We all waited, slippers on, for the Amazon delivery man in front of the door of our building, watching for the arrival of his truck with our package at the corner of the street. In this city, he must make his rounds on horseback!
In just a few years, Amazon has become the most powerful company selling and distributing products purchased online: up to 6 million packages delivered every day around the world. Enough to put thousands of drivers to work. But, in this city, you don’t need a truck or a good tank of gas to go around distributing packages…
With around 500 inhabitants all year round, this small town has decided to establish a relaxed lifestyle which includes a radical decision: banning cars and motorized vehicles! Enough to make die-hard drivers furious, but a situation that amuses day visitors since there is cycling, walking and, above all, counting on horses harnessed to carriages to make deliveries. A real leap into the past which is enough to make you smile. Especially when we know that this is happening… in the United States, a pro-automotive country.
“When you think about shopping, you can’t just jump in your car and go shopping. We need to be able to go online and find what we need and have it available a day or two later, on our doorstep.“, explained the city’s mayor – the oldest elected mayor in the entire United States, with 50 years in this position since her re-election in May 2025 – Margaret Doud, on the Amazon site.
Welcome to Mackinac Island, a micro island in the state of Michigan. It is, to date, the only place in the United States to have a state highway that is thus closed to motor vehicles and this has been going on for over a century now. To get there, you have to pay $38 and take a ferry from Mackinaw City or Saint Ignace. The crossing only lasts about half an hour. On site, there are many stores, restaurants and even a Starbucks but it’s impossible to find everything.
So, Amazon managed to ensure its delivery mission. “As there are no conventional delivery vans on the island, we use our interconnected logistics network and partnerships with third-party carriers to deliver packages directly to our customers’ homes… by horse-drawn carriage“, specifies Jeff Bezos’ company.
