 Interstate 75 | |
|---|---|
 I-75 highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 1,786.47 mi[1] (2,875.04 km) |
| Existed | 1957–present |
| NHS | Entire route |
| Major junctions | |
| South end |   SR 826 /SR 924 inMiami Lakes, FL |
| Major intersections |
|
| North end | Canadian border onInt'l Bridge atSault Ste. Marie, MI |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Florida,Georgia,Tennessee,Kentucky,Ohio,Michigan |
| Highway system | |
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–southInterstate Highway in theGreat Lakes andSoutheastern regions of theUnited States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route at a length of 1,786.47 miles (2,875.04 km), traveling fromState Road 826 (SR 826, Palmetto Expressway) andSR 924 (Gratigny Parkway) on theHialeah–Miami Lakes border (a few miles northwest ofMiami, Florida), toSault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at theCanada–United States border. It is the second-longest north–south Interstate Highway (afterI-95) and the seventh-longest Interstate Highway overall.[2]
I-75 passes through six different states. The highway runs the length of the Florida peninsula from the Miami area and up theGulf Coast throughTampa. Farther north in Georgia, I-75 continues on throughMacon andAtlanta before running throughChattanooga andKnoxville and theCumberland Mountains in Tennessee. I-75 crosses Kentucky, passing throughLexington before crossing theOhio River intoCincinnati, Ohio. In Ohio, the highway runs up the western side throughDayton andLima before crossing into Michigan north ofToledo. I-75 runs northeasterly along theLake Erie shoreline andDetroit River into the city ofDetroit before turning northwesterly toFlint and northward to theMackinac Bridge where the freeway crosses the strait between LakesHuron andMichigan. Farther north, I-75 approaches the Canadian border at Sault Ste. Marie, downriver fromLake Superior, 1,786.5 miles (2,875.1 km) from its origins near the subtropicalAtlantic Ocean.
| mi[1] | km | |
|---|---|---|
| FL | 470.88 | 757.81 |
| GA | 355.11 | 571.49 |
| TN | 161.86 | 260.49 |
| KY | 191.78 | 308.64 |
| OH | 211.30 | 340.05 |
| MI | 395.54 | 636.56 |
| Total | 1786.47 | 2875.04 |
I-75 starts at an interchange withSR 924 andSR 826 on theHialeah–Miami Lakes border in suburbanMiami. After an intersection with theHomestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike and an interchange withI-595 and theSawgrass Expressway (SR 869), the Interstate leaves theMiami metropolitan area and turns westward to travel through theEverglades along the tolledAlligator Alley, which brings the highway to the Gulf Coast andNaples, where it again heads north. Passing throughBonita Springs,Fort Myers, andSarasota, I-75 is six lanes all the way to Georgia. The freeway enters theTampa Bay area before the interchange withI-275 northbound, which handlesSt. Petersburg-bound traffic. Within the Tampa metro are three more major junctions: one with theLee Roy Selmon Expressway which carries traffic intoDowntown Tampa, one withI-4 (aturbine interchange) which carries traffic across the center of the state to theEast Coast, and another as I-275 traffic defaults back onto northbound. The freeway proceeds to enter suburban portions ofPasco,Hernando, andSumter counties on its way toOcala andGainesville. AtLake City, Florida,I-10, intersects with I-75. Afterward, the northmost stretch of I-75 in Florida exits the Sunshine State into southernGeorgia.
I-75 entersGeorgia nearLake Park, and it continues northward through the towns ofValdosta,Tifton, andCordele until it reaches theMacon area, where it intersects withI-16 eastbound toward I-75's route. After Macon, it passes the small town ofForsyth. The freeway reaches no major junctions again until in theAtlanta metropolitan area. The first metropolitan freeway met isI-675, then followed byI-285, Atlanta's only beltway dubbed as the Perimeter Beltway. It crosses inside the I-285 beltway and heads north several miles towardDowntown Atlanta. I-75 thenruns concurrently withI-85 due north over theDowntown Connector through the central business district of Atlanta, where it intersects withI-20. The areas where I-85 and I-75 run concurrently are some of the most traffic-prone Interstate Highways in the nation. After the two Interstates split, I-75 diverts from I-85 and heads toward the northwest suburbs of Atlanta, with the major cities beingMarietta andKennesaw that it bypasses. To the northwest of Marietta, the highway runs concurrently withI-575. After the interchange with I-575, the highway leaves the Atlanta metro area and traverses theBlue Ridge Mountains in the north Georgia region as it heads toward Chattanooga.
The freeway entersTennessee directly in theChattanooga metropolitan area, where it intersects withI-24. ExitingChattanooga to the northeast, I-75 passes through an area known for dense fog. Twelve people were killed and 42 were injured in a1990 I-75 fog disaster on that stretch of I-75 in heavy fog on December 11, 1990.[3] I-75 does not meet any other freeways until it overlapsI-40 nearFarragut and heads eastbound. Together, they enter the outskirts ofKnoxville, where I-75 overlaps itself with a different road, this timeI-640, but only for a short time. When the two meetI-275, I-75 encounters some of its highest points of elevation through theCumberland Mountains, cutting through the uppermost peaks and ridges.
I-75 continues northbound through the hilly terrain of the Cumberland Plateau region ofKentucky, passing throughLondon andRichmond and eventually reachingLexington, where it briefly runs concurrently withI-64 before splitting off in the direction ofGeorgetown. Afterward, the route heads in the direction of Ohio. NearWalton,I-71 runs concurrently with I-75 for the next 20 miles (32 km) or so and heads toward Cincinnati. The two concurrent Interstates then make an interchange withI-275, the Cincinnati beltway. After passing throughCovington, the I-71/I-75 highway traverses theOhio River via the lower level of theBrent Spence Bridge and continues intoDowntown Cincinnati.
Immediately after enteringCincinnati, I-75 diverges from I-71, remaining generally due north through the Cincinnati metro area while I-71 curves more to the east and northeast through downtown Cincinnati and its surrounding suburbs.I-74,Ohio State Route 562, andOhio State Route 126 all intersect the freeway as it makes its way northward. After another interchange with the I-275 beltway, the freeway continues within the metro area, passing throughMiddletown and heading towardDayton, whereI-675,I-70, andU.S. Route 35 have interchanges with I-75. The interchange of I-75 with I-70 is known as the Freedom Veterans Crossroads.[4] After exiting the city of Dayton, I-75 makes its way northbound through Ohio, passing through smaller cities ofTroy,Piqua,Sidney,Wapakoneta,Lima,Findlay andBowling Green before finally reachingToledo located on the western shore of Lake Erie and the border ofMichigan. I-75 meets theI-475 interchange in the southern suburbs of Toledo inPerrysburg and thenI-80,I-90, and theOhio Turnpike. As the Interstate passes through downtown Toledo, I-475 meets with I-75 again just north of the downtown area of Toledo. It then continues through some industrial areas as it progresses north before approachingI-280, which is the last major junction in Ohio. I-75 then passes by the Lake Erie neighborhoods of Shoreland and Point Place, just before entering the US state of Michigan with the sign welcoming motorists to Michigan.
Upon enteringMichigan, I-75 follows the northwestern shore ofLake Erie, passing through the residential neighborhoods of Toledo andLuna Pier until aboutMonroe in which it then heads northeast to enterDetroit. The freeway has an interchange withI-275 in northernMonroe County. On a further note, it does not meet with any major junctions until inDowntown Detroit. Once near downtown, I-75 meets several interchanges: an interchange that leads intoCanada via theAmbassador Bridge (international bridge border crossing) toWindsor, Ontario; an interchange withI-375;I-94;I-96;M-10;M-8.I-696 also intersects I-75 in the northern metro area. When the freeway reachesPontiac, there is a junction withM-59 and inFlint further northward. It meetsI-475 andI-69 and overlapsU.S. Route 23 (US 23). The Interstate then heads north towardSaginaw whereI-675 acts as aspur route into the city. Further north inBay City,US 10 provides access toMidland as well as downtown Bay City. When it nearsStandish, US 23 diverts from I-75 to Lake Huron, where it heads further north. The last major interchange in the state of Michigan before it crosses the international border into Canada is at 4 Mile Road just south ofGrayling whereUS 127 ends with traffic merging onto northbound I-75 and southbound taking drivers through the center of the state. AtMackinaw City, I-75 has interchanges withUS 31 and US 23 before crossing theMackinac Bridge to reach theUpper Peninsula of Michigan. I-75 is the only Interstate located in theUpper Peninsula of Michigan and it continues until it crosses theCanadian border via theSault Ste. Marie International Bridge.
This limited access highway that was planned in the 1950s roughly follows the general route of many older at-grade highways, includingUS 2,US 27,US 25, andUS 41, among others. Some of these older US Highways (several of which are still in existence) previously had replaced the eastern route of the oldDixie Highway.[citation needed]
I-75 was planned to end inTampa, Florida, in the original plan for 41,000 miles (66,000 km) of Interstate Highways. However, beginning in the 1960s, there was a huge growth in the population ofSouthwest Florida (Sarasota,Fort Myers,Naples,Cape Coral, etc.), hence the need for new highways, especially a north–south freeway, as well as one connecting Florida's Gulf Coast toSouth Florida.[5] At first, Florida state legislators proposed a toll in the new highway, and, by 1968, it was decided that the federal government would pay 90 percent toward the extension of I-75 to southwestern and southeastern Florida.[6] This included subsuming a toll highway from Naples to theFort Lauderdale area, theAlligator Alley, and furthermore to connect this expressway with I-95 inNorth Miami—though due to somelocal opposition, I-75 presently ends a few miles short of I-95.
I-75 was completed in Kentucky in 1970.[citation needed] The last segment in Michigan opened to traffic on November 1, 1973.[7] The last section of I-75 in Tennessee was completed on December 20, 1974.[8] On December 21, 1977, I-75 was completed from Tampa to Sault Ste. Marie with its final segment opening between northernMarietta andCartersville, Georgia. It was estimated to have cost $3.5 billion in 1977 dollars (equivalent to $14.1 billion in 2024[9]) to build the original section.[10] The final stretch of I-75 in South Florida was completed in 1986 inMiami-Dade andBroward counties, and the last stretch to receive the signs for I-75 was the reconstructed (rebuilt and widened) Alligator Alley on November 25, 1992.[11]
On September 7, 2024, theInterstate 75 Kentucky Shooting occurred nearLondon, Kentucky in which multiple shots were fired at cars passing by, injuring 5.
Reference:[12]
SR 826 /SR 924 on theHialeah–Miami Lakes city line
I-595 on theDavie–Sunrise-Weston tripoint
US 27 in Weston
US 17 on theSolana–Cleveland CDP line
US 301 inEllenton
I-275 east-northeast ofTerra CeiaUS 301 inPalm River-Clair Mel
I-4 inMangoI-275 on theLutz–Wesley Chapel CDP line
US 98 west-northwest ofRidge Manor
Florida's Turnpike southeast ofOcalaUS 27 in Ocala
US 441 inAlachua
US 41 /US 441 inEllisville
US 90 inLake City
I-10 west-northwest ofFive Points
US 129 north-northeast ofSuwannee Springs
US 84 /US 221 inValdostaUS 41 northwest of Valdosta. The highways travel concurrently toHahira.
US 82 inTiftonUS 41 in Tifton
US 280 inCordeleUS 41 inUnadillaUS 41 inPerry
US 341 in Perry
I-475 southwest ofMaconUS 41 in Macon
US 80 in Macon
I-16 in Macon
US 23 northwest of MaconI-475 northwest ofBolingbroke
I-675 inStockbridge
US 19 /US 41 west ofMorrow
I-285 inForest ParkUS 19 /US 41 on theAtlanta–Hapeville city line
I-85 in Atlanta. The highwaystravel concurrently through Atlanta.
I-20 in Atlanta
US 29 /US 78 /US 278 in AtlantaI-85 in Atlanta. End of theconcurrency with I-85.US 41 in AtlantaUS 41 in AtlantaI-285 inCumberland
I-575 north-northwest ofMarietta
US 411 inCartersvilleUS 41 inResaca
US 41 /US 76 inDaltonUS 41 /US 76 southeast ofRinggoldUS 41 /US 76 inEast Ridge
I-24 on the East Ridge–Chattanooga city line
US 11 /US 64 in Chattanooga. The highways travel concurrently to north ofCollegedale.
US 74 inCleveland
US 321 inLenoir City
I-40 west ofFarragut. The highways travel concurrently toKnoxville.
I-140 in Knoxville
US 11 /US 70 in Knoxville
I-40 /I-640 in Knoxville. I-75/I-640 travels concurrently through Knoxville.
US 25W in Knoxville. The highways travel concurrently through Knoxville.I-275 /I-640 /US 25W in KnoxvilleUS 441 inRocky TopUS 25W in Rocky Top. The highways travel concurrently toCaryville.US 25W inJellicoUS 25W inGoldbugUS 25W inCorbin
US 25 east-southeast ofMount VernonUS 25 in Mount VernonUS 25 inRichmond
US 25 /US 421 south-southeast ofLexington. The highways travel concurrently to Lexington.
US 60 in Lexington
I-64 in Lexington. The highways travel concurrently through Lexington.
US 27 /US 68 in Lexington
US 460 inGeorgetown
US 62 in Georgetown
I-71 inWalton. The highways travel concurrently toCincinnati, Ohio.
US 42 /US 127 inFlorenceI-275 inErlangerUS 25 /US 42 /US 127 inFort MitchellUS 25 /US 42 /US 127 inCovington
US 22 /US 27 /US 42 /US 52 /US 127 in Cincinnati
US 50 in CincinnatiUS 27 /US 52 /US 127 in Cincinnati. I-75/US 27/US 52 travel concurrently through Cincinnati.
I-74 /US 27 /US 52 /US 127 in CincinnatiI-275 inSharonvilleI-675 southeast ofMiamisburg
US 35 inDayton
I-70 inVandalia
US 40 in Vandalia
US 36 inPiqua
US 33 inWapakonetaUS 68 inFindlay
US 224 in Findlay
US 6 inBowling GreenI-475 /US 23 inPerrysburg. I-75/US 23 travels concurrently through Perrysburg.
US 20 /US 23 in Perrysburg
I-80 /I-90 inRossford
US 24 inToledoI-475 in Toledo
I-280 in ToledoI-275 north-northeast ofMonroeUS 24 inTaylor
I-96 inDetroit
I-375 in Detroit
I-94 in Detroit
I-696 on theFerndale–Hazel Park–Royal Oak–Madison Heights city lineUS 24 west-northwest ofClarkstonI-475 west ofGrand BlancUS 23 south-southwest ofFlint. The highways travel concurrently to southwest ofStandish.
I-69 in FlintI-475 west ofBeecherI-675 east ofSaginawI-675 north-northwest ofZilwaukee
US 10 west ofBay CityUS 127 south ofGrayling
US 31 north-northeast ofCarp LakeUS 23 inMackinaw City
US 2 inSt. Ignace | ||
1Cancelled | ||
Geographic data related toInterstate 75 atOpenStreetMap PrimaryInterstate Highways | |
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| Unsigned | |
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| Other | |
Routes initalics are no longer a part of the system. Major Interstates are highlighted. | |
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| Geographic | |
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