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Trip from Chief Lake, MI to Pleasanton, MI

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 20, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

21m

Distance

12.5 mi

20 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 20m ★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m ★

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

Best Time
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Downtown Chief Lake, MI, MI

Chief Lake, MI

Enric Cruz López

Downtown Pleasanton, MI, MI

Pleasanton, MI

eduardo199o9

Trip Overview

Chief Lake, MI to Pleasanton, MI is 12.5 miles and takes about 21 minutes via Chippewa Highway and Pleasanton Highway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Midwest region, specifically Michigan. Given its brief duration and surface road profile, it's a straightforward trip perfect for a quick connection between two points without much fuss. You'll find it to be a simple transit, best suited for those looking for efficiency rather than an extended scenic adventure. Plan for a straightforward experience connecting these two Michigan locations.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Chippewa Highway 3.3 mi 4m
Pleasanton Highway 3 mi 4m
Nine Mile Road 3 mi 5m
Chief Road 1.6 mi 4m
Lake Street 1.2 mi 2m
West Street 0.4 mi <1m
Lumley Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Chippewa Highway — 3.3 mi, about 4m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chief Lake, MI and Pleasanton, MI.

1

Start on Chief Road

1.6 mi · 4 min · Chief Road
2

Turn left onto CR 598

3.0 mi · 5 min · Nine Mile Road
3

Turn right onto US 31

3.3 mi · 4 min · Chippewa Highway
4

Continue on US 31

0.4 mi · 47 sec · West Street
5

Continue on US 31

1.2 mi · 2 min · Lake Street
6

Continue on US 31

3.0 mi · 4 min · Pleasanton Highway
7

Turn left onto Lumley Road

159 ft · 7 sec · Lumley Road
8

Arrive at destination

Lumley Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

3 of 3

3 decision points cluster between mile 1.6 and 12.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

3
1.6 mi into trip | ~4m in | CR 598 / Nine Mile Road

Turn left onto CR 598 / Nine Mile Road

Navigation decision point

4
4.6 mi into trip | ~9m in | US 31 / Chippewa Highway

Turn right onto US 31 / Chippewa Highway

Navigation decision point

3
12.5 mi into trip | ~21m in | Lumley Road

Turn left onto Lumley Road

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.85 one way

$3.69 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $2.04 $4.08
premium $4.72 $2.32 $4.64
diesel $4.80 $2.36 $4.72

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.8 0 $1.31 $0.60
Efficient EV 3.1 0 $1.09 $0.50
EV Truck/SUV 5 0 $1.75 $0.80

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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 Jul 18, 2026

Origin

Chief Lake, MI

Morning in Chief Lake on Monday

Local time

7:13 AM

EDT

Current temp

78°F

Patchy Smoke

N 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 18 at 2:04PM EDT until July 18 at 3:15PM EDT by NWS Detroit/Pontiac MI

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 18 at 1:57PM EDT until July 18 at 2:15PM EDT by NWS Detroit/Pontiac MI

Destination

Pleasanton, MI

Morning in Pleasanton on Monday

Local time

7:13 AM

EDT

Current temp

77°F

Patchy Smoke

N 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 18 at 2:04PM EDT until July 18 at 3:15PM EDT by NWS Detroit/Pontiac MI

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 18 at 1:57PM EDT until July 18 at 2:15PM 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

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

21m 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?

This route is entirely on surface roads, with no highway driving involved. You'll cruise for a maximum of 3.3 miles on Chippewa Highway before transitioning. The drive will likely feel like navigating through local streets and county roads for the entire 12.5 miles. Expect to encounter typical surface road conditions and potential for local traffic as you make your way.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.3 mi on Chippewa Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

2/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 1.6 miles in near CR 598 / Nine Mile Road.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Chief Lake, MI to Pleasanton, MI is easy. At 21m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles (CR 598 / Nine Mile Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.6 miles (US 31 / Chippewa Highway): Navigation decision point; at 12.5 miles (Lumley Road): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

890 ft 742 ft

Total Climb

280 ft

Total Descent

157 ft

Highest Point

890 ft

~12.5 mi in

Elevation Range

148 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Chief Lake, MI

Full guide →

Arriving in Pleasanton, MI

Full guide →

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 21m. Total distance: 12.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

21m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 3.3 miles on Chippewa Highway. 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 1.6 miles (CR 598 / Nine Mile Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.6 miles (US 31 / Chippewa Highway): Navigation decision point; at 12.5 miles (Lumley Road): Navigation decision point.

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