View source for Outer Drive

{{short description|Bypass road}}
{{About|the road in Detroit|the Chicago road sometimes referred to as Outer Drive|Lake Shore Drive}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox street
| name                    = Outer Drive
| native_name             =
| marker_image            =
| image                   = Outer_Drive,_Detroit.png
| caption                 = Outer Drive highlighted in red
| former_names            =
| postal_code             =
| addresses               =
| length_m                =
| length_ft               =
| length_mi               = 40
| length_km               =
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| width                   =
| location                =
| client                  =
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| coordinates             =
| direction_a             = South
| terminus_a              = [[Jefferson Avenue (Detroit)|Jefferson Avenue]] in [[Ecorse, Michigan|Ecorse]]
| direction_b             = Eastern
| terminus_b              = Mack Avenue – border of [[Detroit]] and [[Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan|Grosse Pointe Park]]
| junction                = {{jct|state=MI|M|85}} in [[Lincoln Park, Michigan|Lincoln Park]] / [[Detroit]]<br>
{{jct|state=MI|I|75}} in [[Lincoln Park, Michigan|Lincoln Park]] / [[Detroit]]<br>
{{jct|state=MI|I|94}} in [[Allen Park, Michigan|Allen Park]]<br>
{{jct|state=MI|M|39}} in [[Allen Park, Michigan|Allen Park]] / [[Dearborn, Michigan|Dearborn]]<br>
{{jct|state=MI|US|12}} in [[Dearborn, Michigan|Dearborn]]<br>
{{jct|state=MI|M|153}} in [[Dearborn, Michigan|Dearborn]]<br>
{{jct|state=MI|I|96}} in [[Detroit]]<br>
{{jct|state=MI|M|3|M|5|M|10|M|39}} in [[Detroit]] 
{{jct|state=MI|I|94}} in [[Detroit]]
| commissioning_date      =
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| inauguration_date       = <!-- {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
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}}
'''Outer Drive''' is a [[Bypass route|bypass]] road which encircles both the eastern and western portions of the [[Metro Detroit area|Detroit, Michigan region]]. It resembles a jagged horseshoe and was not originally intended to move traffic as much as it was to provide a pleasurable drive around the City of [[Detroit]] and some of its suburbs.

A [[boulevard]] for the vast majority of its length, Outer Drive includes travel through beautiful subdivisions, school sites, and park areas. First proposed in 1918, it immediately won acceptance and eventually evolved into the thoroughfare which exists today. A 1929 article in ''Michigan Women'' magazine, predicted a "...great pleasure boulevard..." that would be "...like a necklace around Detroit...." However, in an article dated August 4, 2004, in the ''[[Metro Times]]'', Michigan author Curt Guyette described Outer Drive as "...one of the oddest city thoroughfares in the country." Outer Drive was once famous for the elm trees that lined the wandering roadway at one time, but in a circa-1983 [[WXYZ-TV]] report about Outer Drive, reporter Erik Smith of the local ABC affiliate, declared that "...now, it may be more famous for its potholes."

While mostly within the Detroit city limits, Outer Drive also ventures into the cities of [[Allen Park, Michigan|Allen Park]], [[Dearborn, Michigan|Dearborn]], [[Dearborn Heights, Michigan|Dearborn Heights]], [[Ecorse, Michigan|Ecorse]], [[Lincoln Park, Michigan|Lincoln Park]], and [[Melvindale, Michigan|Melvindale]].

At its western starting point at [[Jefferson Avenue (Detroit)|Jefferson Avenue]] in Ecorse near the [[Detroit River]], the thoroughfare meanders northwesterly to Michigan Avenue, where it makes a northeast bend along the [[River Rouge (Michigan)|River Rouge]]; it then continues northeasterly with several 90-degree-angle turns until Outer Drive ends at Livernois Avenue. Outer Drive then resumes on Detroit's east side, over-taking State Fair Avenue, Conner Avenue, Alter Road, Chandler Park Drive, and Whittier Avenue, with its eastern terminus at Mack Avenue at the northern edge of the City of [[Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan|Grosse Pointe Park]], but not actually entering that city. Outer Drive is notable for having several isolated divided portions. There are three such segments. The largest is the westernmost section, beginning at Jefferson Avenue in Ecorse and ending at [[Livernois Avenue]] in Detroit—this particular sector is {{convert|23.6|mi}}.<ref>{{cite web |title = Google Maps |url = https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ecorse,+MI/Outer+Dr+%26+Livernois+Ave,+Detroit,+MI/@42.2918786,-83.1859991,12z/am=t/data=!4m34!4m33!1m25!1m1!1s0x883b31154b7c60cd:0x1ad4a1c3c22131e4!2m2!1d-83.142384!2d42.2479775!3m4!1m2!1d-83.2633547!2d42.3046403!3s0x883b4a650e0f34ff:0x865ab4ca35edbb47!3m4!1m2!1d-83.2615231!2d42.3286293!3s0x883b4a90ab114915:0xb9905d8efe09f8a5!3m4!1m2!1d-83.2594758!2d42.3553945!3s0x8824b553221304b9:0xcfd3435cf8f97b31!3m4!1m2!1d-83.2438474!2d42.3977802!3s0x8824ca7bc68bf1ad:0xaca70d6e7268e56f!1m5!1m1!1s0x8824ce9796523b4d:0x49f88fd6b23feded!2m2!1d-83.1417078!2d42.4351799!3e0}}</ref> The middle section is between Dequindre Road (at East State Fair Avenue) and at East McNichols Road (between the [[Mount Olivet Cemetery (Detroit)|Mount Olivet Cemetery]] and the [[Coleman A. Young International Airport]]); that section is {{convert|4.9|mi}} entirely within Detroit.<ref>{{cite web |title = Google Maps |url = https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Outer+Dr+%26+E+McNichols+Rd,+Detroit,+MI/Outer+Dr+%26+Dequindre+St,+Detroit,+MI/@42.4335187,-83.0541043,14z/am=t/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x8824d15e3098d67b:0xbf4906f547159665!2m2!1d-83.0138559!2d42.4196737!1m5!1m1!1s0x8824ce1f5dd7639f:0x27076101982187c9!2m2!1d-83.0830999!2d42.4400595}}</ref> The easternmost section is between Conner Avenue (near Gratiot Avenue) and Mack Avenue; this portion is {{convert|5.3|mi}} and likewise completely inside Detroit.<ref>{{cite web |title = Google Maps |url = https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Outer+Dr+%26+Mack+Ave,+Detroit,+MI/Outer+Dr+%26+Conner+St,+Detroit,+MI/@42.3920624,-82.9723643,13z/data=!4m24!4m23!1m15!1m1!1s0x8824d5c004272433:0x20d917cdf23e9191!2m2!1d-82.929181!2d42.3921735!3m4!1m2!1d-82.9588045!2d42.403281!3s0x8824d43031941703:0x2a54132159ceec4f!3m4!1m2!1d-82.9656636!2d42.4148409!3s0x8824d69de86d7db1:0xea39b11fec06e59e!1m5!1m1!1s0x8824d3fa07404d77:0x59e679e39694a5d5!2m2!1d-82.998814!2d42.4059491!3e0}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Grand Boulevard (Detroit)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}

*[http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=6585 Metro Times Article about the history of Outer Drive]

{{Metro Detroit Surface Streets|state=open}}

[[Category:Metro Detroit]]
[[Category:Streets in Michigan]]