Overview
Washtenaw County is in southeast Michigan, with a population of 368,000 people (as of 2019). It's considered to be a part of metro Detroit, which is just to the east in Wayne County.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 84°F; winter lows dip to about 16°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and May. (climate data from nearby Ann Arbor)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- DTW Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Detroit — 25 mi away (major hub). Directions
- TOL Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport, Toledo — 46 mi away. Directions
The only interstate in Washtenaw County is I-94, which goes west from Detroit, south of Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, then past Dexter and Chelsea toward Jackson. US-23 goes north from Toledo, Ohio past Milan, between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, then toward Flint. Saline is on US-12 southwest of Ypsilanti, while Manchester is on M-52 south of Chelsea and north of Adrian.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Ann Arbor — Michigan Theater, State Theater, The Ark.
- Day 2: Ypsilanti — Michigan Firehouse Museum, Ypsilanti's Automotive Heritage Museum and Miller Motors Hudson, Ypsilanti Historic District.
- Day 3: Dexter — Dexter Museum, Dexter Community Players, Spring Valley Trout Farm.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Places in Washtenaw County
Cities
- Ann Arbor — The county seat, and home to the University of Michigan. It's a thriving town with lots of shops, restaurants, cultural activities and festivals.
- Ypsilanti — Ann Arbor's smaller, poorer, uglier, and cooler sibling. Surrounded by pretentious neighbors, Ypsi residents tend to see their city as more relaxed and less yuppified. Ypsilanti was the birthplace of Iggy Pop and home of Preston Tucker, Elijah (The Real McCoy) McCoy, and the Ypsilanti Water Tower, which was voted the most phallic building in the world by the nationally circulated Cabinet art and design magazine. The Depot Town area is the most walkable.
- Chelsea — A quaint, touristy little town, home to Jeff Daniels' Purple Rose Theater and celebrated local restaurant The Common Grill. Has a small, lively downtown with several art galleries, eateries and shops.
- Dexter — Small town between Ann Arbor and Chelsea with a walkable downtown. In the fall, visit the Dexter Cider Mill for fresh apple cider and doughnuts, and during nice times of the year stop in at the drive-in A&W outside of town.
- Saline — Another pleasant small town with a walkable downtown full of shops and restaurants. Lots of people come for the Saline Celtic Festival that's held every July, with entertainment, food and vendors.
- The other two villages in the county are Manchester and Milan (which doesn't rhyme with the Italian town, but more so with "island"). Neither is very big, but both are worth a visit, especially if you enjoy drives through the country. Manchester has a little riverside downtown and an enormous annual chicken broil, while Milan has a carnival and lovely fireworks show over the water around the Fourth of July.
Other destinations
Get in
By car
The only interstate in Washtenaw County is I-94, which goes west from Detroit, south of Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, then past Dexter and Chelsea toward Jackson. US-23 goes north from Toledo, Ohio past Milan, between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, then toward Flint. Saline is on US-12 southwest of Ypsilanti, while Manchester is on M-52 south of Chelsea and north of Adrian.
By plane
- The nearest major airport is Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), in Detroit.
Go Ann Arbor Airport (ARB)
A small 24-hour airport that handles business, corporate, public and private flights, air ambulance service, flight instruction and charter services.
By train
Place Amtrak
The station is located within walking distance of downtown Ann Arbor; there are also usually taxis waiting outside the station. The Ann Arbor stop is situated on the Wolverine line, which travels between Pontiac (north of Detroit) and Chicago. There are three westbound and three eastbound departures daily. Detroit is about 1 hour away by train, and costs $10 - 15 one-way. The train is about 4 hr 45 min from Chicago, and usually costs between $25 and $50 one-way. The train from Chicago generally arrives 15-30 minutes behind schedule.
By bus
Several intercity bus lines run from Ann Arbor.
Place Megabus
Service available to Ann Arbor from Chicago and Toledo; fares start at $1. Buses arrive and depart at the University of Michigan's State Street Commuter Park & Ride lot. The lot is on the west side of South State Street about 0.5 mile north of Eisenhower Parkway. The bus stop is on the east side of the parking lot between the entrance and exit.
Get around
Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti are linked by the Ann Arbor Transit Authority (AATA), which provides routes all over Ann Arbor, between the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti town centers, and limited routes within Ypsi. To reach any of the other towns and villages, you'll probably need a car.
Airport taxis and shuttle services between Ann Arbor and the Detroit airport are also available; details are on the Ann Arbor page.
The Border-to-Border (B2B) Trail is a partially constructed non-motorized trail, which is planned to cover approximately 35 miles from Livingston County to Wayne County along the Huron River. A marked trail runs from the Wayne County border through Ypsilanti Township, Ypsilanti, Superior Township, and Ann Arbor, ending in northwestern Ann Arbor, with an additional short segment north of Dexter.
See
- The "most phallic" building in the world, apparently, according to readers of Cabinet magazine in 2003: the water tower in Ypsilanti, at the corner of Cross and Washtenaw, also locally called the "brick dick" or the "aquacock".
- The Chelsea Milling Company, manufacturers of nationally-beloved "Jiffy" Mix baking mixes since 1930, is in Chelsea. You can call ahead to schedule a tour of their facilities.
- Attend a movie, play, concert or comedy show at one of the many venues in Ann Arbor. Alternatively, actor Jeff Daniels has established a popular not-for-profit professional theatre, the Purple Rose, in his hometown of Chelsea.
- Literally every town and village in the area has a quaint downtown area with pleasant dining and shopping. Ann Arbor's is by far the largest, but if you don't have time to meander through the entire county to see all the others, you should at least be sure to check out the historic Depot Town in Ypsilanti.
- If you like to drive, there are some scenic paths along back roads in the county, particularly Huron River Drive between Ann Arbor and Dexter, which (unsurprisingly) follows the banks of the Huron River.
Do
- Go canoeing or kayaking on the Huron River in Ann Arbor.
- The Saline Celtic Festival is held in mid-July, with Highland athletics, bagpipes, music, dancing and food.
- If you're an art lover, don't miss the Ann Arbor Art Fairs, also in mid-July, or if your tastes run more toward experimental and avant-garde, check out the Shadow Art Fair held in Ypsilanti around the same time.
Eat
- Ann Arbor has a number of locally celebrated restaurants, and a wide variety of ethnic cuisines, but if you want to visit one of the most famous restaurants in the county, you'll want to check out the Common Grill in downtown Chelsea.
- Saline, sister city to Brecon in mid-Wales and host of the annual Celtic Festival, is a good place to stop if you want a British pub experience or some local Michigan pasties.
Drink
Stay safe
Crime rates in Washtenaw County remain relatively low, although violent crime is more common in Ypsilanti. In Ann Arbor and the smaller towns, at least, it's generally quite safe to walk through town even late at night. As always, though, be circumspect, and don't take unnecessary risks.
Washtenaw County tends to have a few cases of West Nile virus each year. If you're going to be out after dark, particularly in wooded areas, be sure to take mosquito-repellent precautions, like dousing yourself in bug spray and wearing clothes that cover your bare skin.
Go next
To the east, Detroit is about 45 minutes away on I-94. Windsor, just across the Canada border, is about an hour. Be sure to bring your passport and photo ID to get into the country.
To the west, Jackson is about 40 minutes away on I-94, and state capitol Lansing is a little over an hour away on I-96.
To the north, Flint is about an hour away on US-23.
Nearby
Milan
City / town · 4 listings · 14 mi away
Hell
City / town · 12 listings · 15 mi away
Tecumseh
City / town · 4 listings · 18 mi away
Belleville
City / town · 3 listings · 19 mi away
Canton
City / town · 20 listings · 19 mi away
Brighton
City / town · 7 listings · 20 mi away
Plymouth
City / town · 9 listings · 21 mi away
Northville
City / town · 7 listings · 22 mi away
My experience
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