Birmingham to Ann Arbor is 43.1 miles and takes about 56 minutes via M 14 and Walter P Reuther Freeway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Michigan, moving from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. Expect a drive that's mostly on surface roads, making it a straightforward, shorter excursion. It's ideal for a quick day trip when you want to get from point A to B without a lot of fuss.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
M 14
18.3 mi
19m
Walter P Reuther Freeway
10 mi
10m
Disabled American Veterans Memorial Highway
5.8 mi
6m
Southfield Road
3.9 mi
8m
US 23 BUS
0.9 mi
1m
North State Street
0.6 mi
1m
East Brown Street
0.6 mi
1m
Depot Street
0.4 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
M 14
— 18.3 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Birmingham, MI and Ann Arbor, MI.
1
Start on M 1
470 ft·15 sec·Woodward Avenue
2
Turn right onto East Brown Street
0.6 mi·1 min·East Brown Street
3
At end of road, turn left onto Southfield Road
3.9 mi·8 min·Southfield Road
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto West 11 Mile Road
0.1 mi·11 sec·West 11 Mile Road
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·44 sec
Toward I 696 West
6
Merge onto I 696
10.0 mi·10 min·Walter P Reuther Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi·52 sec
Exit 1Toward I 96 East, I 275: ToledoUse the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi·1 min
Toward I 96 East, I 275: Toledo
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi·22 sec
Toward I 96, I 275: Detroit, Toledo
10
Merge onto I 275; I 96
5.8 mi·6 min·Disabled American Veterans Memorial Highway
11
Take the exit
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward M 14: Ann ArborUse the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto M 14
17 mi·17 min·M 14
13
Keep slight left at fork onto M 14
1.7 mi·1 min·M 14
Exit 45Toward M 14: Ann ArborUse the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit onto US 23 BUS
0.9 mi·1 min·US 23 BUS
Exit 3Toward US 23 BUS: Downtown Ann ArborUse the slight right lane.
15
Turn left onto Depot Street
0.4 mi·1 min·Depot Street
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right
119 ft·6 sec
17
Continue on North State Street
0.6 mi·1 min·North State Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Arrive at destination
South State Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 21.6 miles from Birmingham, 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 0.7 and 41.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.7 mi into trip|~2m in|Southfield Road
At end of road, turn left onto Southfield Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
4.5 mi into trip|~10m in|West 11 Mile Road
Turn right onto West 11 Mile Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
15 mi into trip|~21m in
Take the exit toward I 96 East, I 275: Toledo
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 96 East, I 275: Toledo
8
39.5 mi into trip|~50m in|M 14
Keep slight left at fork onto M 14 toward M 14: Ann Arbor
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 45
Toward M 14: Ann Arbor
7
41.2 mi into trip|~52m in|US 23 BUS
Take the exit onto US 23 BUS toward US 23 BUS: Downtown Ann Arbor
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 3
Toward US 23 BUS: Downtown Ann Arbor
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.74 one way
$13.48 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg15 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$7.40
$14.80
premium
$4.89
$8.29
$16.59
diesel
$5.61
$9.52
$19.03
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
12.9
0
$4.53
$2.07
Efficient EV
10.8
0
$3.77
$1.72
EV Truck/SUV
17.2
0
$6.03
$2.76
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% 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 20, 2026
Origin
Birmingham, MI
Morning
in Birmingham on Tuesday
Local time
9:39 AM
EDT
Current temp
27°F
Mostly Clear
NW 6 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 3:15AM EDT until April 20 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 2:29AM EDT until April 20 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Detroit/Pontiac MI
Destination
Ann Arbor, MI
Morning
in Ann Arbor on Tuesday
Local time
9:39 AM
EDT
Current temp
25°F
Mostly Clear
NNW 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 3:15AM EDT until April 20 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 2:29AM EDT until April 20 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Detroit/Pontiac 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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
56m 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 drive is primarily on surface roads, with only 25% of the route utilizing highways. You'll encounter about 18.3 miles on M 14, which is the longest continuous stretch on a higher-speed road. After that, expect to transition to surface streets with more frequent intersections and potentially denser traffic as you get closer to your destination. The overall feel is less about freeway cruising and more about navigating local roads.
Only 25% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.3 mi on M 14.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near Southfield Road.
Driving Effort10/10
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 15 decision points packed into just 43.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (Southfield Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles (West 11 Mile Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 15 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.
Between Birmingham, MI and Ann Arbor, MI, road signs point toward Toledo and M 14: Ann Arbor.
Toledo
16.2 mi in|~24m
M 14: Ann Arbor
22.3 mi in|~31m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 43.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.3 miles on M 14. 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 Ann Arbor, 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 0.7 miles (Southfield Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles (West 11 Mile Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 15 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 Ann Arbor, MI before heading back.
