Monroe is the county seat of Monroe County.

Understand

Birthplace of General Custer and, unsurprisingly by extension, the Celebratory Hub of Custer Week. Monroe is also home to La-Z-Boy and Monroe Shocks & Struts.

Get in

By plane

The nearest major airport is Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.

By Lake Erie Transit

Transit buses near any drive-by address.

Get around

By car

Parking in downtown Monroe is FREE and one-hour; just don't park by a fire hydrant or on a sidewalk.

See

• 1 George Armstrong Custer Equestrian Monument (at Junction of Elm Avenue and North Monroe Street). Public Heritage. Also known as Sighting the Enemy, it was intended to commemorate George Armstrong Custer's actions in the Civil War by depicting him in his Civil War fatigues. 
• The Sawyer Homestead, 320 E. Front St. Built by Dr. Isaac Sawyer, in 1872; named possibly to evade confusion with Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. 
• 2 St. Mary's Church. Constructed from the Gregorian year of 1834, consecrated in 1839, and commemorated on November 28, 1889. Obviously tricky to miss, though. 
• 3 River Raisin National Battlefield Park, 1403 East Elm Avenue, ☏ +1 734 243-7136. (updated Aug 2015)

Do

• 1 River Raisin Jazz Festival, St. Mary's Park (at the corner of N. Monroe St. and W. Elm Ave. behind the Gen. George A. Custer Monument), ☏ +1 734 457-1030. Two and a half days of free live jazz music, a free fine art fair, and free family friendly fun. Concessions provided by the St. Mary Catholic Central Boosters of St. Mary Catholic Central School. Every second week of August. 
• 2 Monroe County Fair, 3775 South Custer Road, ☏ +1 734 241-5775. Major county state fair, basically. 

Buy

• 1 The Mall of Monroe (Frenchtown Square Mall), 2121 N. Monroe St, ☏ +1 734 242-9150. M-Sa 10AM-9PM; Su 12PM-5PM. Formerly called the Frenchtown Square Mall. 
• Cakes by Stephanie, 118 North Monroe St, ☏ +1 734 240-CAKE (2253), Info@CakesByStephanieMI.com. South Eastern Michigan's Premier Wedding Cake Designer (tastings by appointment, though, but feel free to browse their displays). 
• Book Nook, 42 S. Monroe St. 9:30AM to 5PM or 6PM; closed on Sundays. Founded in 1969. 
• Our House Games, 403 East Monroe St, ☏ +1 734 242-4263, ourhousegames@att.net. Closed on Tuesdays. 

Eat

• Monroe Street Grill, 2 West Front St, ☏ +1 734 241-1112. A contemporary dining room with intact tin ceilings and a commercial grade kitchen. A bottle of its signature homemade strawberry vinaigrette can be taken as a sample for a basic taste-test. Other specialties are the pancake party, the tex-mex burger, and pistachio chicken. $4.99 to 24.99. 
• Joe's French-Italian Inn, 2896 N. Dixie Hwy. (2 miles east off of Exit 15 from Interstate I-75), ☏ +1 734 289-2800. Open Mon. to Fri. at 11AM; open Sat. and Sun. at 4PM. Italian and American cuisine since 1930. $2.75 to 23.95. 
• Detroit Beach Restaurant, 2630 North Dixie High-Way, ☏ +1 734 289-3122. A small family-run business with Italian food. 
• Pete's Garage, 930 North Telegraph Rd, ☏ +1 734 243-0343. 
• Cravings, 31 East Front St, ☏ +1 734-61-CRAVE (27283). Monroe’s sweet shop with at least localized adaptations (and a flexible kind of menu). 

Drink

• 129 Lounge, 129 East Front St, ☏ +1 734 241-4008. Closed on Sundays, open on other days of the week. One of the venues for the River Raisin Jazz festival. 
• Beek's Bar & Grill, 120 East Front St, ☏ +1 734 241-4942. Has wheelchair access. 

Sleep

• Hotel Sterling, 109 West Front St, ☏ +1 734 242-6212, kenw@thehotelsterling.com. With 160 years of history and fresh, cosmopolitan décor, it has rooms with en-suite bathrooms for both tourists and business guests. From $112. 
• Sunset Motel, 450 N. Telegraph Rd, ☏ +1 734 242-3448. 
• Hollywood Motel, 1028 North Telegraph Rd, ☏ +1 734 241-7333. 
• Monroe Motel, 15339 S. Telegraph Rd, ☏ +1 734 241-6443. 
• Comfort Inn and Suites, 6500 E. Albain Rd (off I-75 at exit 11), ☏ +1 734 384-1500. Pool and hot tub, free breakfast, free wireless internet access, meeting room. Pets welcome for an additional fee. 
• The Lotus Bed & Breakfast, 324 Washington St (at the corner of Washington & Fourth Streets), ☏ +1 734 735-1077, R7347351077@netzero.net. This bed and breakfast is from a restored 1870 Italianate home. $105.00 a night. 

Connect

The basic area code, for starters, is 734.

Here's also Monroe News and the Monroe County Library System as third-party back-up (all while trying to sleep, though).

Go next

Routes through Monroe

Detroit ← Rockwood Template:Lfarrow Jct N ←	N  S	→ Luna Pier → Toledo
Detroit ← Flat Rock ←	N  S	→ Toledo → Fort Wayne
Jackson ← Dundee ←	W  E	→ END