Geek Trivia: The Only Highway In The U.S. That Prohibits Automotive Traffic Is Located In? | Dramel Notes

Answer: Michigan

A highway in the United States with no cars? Why that seems to be the very antitheses of the car-loving American spirit. In fact, the only way you could likely even pull off a car-less highway is if you were to place it on an island in the middle of a massive lake… which is exactly where you’ll find M-185, the only car-less highway in America.

Located in northern Michigan, M-185 is the only highway on Mackinac Island, a bustling vacation location well known for preserving a slower pace of life. Cars have been banned from the island since the 1890s (when automobiles first started to make an appearance in America) after the first cars introduced on the island spooked the carriage horses and caused numerous accidents. The scenic highway that circles the island has remained almost entirely car-free ever since.

The only exception to the ban on automotive traffic is made for emergency vehicles. In fact the only motor vehicle accident in the history of the island occurred in 2005 when two emergency vehicles had a minor collision. This also gives M-185 another unique distinction: it’s the only highway in America that has had but a single car accident.

Image courtesy of Pat Williams.