Best route from Miami area to Michigan

[Flint1979]

I pretty much know the route to take is I-75 but here's the deal. I have to drive a trailer from Florida back to Michigan this week and want to bypass Atlanta entirely. So I'm thinking of taking I-95 to I-26 to I-40 back to I-75 in Knoxville and then taking I-75 back to Michigan. I hate driving in Atlanta so I really want to bypass it.

[Max Rockatansky]

Amusingly I prefer US 27 once you get to Ocala.  It by far more entertaining than Florida's Turnpike and way less frustrating than I-75. 

[US 89]

Atlanta isn’t that bad compared to other big cities. The perimeter is your friend.

[Flint1979]

Amusingly I prefer US 27 once you get to Ocala.  It by far more entertaining than Florida's Turnpike and way less frustrating than I-75.

I know taking 95 through like Florida, Georgia and into South Carolina can be just as bad as 75. But I look at it this way Jacksonville isn't that hard to drive through and the only other major city would be Cincinnati.

[Flint1979]

Atlanta isn't that bad compared to other big cities. The perimeter is your friend.

I've driven in Atlanta enough. It's one of the worst cities to drive through regardless of the perimeter being there.

[Max Rockatansky]

Amusingly I prefer US 27 once you get to Ocala.  It by far more entertaining than Florida's Turnpike and way less frustrating than I-75.

I know taking 95 through like Florida, Georgia and into South Carolina can be just as bad as 75. But I look at it this way Jacksonville isn't that hard to drive through and the only other major city would be Cincinnati.

Given I was a Florida resident (Spring Hill and Orlando) at one point there it got to the point where I would start explore alternate ways to get to Miami.  US 27 was by far the most efficient choice given it is a four lane expressway in the entire state.  I particularly like the segment from Lake Wales south to Miami given it takes you through the Orange Island sand hills, Lake Okeechobee and a more interesting part of the Everglades than Alligator Alley.  The Turnpike is what you are looking for though if speed is what you want, I want to say it will cost about $20 dollars now?

[1995hoo]

If you were passing through the Jacksonville area–specifically, Lake Asbury–what would you consider the best way to connect to US-27? I'm pondering the best route from Lake Asbury to Weston and US-27 between Orlando and Clewiston is one route we've never used (other than a small piece en route from Viera to Fort Myers back in 2005). The comments in this thread make me interested in the option.

[Max Rockatansky]

If you were passing through the Jacksonville area–specifically, Lake Asbury–what would you consider the best way to connect to US-27? I'm pondering the best route from Lake Asbury to Weston and US-27 between Orlando and Clewiston is one route we've never used (other than a small piece en route from Viera to Fort Myers back in 2005). The comments in this thread make me interested in the option.

Probably US 17 to Palatka and FL 19 through Ocala National Forest to US 27.  FL 19 through Ocala National Forest is a worthwhile scenic road IMO. 

[1995hoo]

Thanks. Next time I'm at my PC I'll take a look to see how the time estimates work out. The last time we made the drive from Lake Asbury to Weston, I took US-17 south to DeLand and the commentary from the passenger seat about "a tour of Northern Florida's back roads" got considerably more abrasive once we were south of Palatka and the road narrowed to two lanes.

I just had no desire to take I-95 yet again, and another reason I don't want to do so this summer is that I-95 takes you right past Viera, which is where my wife's sister lived. She died last year (not of COVID) and my wife took it really hard, so I think it might be best to go a different way because of the emotional aspect for her.

[Flint1979]

Amusingly I prefer US 27 once you get to Ocala.  It by far more entertaining than Florida's Turnpike and way less frustrating than I-75.

I know taking 95 through like Florida, Georgia and into South Carolina can be just as bad as 75. But I look at it this way Jacksonville isn't that hard to drive through and the only other major city would be Cincinnati.

Given I was a Florida resident (Spring Hill and Orlando) at one point there it got to the point where I would start explore alternate ways to get to Miami.  US 27 was by far the most efficient choice given it is a four lane expressway in the entire state.  I particularly like the segment from Lake Wales south to Miami given it takes you through the Orange Island sand hills, Lake Okeechobee and a more interesting part of the Everglades than Alligator Alley.  The Turnpike is what you are looking for though if speed is what you want, I want to say it will cost about $20 dollars now?

Well the thing is I'm flying into Sanford and then have to ride to Kissimmee to pick up this trailer then I'm heading to Fort Myers, after Fort Myers I'm heading clear across the state to Lake Worth, then that's where I'm starting my route back to Michigan. So I was thinking that I-95 to I-26 to I-40 to I-75 was a good enough route and bypasses Atlanta. I'm just wondering about I-40 from basically Asheville west to past the Tennessee border because of the windy nature of the route through there. I was thinking of just telling my GPS to go to Spartanburg, SC then after Spartanburg to Saginaw where I have to drop this trailer off.

[Flint1979]

To go from Lake Asbury to Weston you'd take I-95. Weston is down in the Miami area.

[SP Cook]

I pretty much know the route to take is I-75 but here's the deal. I have to drive a trailer from Florida back to Michigan this week and want to bypass Atlanta entirely. So I'm thinking of taking I-95 to I-26 to I-40 back to I-75 in Knoxville and then taking I-75 back to Michigan. I hate driving in Atlanta so I really want to bypass it.

You are adding hundreds of miles to avoid Atlanta. 

If you want to avoid the place that much, a better alternative would be:

I-95 NORTH to I-26 in rural South Carolina,
I-26 WEST to I-77 in Columbia, SC,
I-77 NORTH which eventually merges with I-64 at Beckley, WV, remain on I-64 when they split at Charleston, WV,
I-64 WEST to US 35 in Scott Depot, WV,
US 35 NORTH to the Ohio River where US 35 changes to E-W signage,
US 35 WEST to Chillicothe, OH, where US 35, US 50 and US 23 merge, remain on US 23 when they split,
US 23 NORTH to Columbus,
I-270 Columbus Beltway, or OH 315, back to US 23,
US 23 NORTH to OH 15 at Carry, OH,
OH 15 to I-75.

(or, for a slight variation, stay on I-77 at Charleston, then exit onto US 33 at Ravenswood, WV, the take US 33 to Columbus and return to the standard route, a bit more two lane, but less total non-interstate time.)

This route is actually about 45 miles shorter than the default one, although the drive time will be a little longer.  It does involve 14 miles of two lane on US 35 in WV, and there are probably 10 to 15 stop lights on the US highway part in Ohio.

[Flint1979]

I pretty much know the route to take is I-75 but here's the deal. I have to drive a trailer from Florida back to Michigan this week and want to bypass Atlanta entirely. So I'm thinking of taking I-95 to I-26 to I-40 back to I-75 in Knoxville and then taking I-75 back to Michigan. I hate driving in Atlanta so I really want to bypass it.

You are adding hundreds of miles to avoid Atlanta. 

If you want to avoid the place that much, a better alternative would be:

I-95 NORTH to I-26 in rural South Carolina,
I-26 WEST to I-77 in Columbia, SC,
I-77 NORTH which eventually merges with I-64 at Beckley, WV, remain on I-64 when they split at Charleston, WV,
I-64 WEST to US 35 in Scott Depot, WV,
US 35 NORTH to the Ohio River where US 35 changes to E-W signage,
US 35 WEST to Chillicothe, OH, where US 35, US 50 and US 23 merge, remain on US 23 when they split,
US 23 NORTH to Columbus,
I-270 Columbus Beltway, or OH 315, back to US 23,
US 23 NORTH to OH 15 at Carry, OH,
OH 15 to I-75.

(or, for a slight variation, stay on I-77 at Charleston, then exit onto US 33 at Ravenswood, WV, the take US 33 to Columbus and return to the standard route, a bit more two lane, but less total non-interstate time.)

This route is actually about 45 miles shorter than the default one, although the drive time will be a little longer.  It does involve 14 miles of two lane on US 35 in WV, and there are probably 10 to 15 stop lights on the US highway part in Ohio.

It only adds 22 miles and a half hour to avoid Atlanta going the route I suggested in my OP. Your suggestion of taking I-77 to US-33 to Columbus is actually a better route than I suggested but I don't know how long I want to be on a US highway over an Interstate.

[Max Rockatansky]

Amusingly I prefer US 27 once you get to Ocala.  It by far more entertaining than Florida's Turnpike and way less frustrating than I-75.

I know taking 95 through like Florida, Georgia and into South Carolina can be just as bad as 75. But I look at it this way Jacksonville isn't that hard to drive through and the only other major city would be Cincinnati.

Given I was a Florida resident (Spring Hill and Orlando) at one point there it got to the point where I would start explore alternate ways to get to Miami.  US 27 was by far the most efficient choice given it is a four lane expressway in the entire state.  I particularly like the segment from Lake Wales south to Miami given it takes you through the Orange Island sand hills, Lake Okeechobee and a more interesting part of the Everglades than Alligator Alley.  The Turnpike is what you are looking for though if speed is what you want, I want to say it will cost about $20 dollars now?

Well the thing is I'm flying into Sanford and then have to ride to Kissimmee to pick up this trailer then I'm heading to Fort Myers, after Fort Myers I'm heading clear across the state to Lake Worth, then that's where I'm starting my route back to Michigan. So I was thinking that I-95 to I-26 to I-40 to I-75 was a good enough route and bypasses Atlanta. I'm just wondering about I-40 from basically Asheville west to past the Tennessee border because of the windy nature of the route through there. I was thinking of just telling my GPS to go to Spartanburg, SC then after Spartanburg to Saginaw where I have to drop this trailer off.

FWIW I worked for a race team out of Asheville when I was in high school.  As much as I-40 had an advertised wind issue I never noticed it to be much of a problem once Spring hits.  We certainly never had a race hauler divert off I-40 that I can recall for wind. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Thanks. Next time I'm at my PC I'll take a look to see how the time estimates work out. The last time we made the drive from Lake Asbury to Weston, I took US-17 south to DeLand and the commentary from the passenger seat about "a tour of Northern Florida's back roads" got considerably more abrasive once we were south of Palatka and the road narrowed to two lanes.

I just had no desire to take I-95 yet again, and another reason I don't want to do so this summer is that I-95 takes you right past Viera, which is where my wife's sister lived. She died last year (not of COVID) and my wife took it really hard, so I think it might be best to go a different way because of the emotional aspect for her.

Yeah Deland is awful to try to get through and the best thing to do is avoid it on US 17.  Diverting to FL 19 will maintain that whole Florida backroad feel a whole lot more.  US 27 south of Lake Wales really opens but yet still feels like a modern divided highway.

[nerdom]

Yes. I second SP Cook's post. Just be sure to take 485 to the west around Charlotte. Construction on 77 through town. It's just a great bypass to boot.

[1995hoo]

To go from Lake Asbury to Weston you'd take I-95. Weston is down in the Miami area.

Duh!!! Obviously I know where Weston is, and my comments should have made it clear I've been there before. What part of "I don't want to take I-95"  was unclear to you?

[Flint1979]

Amusingly I prefer US 27 once you get to Ocala.  It by far more entertaining than Florida's Turnpike and way less frustrating than I-75.

I know taking 95 through like Florida, Georgia and into South Carolina can be just as bad as 75. But I look at it this way Jacksonville isn't that hard to drive through and the only other major city would be Cincinnati.

Given I was a Florida resident (Spring Hill and Orlando) at one point there it got to the point where I would start explore alternate ways to get to Miami.  US 27 was by far the most efficient choice given it is a four lane expressway in the entire state.  I particularly like the segment from Lake Wales south to Miami given it takes you through the Orange Island sand hills, Lake Okeechobee and a more interesting part of the Everglades than Alligator Alley.  The Turnpike is what you are looking for though if speed is what you want, I want to say it will cost about $20 dollars now?

Well the thing is I'm flying into Sanford and then have to ride to Kissimmee to pick up this trailer then I'm heading to Fort Myers, after Fort Myers I'm heading clear across the state to Lake Worth, then that's where I'm starting my route back to Michigan. So I was thinking that I-95 to I-26 to I-40 to I-75 was a good enough route and bypasses Atlanta. I'm just wondering about I-40 from basically Asheville west to past the Tennessee border because of the windy nature of the route through there. I was thinking of just telling my GPS to go to Spartanburg, SC then after Spartanburg to Saginaw where I have to drop this trailer off.

FWIW I worked for a race team out of Asheville when I was in high school.  As much as I-40 had an advertised wind issue I never noticed it to be much of a problem once Spring hits.  We certainly never had a race hauler divert off I-40 that I can recall for wind.

I kind of think now going up into West Virginia and using either US-33 or US-35 to get back to US-23 then I-75 makes some sense.

[1995hoo]

US-35 in Ohio is an excellent road. There's a very short slow segment in West Virginia where the two-lane road hasn't yet been replaced (a four-lane segment is under construction), but it's only about maybe 15 miles tops.

[NJRoadfan]

FWIW, coming north on I-95, I noticed a ton of Ohio plated cars in FL and GA. Assuming that they eventually took I-26 because it makes no sense to stay on I-95 north of there.

[fillup420]

Amusingly I prefer US 27 once you get to Ocala.  It by far more entertaining than Florida's Turnpike and way less frustrating than I-75.

I know taking 95 through like Florida, Georgia and into South Carolina can be just as bad as 75. But I look at it this way Jacksonville isn't that hard to drive through and the only other major city would be Cincinnati.

Given I was a Florida resident (Spring Hill and Orlando) at one point there it got to the point where I would start explore alternate ways to get to Miami.  US 27 was by far the most efficient choice given it is a four lane expressway in the entire state.  I particularly like the segment from Lake Wales south to Miami given it takes you through the Orange Island sand hills, Lake Okeechobee and a more interesting part of the Everglades than Alligator Alley.  The Turnpike is what you are looking for though if speed is what you want, I want to say it will cost about $20 dollars now?

Well the thing is I'm flying into Sanford and then have to ride to Kissimmee to pick up this trailer then I'm heading to Fort Myers, after Fort Myers I'm heading clear across the state to Lake Worth, then that's where I'm starting my route back to Michigan. So I was thinking that I-95 to I-26 to I-40 to I-75 was a good enough route and bypasses Atlanta. I'm just wondering about I-40 from basically Asheville west to past the Tennessee border because of the windy nature of the route through there. I was thinking of just telling my GPS to go to Spartanburg, SC then after Spartanburg to Saginaw where I have to drop this trailer off.

FWIW I worked for a race team out of Asheville when I was in high school.  As much as I-40 had an advertised wind issue I never noticed it to be much of a problem once Spring hits.  We certainly never had a race hauler divert off I-40 that I can recall for wind.

I would say rock slides may be a bit more of a regular issue than the wind. I have been slowed down by rocks on the road two times near the NC/TN line.

[tigerwings]

I pretty much know the route to take is I-75 but here's the deal. I have to drive a trailer from Florida back to Michigan this week and want to bypass Atlanta entirely. So I'm thinking of taking I-95 to I-26 to I-40 back to I-75 in Knoxville and then taking I-75 back to Michigan. I hate driving in Atlanta so I really want to bypass it.

You are adding hundreds of miles to avoid Atlanta. 

If you want to avoid the place that much, a better alternative would be:

I-95 NORTH to I-26 in rural South Carolina,
I-26 WEST to I-77 in Columbia, SC,
I-77 NORTH which eventually merges with I-64 at Beckley, WV, remain on I-64 when they split at Charleston, WV,
I-64 WEST to US 35 in Scott Depot, WV,
US 35 NORTH to the Ohio River where US 35 changes to E-W signage,
US 35 WEST to Chillicothe, OH, where US 35, US 50 and US 23 merge, remain on US 23 when they split,
US 23 NORTH to Columbus,
I-270 Columbus Beltway, or OH 315, back to US 23,
US 23 NORTH to OH 15 at Carry, OH,
OH 15 to I-75.

(or, for a slight variation, stay on I-77 at Charleston, then exit onto US 33 at Ravenswood, WV, the take US 33 to Columbus and return to the standard route, a bit more two lane, but less total non-interstate time.)

This route is actually about 45 miles shorter than the default one, although the drive time will be a little longer.  It does involve 14 miles of two lane on US 35 in WV, and there are probably 10 to 15 stop lights on the US highway part in Ohio.

It only adds 22 miles and a half hour to avoid Atlanta going the route I suggested in my OP. Your suggestion of taking I-77 to US-33 to Columbus is actually a better route than I suggested but I don't know how long I want to be on a US highway over an Interstate.

I've done this route before between FL and MI, wasn't bad 25 years ago. 33 was slow but lots a upgrades since. Took this route mostly because parents were living in SE Ohio at the time.

[hotdogPi]

Amusingly I prefer US 27 once you get to Ocala.  It by far more entertaining than Florida's Turnpike and way less frustrating than I-75.

I know taking 95 through like Florida, Georgia and into South Carolina can be just as bad as 75. But I look at it this way Jacksonville isn't that hard to drive through and the only other major city would be Cincinnati.

Given I was a Florida resident (Spring Hill and Orlando) at one point there it got to the point where I would start explore alternate ways to get to Miami.  US 27 was by far the most efficient choice given it is a four lane expressway in the entire state.  I particularly like the segment from Lake Wales south to Miami given it takes you through the Orange Island sand hills, Lake Okeechobee and a more interesting part of the Everglades than Alligator Alley.  The Turnpike is what you are looking for though if speed is what you want, I want to say it will cost about $20 dollars now?

Well the thing is I'm flying into Sanford and then have to ride to Kissimmee to pick up this trailer then I'm heading to Fort Myers, after Fort Myers I'm heading clear across the state to Lake Worth, then that's where I'm starting my route back to Michigan. So I was thinking that I-95 to I-26 to I-40 to I-75 was a good enough route and bypasses Atlanta. I'm just wondering about I-40 from basically Asheville west to past the Tennessee border because of the windy nature of the route through there. I was thinking of just telling my GPS to go to Spartanburg, SC then after Spartanburg to Saginaw where I have to drop this trailer off.

FWIW I worked for a race team out of Asheville when I was in high school.  As much as I-40 had an advertised wind issue I never noticed it to be much of a problem once Spring hits.  We certainly never had a race hauler divert off I-40 that I can recall for wind.

I would say rock slides may be a bit more of a regular issue than the wind. I have been slowed down by rocks on the road two times near the NC/TN line.

Are you sure he doesn't mean windy as in winding?

[Flint1979]

Amusingly I prefer US 27 once you get to Ocala.  It by far more entertaining than Florida's Turnpike and way less frustrating than I-75.

I know taking 95 through like Florida, Georgia and into South Carolina can be just as bad as 75. But I look at it this way Jacksonville isn't that hard to drive through and the only other major city would be Cincinnati.

Given I was a Florida resident (Spring Hill and Orlando) at one point there it got to the point where I would start explore alternate ways to get to Miami.  US 27 was by far the most efficient choice given it is a four lane expressway in the entire state.  I particularly like the segment from Lake Wales south to Miami given it takes you through the Orange Island sand hills, Lake Okeechobee and a more interesting part of the Everglades than Alligator Alley.  The Turnpike is what you are looking for though if speed is what you want, I want to say it will cost about $20 dollars now?

Well the thing is I'm flying into Sanford and then have to ride to Kissimmee to pick up this trailer then I'm heading to Fort Myers, after Fort Myers I'm heading clear across the state to Lake Worth, then that's where I'm starting my route back to Michigan. So I was thinking that I-95 to I-26 to I-40 to I-75 was a good enough route and bypasses Atlanta. I'm just wondering about I-40 from basically Asheville west to past the Tennessee border because of the windy nature of the route through there. I was thinking of just telling my GPS to go to Spartanburg, SC then after Spartanburg to Saginaw where I have to drop this trailer off.

FWIW I worked for a race team out of Asheville when I was in high school.  As much as I-40 had an advertised wind issue I never noticed it to be much of a problem once Spring hits.  We certainly never had a race hauler divert off I-40 that I can recall for wind.

I would say rock slides may be a bit more of a regular issue than the wind. I have been slowed down by rocks on the road two times near the NC/TN line.

Are you sure he doesn't mean windy as in winding?

That is what I meant. I'm talking about all the curves that I-40 has there and was wondering if it was a good route to take with a trailer. Now though I'm thinking of taking I-95 to I-26 to I-77 to US-33 or US-35 haven't made up my mind there yet, then take that to Columbus and take US-23 to OH-15 to I-75, then of course get back off at I-475/US-23 then follow US-23 the rest of the way. If I took US-35 I'd meet up with US-23 in Chillicothe and then take that to Columbus.

[NWI_Irish96]

Can you time your drive so you go through Atlanta early morning or late evening? I would think the benefit of hauling a trailer over the easier pass in the Appalachians that I-75 provides outweighs missing Atlanta but taking the much more challenging I-40.