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Major city · United States

Ann Arbor

Give Ann Arbor 2 nights on a weekday: walk downtown and the U-M campus, eat on Main Street. Skip game weekends unless you have tickets.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (hot and humid), late Oct–Mar (cold, snow), home-game Saturdays for hotel prices
Airports
DTW · ARB
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Ann Arbor is a walkable university town of about 120,000 people, 45 mi (72 km) west of Detroit, built around the University of Michigan. Downtown, the campus and the Kerrytown district sit within about 2 km of each other, so two nights covers the core. The city is cheap to reach by train or bus from Detroit and Chicago, but hotel prices spike on autumn football Saturdays, when roughly 100,000 visitors arrive for Michigan Stadium.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Ann Arbor, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$3–6
  • Sit-down mealSit-down dinner mainAdd 18–22% tip and 6% Michigan sales tax$18–35
  • Street or quick mealDeli sandwich or a campus lunch$10–16
  • BeerDraught beer in a bar$6–9
  • Metro or bus rideAATA bus ride$1.50
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum or theater ticket$10–25
  • Budget bedHostel or dorm bed, a night, per personUS$45
  • Mid-range bedMid-range hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$180
  • High-end bedMid-range hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$320

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$130 · High US$250

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

University of Michigan campusMichigan Stadium (the Big House)Kerrytown and the farmers marketMichigan Theater and The ArkAnn Arbor Art Fair
Airports
DTW Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (About 25 min by car; Michigan Flyer coach and AirRide bus run to downtown Ann Arbor, or rideshare about $25–30 each way) · ARB Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (Small city airport at State Street and Ellsworth Road; business and private flights only, no scheduled airline service)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Ann Arbor: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

0°C

−9°C

3 rd

Feb

2°C

−8°C

3 rd

Mar

8°C

−4°C

3 rd

Apr

15°C

2°C

3 rd

May

22°C

8°C

4 rd

Jun

27°C

13°C

4 rd

Jul

29°C

16°C

4 rd

Aug

28°C

15°C

4 rd

Sep

24°C

11°C

3 rd

Oct

17°C

5°C

3 rd

Nov

9°C

−1°C

3 rd

Dec

2°C

−6°C

3 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Downtown is small enough to walk: Main Street to the Diag is about 15 minutes on foot. AATA (TheRide) buses cover the city and Ypsilanti; adult fare is $1.50 each way and the downtown Link circulator is free. U-M campus buses are free and run between the North, Central and South campuses. Parking downtown is mostly in paid garages at roughly $0.80–1 per hour, free on Sundays; free park-and-ride lots sit on the city edge with bus service in. Taxis cannot be hailed from the kerb — use Uber or Lyft, or the taxi ranks by the Michigan Union on State Street and the Federal Building on Liberty Street.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Ypsilanti

go

Door to door: About 30–40 min

AATA bus from downtown, or about 15 min by car on I-94

Depot Town and the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum; half a day.

Dexter

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Car west on I-94, or the AATA express bus

Small Huron River town; combine with a riverside walk.

Chelsea

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Car west on I-94, about 20 mi

Purple Rose Theatre and the Chelsea Milling area; check performance dates before you go.

Saline

caution

Door to door: About 20 min

Car south on US-23 and Michigan Avenue, about 10 mi

Thin without a car; a short stop rather than a full day.

Detroit

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Amtrak Wolverine from Ann Arbor station, about 1 h; or D2A2 express bus

Train is $10–15 one way; a full day for the museums and downtown.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Downtown (Main, Liberty, State streets)

Walk to restaurants, shops and the Michigan and State theaters; paid garages, almost no free street parking.

Kerrytown

Historic district a few blocks north of downtown, next to the farmers market and the Amtrak station.

Campus area (South University, State Street)

Cheapest beds in summer, loudest on football weekends; walk to the Diag and the Law Quad.

Outer Ann Arbor (I-94, US-23, Plymouth Road)

Free parking and lower rates, but you need a car or a bus ride to reach downtown.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$70–110 excl. bed
Mid
$130–200 excl. bed
High
$250+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range hotel double room1 × 2 nights × US$180US$360
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × US$130US$520
Michigan Flyer coach, DTW to downtown, both ways2 × US$22US$44
AATA single bus fare, one ride2 × US$2US$3
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$96
Trip total≈ US$263 per person per day, bed includedUS$1,053

Rates can double or more on home-game Saturdays

2026 estimate in US dollars; prices are shown before sales tax, and tipping is extra. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$3–6
Deli sandwich or a campus lunch$10–16
Sit-down dinner mainAdd 18–22% tip and 6% Michigan sales tax$18–35
Draught beer in a bar$6–9
AATA bus ride$1.50
Downtown parking garageFree on Sundays$0.80–1 per hour
Museum or theater ticket$10–25

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Ann Arbor is a low-risk US college town; the real friction is football-weekend crowds, winter ice on pavements and unlit paths in the Arb after dark. Standard US city sense applies downtown at night.
  • Home-game Saturdays in autumn bring about 100,000 people: book beds and dinner weeks ahead, or avoid those weekends.
  • Free parking downtown is almost nonexistent; garages and meters are the norm, and meters run 8:00–18:00 on weekdays and Saturdays.
  • Summers are hot and humid, with July and early August highs in the low 30s °C; winters bring snow and January lows below −6 °C.
  • The Arb has no parking lot, no signage and no restrooms — plan the walk in and out.
  • Amtrak's Wolverine from Chicago often runs 15–30 minutes late.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Ann ArborAnn Arbor

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies in Ann Arbor; consulates-general are in Detroit and Chicago, embassies in Washington, DC. Check your own country's list before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Michigan Flyer, DTW to Blake Transit Center: about $22 round trip
  • AirRide bus, DTW to downtown: about $12 one way, reservation required
  • Amtrak Wolverine, Ann Arbor to Detroit: $10–15 one way, about 1 h
  • Amtrak Wolverine, Ann Arbor to Chicago: $25–50 one way, about 4 h 45 min
  • Rideshare, DTW to Ann Arbor: about $25–30 each way

Say or show

  • Where is the bus stop? — Where is the bus stop?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Is this seat taken? — Is this seat taken?
  • Check, please — Check, please
  • Where is the restroom? — Where is the restroom?
  • Thanks, have a good one — Thanks, have a good one

US tipping applies: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis and rideshare.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Ann Arbor. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (hot and humid), late Oct–Mar (cold, snow), home-game Saturdays for hotel prices · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for DTW: Michigan Flyer and AirRide timetables field-checked, rideshare fallback, late-arrival rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with anchors: Main Street and Liberty, Kerrytown and the farmers market, the Diag and Law Quad, Michigan Stadium and the Arb.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Michigan Theater, State Theater, The Ark, Law Quad reading room, Lurie Tower) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Football-weekend fixture: game-date calendar, hotel price spike warning and a downtown-without-a-ticket plan.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources