M-20 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from New Era to Midland. It crosses through rural Lower Peninsula forest land between the two ends. The highway serves the college towns of Big Rapids and Mt. Pleasant, home of the main campuses of Ferris State University and Central Michigan University, both located near the trunkline. The original July 1919 routing took M-20 farther north along a corridor now used by US Highway 10 (US 10). The M-20 designation was shifted south to the current corridor in 1926. The eastern end was truncated from Bay City to Midland in 1960, following the opening of a freeway between the two cities. The western end was rerouted from Muskegon to New Era in 1969. Route description M-20 starts near Lake Michigan at the US 31 freeway in New Era where it runs east through the Manistee National Forest, crossing the North Branch of the White River near Ferry and the South Branch near Hesperia on the way to White Cloud. There it turns south along M-37 and then east along a new routing following Baseline and Newcosta roads north of the Hardy Dam to meet the US 131 freeway at exit 131 near Stanwood. M-20 turns north, running concurrently along the US 131 freeway to Big Rapids and joins Business US 131 (Bus. US 131) at exit 139. The section along the freeway is listed on the National Highway System (NHS), a system of highways important to the nation's economy, defense and mobility. Together Bus. US 131/M-20 runs along the Perry Street commercial corridor to State Street near the main campus of Ferris State University. The business loop turns north by the campus and at Maple Street, M-20 turns eastward to cross the Muskegon River in downtown Big Rapids, north of the campus. M-20 zig-zags southeast of town bypassing the Canadian Lakes area and turns due east through rural Remus in Mecosta County and the Isabella Indian Reservation in neighboring Isabella County. In Mt. Pleasant, M-20 runs near the campus of Central Michigan University crossing the Chippewa River, and the trunkline joins Bus. US 127 along the Mission Street business area to Pickard Road. The highway turns east on Pickard and passes under the US 127 freeway near the Soaring Eagle Casino. From Mt. Pleasant to Midland, M-20 is designed as a four–lane highway with a continuous