the location of its northern terminus south of Cheboygan
.
The Michigan Department of Transportation
(MDOT) maintains M-33 like all other state trunkline highways in the state. As a part of these maintenance responsibilities, the department tracks traffic volumes using a metric called average annual daily traffic (AADT). This figure is a calculation of the traffic along a roadway segment for any average day of the year. In MDOT's surveys in 2009, they found that the peak AADT along M-33 was the 6,928 vehicles a day along a section of the M-72 concurrency. The lowest traffic counts were measured immediately south of the Onaway city limits at 956 vehicles daily. The only section of M-33 that has been listed on the National Highway System
(NHS) is the segment concurrent with M-32 in Montmorency County. The NHS is a network of roads important to the country's defense, economy and mobility.
east of Roscommon
using segments of what are now M-72 and M-144. By 1927, the southern section from Fairview to Roscommon was redesignated as a part of M-72. M-33 was shifted to run south of Mio to Rose City instead, creating the M-33/M-72 concurrency in the process. An extension was added by the end of the decade southward to M-55 at Campbell, a former community east of Selkirk in Ogemaw County
. An earthen highway extension of M-33 north of Atlanta to US 23 at Onaway was opened in 1934. A few years later in 1938, M-55 was realigned to follow a more direct path east of West Branch
. At the same time, M-33 was extended south by a few miles to the new roadway south of Campbell and Selkirk. A lengthy northern extension was added to M-33 in 1940 when US 23 was moved to a route along the Lake Huron shoreline between Rogers City
and Cheboygan. The former route of US 23 between the Afton area and Rogers City was redesignated as a discontinuous section of M-68, and M-33 was extended westward from Onaway along that highway to Afton and north to US 27 (now M-27) near Cheboygan, creating the M-33/M-68 concurrency in southern Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties. By 1945, M-33 was extended southward again, this time to terminate at M-76
in Alger.
The Michigan State Highway Department rerouted M-33/M-72 near Fairview in late 1951 or early 1952, turning the former route back to local control. The last section of M-33 was paved in southern Cheboygan County in the late 1950s. The southern end was extended slightly to end at the M-76 freeway that opened between Alger and Standish
; that freeway was redesignated as part of I-75 in 1974. A minor realignment of M-32/M-33 east of Atlanta smoothed out some curves in the road in 1996.
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"....
that runs from Interstate 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...
(I-75) at Alger in Arenac County
Arenac County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 17,269 people, 6,710 households, and 4,717 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 9,563 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
north to M-27
M-27 (Michigan highway)
M-27 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the extreme north of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The route runs between Interstate 75 just north of Indian River and Cheboygan, where it meets US Highway 23 near Lake Huron...
near Cheboygan
Cheboygan, Michigan
Cheboygan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,295. It is the county seat of Cheboygan County....
. In between, the trunkline runs through rural sections of the northeastern 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...
including state and national forest areas. M-33 connects to a handful of parks and crosses several of the rivers in that section of the state. It runs concurrently
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with three other state highways, sharing pavement to connect through several small communities of Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...
.
M-33 was designated by 1919 along a section of the current highway between Mio
Mio, Michigan
Mio is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Oscoda County and is situated along the boundary between Mentor Township on the east and Big Creek Township on the west....
and Atlanta
Atlanta, Michigan
Atlanta is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan, along the 45th parallel. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population was 757 at the 2000 census...
. The highway also included roadway segments south of Mio that are now parts of other trunklines. The portion south of Mio was rerouted in mid 1920s, transferring sections to M-72
M-72 (Michigan highway)
M-72 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan, running from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan across the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. The highway connects M-22 in Empire with US Highway 23 in Harrisville. It is one of only three Michigan state trunklines that cross the Lower...
in the process. The state started extending M-33 in both directions in 1930s. The current highway segment between Onaway
Onaway, Michigan
Onaway is a city in Presque Isle County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 933 at the 2000 census. Onaway is the Sturgeon Capital of Michigan.-Commercial airports:...
and Cheboygan was the former route of US Highway 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...
(US 23) until 1940 when the latter highway was realigned onto an alignment that runs along 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...
. Several minor changes have been made to M-33's routing since the 1950s to straighten out curves or finish paving the highway.
Route description
M-33 starts at exit 202 on I-75 near Alger. From there it crosses a branch of the Lake State RailwayLake State Railway
Lake State Railway is a railroad operating in the northeast quadrant of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The railroad moves large quantities of aggregate and limestone....
and Old 76 Road before turning north. The highway runs north parallel to the Rifle River
Rifle River
Rifle River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It rises in northeastern Ogemaw County and flows through Arenac County to enter Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron. Once a logging river during the Michigan forestry boom at the turn of the 20th century, the river is now primarily used for recreation,...
across the Arenac–Ogemaw County
Ogemaw County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,645 people, 8,842 households, and 6,189 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 15,404 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile...
line. It meets the eastern terminus of F-18 and continues through woodland to an intersection with M-55
M-55 (Michigan highway)
M-55 is a state trunkline highway in the northern part of the US state of Michigan. M-55 is one of only three state highways that extend across the Lower Peninsula from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan; the others are M-46 and M-72. The highway crosses through rural forest and farmlands to connect...
east of West Branch
West Branch, Michigan
West Branch is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,926. It is the county seat of Ogemaw County. The city is located within West Branch Township, but is politically independent.-History:...
. North of the junction, the environment transitions to farm land that borders the edge of the Au Sable State Forest
Au Sable State Forest
The Au Sable State Forest is a state forest in the north-central Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources....
to the Rose City
Rose City, Michigan
Rose City is a city in Ogemaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 653 at the 2010 census. Houghton Creek, a tributary of the Rifle River, runs through part of the city limits.-Geography:...
area. North of Rose City, M-33 crosses into the Huron National Forest as the highway continues due north into Oscoda County
Oscoda County, Michigan
See also: List of counties bordering eight counties-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,418 people, 3,921 households, and 2,717 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile . There were 8,690 housing units at an average density of 15 per...
, passing Mack Lake campground.
M-33 follows Morenci Avenue into the center of Mio where the highway joins M-72 south of Mio Pond, and they run concurrently
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
together across the Mio Pond section of the Au Sable River
Au Sable River (Michigan)
The Au Sable River in Michigan runs approximately through the northern Lower Peninsula, through the towns of Grayling and Mio, and enters Lake Huron at Oscoda. It is considered one of the best brown trout fisheries east of the Rockies and has been designated a blue ribbon trout stream by the...
out of town. On the north side of the river, F-32 merges in from the east and the three roadway designations run concurrently north. The highway continues to a sweeping 90° turn east near Smith Lake. F-32 separates to turn west and M-33/M-72 turns eastward. The trunkline continues to Fairview
Fairview, Michigan
Fairview is an unincorporated community in Comins Township, Oscoda County in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is at the intersection of routes M-33 and M-72 at...
where M-33 turns north, leaving the M-72 concurrency to continue northward. M-33 crosses into the Mackinaw State Forest
Mackinaw State Forest
The Mackinaw State Forest is a forested area owned by the U.S. state of Michigan and operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. It is located in the northern area of the Lower Peninsula within the eight counties of Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Montmorency, Otsego,...
and passes through Comins. North of that unincorporated community, the highway curves northeast, east and back north to cross into Montmorency County
Montmorency County, Michigan
-Michigan State trunklines:* M-32* M-33-Michigan State trunkline business loops:* Business M-32 is short, disconnected route in the village of Hillman.-Montmorency County intercounty highways:* F-01* F-21-Demographics:...
. Before reaching M-32
M-32 (Michigan highway)
M-32 is a state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is an east–west route running from M-66 in East Jordan to US Highway 23 in Alpena. It runs via Gaylord and Atlanta through forested terrain...
, M-33 crosses the Thunder Bay River
Thunder Bay River
The Thunder Bay River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It drains much of Alpena County and Montmorency County, and a small portion of Oscoda County, into Thunder Bay on the eastern side of northern Michigan...
. After the river, M-33 turns westward along M-32 to the community of Atlanta. The highway passes near the Atlanta Municipal Airport
Atlanta Municipal Airport (Michigan)
Atlanta Municipal Airport is a public airport located one mile southeast of the central business district of Atlanta, in Montmorency County, Michigan, United States. The airport is owned by Briley Township and Avery Township...
as it enters the community. In the middle of town, M-33 turns back north. The highway provides access to the Clear Lake State Park
Clear Lake State Park (Michigan)
Clear Lake State Park is a state park in Michigan. Located in elk country, the park is a secluded retreat offering a sandy beach and a shallow swimming area that is ideal for children...
in northern Montmorency County before crossing into Presque Isle County
Presque Isle County, Michigan
Presque Isle County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 14,411. The county seat is Rogers City....
.
M-33 parallels the Cheboygan
Cheboygan County, Michigan
-Commercial Airline:There are no commercial airline airports in Cheboygan County but the nearest ones are Alpena County Regional Airport, Chippewa County International Airport , and Cherry Capital Airport...
– Presque Isle county line as it runs northward along the Black River
Black River (Cheboygan County)
Black River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan, flowing mostly northward through four Northern Michigan counties: Otsego, Montmorency, Presque Isle, and Cheboygan. The Black River flows into the Cheboygan River at , just south of the city of Cheboygan...
to Onaway
Onaway, Michigan
Onaway is a city in Presque Isle County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 933 at the 2000 census. Onaway is the Sturgeon Capital of Michigan.-Commercial airports:...
. Once in town, M-33 turns west with M-68
M-68 (Michigan highway)
M-68 is an east–west state trunkline highway located in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The western terminus of the highway begins four miles east of the Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan and ends a few blocks from Lake Huron in Rogers City...
toward Cheboygan County. The highway passes through Tower, and a junction with F-05, before it continues west to the Afton area. There M-33 turns north one last time, running along the east shore of Mullett Lake
Mullett Lake
Mullett Lake is a lake in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The lake is named after John Mullett, who, together with William A. Burt, made a federal survey of the area from 1840 to 1843. A neighboring lake was named after Burt. Historically, Mullett Lake has been recorded as Mullet...
past Aloha and M-212
M-212 (Michigan highway)
M-212 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. M-212 was designated in order to provide access from M-33 to both the small community of Aloha on the eastern shore of Mullett Lake, as well as to Aloha State Park, where the highway ends. M-212 is the shortest state highway in...
; M-212 is the shortest highway in Michigan that provides access to Aloha State Park
Aloha State Park
Aloha State Park is a state park in Cheboygan County, Michigan on the northeast side of Mullett Lake. Mullett Lake is at the center of the Inland Lakes Waterways; campsites are near the park's boat launch for those traveling this route....
. North of Aloha, M-33 crosses the Cheboygan River
Cheboygan River
The Cheboygan River is a short but significant river in the Lake Huron drainage basin of the U.S. state of Michigan. in length, the Cheboygan River flows from the north end of Mullett Lake at to the Straits of Mackinac at . The river forms the boundary between Benton Township and Inverness...
and meets M-27
M-27 (Michigan highway)
M-27 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the extreme north of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The route runs between Interstate 75 just north of Indian River and Cheboygan, where it meets US Highway 23 near Lake Huron...
, the location of its northern terminus south of Cheboygan
Cheboygan, Michigan
Cheboygan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,295. It is the county seat of Cheboygan County....
.
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) maintains M-33 like all other state trunkline highways in the state. As a part of these maintenance responsibilities, the department tracks traffic volumes using a metric called average annual daily traffic (AADT). This figure is a calculation of the traffic along a roadway segment for any average day of the year. In MDOT's surveys in 2009, they found that the peak AADT along M-33 was the 6,928 vehicles a day along a section of the M-72 concurrency. The lowest traffic counts were measured immediately south of the Onaway city limits at 956 vehicles daily. The only section of M-33 that has been listed on the National Highway System
National Highway System (United States)
The National Highway System is a network of strategic highways within the United States, including the Interstate Highway System and other roads serving major airports, ports, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals and other strategic transport facilities.Individual states...
(NHS) is the segment concurrent with M-32 in Montmorency County. The NHS is a network of roads important to the country's defense, economy and mobility.
History
M-33 was first designated by July 1, 1919. It ran along the current routing from Mio north to M-32 east of Atlanta. The highway also ran south of Mio to M-76M-76 (Michigan highway)
M-76 is a former state trunkline highway designation in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The highway's designation was decommissioned when the last section of it was converted to freeway as a part of the present-day Interstate 75 . At that time, M-76 extended from US Highway 23 ...
east of Roscommon
Roscommon, Michigan
Roscommon is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,133. It is the county seat of Roscommon County....
using segments of what are now M-72 and M-144. By 1927, the southern section from Fairview to Roscommon was redesignated as a part of M-72. M-33 was shifted to run south of Mio to Rose City instead, creating the M-33/M-72 concurrency in the process. An extension was added by the end of the decade southward to M-55 at Campbell, a former community east of Selkirk in Ogemaw County
Ogemaw County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,645 people, 8,842 households, and 6,189 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 15,404 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile...
. An earthen highway extension of M-33 north of Atlanta to US 23 at Onaway was opened in 1934. A few years later in 1938, M-55 was realigned to follow a more direct path east of West Branch
West Branch, Michigan
West Branch is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,926. It is the county seat of Ogemaw County. The city is located within West Branch Township, but is politically independent.-History:...
. At the same time, M-33 was extended south by a few miles to the new roadway south of Campbell and Selkirk. A lengthy northern extension was added to M-33 in 1940 when US 23 was moved to a route along the Lake Huron shoreline between Rogers City
Rogers City, Michigan
-Commercial airports:The nearest commercial airports are Alpena County Regional Airport an Cherry Capital Airport -US Highway Business Loops:* BUS US 23-Intercounty Highways:* F-21-Demographics:...
and Cheboygan. The former route of US 23 between the Afton area and Rogers City was redesignated as a discontinuous section of M-68, and M-33 was extended westward from Onaway along that highway to Afton and north to US 27 (now M-27) near Cheboygan, creating the M-33/M-68 concurrency in southern Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties. By 1945, M-33 was extended southward again, this time to terminate at M-76
M-76 (Michigan highway)
M-76 is a former state trunkline highway designation in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The highway's designation was decommissioned when the last section of it was converted to freeway as a part of the present-day Interstate 75 . At that time, M-76 extended from US Highway 23 ...
in Alger.
The Michigan State Highway Department rerouted M-33/M-72 near Fairview in late 1951 or early 1952, turning the former route back to local control. The last section of M-33 was paved in southern Cheboygan County in the late 1950s. The southern end was extended slightly to end at the M-76 freeway that opened between Alger and Standish
Standish, Michigan
Standish is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,581. It is the county seat of Arenac County.The town was platted by John D. Standish in 1871...
; that freeway was redesignated as part of I-75 in 1974. A minor realignment of M-32/M-33 east of Atlanta smoothed out some curves in the road in 1996.