 M-204 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 M-204 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byMDOT | ||||
| Length | 7.220 mi[1] (11.619 km) | |||
| Existed | July 12, 1933[2]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  M-22 nearLeland | |||
| East end | M-22 nearSuttons Bay | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Michigan | |||
| Counties | Leelanau | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
M-204 is astate trunkline highway that runs across theLeelanau Peninsula betweenLeland andSuttons Bay in the northwesternLower Peninsula of the US state ofMichigan. The trunkline runs through a rural section ofLeelanau County, connecting two villages with thecounty seat. Originally a gravel road in 1933, it was later paved within the first three years of existence. Segments were realigned to straighten curves in the late 1930s and early 1970s near the villages ofLake Leelanau and Suttons Bay.
M-204 starts at an intersection withM-22 (Manitou Trail) south of Leland next to Duck Lake. From there it follows Duck Lake Road along the south shore ofLake Leelanau's northern lobe. The two-lane roadway runs eastward and then southeasterly through a mixture of woods and fields to the village of Lake Leelanau. One there, M-204 follows Phillip Street across the Narrows and turns northeasterly.[3][4] The bridge that the trunkline uses is eligible for listing on theNational Register of Historic Places.[5] Outside of town, the highway follows Duck Lake Road again past thecounty seat of Leelanau County. Near the intersection with Horn Road, M-204 turns southeasterly toward the village of Suttons Bay. As the trunkline descends a hill into the village, it passes through vineyards and woods. Inside town, M-204 follows Race Street and ends downtown at M-22 (St. Joseph Avenue).[3][4]
Like other state highways in Michigan, M-204 is maintained by theMichigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). In 2011, the department's traffic surveys showed that onaverage, 3,397 vehicles used the highway daily in Suttons Bay and 2,931 vehicles did so each day near the western terminus, the highest and lowest counts along the highway, respectively.[6] No section of M-204 is listed on theNational Highway System,[7] a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.[8]
M-204 was first designated on July 12, 1933 between Leland and Suttons Bay along what is today Duck Lake Road.[2] The highway was paved by the middle of 1936.[9] The road was realigned on July 13, 1939, across the narrows ofLake Leelanau in the village of the same name.[10] Another realignment near Suttons Bay was completed on March 26, 1956, to smooth out a curve in the road.[11] A second completed on May 4, 1956, straightened a curve by Sylt Road east of Lake Leelanau.[12] The western section was completely rebuilt between Duck Lake Corner and theLake Leelanau Narrows Bridge to smooth out curves in the roadway. Sections not obliterated by the reconstruction were turned over to local control as Main Street or Old M-204 in Lake Leelanau when the project was finished on July 1, 1970.[13]
The entire highway is inLeelanau County.
| Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leland | 0.000 | 0.000 |  M-22 /LMCT (Manitou Trail) –Empire,Leland,Northport | ||
| Suttons Bay | 7.220 | 11.619 | M-22 /LMCT (St. Joseph Avenue) –Traverse City,Northport | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
