Woodward Avenue (M-1) - Automotive Heritage Trail
Woodward Avenue from downtown Detroit to Pontiac: Michigan's first surveyed road and the main street of the auto industry.
Also known as M-1
Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation, America's Byways collection (National Archives), Public domain, source
- Length27 miles[1]
- Drive timeAbout one hour, or three to five days to enjoy it[1]FHWA's "time to allow"
- RoadsM-1 (Woodward Avenue)[2]
- Start and endDowntown Detroit (Adams Avenue) to the Woodward Loop in Pontiac[2]
- Fees and passesNone[1]
- Best seasonNot verified
- SurfaceNot verified
- Vehicle notesNot verified
- Seasonal closuresNot verified
Before you go
Road status and weather can change quickly. Check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Facts last checked against the sources on October 22, 2026.
About the drive
Woodward Avenue is M-1, running from downtown Detroit to Pontiac. MDOT says the original Pontiac Road between Detroit and Pontiac, laid out in 1819, was the first surveyed road in Michigan.
The byway tells the story of the auto industry. In Detroit, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Historical Museum face each other on Woodward. Every August, more than 40,000 hot rods and classic cars cruise Woodward between Ferndale and Pontiac in the Woodward Dream Cruise.
It's a city drive with traffic lights, so allow about an hour end to end.
Stops along the way
-
Detroit Institute of Arts
Major art museum on Woodward in Detroit's Midtown.
Official information · 42.35951, -83.06452 · about 0.1 mi from the route line
-
Detroit Historical Museum
City history museum across from the DIA.
Official information · 42.35977, -83.06725 · about 0.0 mi from the route line
-
Ferndale
Suburb where the Woodward Dream Cruise route begins.
Official information · 42.4606, -83.13465 · about 0.0 mi from the route line
-
Pontiac
North end of the corridor.
Official information · 42.63893, -83.29105 · about 0.1 mi from the route line
Stops are listed in order along the route; the numbers match the map. Stop locations come from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey place-names database, the stop's own official page or, where noted in the data, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).
Food along the way
Farmers markets within about 25 miles
- Birmingham Farmers MarketBirmingham, MI · about 0.1 mi from the route
- Oakland Avenue Farmers MarketDetroit, MI · about 0.5 mi from the route
- Royal Oak Farmers MarketRoyal Oak, MI · about 0.7 mi from the route
- Clawson Farmers' MarketClawson, MI · about 2.3 mi from the route
- Oakland County Farmers MarketWaterford, MI · about 2.6 mi from the route · listed as year-round
Markets keep their own seasons and hours, so check with the market before you go. Find more in the Farmers Market Finder.
Sources
- America's Byways: Woodward Avenue (M-1) - Automotive Heritage Trail (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
- M-1 (Woodward Avenue) Corridor Plan (Michigan Department of Transportation) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Cruise into these Auto Attractions and Car Shows in Michigan (Pure Michigan, Michigan Economic Development Corporation) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Route line: U.S. DOT scenic byways map service (geo.dot.gov), retrieved 2026-10-22.
Written by VanillaGoods from the cited official sources. This is a drive to know, not a ranking. Road status and weather can change quickly; check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Spot something out of date? Email help@vanillagoods.com (help@vanillagoods.com).