Chesterfield, MI to Lakeside, MI is 8.8 miles and takes about 12m via Ford Freeway, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, making it a simple hop between Michigan locations. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick excursion or as part of a larger journey. You'll primarily navigate on well-trafficked freeways, so expect a straightforward driving experience. It's a practical choice if you're looking for minimal travel time between these two points.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Ford Freeway
5 mi
5m
Gratiot Avenue
1.4 mi
2m
Crocker Boulevard
0.8 mi
1m
21 Mile Road
0.6 mi
1m
Metropolitan Parkway
0.4 mi
<1m
Kuchenmeister Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Ford Freeway
— 5 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chesterfield, MI and Lakeside, MI.
1
Start on Kuchenmeister Street
77 ft·8 sec·Kuchenmeister Street
2
Turn left onto M 3
1.4 mi·2 min·Gratiot Avenue
3
Turn left onto 21 Mile Road
0.6 mi·1 min·21 Mile Road
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·28 sec
Toward I 94 West: DetroitUse the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 94
5.0 mi·5 min·Ford Freeway
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi·49 sec
Exit 236Toward Metropolitan ParkwayUse the slight right lane.
7
Turn straight onto Metropolitan Parkway
0.4 mi·38 sec·Metropolitan Parkway
8
Turn right onto Crocker Boulevard
0.8 mi·1 min·Crocker Boulevard
Use the right lane.
9
Turn right
152 ft·11 sec
10
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 7
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 8.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.4 mi into trip|~2m in|21 Mile Road
Turn left onto 21 Mile Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
1.9 mi into trip|~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 94 West: Detroit
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 94 West: Detroit
7
7.2 mi into trip|~9m in
Take the exit toward Metropolitan Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 236
Toward Metropolitan Parkway
5
8 mi into trip|~10m in|Crocker Boulevard
Turn right onto Crocker Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
8.8 mi into trip|~12m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.46 one way
$2.93 round trip
$4.22/gal25.4 MPG avg3 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.60
$1.59
$3.19
premium
$5.18
$1.80
$3.59
diesel
$5.35
$1.85
$3.71
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
2.6
0
$0.92
$0.42
Efficient EV
2.2
0
$0.77
$0.35
EV Truck/SUV
3.5
0
$1.23
$0.56
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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 Jun 1, 2026
Origin
Chesterfield, MI
Afternoon
in Chesterfield on Wednesday
Local time
3:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Sunny
NE 1 to 10 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued June 1 at 5:06AM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued June 1 at 3:45AM EDT by NWS Marquette MI
Destination
Lakeside, MI
Afternoon
in Lakeside on Wednesday
Local time
3:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Sunny
NE 3 to 12 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued June 1 at 5:06AM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued June 1 at 3:45AM 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
5 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
12m 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 heavily focused on highway travel, with 62% of the route utilizing higher-speed roads like Ford Freeway. You'll experience a consistent pace for much of the 8.8 miles, with the longest uninterrupted stretch covering 5 miles on Ford Freeway. The profile suggests a highway-focused experience, meaning you'll likely encounter limited-access roads and efficient traffic flow for the duration. Expect a direct and functional drive without significant deviations into slower local roads.
62% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5 mi on Ford Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Ford Freeway and Gratiot Avenue. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near 21 Mile Road.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 12m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (21 Mile Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
608 ft578 ft
Total Climb
17 ft
Total Descent
47 ft
Highest Point
608 ft
Elevation Range
30 ft
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
The longest stretch is about 5 miles on Ford Freeway. 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 1.4 miles (21 Mile Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lakeside, MI before heading back.
