Origin
Brown City, MI
Morning in Brown City on Tuesday
Local time
9:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
40°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Brown City, MI to Flint, MI
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 2m
Distance
51.6 mi
83 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 58m
★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
1h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Brown City, MI
Nicole Broetto
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Brown City to Flint, you are in for a straightforward 51.6-mile journey across the Michigan Midwest. Expect the drive to take roughly 51 minutes, making it an ideal candidate for a single-day trip. You will navigate primarily via East Burnside Road, North Van Dyke Road, and North Cedar Street to reach your destination. With an estimated fuel cost of just $8, this is an incredibly budget-friendly excursion. Because the distance is relatively short, there is no need to plan for overnight stops or long-distance logistics. This route serves as a practical, efficient connection between these two Midwestern locales.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 69 | 31.6 mi | 32m |
| North Van Dyke Road | 12.4 mi | 16m |
| East Burnside Road | 4 mi | 6m |
| North Cedar Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Saginaw Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Fifth Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Harrison Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 69
— 31.6 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Brown City, MI and Flint, MI.
1
Start on M 90
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
Main Street
2
Continue on M 90
4.0 mi
·
6 min
·
East Burnside Road
3
Turn left onto M 53
12 mi
·
16 min
·
North Van Dyke Road
4
Continue on M 53
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
North Cedar Street
5
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 69 West: Flint
6
Merge onto I 69
32 mi
·
32 min
·
I 69
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 136
Toward Downtown
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn right onto Saginaw Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
Saginaw Street
9
Turn right onto M 21
398 ft
·
16 sec
·
East Fifth Street
10
Turn left onto Harrison Street
382 ft
·
20 sec
·
Harrison Street
11
Turn left onto M 21
235 ft
·
9 sec
·
East Court Street
12
Turn left
68 ft
·
6 sec
13
Turn right
93 ft
·
6 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.8 miles from Brown City, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 4.4 and 51.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
4.4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
M 53 / North Van Dyke Road
Turn left onto M 53 / North Van Dyke Road
Navigation decision point
7
50.8 mi into trip
|
~1h in
Take the exit toward Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 136
Toward Downtown
5
51.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
|
M 21 / East Fifth Street
Turn right onto M 21 / East Fifth Street
Navigation decision point
5
51.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
|
M 21 / East Court Street
Turn left onto M 21 / East Court Street
Navigation decision point
5
51.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.07 one way
$16.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.86 | $17.71 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.93 | $19.86 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.39 | $22.79 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.1 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 | 15.5 | 0 | $5.42 | $2.48 |
| Efficient EV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.52 | $2.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.6 | 0 | $7.22 | $3.30 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Destination
Flint, MI
Morning in Flint on Tuesday
Local time
9:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°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
23 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 2m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate grind, as this route features zero percent highway travel. You will spend the entire 51.6 miles navigating local roads, which requires your full attention behind the wheel. The road's personality is defined by its frequent transitions and turns, keeping the experience engaging rather than repetitive. Because you aren't cruising on high-speed interstates, the pace remains steady and consistent throughout the hour-long trip. It is a true surface-street experience that connects the rural character of Brown City to the more urban environment of Flint.
61% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 31.6 mi on I 69.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 69 and North Van Dyke Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 4.4 miles in near M 53 / North Van Dyke Road.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 2m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.4 miles (M 53 / North Van Dyke Road): Navigation decision point; at 50.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 51.4 miles (M 21 / East Fifth Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
899 ft
754 ft
Total Climb
145 ft
Total Descent
218 ft
Highest Point
899 ft
~25.8 mi in
Elevation Range
146 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Flint, MI
Full guide →Flint is an industrial city an hour northwest of Detroit in Michigan. It was the home of many General Motors factories, including the Buick World Headquarters, Flint has fallen on hard times over the past 30 years due to the decline of the American automotive industry. Despite these misfortunes, the city has an outsized history, including decisive roles in the growth of the American labor movement and community schooling and evident in a host of extensive and well-endowed cultural institutions. Flint has seen a dramatic reduction in crime while simultaneously enjoying a revitalizing Downtown and growing colleges and universities are found within the city's limits.
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 1h 2m. Total distance: 51.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 31.6 miles on I 69. 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 4.4 miles (M 53 / North Van Dyke Road): Navigation decision point; at 50.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 51.4 miles (M 21 / East Fifth Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Flint, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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