View source for M-27 (Michigan highway)

{{short description|State highway in Michigan, United States}}
{{about|the Michigan state trunkline highway|the former U.S. Highway|U.S. Route 27 in Michigan}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox road
|state=MI
|type=M
|route=27
|map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=290|frame-lat=45.545674|frame-long=-84.542130|zoom=10|type=line|from=M-27 (Michigan highway).map}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=M-27 highlighted in red
|length_mi=16.763
|length_ref=<ref name="PRFA"/>
|established=Late 1961<ref name=MSHD61/><ref name=MSHD62/>
|direction_a=South
|terminus_a={{jct|state=MI|I|75}} near [[Indian River, Michigan|Indian River]]
|junction={{jct|state=MI|M|33}} near [[Aloha, Michigan|Aloha]]
|direction_b=North
|terminus_b={{jct|state=MI|US|23|CDH|C-66|county2=Cheboygan}} in [[Cheboygan, Michigan|Cheboygan]]
|counties=[[Cheboygan County, Michigan|Cheboygan]]
|previous_type=US
|previous_route=27
|next_type=M
|next_route=28
}}
'''M-27''' is a north–south [[Michigan State Trunkline Highway System|state trunkline highway]] in the extreme north of the [[Lower Peninsula of Michigan|Lower Peninsula]] of the US state of [[Michigan]]. The trunkline runs between [[Interstate 75 in Michigan|Interstate 75]] (I-75) just north of [[Indian River, Michigan|Indian River]] and [[Cheboygan, Michigan|Cheboygan]], where it meets [[U.S. Route 23 in Michigan|US Highway 23]] (US&nbsp;23) near [[Lake Huron]].  It remains as a relic of the old [[U.S. Route 27 in Michigan|US&nbsp;27]] which disappeared north of [[Grayling, Michigan|Grayling]] after being supplanted by I-75, which lies close to old US&nbsp;27 between Grayling and Indian River.

==Route description==
[[File:M-27 (Michigan highway) southern terminus.jpg|thumb|left|Southern terminus at I-75 north of Indian River]]
I-75 takes a more direct route between Indian River and Mackinaw City. M-27 follows old US&nbsp;27 through [[Topinabee, Michigan|Topinabee]] and Cheboygan. With US&nbsp;23 it is a scenic, if indirect, alternative to I-75 on its approach to the [[Mackinac Bridge]]. M-27 runs along the western shore of [[Mullett Lake]] and forms the main street of Topinabee. The highway intersects [[M-33 (Michigan highway)|M-33]] near the [[confluence]] of the [[Cheboygan River|Cheboygan]] and [[Black River (Cheboygan County)|Black]] rivers. North of the M-33 junction, M-27 runs parallel to the Cheboygan River on the west river bank into downtown Cheboygan.<ref name="MDOT14">{{cite MDOT map |year= 2014 |section= E11}}</ref><ref name=google/>

M-27 has the local road name of Main Street in Cheboygan and Straits Highway outside of the city. State Street (US&nbsp;23) and Main Street (M-27) form the two major streets in the Cheboygan street grid. The main downtown businesses are located along Main Street south to the city limits.<ref name="google">{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=M-27+N&daddr=S+Main+St&hl=en&geocode=FQuMtQIdnvP0-g%3BFbODuAId9QP3-g&mra=ls&sll=45.642128,-84.477868&sspn=0.028053,0.029097&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=12 |title=Overview Map of M-27 |access-date=January 26, 2008 }}</ref> The highway has not been listed on the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]],<ref name=NHS-MI>{{cite map|author=Michigan Department of Transportation |title=National Highway System, Michigan |date=April 23, 2006 |location=Lansing |publisher=Michigan Department of Transportation |url=http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT_NHS_Statewide_150626_7.pdf |format=PDF |scale=Scale not given |access-date=October 7, 2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004040152/http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDOT_NHS_Statewide_150626_7.pdf |archive-date=October 4, 2012 |df= }}</ref> a network of roads important to the country's defense, economy and mobility.<ref name=NHS>{{cite web |first1= Stefan |last1= Natzke |first2= Mike |last2= Neathery |first3= Kevin |last3= Adderly |name-list-style= amp  |url= https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/ |title= What is the National Highway System? |work= National Highway System |publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]] |date= November 17, 2014 |access-date= January 1, 2015}}</ref>

==History==
===Previous alignment===
This is the second time a highway was designated M-27 in Michigan. The original M-27 was located in [[The Thumb]], running from the Mount Clemens area east and north through New Baltimore to Port Huron. There it ran through Carsonville and Minden City to Harbor Beach and along Lake Huron to Port Austin. This version of M-27 was designated by July 1, 1919,<ref name="MSHD19LP">{{cite MDOT map |date= 1919-07-01L }}</ref> and would last until 1926. All  of the original M-27 was given to other contemporary highways including [[M-29 (Michigan highway)|M-29]] (Mount Clemens to Port Huron), [[M-51 (Michigan highway)|M-51]] (Port Huron to M-83), and M-29 (Harbor Beach to Port Austin).<ref name=MSHD26-12>{{cite MDOT map |date=1926-12-01 }}</ref>

===Current alignment===
[[File:2009-0618-Cheboygan-KingstonTheater.jpg|thumb|left|Kingston Theatre downtown Cheboygan on M-27 (Main Street)|alt=Photograph]]
In the late 1950s, US&nbsp;27 was the main highway connection between [[Grayling, Michigan|Grayling]], [[Gaylord, Michigan|Gaylord]], and Cheboygan.<ref name="MSHD57-10">{{cite MDOT map |date=1957-10-01 |sections=E11–G10}}</ref> After the construction of the [[Mackinac Bridge]], US&nbsp;27 was extended north to [[St. Ignace, Michigan|St. Ignace]].<ref name="MSHD58">{{cite MDOT map |year=1958 |section=E10}}</ref> The construction of I-75 in the early 1960s rendered the northern portion of US&nbsp;27 obsolete. Between [[Grayling, Michigan|Grayling]] and Indian River, I-75 replaced US&nbsp;27 as the main highway in the area. North of Indian River, I-75 was built along a different routing. Where US&nbsp;27 ran northwest through Topinabee to Cheboygan and then [[concurrency (road)|concurrently]] along US&nbsp;23 to Mackinaw City, I-75 was built due north of Indian River before turning northwest parallel and several miles inland from [[Lake Huron]], bypassing Cheboygan completely.<ref name=MSHD61>{{cite MDOT map |year=1961 |link= yes |sections=E11–G10}}</ref> M-27 was designated in the latter half of 1961 on the current alignment replacing US&nbsp;27 which was truncated back to Grayling.<ref name=MSHD61/><ref name=MSHD62>{{cite MDOT map |year= 1962 |sections=E11–G10}}</ref>  Today, the stretch from Grayling to about Wolverine is known as Old&nbsp;27, and from there to Indian River, it is called Straits Highway.<ref name="google"/>

==Major intersections==
{{MIinttop|ref=<ref name="PRFA">{{cite MDOT PRFA |link= yes |access-date= April 9, 2010}}</ref>|county=Cheboygan}}
{{MIint
|location=Mullett Township
|mile=0.000
|road={{jct|state=MI|I|75|city1=Saginaw|location2=[[Mackinac Bridge]]}}<br />Straits Highway south&nbsp;– [[Indian River, Michigan|Indian River]]
|notes=Exit&nbsp;313 on I-75; roadway continues as Straits Highway
}}
{{MIint
|location=Inverness Township
|lspan=2
|mile=13.309
|road={{jct|state=MI|M|33|city1=Onaway|dir1=south}}
|notes=Northern terminus of M-33}}
{{MIint
|mile=14.130
|road={{jct|state=MI|CDH|C-64|county1=Cheboygan|name1=VFW Road|dir1=west}}
|notes=Eastern terminus of C-64}}
{{MIint
|location=Cheboygan
|mile=16.763
|road={{jct|state=MI|US|23|Tour|LHCT|city1=Mackinaw City|city2=Rogers City|city3=Alpena}}<br />{{jct|state=MI|CDH|C-66|county1=Cheboygan|name1=State Street to Levering Road|dir1=west}}
|notes=C-66 approaches from the west and terminates; US&nbsp;23 continues through to the east or north}}
{{jctbtm|col=5}}

==See also==
*{{portal-inline|Michigan Highways}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{AttachedKML|display=title,inline}}
*[http://www.michiganhighways.org/listings/M-027.html M-27] at Michigan Highways
<!--*[http://www.state-ends.com/michigan/m27/ M-27] at Michigan Highway Ends-->

{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:M027}}
[[Category:State highways in Michigan|027]]
[[Category:Transportation in Cheboygan County, Michigan]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 27]]