Population:
925,051
Elevation:
600 feet
County:
Wayne
Land area:
138.8 square miles
Average Temperatures and Precipitation
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Average temp. (°F)
24.8
27.4
36.7
48.0
59.7
69.0
73.6
72.0
64.5
52.5
41.3
30.3
High temperature (°F)
32.5
35.8
46.0
58.7
71.4
80.4
84.8
82.9
75.6
63.0
49.6
37.6
Low temperature (°F)
17.0
19.0
27.4
37.3
48.0
57.6
62.4
61.1
53.3
41.9
33.0
22.9
Precipitation (in)
1.9
1.9
2.6
3.2
2.9
3.5
3.2
3.1
3.4
2.5
2.8
2.5
Local Seasons
Summer is the most popular time
to visit Detroit and the Great Lakes area. Prices in most places peak in July
and August. Daily temperatures average in the 70s in Michigan. July and August
heat waves can push them into the high 80s. Depending on the weather, the leaves
usually begin to turn in mid-September and reach their most colorful by
mid-October. In winter, Michigan has the only significant downhill skiing in
the region. Sudden snowstorms can make winter driving unpredictable and
treacherous. Spring is damp and can be chilly, with unpredictable weather and
temperatures ranging from the 30s to the low 60s.
Major national holidays in
the United States
New Year's Day (Jan. 1)
Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
(3rd Mon. in Jan.)
President's Day (3rd Mon. in
Feb.)
Memorial Day (last Mon. in May)
Independence Day (July 4);
Labor Day (1st Mon. in Sept.)
Thanksgiving Day (4th Thurs. in
Nov.)
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
(Dec. 24 and 25)
New Year's Eve (Dec. 31)
Canadian national holidays
(in neighboring Windsor, ON)
New Year's Day,
Good Friday, Easter Monday,
(date varies)
Victoria Day (May 22), Canada
Day (July 1),
Ontario celebrates a Civic Holiday (August 7).
Labour Day (first Monday in
September),
Thanksgiving (second Monday in
October), Remembrance Day (November 11),
Christmas, and Boxing Day
(December 26).,
Telephones:
The country code for the United States is 1. The area
codes for Detroit are 313 and 248. To reach Canada, dial 1 + area code + number.
The area code for Windsor, Ontario, is 519.
Getting There
By Plane:
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne
County Airport (DTW) 1 Rogell Dr., 734/247-7265) is in Romulus, about 26 miles
west of downtown Detroit. It is served by most major airlines, with nearly 1,000
arrivals and departures daily. Some sample flying times to Detroit are from
New York (2 hours) and London (10 hours)
By Train:
Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL) provides daily service from Chicago
(trip time: 6 1/2 hr.) and Ann Arbor (1 hr.) to its station at 11 W. Baltimore
St. at Woodward Avenue. Trains also stop at Amtrak stations in Dearborn, 16121
Michigan Ave.; Royal Oak, 201 S. Sherman Dr.; Birmingham, 449 S. Eaton St.; and
Pontiac, 1600 Wide Track Dr.
By Car:
Major routes into Detroit are I-75 from the south (Toledo) and north (Flint),
I-94 from the west (Chicago), and Route 401 from the east (Toronto).
Transfers Between the Airport and Town
By Bus
Commuter Express
runs buses from the
metropolitan airport to major downtown hotels from 6:45 AM to midnight;
By Taxi
Taxis to and from the
airport take about 45 minutes.
By Car
I-75 enters Detroit from the
north and south, U.S. 10 from the north. Approaching from the west and northeast
is I-94; from the west, I-96 and I-696. From the east, Canadian Route 401
becomes Route 3 upon entering Detroit from Windsor via the Ambassador Bridge and
Route 3B upon entering via the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
By Bus
Greyhound 1001 Howard St.,:
800/231-2222
Getting Around the City
The People Mover
313/224-2160 is an elevated, automated monorail that makes a 14-minute, 3-mile
circuit of 13 downtown stations. Trains run about every three minutes; the fare
is 50¢ (tokens are sold at each station).
Detroit Romulus
