Jefferson Avenue (Detroit)
 Interactive map of Jefferson Avenue | |
| Length | 63.71 mi (102.53 km) |
|---|---|
| South end | Huron River in Brownstown |
Major junctions |    M-1 / M-3 / M-10 in Detroit I-375 in Detroit  To M-102 in Grosse Pointe Shores I-94 near Mount Clemens M-59 near Mount Clemens |
| North end |  M-29 in New Baltimore |
Jefferson Avenue is a 64-mile-long (103 km)[1] scenic road along the eastern part of the Metro Detroit area in the southeast of the U.S. state of Michigan. It travels alongside Lake Erie, the Detroit River, and Lake St. Clair, and is a major link between Downtown Detroit, the neighborhoods of the Lower East Side and Southwest Detroit, and the suburban regions of Downriver and the Grosse Pointes. Jefferson is one of Detroit's five principal avenues along with Woodward, Michigan, Grand River, and Gratiot.
History
[edit]Jefferson is one of five major Detroit avenues planned by Judge Augustus B. Woodward in 1805 that extend radially from downtown Detroit in differing directions. First surveyed in 1807, it was named Main Street.[2] It was later renamed Jefferson Avenue after U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, who was a friend of Woodward.[3] Jefferson Avenue was planned to extend due east of downtown, parallel to the Detroit River, but later additions to the road have extended it west of downtown as well, where it travels near the waterfront through the Downriver area.[4]
Route description
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Jefferson Avenue radiates east and west from Downtown Detroit, originating at an intersection with Woodward Avenue next to Hart Plaza. Eastward, Jefferson Avenue runs along the Renaissance Center, and intersects with the beginning of I-375 on the eastern edge of Downtown.[5] There, it narrows from six lanes to five, and begins to include bike lanes which run to the city limits.[6] Continuing east, Jefferson intersects with the MacArthur Bridge, the entrance to Belle Isle. Jefferson Avenue passes through the Eastside neighborhoods of West Village, Indian Village, and Jefferson-Chalmers.[7] Jefferson Avenue continues through the suburb of Grosse Pointe, and its name changes to Lake Shore Drive alongside Lake St. Clair. Northward along the shore, Jefferson Avenue passes through St. Clair Shores[8] and Chesterfield Township.[9] Jefferson Avenue has a gap in its route at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Jefferson Avenue's east end is at 23 Mile Road, near the boundary between Chesterfield Township and New Baltimore.
Westward from Downtown, Jefferson Avenue passes under the Huntington Place convention center, and is routed along the southern end of M-10. Jefferson Avenue travels south along the Detroit River, connecting parts of the Detroit Riverwalk.[10] Parks located on the river side of Jefferson include the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park[11] and Riverside Park.[12] Jefferson Avenue passes under the Ambassador Bridge[13] and the Gordie Howe International Bridge[14], before crossing over the River Rouge to enter the city of River Rouge. Jefferson passes though the Downriver cities of Ecorse, Wyandotte (where it is known as Biddle Avenue), and Trenton.[1] The western end of Jefferson Avenue is in Berlin Township at an intersection with Dixie Highway.
In downtown Detroit, the southern end of M-10 is routed along Jefferson to the corner of Randolph Street/M-3. From the corner of Randolph to the southern end of I-375 between Beaubien and St. Antoine streets, Jefferson is the extremely short, 0.015-mile-long (0.024 km), unsigned Business Spur I-375.
Images
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Jefferson Avenue in Detroit near the Chrysler Freeway
Biddle Avenue in Wyandotte
Jefferson Avenue in Grosse Pointe
See also
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References
[edit]- 1 2 "Jefferson Avenue, Detroit's river road for centuries". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ↑ "Detroit Urbanism: Radial Avenues Part I: Jefferson". Detroit Urbanism. 2016-06-27. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ↑ Bailey, Mary (February 17, 2000). "Detroit's Street Names Honor Early Leaders". The Detroit News. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Michigan (1871). Laws of the Territory of Michigan: Laws Adopted by the Governor and Judges : by Authority. W.S. George, Printers to the States.
- ↑ "ArcGIS Web Application". mdotgis.state.mi.us. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ↑ "Jefferson Greenway Bikelanes". City of Detroit. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ↑ "Indian Village | Detroit Historical Society". www.detroithistorical.org. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ↑ Team, WXYZ Web (2026-05-05). "Large trees crash onto homes during storms in Southeast Michigan". WXYZ 7 News Detroit. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ↑ "Jefferson Road Bridge over Salt River". Chesterfield Township, MI. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ↑ "The Riverwalk - Parks & Greenways | Detroit Riverfront Conservancy". www.detroitriverfront.org. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ↑ "Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park - Parks & Greenways | Detroit Riverfront Conservancy". www.detroitriverfront.org. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ↑ "Riverside Park". City of Detroit. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ↑ Cwiek, Sarah (2023-02-20). "Detroit City Council approves final piece of controversial land swap deal". Michigan Public. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- ↑ "Jefferson Barrier Wall completed for Gordie Howe International Bridge". WXYZ 7 News Detroit. 2025-08-07. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
- Hill, Eric J.; Gallagher, John (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3.
External links
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Media related to Jefferson Avenue (Detroit) at Wikimedia Commons
