Clinton Township, MI to Southgate, MI is 36.5 miles and takes about 54m via Edsel Ford Freeway/Fisher Freeway/South Groesbeck Highway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This relatively short drive keeps you within the Midwest, connecting two points in Michigan. The route primarily utilizes major freeways, making it a straightforward connection. It's a good option if you need to get between these two areas efficiently without a lengthy commitment, suitable for a single-day trip.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Edsel Ford Freeway
17 mi
22m
Fisher Freeway
7.8 mi
9m
South Groesbeck Highway
2.6 mi
4m
Jeffries Freeway
2 mi
2m
Beaconsfield Street
1.5 mi
3m
Dix Highway
1.3 mi
2m
Dix-Toledo Highway
0.6 mi
1m
Harrington Street
0.6 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Edsel Ford Freeway
— 17 mi, about 22m
Traffic on I-94
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 36 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~4,371 veh/hr typical
· worst 5,213
Quietest
2 AM
~651 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
6.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clinton Township, MI and Southgate, MI.
1
Start on Red Oaks Drive
289 ft·17 sec·Red Oaks Drive
2
Turn left onto White Oaks Drive
0.2 mi·55 sec·White Oaks Drive
3
At end of road, turn left onto Moravian Drive
0.1 mi·16 sec·Moravian Drive
4
Turn right onto Harrington Street
0.6 mi·1 min·Harrington Street
Use the right lane.
5
Turn right onto M 97
2.6 mi·4 min·South Groesbeck Highway
6
Turn sharp left onto 15 Mile Road
0.2 mi·23 sec·15 Mile Road
Use the left lane.
7
Turn right onto Beaconsfield Street
1.5 mi·3 min·Beaconsfield Street
8
Turn left onto Masonic Boulevard
0.3 mi·46 sec·Masonic Boulevard
9
Turn right onto M 3
0.4 mi·37 sec·Gratiot Avenue
Use the right lane.
10
Take the ramp
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward I 94 West: Detroit
11
Merge onto I 94
17 mi·22 min·Edsel Ford Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.1 mi·18 sec
Exit 213BToward I 96: Canada, LansingUse the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi·59 sec
Toward I 96 East: CanadaUse the straight / slight left lanes.
14
Merge onto I 96
2.0 mi·2 min·Jeffries Freeway
15
Merge onto I 75
0.8 mi·1 min·Fisher Freeway
16
Keep slight left at fork onto I 75
7.0 mi·8 min·Fisher Freeway
17
Take the exit
0.4 mi·49 sec
Exit 40Toward Dix HighwayUse the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Turn straight onto Dix Highway
1.3 mi·2 min·Dix Highway
19
Continue on Dix-Toledo Highway
0.5 mi·1 min·Dix-Toledo Highway
20
Turn slight right
435 ft·18 sec
21
Turn right onto Northline Road
269 ft·7 sec·Northline Road
22
Turn left onto Dix-Toledo Highway
148 ft·7 sec·Dix-Toledo Highway
Use the left lane.
23
Arrive at destination
Dix-Toledo Highway
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 18.3 miles from Clinton Township, 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 18
5 decision points cluster between mile 3.6 and 34 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
3.6 mi into trip|~6m in|15 Mile Road
Turn sharp left onto 15 Mile Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
5.6 mi into trip|~11m in|M 3 / Gratiot Avenue
Turn right onto M 3 / Gratiot Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
23.6 mi into trip|~36m in
Take the exit toward I 96: Canada, Lansing
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 213B
Toward I 96: Canada, Lansing
7
23.7 mi into trip|~36m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 96 East: Canada
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 96 East: Canada
7
34 mi into trip|~49m in
Take the exit toward Dix Highway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 40
Toward Dix Highway
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.66 one way
$11.32 round trip
$3.94/gal25.4 MPG avg13 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.32
$6.21
$12.41
premium
$4.93
$7.08
$14.16
diesel
$5.60
$8.05
$16.09
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 69% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
11
0
$3.83
$1.75
Efficient EV
9.1
0
$3.19
$1.46
EV Truck/SUV
14.6
0
$5.11
$2.34
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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 Aug 26, 2026
Origin
Clinton Township, MI
Afternoon
in Clinton Township on Saturday
Local time
3:03 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Partly Cloudy
S 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued August 25 at 10:05PM EDT until August 26 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued August 25 at 10:05PM EDT until August 26 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI
Destination
Southgate, MI
Afternoon
in Southgate on Saturday
Local time
3:03 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Partly Cloudy
SSW 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued August 25 at 10:05PM EDT until August 26 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued August 25 at 10:05PM EDT until August 26 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Gaylord 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
54m 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 predominantly on highways, with 74% of the trip taking place on freeway. You'll experience a longest stretch of 17 miles on the Edsel Ford Freeway. Expect a significant amount of highway driving for most of the 36.5 miles. As you approach Southgate, you'll transition off the freeways onto surface roads for the final portion of the trip.
74% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17 mi on Edsel Ford Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Edsel Ford Freeway and Fisher Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.6 miles in near 15 Mile Road.
Driving Effort9/10
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 18 decision points packed into just 36.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.6 miles (15 Mile Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles (M 3 / Gratiot Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 23.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
637 ft572 ft
Total Climb
107 ft
Total Descent
124 ft
Highest Point
637 ft
~20.9 mi in
Elevation Range
65 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Clinton Township, MI and Southgate, MI, road signs point toward Lansing and Dix Highway.
Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 36.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17 miles on Edsel Ford Freeway. 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 Southgate, 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 3.6 miles (15 Mile Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles (M 3 / Gratiot Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 23.6 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 Southgate, MI before heading back.
