M-22 is an original trunkline designation dating back to the 1919 designation of the system. Reroutings have moved the highway closer to the water between Suttons Bay and Traverse City. A section of the highway was used temporarily for another highway, M-109. Two sections of the highway have been designated as separate Pure Michigan Byways. The highway marker is used in marketing by a local business as a symbol of the region, a trademark for which has been the subject of legal controversies. A popular roadway in the area with tourists, the highway's marker has also been the subject of sign theft.