Interstate 75 Northbound 

It's Oh-Cal-la and Val-da-sta - My grandparents lived in Williston. My Dad when out to swim in that sink hole as a teenager in the 1950's.

I like how Michigan signs Mackinac bridge because before the bridge there is really nothing but small towns.

The bridge is even more important than a city because of the potential hazards when crossing it. I think it's important that it gets the control city designation in this case.

The Mackinac Bridge was built well before I-75 was even completed in Michigan, which is why it’s not up to Interstate standards. It was originally for US-27, which used to have its northern terminus at US-2 in St. Ignace before I-75 was completed. Then 27 was scaled down to end at I-75 in northern Michigan, and then when I-69 was completed in Michigan, it marked the end, as US-27 was decommissioned in Michigan in 2002. It’s former route to Northern Michigan was ironically taken up by US-127, it’s child route. I hope you’re able to include the exit for US-127 in your South I-75 video. It’s a major bypass of Detroit to Lansing and Cincinnati. It’s also where US-27 ended in Michigan until it was decommissioned 20 years ago. Good to see 696 though, that is an interesting freeway with a long history behind it.

After the Bridge there is so little traffic, that a few years ago they shut it down for rebuild and used old US-2 (Mackinac Trail) as the detour. I have gone from Sault Ste. Marie to the Bridge and only passed a half dozen cars on a Sunday Morning.

I had to smile when I saw the sign coming up to the I-71 interchange in northern Kentucky. The high school I attended is literally just yards away from that sign.

Last year, I went on a road trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula and it is practically a different state. Mackinac Bridge is the glue that holds the state together. It was also under construction as the Interstate Highways act passed and the AASHTO routed I-75 over it.

If you ever take the trip over the Mackinac Bridge you should take it at night. It's quite the sight with it lit up.

Macon, Georgia is a city of 160k+ people, it deserves its control city status.

Exit 69 in Michigan is Big Beaver Road... that wasn't worth a mention? I'm nearly 50, but that still makes my inner 12-year old giggle every time.

Just came back from a trip from Detroit. South Toledo on 75 said Atlanta was more than 650 miles away. But what shocked me was they signed Tampa as more than 1,000 miles away. Ohio is supreme on signage

Note: apologies on my pronunciation of Valdosta. Some commenters told me Vald-OH-sta in a previous video, but I should have double checked. I’m aware of the problem, and unfortunately there is no way to change it without deleting this entire video (along with all its views, comments, likes, etc) and uploading a new one. Thanks.

I really love these videos as condensed road trips. I love driving interstates that I haven't been on before (I've done a couple of cross country trips and all over the east coast). Too bad I'll never get to most of these! I've clicked through on street view plenty of times but these 15 minute or so tours are awesome. I never really thought about "control cities" before but I am hooked on the series.

Thank you, my husband and I did the same trip, but Atlanta is a nightmare, thanks for the video now we understand a little more!

One of my biggest pet peeves back in the day before things like Google maps was the I285 interchanges with both 75 and 85. GDOT makes trucks take 285 and they should have the thru control city on the board for it as well. So in the case on 75 north, west should also be signed Chattanooga

Just crossed the Mighty Mac twice in the past week. You have to experience it at least once in your life, its' awe inspiring.

I think that once we are past doing all of the interstates, Todd should to a Florida’s turnpike episode.

Thanks for making this video Todd!

I've been waiting for this one Todd...I-75 is one of the most scenic interstates, lots of major cities to traverse. Never traverse the entire thing...only from Miami to Chattanooga, n Toledo to Detroit for the most.

thanks for the shout out! I will never forget the time i spent in bowling green, drunk and in existential crisis!

Great video! It's cool to see the infamous Downtown Connector in Atlanta. Very impressive interchanges there including spaghetti junction.

I live right by 75 in Cartersville! Really exited for this video. Their are 3 Buc-ee’s on this Interstate

babe wake up, control city freak uploaded

75, 81, and 95 were the north south routes I was waiting on

Some notes I had in mind: I've been on every part of 75 except between Tampa and Miami. For 75 SB I'd probably go straight to Detroit from the Canadian Border. I think Ohio does an amazing job outside of Cambridge and Marietta. There actually is an Ohio welcome sign along the bridge into Cincy, although it is easy to miss. Your microphone actually disconnected between Atlanta and Cincy. Great content! Keep up the good work!

11:26 Nice that you included I-696! That interchange was the one that got me into highway signs as a whole. I still remember it. That day we were moving from Detroit to Center Line (a few miles east on 696) and my dad told me "keep an eye out were getting off on 696." So yeah, that day got me into paying attention to them and just trying to read the whole sign before passing it. Nice touch, thank you!

Great work on I-75 North, Todd! I’ve never driven on the Alligator Alley portion of 75 in south Florida. I do recall it being built as a two lane toll road in the 1970s with strong opposition from the AAA due to environmental concerned for the Everglades. For those so interested, I’ve copied this portion from Wikipedia: “At the junction of SR 869 (Sawgrass Expressway) and I-595, I-75 (while maintaining its south-north status) enters a west-east trajectory as it crosses the Everglades by way of Alligator Alley, a toll road that runs from the Collier Boulevard (exit 101) toll plaza to the U.S. Highway 27 (US 27) toll plaza (exit 23). It was originally constructed as a two-lane highway before it was converted to a four-lane highway meeting Interstate Highway standards. The Alligator Alley section of I-75 runs due east-west between exit 19 in Sunrise and exit 101 just east of Naples and is one of only two sections along the Interstate's entirety that is tolled (the other is the Mackinac Bridge in northern Michigan). Tolls are $3.25 for a two-axle vehicle as of March 1, 2020, and are collected in both directions. The highway's toll plazas accept (as of March 1, 2020) both cash and transponders in the SunPass network and are located at either entrance to Alligator Alley. All toll facilities along Alligator Alley and toll revenue collected from them are overseen by the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE), a government agency which is part of FDOT. There are a mere two interchanges along the 75-mile (121 km) tolled portion of Alligator Alley in addition to three rest areas and a number of scenic outlook points as the highway crosses the Everglades. I-75 enters Collier County along Alligator Alley just west of the Snake Road exit (exit 49) and passes through the Big Cypress National Preserve between the Collier County border and SR 29 (exit 80). There are a number of small bridges along Alligator Alley which allow wildlife to pass safely under the freeway, especially along the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge east of SR 29. Extensive fencing also prevents wildlife from interfering with traffic.”

For Michigan, I wish you mentioned the Zilwaukee bridge right between the 675 interchanges by Saginaw! The bridge is huge and really impressive to drive over. Either way great video! I'm in Michigan and use 75 almost every day so it's nice to see the whole scope of it

I live close to the beginning of I-75 in the Miami suburbs, and I always use it to go to the beach on the Gulf Coast.

It used to be that control cities listed at exchanges were cities where the *next* interstate exchange occurs. So Lake City = 75/10 exchange; Macon = 75/16 exchange, Atlanta=75/85/20 exchange; Knoxville = 75/40 exchange, etc. But they've become inconsistent with this. Also...valDAHsta, not valDOHsta. 🙂 Enjoyed the video.

Haha thanks for reviewing the substandard section on the bridge before Canada as of my request ;)

Ha I live in Valdosta and it’s so funny hearing people mispronouncing it! Also that was exit 11 that you showed, and it’s by far the worst exit out of all the ones in Lowndes county

Great video! We use i-75 quite a bit, as the exit we mainly take to go home is i-75 and OH-129 towards Hamilton, OH, north of Cincinnati and about 8 miles north of the i-275 interchange. Also, it's really neat to see at the 2 min 40 sec mark, an exit for US-27 in Florida. US-27, I believe goes from Miami, FL all the way to Fort Wayne, IN. We don't use US-27 too often, unless we're on the west side of town, as it goes through Downtown Cincinnati, then to Colerain and continues north to and through Oxford, OH, home of Miami University.

I'm from Atlanta, and it's so weird the signage of principal cities because is different. Ok sount Southbound on 285 by the airport it says Macon/ Tampa. It makes sense because Valdosta isn't a big city at all, while Macon actually is. But Tampa is 400+ miles away through bumfuck nowhere so I guess it makes sense to include it. Also Valdosta is pronounced Val- D(aw)-st(ah)

Nice! Being from the Gulf coast of Florida, I've driven I-75 in Florida and Georgia a bunch. I'd definitely consider it my home interstate, at least in those two states. I've never really thought much about interstates from a control city perspective; seeing Ocala going northbound and Naples southbound always felt pretty normal to me. I guess that's because a lot of Floridians know where these places are, although long-distance traffic may not. Ocala is significant in the sense that it's usually the place where traffic travelling to Jacksonville and north along I-95 (or eventually, I-77 and/or I-81) will exit. Naples is significant because it's the last city before I-75 makes a 90 degree turn onto Alligator Alley, which as far as I'm aware, is the only place 75 is tolled apart from the Mackinac bridge (not including the express lanes near Atlanta). It would make sense to sign Gainesville and Ft. Myers instead given that both of them are bigger than Ocala and Naples, respectively. Something else that I'd like to mention is that growing up in Florida, I've seen a lot of random signs for St. Petersburg at interchanges. Not sure if it's still there or not, but I remember seeing one off I-10 eastbound at I-75, which is about 200 miles away from the city. This surprised me when I was younger since from said interchange, there's no mention of Orlando (which long-distance travellers should easily know about), but they mention St. Petersburg instead, which is off I-275, and those travelling there would have to go through Tampa first. But what can I say, Florida is an interesting state. I'll definitely be checking out your other videos!

This is excellent. 1. Interstate 75 is a great road that encompasses so much 2. More importantly, we are now just 2-3 weeks from more LIMON talk! Can't wait.

75/85 N through Midtown Atlanta is a true white knuckle drive. Seven lanes in each direction with no dividers. When the highways split, the ramps are in the “wrong” direction, then cross each other. Heaven help you if you break down on that section.

The I-75 sign in Macon is small because of all the construction on the new 75/16 interchange. They are in the process of adding the new signs.

The reason for the small I-75 sign at the I-16 interchange in Macon is that there is massive interchange construction, and the lanes are constantly changing. I-75 between Atlanta and Macon is basically a bottleneck. At the I-75/I-16 interchange trucks head to the port of Savannah (the 2nd largest port on the east coast and fastest growing in the nation), tourists also head to the beaches of Georgia and the east coast of Florida on I-16. On I-75, truckers will head to Florida and tourists to the west coast of Florida or Orlando. This is a major interchange. When completed, it will be the largest interchange in Georgia outside of Atlanta. Macon is an awesome city, and it is a shame to just pass through without exploring its history, arts, architecture, food and local beer pub scene. By the way, love the video and I have actually driven the entire route from the Canandian border to Miami. Not all at once...lol.

I live in Michigan so the end of this video is the best for me. Michigan, in my opinion, hits it on the mark with their control cities, even at on ramps: Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Mackinac Bridge, and S.S. Marie. They do need the Mac. Bridge as a control city since that is an extremely popular destination for tourists, and I even hold a bias for it since it is my favorite getaway every few years. You mentioned the Bridge isn't up to interstate standards as it was built from 1954-57 while Eisenhower signed that freeway bill into law during that time. On a side note, that eventually spelled the end for US 27 as I-75 eliminated a huge chunk of it around 1962. About 40 years later it was gone in Michigan altogether.

I feel like I-75 through Michigan is pretty interesting as someone who has driven on 75 its one of my favorite interstates and the last exit before the Mackinac Bridge I always thought was weird

I-75 did indeed go on 275 into downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. I think it was changed in the 80s.

I've driven most of I-75, from the last exit before the Canadian border all the way (going around Detroit as I'm from near where I-275 and I-96 meet) to the exit to Orlando, but nothing past that. The drive between the bridge and Sault Ste Marie is used so little. I think we passed about a dozen cars in that entire 50 miles as most people get off at US-2 in St Ignace. The stretch through Atlanta is beautiful at night, though it's probably best to go through then as traffic is awful there otherwise.

Been waiting on this one for a while this is an awesome interstate and and my favorite when traveling outside of Atlanta because goin though it mostly sucks because of traffic

Very funny to see all the Detroit-area people coming out from under the woodworks for this video (and that includes me). I live pretty close to I-275, Detroit's N/S bypass route

This is good stuff

as a truck driver i been in 44 states and i can say only 75 85 and 95 i like to drive and for west 10 and 20 all other interstates are bad and no fun but good videos ,Hi from Naples FL

To answer your question in the Knoxville area. I 75 continues its concurrency with I 40 there used to be a single lane cloverleaf loop for I 75 the current I 275 was I 75. I believe the I 640 concurrency happened in the eighties. Later on a high speed ramp from I 40 to I275 was built.

I literally just passed under I 75 yesterday. It’s such an important road in the Detroit metro

The new mic sounds great 👍

Naples/ Collier County makes sense as a control city as it’s population is large and is still growing. Also a big tourist city for people to visit from like Tampa and Miami.

The welcome to Ohio sign is on one of the gurneys on the bridge. Easy to miss if not careful. Also, I think the no hazmats is actually for the tunnel on 71. Or maybe it’s for both the bridge and tunnel.

I love that you got a sign where Cygnet is called out in Ohio on a mileage sign. Calling it even a town is generous. US 6 is more significant... I lived outside of Cygnet and there is nothing there. Not even a traffic light. Regardless, I have probably spent more time on I-75 than any other highway in my life. I grew up in Dayton, lived in Findlay, and now live outside of Atlanta regularly driving back to Ohio to see my family.

7:11 Yes 75 used to go down 275 and then the rerouted it to 640

I 75 between Tampa and Ft Myers is flat out Dangerous. Both directions have multiple accidents daily. And often times the highway is closed due to major crashes.

I-75 is a great interstate I’m looking forward to southbound I-75 next week, I’m also looking forward to I-81 that you’ll eventually do after Interstates 76-80

Missed an opportunity in Michigan exit 69 is big beaver road

I nearly have I-75 clinched. I've driven it from Naples to Dayton. The next 4 highways 76, 77, 78, 79 I have 100% clinched those, so I'm looking forward to them. I'm OK with Ocala being on the signs because the metro area is larger than Gainesville and you can pick up 301 there to go north to Jacksonville.

Totally agree with the bridge not being interstate standard, but it’s even more apparent with the traffic jams that happen during the summer. Especially when they close it down to one lane.

Using the Mackinac Bridge as a control destination makes sence, since it is a destination more widely known than the cities on either end. In Ohio you were thinking thar Cleveland should be used instead of Perrysburg on the sighn for the state highway. When Cleveland and Chicago are used for I-80 and 90 in 5he same interchange. The signat this place are the correct ones to use there. Perrysburg is the city this interstate runs through. That sign needs to have Perrysburg listed so people traveling ro Perrysburg know this is their exit. e.

as a Michigander I think Mackinac bridge is fine but I’m biased so whatever lol

There is a "Welcome to Ohio" Sign, it's just right after the split with US-50. Yes I live in Cincinnati.

I'd probably sign for Upper Peninsula from Saginaw to past the bridge, then Sault Ste. Marie

Hurricane Ian hit Florida hard today! I saw the live Traffic cameras on I-75 south of the Tampa area, and it was insane how completely empty the Interstate was!! Those signs at 2:01 might be ripped out by the Wind gusts, Lol, but probably not.

Another thing about Ashland, in Wilder its signed on the AA (Ashland to Alexandria) Highway even though it doesn’t even end in Ashland or Boyd County. I agree with Charleston being signed on I-75.

I think they do Ocala in FL because that’s where Florida’s Turnpike joins 75.

Being from the bridge area best route from Fl is 75 N to 26 W 65 N to 69 N to old 131 brings you back to 75 just south of Gaylord, MI

I've driver 75 from the last exit before Canada all the way down to Ft. Meyers. Just did Dayton to Meyers and back last week for vacation. Entire trip is planned around going through Atlanta between 2-4am, otherwise you're just asking for traffic jams

10:08, the justification for Perrysburg is that exit ramp off I-75 has a ramp to OH-795 which goes to "downtown Perrysburg" prior to the ramp to the Ohio Turnpike. In the past, there really was nothing at OH 795, however now that is the exit to take to the Bass Pro Shop. While Chicago and Cleveland are signed further up the ramp, it would also make sense for the interchange to be signed for Perrysburg, Cleveland, and Chicago, rather than "Ohio Turnpike", but put the Ohio Turnpike logo on the sign instead.

If you want to drive from Toledo to the Soo, don’t follow I-75 through Detroit. You’d save time and distance by taking US-23 through Ann Arbor. Rejoin 75 in Flint.

Growing up in Florida it never felt that it was wrong to see Ocala on the signs as a control city, it took me looking up the population difference of it and Gainesville to see that it's half the size. I guess Florida just made a choice because it's the first bigger city you hit north of Tampa/Orlando. Lake City is ok, it's metro is 63k and interchanges with I-10 there. Valdosta is my guess for the largest city in southern GA. Both Lake City and Valdosta could be skipped and I understand that. You would be going pretty far before hitting the next control city if Macon is the next past Gainesville. At over 160k pop Macon should stay by the way, and it has the I-16 interchange as well. Maybe do the dual controls with Macon and Atlanta. I think I'd leave Naples as a control city coming off of Alligator Alley. Its metro area has rapidly grown and you literally go through the middle of nowhere to get there. There should be some mention of Tampa in the signage along the way though

Your next video (I-76) will be interesting because there are TWO I-76 highways. One in Colorado, and one in Ohio/Pennsylvania.

I-75 originally did follow I-40 into downtown Knoxville before I-640 was built. Once I-640 was built the routing was changed and the old section of I-75 was re-signed as I-275. Prior to the SmartFix 40 project in about 2008 the section of I-40 through downtown Knoxville was only two lanes and very narrow at times. So, it wasn't able to handle the traffic of both interstates.

There is a welcome to Ohio sign now but I guess during that street view they were changing their signs because used to be some sort of different sign then they changed it to like so much to discover or something

They should sign the bridge to Canada as reading "Sault Ste. Marie ON" instead!

Cover charge for Canada, that made me laugh!

I have a theory why Ocala is an I-75 control city. The theme park Six Gun Territory used to be in Ocala until about 1980. It was one of Florida's biggest attractions in the 60's and early 70's, until Disney World opened. Also, Silver Springs and Ocala National Forest are there as well. Either they just never got around to removing Ocala or they are still leaving it there for the remaining attractions. Just a theory though.

Grew up in Michigan? The Mackinac bridge used to lead to my grandparents house EVERY summer

Probably the freeway I've been on the most as a Metro Detroiter

Parts of 75 I've been on: Ste St Marie to Toledo, Lexington to Knoxville, Chattanooga to Southern Terminus near Miami.

by the time you get that close to the mackinaw bridge the speed limits are slow, so the tight right turn is less extreme than a normal interstate. you can also walk across the bridge on labor day weekend. two lanes are closed for walking. big reason why it's signed is its the only location with any real weight in that area.

Corrections (plural)! At 1:04, where vid states “FL turnpike”, photo is actually on the Palmetto Expressway, SR826, NB, in Hialeah, with ramps to beginning of I-75. And, vid completely skips the I-75/Florida Turnpike, SR821, interchange and it’s maze of ramps for regular and express lanes. (Note, NB I-75 ramp only to NB FL Tpk, no ramp to SB.)

It seems like that Kentucky likes to like Arkansas and like some other places really likes to sign 2 cities on a lot of overhead signs

I-75 is the only road in Florida where its speed limit is 70 MPH the entire length of the state.

at the time ..... GaDOT was completing a massive overhaul of the 75/16 interchange in Macon. I believe GaDOT had just put up that new overhead sign for 16 EAST. the 75 NORTH sign is temporary cuz traffic for mainline traffic for 75 NORTH won't be on that pavement when the overhaul is completed.

I disagree with your opinion about not signing mackinac bridge. It's a great way of showing people who don't know how to get to the UP. Plus many traveller's exit onto us2 to explore the UP so keeping track of those miles to go is also quite important. Also since there is no other good candidate for a control city for that long stretch, why sign basically next stop Canada when you haven't even hit the bottom of the thumb (saginaw bay). The bridge is the most important thing to sign and it's worthy of being signed.

I-75/I-16 is getting a MAJOR overhaul, thus the weird signage.

My explanation on I 75 in Florida. Naples is the last big town on Florida's west coast and last town before you go into the swamps . Southwest Florida's growth was the reason I 75 was extended. Ocala pronounced oh cal la. It was and is where roads meet in Ocala. Sr 326 and US 301 shortcut to Skynyrdville to catch I 95. Lake City is simply I 75 and I 10. The new signs show control cities as Interstate as control cities example I 275 18 miles. Just south of Dade city exit.

Something I forgot to mention before concerning the Mackinac Bridge as the Control Destination It starts in Saginaw at the South I-675 interchange...Before that they had EVERY small town from Saginaw to the bridge as a control city Bay City (the last big city I-75 passes, but only 5 exits, and 12 miles away) Standish (where US-23 leaves I-75 for it's northern Lake Huron shoreline route to the bridge) West Branch Roscommon Grayling (National Guard Training Camp nearby) Gaylord Wolverine Waters (Where Old US 27 left the route) Mackinaw City (the Lower Pennisula town where the bridge is) If you don't want the bridge as the control city, I would have Standish, Grayling, and Mackinaw City as the control cities

How can you do a travel log of I75 and not reference Big Beaver Road in Troy MI. Exit 69. Edit time

I think that Florida uses Ocala because it’s where I-75 meets the Florida Turnpike (which serves Orlando from I-75) and the traffic is usually horrible. We time to go through Ocala at midnight or later if we’re visiting either Tampa or Orlando.

I’ve driven the length of I-75, having been born & raised in Tampa and vacationing in St. Joseph Island, Ontario (near Sault Ste. Marie). You want to stay in the right lane on the Mackinac Bridge because of the steel grating in the left lane. Say what you will about the Jamet Street exit in Mackinaw City. Back in the day, there was a drawbridge over the Saginaw River (replaced by the high level Zilwaukee bridge). I remember my father saying, “Get a good look at this! I doubt you’ll see a drawbridge on the interstate ever again.”

2:34 how about Lake City, Haha

I-75 is a pretty Important Interstate in this Country since It goes through Tampa, Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Detroit! Lots of Big Cities.

There actually is an I-75B in Bay City, MI that is unsigned if you wanna check that out on the SB video.

Timestamps: Florida: 0:47 Georgia: 3:24 Tennessee: 6:13 Kentucky: 7:20 Ohio: 8:33 Michigan: 10:42

A video on California state route 153 would be cool

At last, we get to my home interstate(?), I-75. As a native of Valdosta (Val-daw-stuh), I knew the Valdosta slander was coming. Valdosta is the biggest city in South Georgia (other than Albany). Valdosta is one of the major cities (barely though) in the state with about 65k in the city and over 100K in Lowndes County. I think GDOT didn't want to sign a FL city all the way from Macon (or Atlanta). GDOT definitely was not about to sign Gainesville (FL), but I have seen an I-75 South Tampa sign in Atlanta by the airport.

Skipping over Gainesville for Lake City was a bad choice. I think also Fort Myers should be signed instead of Naples if something needs to be signed in between Tampa and Miami

7:22 - Here is the best place for a big-green-sign of the exit to KY-418. . .. which happens to be 7+1/4 miles to I-64. (not 7 miles)