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Trip from Ann Arbor, MI to Plainfield, MI

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

49m

Distance

31.4 mi

51 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 45m ★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Ann Arbor, MI, MI

Ann Arbor, MI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Plainfield, MI, MI

Plainfield, MI

fish socks

Trip Overview

The drive from Ann Arbor, MI to Plainfield, MI covers 31.4 miles and takes about 49m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 94, Hadley Road, East Old US Highway 12 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.7 miles on I 94. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.91 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 94 9.7 mi 10m
Hadley Road 4.2 mi 6m
East Old US Highway 12 2.4 mi 4m
Werkner Road 2.3 mi 3m
Unadilla Road 1.8 mi 4m
South Main Street 1.7 mi 3m
Plainfield Road 1.4 mi 2m
East Huron Street 1.3 mi 3m
Longest stretch: I 94 — 9.7 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Ann Arbor, MI and Plainfield, 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

9.7 mi · 10 min · I 94
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 59 sec
Toward Jackson Road, Old US-12
7

Turn right onto East Old US Highway 12

2.4 mi · 4 min · East Old US Highway 12
8

Turn right onto M 52

1.7 mi · 3 min · South Main Street
Use the right lane.
9

Continue on M 52

0.5 mi · 53 sec · Stockbridge Chelsea Road
10

Enter roundabout onto Werkner Road

14 ft · 0 sec · Werkner Road
11

Continue on Werkner Road

2.3 mi · 3 min · Werkner Road
12

Continue on Werkner Road

505 ft · 8 sec · Werkner Road
13

Continue on Island Lake Road

0.2 mi · 20 sec · Island Lake Road
14

Continue on Island Lake Road

432 ft · 6 sec · Island Lake Road
15

Continue on Stofer Road

1.0 mi · 1 min · Stofer Road
16

Continue on Hadley Road

4.2 mi · 6 min · Hadley Road
17

At end of road, turn left onto Kaiser Road

325 ft · 10 sec · Kaiser Road
18

Turn right onto Unadilla Road

1.2 mi · 2 min · Unadilla Road
19

At end of road, turn left onto D-32

0.8 mi · 1 min · Doyle Road
20

Turn slight right onto D-32

0.6 mi · 1 min · Unadilla Road
21

Continue on D-32

0.4 mi · 37 sec · Church Street
22

Turn right onto M 106

0.7 mi · 59 sec · Main Street
23

Continue on M 36

1.0 mi · 1 min · South Gregory Road
24

Turn straight onto M 36

299 ft · 5 sec · Spears/Gregory Cutoff
25

Continue on M 36

0.1 mi · 9 sec · Spears Road
26

Turn slight right onto M 36

1.4 mi · 2 min · Plainfield Road
27

Turn right onto Bradley Road

445 ft · 17 sec · Bradley Road
28

Turn left onto Plainfield Avenue

39 ft · 1 sec · Plainfield Avenue
29

Arrive at destination

Plainfield Avenue

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Chelsea, MI

16 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Unadilla, MI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 31 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Chelsea, MI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 15.7 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 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 25.2 — 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
12.3 mi into trip | ~16m in

Take the exit toward Jackson Road, Old US-12

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward Jackson Road, Old US-12
5
15.1 mi into trip | ~21m in | M 52 / South Main Street

Turn right onto M 52 / South Main Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
4
17.3 mi into trip | ~26m in | Werkner Road

Enter roundabout onto Werkner Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
25.2 mi into trip | ~38m in | Kaiser Road

At end of road, turn left onto Kaiser Road

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.91 one way

$9.82 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.39 $10.78
premium $4.89 $6.04 $12.09
diesel $5.61 $6.93 $13.87

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.4 0 $3.30 $1.51
Efficient EV 7.9 0 $2.75 $1.26
EV Truck/SUV 12.6 0 $4.40 $2.01

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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 Apr 19, 2026

Origin

Ann Arbor, MI

Afternoon in Ann Arbor on Sunday

Local time

2:57 PM

EDT

Current temp

50°F

Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

W 8 to 16 mph 60% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 7:34AM EDT until April 20 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 19 at 4:35AM EDT until April 21 at 12:00PM EDT by NWS Detroit/Pontiac MI

Destination

Plainfield, MI

Afternoon in Plainfield on Sunday

Local time

2:57 PM

EDT

Current temp

49°F

Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

W 9 to 17 mph 63% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 7:34AM EDT until April 20 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 19 at 4:35AM EDT until April 21 at 12:00PM EDT by NWS Detroit/Pontiac MI

65°F

Chelsea, MI

16 mi in

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

1 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

49m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

31.4 mi in 49m — 38% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: I 94.

38% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
29 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.7 mi on I 94.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 49m drive. You will face about 12 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 12.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.1 miles (M 52 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Ann Arbor, MI to Plainfield, MI, road signs begin pointing toward Old Us-12 along the way.

Old Us-12

12.3 mi in | ~16m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 31.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

49m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (38%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 9.7 miles on I 94. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 5 rest areas or service plazas 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.

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 12.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.1 miles (M 52 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Plainfield, 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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Explore More

Return Trip

Plainfield, MI to Ann Arbor, MI

Plan the drive back the other way.

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