Heading to the UP for Labor Day? Here's how long it takes to reach the Mackinac Bridge

Date:2025-08-25 22:34:28 Category:News Views:1 Comment:0

If you're planning to cross the Mighty Mac as you head to the Upper Peninsula for Labor Day weekend, now's the time to start planning your road trip — and build in some time to reach the tip of the mitten.

The Mackinac Bridge towers over the Straits of Mackinac, providing the only link between Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula. Depending on what city you're coming from, the drive could take up to 4½ hours, so be sure to pack snacks and make bathroom stops along the way.

With Mackinaw City anchoring the south end and St. Ignace the north, the bridge spans the meeting point between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, two of the region's five Great Lakes.

In May, the latest figures available, more than 374,000 vehicles crossed the bridge. More than 640,000 vehicles crossed in August 2024. Through May this year, about 1.2 million vehicles had crossed the bridge.

August and July are typically the highest-traffic months for the bridge.

If you're planning to return to lower Michigan on Labor Day, be aware the Mackinac Bridge will close to vehicles from 6:30 a.m. to noon as pedestrians trek across for the annual Mackinac Bridge Walk.

Here's what to know about the Mackinac Bridge.

How long will it take you to get to the Mackinac Bridge?

It can be a long trip from southern Michigan to the Mackinac Bridge. Here's a look at the drive north to the Mackinac Bridge from southern Michigan cities, based on the fastest route option from Google:

Ann Arbor: 276 miles; 3 hours, 48 minutes by car
Coldwater: 299 miles; 4 hours, 7 minutes by car
Detroit: 292 miles; 3 hours, 57 minutes by car
Grand Haven: 263 miles; 3 hours, 50 minutes by car
Grand Rapids: 236 miles; 3 hours, 21 minutes by car
Flint: 227 miles; 3 hours, 4 minutes by car
Jackson: 264 miles; 3 hours, 39 minutes by car
Kalamazoo: 287 miles; 4 hours, 7 minutes by car
Lansing: 229 miles; 3 hours, 30 minutes by car
New Buffalo: 365 miles; 6 hours, 15 minutes by car
Port Huron: 319 miles; 4 hours, 29 minutes by car
Saginaw: 190 miles; about 2 hours, 35 minutes by car

Annual bridge walk will close span on Sept. 1

Keep in mind the Mackinac Bridge will close to vehicular traffic from 6:30 a.m. to noon on Labor Day for the annual bridge walk, so you'll need to plan your driving around that timeframe.

If you'd like to join the Mackinac Bridge Walk while you're waiting to head south, bring your tennis shoes and enjoy the stunning views of the Straits of Mackinac as you stroll the bridge.

You can walk halfway from St. Ignace and back or if you walk the full 5 miles you'll need to arrange transportation back to your car in St. Ignace. (or Mackinaw City, if that's where you start)

Where is the Mackinac Bridge?

Located in the Straits of Mackinac where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet, the Mackinac Bridge links Michigan's Lower Peninsula in Mackinaw City to Michigan's Upper Peninsula in St. Ignace.

The steel, concrete and cable wire structure includes two towers reaching 554 feet high above water and 210 feet down to the lake bedrock, according to Mackinac.com.

How much is the toll to cross the Mackinac Bridge?

Drivers must pay a toll when crossing the Mackinac Bridge.

The toll rate for passenger vehicles is $4 per car or $2 per axle, the Bridge Authority's website says. This includes passenger cars, vans, motorcycles, station wagons, SUVs, pick-up trucks and school buses.

For all other vehicle types the rate is $5 per axle. This includes tractor trailers, buses, motor homes and step or cube vans.

You can sign up for a vehicle transponder that allows you to drive through without stopping to pay cash.

How long is the Mackinac Bridge?

The suspension bridge runs 5 miles long, the Mackinac Bridge Authority says.

A view of the Mackinac Bridge from the lower peninsula on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.

The Mackinac Bridge is currently among the five longest suspension bridges by suspended length worldwide, the Authority said. The main span between the two towers is 3,800 feet long, making it the third-longest suspension bridge by main span length in the U.S. behind the Golden Gate and Verrazano-Narrows bridges, the ASCE said.

The 5-mile bridge (including approaches) was the world's longest suspension bridge between cable anchorages when it opened, the ASCE notes. By stating "between anchorages," the bridge was considered longer than the Golden Gate Bridge, even though the Golden Gate Bridge's main span exceeds that of the Mackinac Bridge. At 8,614 feet, the Mackinac Bridge is still the longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the Western Hemisphere.

How did the idea for the bridge come about?

Proposals to build a structure connecting Michigan's two peninsulas date back decades prior to the bridge's construction and opening, the Mackinac Bridge Authority said. Attempts to enact a bridge faced financial and political setbacks, including delays from wars abroad.

Funds and approval were eventually secured and work on the Mackinac Bridge officially began with ceremonies May 7-8, 1954, according to the Bridge Authority.

Mackinac bridge photos from water for files shot from a ferry on Saturday, June 5, 2004.

American engineer David B. Steinmann designed the bridge, and the 48-month construction cost of $99.8 million, Mackinac.com says.

The design of the bridge was directly influenced by the lessons of the first Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which failed on Nov. 7, 1940, under wind stresses. Steinman published a theoretical analysis of suspension-bridge stability, recommending that future bridge designs include deep trusses to stiffen the bridge deck and an open-grid roadway to reduce its wind resistance.

When did the Mackinac Bridge open?

The Mackinac Bridge opened to vehicular traffic on Nov. 1, 1957, according to the Bridge Authority's website.

Is there a live feed to the Mackinac Bridge?

The Mackinac Bridge has five bridge cams that update every 1 minute showing conditions on the bridge, per the Mackinac Bridge Authority.

The cameras are stationed at the bridge administration building looking south, the St. Ignace dock looking south, Bridge View Park in St. Ignace looking south, Mackinaw City looking north and on U.S. 2/Interstate 75 in St. Ignace.