Best stops on I-496 in Michigan

All 12 exits ranked by what a road-tripper actually needs: real food choice, easy gas, 24-hour service, and the stops worth a detour. Winners below.

1. Exit 9 — Trowbridge Rd;MSU

Milepost 9 · 29 places to eat · 10 gas stations · 13 hotels · ♥ Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, W. J. Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum

2. Exit 6 — Downtown

Milepost 6 · 28 places to eat · 12 gas stations · 4 hotels · ♥ Michigan Library and Historical Center, Turner-Dodge House

3. Exit 7 — Pennsylvania Avenue;Cedar Street;Larch Street

Milepost 7 · 29 places to eat · 11 gas stations · 10 hotels · ♥ R. E. Olds Transportation Museum, Impression 5 Science Center

4. Exit 7A — Downtown

Milepost 7 · 20 places to eat · 10 gas stations · 10 hotels · ♥ Potter Park Zoo

5. Exit 8 — Clare;East Lansing

Milepost 8 · 29 places to eat · 12 gas stations · 11 hotels · open 24 hours

6. Exit 3 — Waverly Road

Milepost 3 · 29 places to eat · 9 gas stations · 2 hotels · open 24 hours

7. Exit 11 — Dunckel Rd/Jolly Rd

Milepost 11 · 24 places to eat · 8 gas stations · 6 hotels · open 24 hours

8. Exit 5 — M L King Boulevard;Capitol Loop

Milepost 5 · 19 places to eat · 10 gas stations · 4 hotels

9. Exit 4 — Lansing Road

Milepost 4 · 20 places to eat · 9 gas stations · 4 hotels

10. Exit 1B — Creyts Road North

Milepost 1 · 29 places to eat · 7 gas stations · 10 hotels

← Every I-496 exit in Michigan