Origin
Allen Park, MI
Late night in Allen Park on Sunday
Local time
3:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Allen Park, MI to Royal Oak, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
23.9 mi
38 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Allen Park, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Royal Oak, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
For a quick trip across the Detroit metropolitan area, this 23.9-mile route between Allen Park and Royal Oak is a straightforward connection through the heart of the Midwest. You can expect to spend about 34 minutes behind the wheel, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day journey. With a fuel cost of approximately $4, it is an incredibly budget-friendly commute or errand run. Since the entire trip takes place within Michigan, you won't need to worry about adjusting for regional variances. It is a highly practical drive that avoids the need for overnight stops, allowing you to reach your destination with ease.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway | 7.8 mi | 8m |
| Edsel Ford Freeway | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| Detroit Industrial Expressway | 5.1 mi | 5m |
| Walter P Reuther Freeway | 1 mi | 1m |
| South Main Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Southfield Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| I-75 North to I-696 East | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Roosevelt Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
— 7.8 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Allen Park, MI and Royal Oak, MI.
1
Start on Allen Road
151 ft
·
4 sec
·
Allen Road
2
Turn right onto Garfield Avenue
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Garfield Avenue
3
Turn right onto Roosevelt Avenue
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Roosevelt Avenue
4
Turn right onto M 39
229 ft
·
4 sec
·
Southfield Road
5
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
6
Merge onto M 39
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Southfield Road
Use the left lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto M 39
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Southfield Road
8
Take the exit
289 ft
·
8 sec
Exit 1
Toward I 94: Detroit, Chicago
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 94 East: Detroit
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto I 94
5.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Detroit Industrial Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 94
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Edsel Ford Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
302 ft
·
5 sec
Exit 216A
Toward I 75: Flint, Toledo
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 75 North: Flint
Use the slight left lane.
14
Merge onto I 75
7.8 mi
·
8 min
·
North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 61
Toward I 696: Lansing, Port Huron
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork onto I-75 North to I-696 East
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I-75 North to I-696 East
Toward I 696 West: Lansing
Use the slight left lane.
17
Merge onto I 696
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Walter P Reuther Freeway
18
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 16
Toward MI 1: Woodward Avenue, Detroit Zoo
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Turn right onto South Main Street
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
South Main Street
Use the right lane.
20
Turn left onto West 2nd Street
168 ft
·
9 sec
·
West 2nd Street
21
Turn right
185 ft
·
13 sec
22
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 195 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 22.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
M 39 / Southfield Road
Merge onto M 39 / Southfield Road
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward I 94: Detroit, Chicago
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 1
Toward I 94: Detroit, Chicago
8
12.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward I 75: Flint, Toledo
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 216A
Toward I 75: Flint, Toledo
8
20.9 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward I 696: Lansing, Port Huron
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 61
Toward I 696: Lansing, Port Huron
8
22.6 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward MI 1: Woodward Avenue, Detroit Zoo
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 16
Toward MI 1: Woodward Avenue, Detroit Zoo
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.74 one way
$7.47 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.10 | $8.21 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.60 | $9.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.28 | $10.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
| Efficient EV | 6 | 0 | $2.09 | $0.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Royal Oak, MI
Late night in Royal Oak on Sunday
Local time
3:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
34m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is defined by a heavy focus on highway travel, with 84% of your journey spent on high-speed roads. You will navigate a sequence of major thoroughfares, specifically the Detroit Industrial Expressway, the Edsel Ford Freeway, and the North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway. The experience is essentially a highway-focused grind, characterized by efficiency rather than winding backroads. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs on the North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, which spans 7.8 miles of the total distance. Expect a consistent pace as you transition between these major interchanges.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.8 mi on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway and Edsel Ford Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near M 39 / Southfield Road.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 19 decision points packed into just 23.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (M 39 / Southfield Road): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Allen Park, MI and Royal Oak, MI, road signs point toward Chicago, Toledo, Port Huron and Detroit Zoo.
Chicago
1.2 mi in
|
~2m
Toledo
12.5 mi in
|
~18m
Port Huron
20.9 mi in
|
~27m
Detroit Zoo
22.6 mi in
|
~30m
About the Cities
Arriving in Royal Oak, MI
Full guide →Royal Oak is a suburb of Detroit in Oakland County, Michigan known for its trendy downtown shopping area and bars. 1 mile South of Royal Oak is Ferndale, a place very similar to Royal Oak, known for its large lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender population. North of Royal Oak is Birmingham, an opulent area known for its upscale boutiques.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 23.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.8 miles on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Royal Oak, MI before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (M 39 / Southfield Road): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Royal Oak, MI before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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