This 47.8-mile drive from Ann Arbor to Clarkston, Michigan, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes. You'll primarily navigate along US 23 BUS, Highland Road, and White Lake Road, with about half the journey on highways. Expect a modest fuel cost of around $7 for this relatively short Midwestern excursion. The mixed driving profile means you won't be stuck on a monotonous interstate the entire time. This route is perfect for a quick, straightforward trip between two points within Michigan.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 23 BUS
22.6 mi
24m
Highland Road
10.6 mi
15m
White Lake Road
7.8 mi
12m
Ormond Road
2.6 mi
4m
North Main Street
1.2 mi
2m
M 14
1.1 mi
1m
Andersonville Road
0.5 mi
<1m
East Huron Street
0.4 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
US 23 BUS
— 22.6 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ann Arbor, MI and Clarkston, MI.
1
Start on South State Street
0.3 mi·42 sec·South State Street
2
Turn left onto I 94 BL; US 23 BUS
0.4 mi·1 min·East Huron Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto US 23 BUS
1.2 mi·2 min·North Main Street
4
Take the ramp onto US 23 BUS
0.2 mi·20 sec·US 23 BUS
Toward M 14 East, US 23: Flint, Detroit
5
Merge onto M 14; US 23 BUS
1.1 mi·1 min·M 14; US 23 BUS
6
Keep left at fork onto US 23 BUS
22 mi·24 min·US 23 BUS
Toward US 23 North: FlintUse the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi·37 sec
Exit 67Toward M 59: Howell, PontiacUse the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
306 ft·9 sec
Toward M 59 East: PontiacUse the right lane.
9
Merge onto M 59
10 mi·14 min·Highland Road
Use the right lane.
10
Take the exit
140 ft·9 sec
Use the left lane.
11
Turn left onto M 59
0.1 mi·11 sec·Highland Road
12
Turn right onto Ormond Road
2.6 mi·4 min·Ormond Road
Use the right lane.
13
At end of road, turn right onto White Lake Road
5.5 mi·8 min·White Lake Road
14
At end of road, turn right onto Andersonville Road
0.5 mi·52 sec·Andersonville Road
15
Turn left onto White Lake Road
2.4 mi·4 min·White Lake Road
16
Continue on South Holcomb Road
0.2 mi·30 sec·South Holcomb Road
17
Turn right onto West Washington Street
0.2 mi·32 sec·West Washington Street
18
Arrive at destination
East Washington Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 23.9 miles from Ann Arbor, MI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 15
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 25.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in|I 94 BL; US 23 BUS / East Huron Street
Turn left onto I 94 BL; US 23 BUS / East Huron Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
3.1 mi into trip|~6m in|US 23 BUS
Keep left at fork onto US 23 BUS toward US 23 North: Flint
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 23 North: Flint
8
25.5 mi into trip|~30m in
Take the exit toward M 59: Howell, Pontiac
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 67
Toward M 59: Howell, Pontiac
8
25.8 mi into trip|~30m in
Keep slight right at fork toward M 59 East: Pontiac
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward M 59 East: Pontiac
5
25.9 mi into trip|~31m in|M 59 / Highland Road
Merge onto M 59 / Highland Road
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.95 one way
$15.89 round trip
$4.22/gal25.4 MPG avg17 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.60
$8.66
$17.31
premium
$5.18
$9.75
$19.51
diesel
$5.35
$10.07
$20.14
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging
· 0 stops
· 65% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
14.3
0
$5.02
$2.29
Efficient EV
12
0
$4.18
$1.91
EV Truck/SUV
19.1
0
$6.69
$3.06
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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.
Forecast as of May 25, 2026
Origin
Ann Arbor, MI
Afternoon
in Ann Arbor on Wednesday
Local time
4:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Mostly Clear
S 0 to 5 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued May 25 at 6:17PM EDT by NWS Marquette MI
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued May 25 at 6:15PM EDT by NWS Marquette MI
Destination
Clarkston, MI
Afternoon
in Clarkston on Wednesday
Local time
4:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Mostly Clear
SSW 2 to 6 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued May 25 at 6:17PM EDT by NWS Marquette MI
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued May 25 at 6:15PM EDT by NWS Marquette MI
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
1h 5m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
The character of this drive is a mixed bag, with 47% of the route on highways. You'll experience stretches of quicker travel, including a significant 22.6-mile segment on US 23 BUS, which will likely feel like the most continuous driving portion. As you transition to Highland Road and White Lake Road, the driving experience will likely become more localized, potentially involving more turns and varied speed limits. This blend offers a dynamic feel, shifting from efficient travel to more community-focused roads.
47% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.6 mi on US 23 BUS.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near I 94 BL; US 23 BUS / East Huron Street.
Driving Effort9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 47.8 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (I 94 BL; US 23 BUS / East Huron Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles (US 23 BUS): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,080 ft877 ft
Total Climb
240 ft
Total Descent
113 ft
Highest Point
1,080 ft
~41 mi in
Elevation Range
204 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Ann Arbor, MI and Clarkston, MI, road signs point toward M 59: Howell, Pontiac and M 59 East: Pontiac.
M 59: Howell
25.5 mi in|~30m
Pontiac
25.5 mi in|~30m
M 59 East: Pontiac
25.8 mi in|~30m
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Ann Arbor — often abbreviated as AA or A2 — is a picturesque city surrounding the University of Michigan. It has a strong bent toward the arts, and an attractive and pedestrian-friendly downtown. Visitors enjoy the city's wonderful sidewalk cafe dining, unique shops, lots of bookstores, and abundant cultural opportunities.
Ann Arbor is in Michigan 35 miles (56 km) north of the Ohio border and 45 miles (72 km) west of Detroit, near where the furthest exurban fringes give way to country and small towns. In 2019, the city had a population of about 120,000 people, and thousands of visitors come to town for football games and various festivals.
Top landmarks
•Detroit Observatory — astronomical observatory in Ann Arbor, United States of America
•Kelsey Museum of Archaeology — archaeology museum in Newberry Hall
•Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum — museum in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 5m. Total distance: 47.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (47%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.6 miles on US 23 BUS. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Clarkston, 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 0.3 miles (I 94 BL; US 23 BUS / East Huron Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles (US 23 BUS): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.5 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 Clarkston, MI before heading back.
