Ann Arbor to Jackson is 36.1 miles and takes about 46 minutes via I 94 and surface roads, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Midwest and Michigan, making it a simple point-to-point trip. You'll spend most of your time on the interstate, so it's a straightforward commute rather than a scenic exploration. Consider this route for a quick relocation or a day trip if you're looking for minimal travel time between two points in the region.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 94
27.2 mi
29m
Ann Arbor Road
3.1 mi
4m
East Michigan Avenue
2.3 mi
3m
East Huron Street
1.3 mi
3m
Jackson Avenue
0.9 mi
1m
Sargent Road
0.3 mi
<1m
I 94 BL
0.3 mi
<1m
South State Street
0.3 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 94
— 27.2 mi, about 29m
Traffic on I-94
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,918 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,496
Quietest
2 AM
~159 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
12.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ann Arbor, MI and Jackson, 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
1.3 mi·3 min·East Huron Street
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on I 94 BL
0.9 mi·1 min·Jackson Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·32 sec
Toward I 94 West: Jackson
5
Merge onto I 94
27 mi·29 min·I 94
6
Take the exit onto I 94 BL
0.3 mi·50 sec·I 94 BL
Toward BL I 94: Sargent Rd, Jackson
7
Continue on I 94 BL
0.3 mi·32 sec·Sargent Road
8
Turn right onto I 94 BL
3.1 mi·4 min·Ann Arbor Road
9
Continue on I 94 BL
2.3 mi·3 min·East Michigan Avenue
10
Turn left onto BUS US 127; M 50
0.2 mi·20 sec·South Cooper Street
11
Turn right onto East Washington Avenue
272 ft·7 sec·East Washington Avenue
12
Turn right
75 ft·5 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 18.1 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 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 36.1 — 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.
5
29.9 mi into trip|~35m in|I 94 BL
Take the exit onto I 94 BL toward BL I 94: Sargent Rd, Jackson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward BL I 94: Sargent Rd, Jackson
4
30.4 mi into trip|~36m in|I 94 BL / Ann Arbor Road
Turn right onto I 94 BL / Ann Arbor Road
Navigation decision point
4
35.9 mi into trip|~45m in|BUS US 127; M 50 / South Cooper Street
Turn left onto BUS US 127; M 50 / South Cooper Street
Navigation decision point
5
36.1 mi into trip|~46m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.60 one way
$11.19 round trip
$3.94/gal25.4 MPG avg13 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.32
$6.14
$12.27
premium
$4.93
$7.00
$14.01
diesel
$5.60
$7.96
$15.92
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 69% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
10.8
0
$3.79
$1.73
Efficient EV
9
0
$3.16
$1.44
EV Truck/SUV
14.4
0
$5.05
$2.31
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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 Aug 30, 2026
Origin
Ann Arbor, MI
Late night
in Ann Arbor on Sunday
Local time
12:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Chance Rain Showers
SW 5 mph25% chanceLive forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued August 29 at 9:44PM EDT until August 30 at 11:00PM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI
Destination
Jackson, MI
Late night
in Jackson on Sunday
Local time
12:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
S 5 mph23% chanceLive forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued August 29 at 9:44PM EDT until August 30 at 11:00PM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
46m 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?
This route is predominantly highway driving, with 76% of the 36.1 miles on interstate. You'll experience a continuous stretch of 27.2 miles on I 94 before transitioning to surface roads like Ann Arbor Road and East Michigan Avenue. Expect a significant amount of merging and exiting activity as you navigate the interstate system and then transition to local traffic patterns on the surface roads.
76% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 27.2 mi on I 94.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 94 and Ann Arbor Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near I 94 BL; US 23 BUS / East Huron Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 46m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
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 29.9 miles (I 94 BL): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 30.4 miles (I 94 BL / Ann Arbor Road): Navigation decision point.
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
Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County in the south-central part of the state of Michigan, halfway between Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor, forty minutes south of Lansing and about an hour west of Detroit. Its population is 31,347 (2021) and combined with the county has a metro population of 160,050. Its tall buildings show a Jackson more populated than today, for the population had been declining since 1950 or so, but efforts have begun to flatten the curve and make the city diversified and vibrant.
Top landmarks
•Jackson station — railway station in Jackson, Michigan
•Michigan Theatre — theater and movie theater in Jackson, Michigan, United States
•First Congregational Church — historic church in downtown Jackson, Michigan, adjacent to the original city squ...
The longest stretch is about 27.2 miles on I 94. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 29.9 miles (I 94 BL): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 30.4 miles (I 94 BL / Ann Arbor Road): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Jackson, MI before heading back.
