The Mega Millions lottery is always fun to play once in a while and do a little dreaming about what you'd do if you actually hit a jackpot. Ever wonder what to do to improve your odds? Maybe buy that ticket in Port Huron - the luckiest city in Michigan for Mega Millions players.

Believe it or not more Mega Million jackpot winners per capita appear to come from the small eastern Michigan city than anywhere else in the state.

Port Huron has just 30,000 people but can claim some of the largest lottery winners in the state's history, including the largest Mega Million Jackpot winner ever.

The Largest Mega Millions Winner in Michigan History

Back in 2006 Ralph Stebbins and his wife hit the largest Mega Millions jackpot in the history of the Michigan Lottery at $208 million. Unfortunately Stebbins passed away from a heart attack at age 43 less than two years after winning his jackpot.

The Latest Mega Millions Winner

In 2014 a then 24-year-old Kelsey Zachow of Port Huron won $66 million playing Mega Millions. She told MILotteryConnect.com,

“When the clerk at the store told me I had a big winner I was positive that he was mistaken,” said Zachow. “There was a long line in the store behind me, so I decided to leave and looked the numbers up on MichiganLottery.com when I got into my car. That’s when I realized I had won the jackpot and could barely breathe.”

After a tense drive home, Zachow ran into her house and screamed for her boyfriend.

“I was screaming ‘I won! I won!’ at the top of my lungs and he came running into the room,” said Zachow. “I was yelling so much that he thought I had been in a car accident or hit someone on my way home. I told him I had a $66 million ticket in my hand and he didn’t believe me. He finally looked at the ticket and couldn’t believe his eyes.”

After sharing the good news with a few close friends and family members, Zachow locked the ticket in a safe, then began to make plans. The next few weeks were busy for the new millionaire as she met with financial planners and a lawyer to get ready to collect her big prize.

Her ticket wasn't actually purchased in Port Huron, rather in Mount Clemens at Sonny's Mart.

Finally it was earlier this year that a $1.5 million Lotto jackpot was claimed by 45-year-old Joseph Durcan, who, according to the Times-Herald,

matched the six numbers drawn on Feb. 27 – 11-25-28-32-34-46 – to win the game’s $1.15 million jackpot. He bought his winning ticket at the Sunrise Store, 2627 Gratiot Blvd., Marysville.

Durcan claimed his winnings at Lottery headquarters in Lansing today. He chose to receive a one-time lump sum payment of about $730,000 rather than an annuity.

The current (7/1/16) Mega Millions jackpot is over $415 million. Ready to plan your trip to Port Huron to get your winning ticket? Here's a map to the Michigan Lottery retailers in the city.

port huron michigan lottery locations
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