Woodward Avenue, along with Telegraph Road, follows the path of the Native American Saginaw Trail, linking Detroit to Saginaw. The road was started in 1805, after the great fire destroyed most of the city, and went from Pontiac to Detroit – the route it follows today. In 1909, the first paved stretch of road in the United States was built between 6 Mile and 7 Mile roads.
The 21.5 mile long road had been designated as an All-American Road, Michigan Heritage Route and the U.S. DOT has named Woodward the Automotive Heritage Trail.