Origin
Dearborn Heights, MI
Morning in Dearborn Heights on Sunday
Local time
6:05 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Dearborn Heights, MI to Royal Oak, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
18.2 mi
29 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dearborn Heights, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Royal Oak, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Dearborn Heights to Royal Oak, you are in for a quick 18.2-mile journey through the Midwest. Expect the drive to take roughly 31 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that doesn't require any overnight stays. You will primarily navigate using the Southfield Freeway, North Telegraph Road, and West 10 Mile Road. With a fuel budget of just $3, this is a highly economical commute between these Michigan cities. Given the short duration, you can easily complete the trip in a single outing without needing to plan for formal rest stops.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southfield Freeway | 5.1 mi | 6m |
| West 10 Mile Road | 4 mi | 7m |
| North Telegraph Road | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| Jeffries Freeway (Local) | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| South Main Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Southfield Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Jeffries Freeway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Telegraph Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Southfield Freeway
— 5.1 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Dearborn Heights, MI and Royal Oak, MI.
1
Start on this road
404 ft
·
15 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto US 24
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
North Telegraph Road
3
Keep slight right at fork onto Telegraph Drive
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Telegraph Drive
4
Turn right onto Schoolcraft Road
237 ft
·
5 sec
·
Schoolcraft Road
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 96 East
6
Merge onto I 96
0.6 mi
·
41 sec
·
Jeffries Freeway
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 96
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Jeffries Freeway (Local)
Toward I 96 Local: To All Exits
Use the slight right lane.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 183
Toward M 39: Southfield Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward M 39 North: Southfield Freeway
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto M 39
5.1 mi
·
6 min
·
Southfield Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
Toward Southfield Road
12
Turn straight onto Southfield Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Southfield Road
13
Turn right onto West 10 Mile Road
4.0 mi
·
7 min
·
West 10 Mile Road
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto South Main Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Main Street
Use the left lane.
15
Turn left onto West 2nd Street
168 ft
·
9 sec
·
West 2nd Street
16
Turn right
185 ft
·
13 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 3.4 and 13.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
3.4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Schoolcraft Road
Turn right onto Schoolcraft Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
4.4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Local)
Keep slight right at fork onto I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Local) toward I 96 Local: To All Exits
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 96 Local: To All Exits
7
6.3 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward M 39: Southfield Freeway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 183
Toward M 39: Southfield Freeway
7
6.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Keep slight left at fork toward M 39 North: Southfield Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward M 39 North: Southfield Freeway
6
13.2 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
West 10 Mile Road
Turn right onto West 10 Mile Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.85 one way
$5.69 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.12 | $6.25 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.50 | $7.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.02 | $8.04 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.91 | $0.87 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.59 | $0.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.16 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Royal Oak, MI
Morning in Royal Oak on Sunday
Local time
6:05 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
31m 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?
This trip features a mixed driving profile that transitions between high-speed transit and local surface roads. Roughly 42% of your journey takes place on the highway, providing a balance of steady cruising and slower navigation. You will encounter your longest uninterrupted stretch on the Southfield Freeway, which spans 5.1 miles. As you progress from Dearborn Heights toward Royal Oak, the road personality shifts from highway speeds to the more controlled pace of 10 Mile Road. It is a straightforward drive that prioritizes efficiency over long-distance endurance.
42% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.1 mi on Southfield Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.4 miles in near Schoolcraft Road.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 14 decision points packed into just 18.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.4 miles (Schoolcraft Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles (I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Local)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Royal Oak, MI
Full guide →Royal Oak is a suburb of Detroit in Oakland County, Michigan known for its trendy downtown shopping area and bars. 1 mile South of Royal Oak is Ferndale, a place very similar to Royal Oak, known for its large lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender population. North of Royal Oak is Birmingham, an opulent area known for its upscale boutiques.
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 31m. Total distance: 18.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (42%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.1 miles on Southfield 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 Royal Oak, 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 3.4 miles (Schoolcraft Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles (I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Local)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 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 Royal Oak, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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