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Traffic heat map of Ottawa County, Michigan: 795 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on Beacon Boulevard and US 31

Ottawa County, Michigan Traffic Counts

Our Ottawa County, Michigan traffic data covers 24,067 road segments over 795 road miles, with an average segment of just 174 ft. Its drivers come from neighborhoods among the top 5 counties in Michigan for household income. Whether you are evaluating a new retail location, planning routes or assessing infrastructure, these numbers replace guesswork.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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Total Traffic Volume & Performance in Ottawa County, Michigan

Traffic

The average number of vehicles that travel each day over any road in the road network.

vehicles per day6,408
Trucks

The percentage of the total traffic volume composed of heavy vehicles.

6.8%
Average travel time

The average time of travel averaged among all vehicles traveling on the road network.

30.1 min
Congestion ratio

The rate at which the actual travel time exceeds free-flow travel time, averaged among all roads in the network.

17.0%
Drivers’ average age

Average age of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

44.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income

Average income of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

$93,324

A typical monitored road in Ottawa County, Michigan sees 6,408 vehicles per day, while its 795 miles of monitored roads together handle 5,935,129 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈2.2 billion per year). Trucks are 6.8% of traffic, close to the 7.7% across Michigan.

Shorter trips than 93% of counties in Michigan

At 6,408 vehicles per day, the average monitored road in Ottawa carries 17% less traffic than the state average of 7,697, suggesting less demand on each road - a factor worth weighing in site selection and logistics planning. In total volume terms, its road network carries about 2.7% of Michigan's statewide total of vehicle-miles. 87% of counties in Michigan see less traffic than Ottawa's 6,408 vehicles per day.

At 30.1 minutes, the average travel time is 10% lower than the state level. Its average travel time of 30.1 minutes is shorter than 93% of counties in Michigan.

Congestion is somewhat lower than the state level, at a ratio of 17.0% (8% lower).

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in Ottawa County, Michigan

Trafficvehicles per day16,096
Trucks11.5%
Average travel time33.0 min
Congestion ratio44.1%
Drivers’ average age46.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income$86,336

Highways carry a significant share of travel in Ottawa County, Michigan: 35% of all vehicle-miles. The average highway carries 16,096 vehicles per day, 162% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 6,152 vehicles per day.

Highways make up 16% of the monitored road miles (130 miles, 619 segments), so they carry more than their share: 2,074,473 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈757 million per year).

That is more highway travel volume than 85% of counties in Michigan.

More highway trucks than 74% of counties in Michigan

Highway truck concentration here (11.5%) closely tracks the state average for similar road classifications. The highway traffic mix is typical for Michigan: neither freight- nor commuter-dominated.

By truck concentration, highways here outrank 60% of counties in Michigan. By raw truck volume, Ottawa carries more highway trucks than 74% of counties in Michigan.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in Ottawa County, Michigan

Trafficvehicles per day6,152
Trucks4.3%
Average travel time30.0 min
Congestion ratio16.2%
Drivers’ average age43.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income$95,776

Local roads carry more than half of all travel in Ottawa County, Michigan (65% of vehicle-miles). A typical local road sees 6,152 vehicles per day.

Local roads make up 84% of the monitored road miles (665 miles in 23,448 segments) but carry less than their share of travel: 3,860,656 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈1.4 billion per year). The truck share on non-highway roads is 4.3%.

Drivers from higher-income areas than 95% of counties in Michigan

Compared to highways, non-highway routes see 62% fewer trucks by share.

Non-highway congestion (16.2%) runs slightly lower than the state level (11% lower).

Trip origins here have higher average income than 95% of counties in Michigan. The driver population here skews younger than 93% of counties in Michigan.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

peak hours icon
Peak Traffic Windows
Weekday peaks:
AM peak 7:00 AM–8:00 AM and PM peak 4:00 PM–6:00 PM, with volumes reaching approximately 83% higher than the daily average.
Weekend traffic:
Weekends are much quieter: volumes run about 26% below weekday levels, the signature of a commute-driven road network.
seasonal traffic icon
Seasonal Fluctuation
Busy season:
July–September is the high season, with volumes +14% versus the annual average.
Lowest month:
January is the quietest month, with volumes -17% versus the annual average - the usual winter low.

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In Ottawa County, Michigan, the peak hour concentrates about 8% of the day's traffic, and there is a strong seasonal swing of +14% in high season.

Ottawa County vs. Michigan Traffic Comparison

Ottawa County's biggest difference from the Michigan average is its average daily traffic per road, 17% below it.

MetricOttawa CountyMichigan averageDifference
Traffic6,4087,697-16.7%
Truck % (Total Traffic)6.8%7.7%-11.3%
Truck % (Highway)11.5%12.0%-4.1%
Avg. Travel Time30.1 min33.6 min-10.5%

How Ottawa County compares

Ottawa County against nearby counties

Ottawa County tracks the 4 areas around it closely - no measure in this table sets it far apart from the areas immediately next to it, though it has the second busiest roads of the five.

Ottawa County and the 4 nearest county-level areas by centroid distance, with the Michigan average for scale.
AreaAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
Ottawa County6,4086.8%5,935,12930.1 min17.0%
Kent County, Michigan9,2406.8%14,168,81031.4 min23.7%
Allegan County, Michigan4,43411.3%3,590,56929.8 min11.9%
Muskegon County, Michigan5,5526.0%3,199,17632.4 min16.5%
Barry County, Michigan3,1035.9%880,97331.4 min10.3%
Michigan average7,6977.7%N/A33.6 min18.5%

Ottawa County ranked within Michigan

Average driver income places Ottawa County #5 of 83 in Michigan - the top quarter of the state.

Ottawa County ranked among 83 county-level areas in Michigan (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 74.
MeasureOttawa CountyMichigan rank
Traffic volume (AADT)6,408#12 of 83
Highway vehicle-miles per day2,074,473#12 of 74
Truck share on highways11.5%#30 of 74
Highway trucks per day1,846#20 of 74
Average travel time30.1 min#77 of 83
Average driver income$93,324#5 of 83
Average driver age44.2 yrs#77 of 83

The two ends of this table sit far apart: #5 of 83 on average driver income, against #77 of 83 on average travel time.

Busiest roads in Ottawa County, Michigan

Traffic concentrates on a few corridors: the three busiest roads average 45,817 vehicles a day, against 6,408 on the average road in Ottawa County.

Beacon Boulevard leads with 62,973 vehicles a day, 4,432 of them trucks (7.0%). No other road comes close: US 31, in second place, carries 38,113. Gerald R Ford Freeway carries the most trucks, 5,762 a day (15.8% of its traffic), although it ranks #3 for all traffic.

Freight stands out on Gerald R Ford Freeway and Paul B. Henry Freeway: trucks are 15.8% and 12.9% of the traffic there, against 6.8% county-wide.

Gerald R Ford Freeway carries longer journeys than most roads here, with a median trip of 41.7 minutes against 30.1 county-wide.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Beacon BoulevardMotorway · 62,973vehicles4,432trucks · 7.0%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
54.3%
Median trip time
27.9 min
Drivers’ median age
48.7 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$83,039

Delays build on Beacon Boulevard: its congestion ratio of 54% over free-flow time is well above the county's 17%.

2US 31Trunk road · 38,113vehicles2,079trucks · 5.5%
Road class
Trunk road
Congestion ratio
45.7%
Median trip time
32.9 min
Drivers’ median age
46.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$83,310

Travel on US 31's busiest stretch runs 46% over free-flow time, against 17% across the county, so expect slower peak hours.

3Gerald R Ford FreewayMotorway · 36,366vehicles5,762trucks · 15.8%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
28.9%
Median trip time
41.7 min
Drivers’ median age
44.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$91,466

At 5.7 times the county average, Gerald R Ford Freeway draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $91,466 in household income.

4Paul B. Henry FreewayMotorway · 34,632vehicles4,453trucks · 12.9%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
44.0%
Median trip time
35.5 min
Drivers’ median age
44.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$98,282

A main artery: Paul B. Henry Freeway's busiest stretch carries 5.4 times the county average; trucks are 12.9% of it, above the county-wide 6.8%.

5I 96Motorway · 32,805vehicles3,874trucks · 11.8%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
33.0%
Median trip time
41.4 min
Drivers’ median age
47.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$83,430

I 96 carries through traffic: the median trip using it lasts 41.4 minutes, against 30.1 for the county.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Gerald R Ford FreewayMotorway · #3 by traffic36,366vehicles5,762trucks · 15.8%
2Paul B. Henry FreewayMotorway · #4 by traffic34,632vehicles4,453trucks · 12.9%
3Beacon BoulevardMotorway · #1 by traffic62,973vehicles4,432trucks · 7.0%
4I 96Motorway · #5 by traffic32,805vehicles3,874trucks · 11.8%
5US-31Trunk road · 32,533vehicles2,929trucks · 9.0%
Road class
Trunk road
Congestion ratio
41.2%
Median trip time
28.7 min
Drivers’ median age
47.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$87,627

US-31 is a trunk route for the county, carrying 5.1 times the county average on its busiest stretch; trucks are 9.0% of it, above the county-wide 6.8%.

How to read these road counts
  • The first number is AADT, annual average daily traffic: the vehicles passing a point on an average day, both directions combined and trucks included. On a divided highway both carriageways are added together.
  • Traffic changes along a road, with more near interchanges and towns and less in open country. Every figure for a road describes its busiest stretch in the county, so the two rankings show the same numbers for the same road.
  • The second number is the trucks on that stretch, a part of its AADT. The bar splits the AADT into cars and light vehicles (blue) and trucks (amber).
  • See segment-level AADT for any road on TrafficZoom.

Data Sources & Methodology

The data presented on this page is derived from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform, which aggregates and normalizes information from multiple sources, including:

Mobile device location data (anonymized and aggregated)

Road sensor networks and traffic counters

Historical traffic pattern databases

Public traffic count programs published by the

OttawaDepartment of Transportation

Demographic Baseline for O-D Modeling

U.S. Census Bureau
All metrics represent estimates based on statistical modeling and are intended for strategic planning purposes.
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Data current as of:
Q3 2026

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Counties near Ottawa County

The same traffic breakdown for the areas closest to Ottawa County, Michigan.

Need segment-level traffic data?

Identify traffic patterns street by street and analyze the exact corridors that matter to your project.