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Trip from Dearborn, MI to Dryden, MI

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 21m

Distance

58.8 mi

95 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min
4 AM
1h 15m ★
6 AM
1h 21m
8 AM
1h 34m
10 AM
1h 26m
12 PM
1h 25m
3 PM
1h 26m
5 PM
1h 33m
8 PM
1h 18m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Wayne County, Michigan, USA

Dearborn, MI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Dryden, MI, MI

Dryden, MI

Roberto Gonzalez

Trip Overview

This 58.8-mile drive from Dearborn, MI to Dryden, MI is a manageable 1-hour and 21-minute trip, perfect for a single day's adventure within the Midwest region. With an estimated fuel cost of $9, it's an economical choice for a quick getaway. The route primarily utilizes M 53, North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, and Edsel Ford Freeway, offering a familiar driving experience. Given its short duration, you won't need to worry about overnight stays, allowing for a flexible schedule. This journey is straightforward and efficient, making it an easy addition to your travel plans.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
M 53 24.2 mi 30m
North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway 14 mi 15m
Edsel Ford Freeway 5.6 mi 7m
Dryden Road 3.3 mi 8m
Metropolitan Parkway 3.3 mi 4m
Van Dyke Avenue 2.2 mi 3m
East Big Beaver Road 2 mi 3m
North Van Dyke Road 1.8 mi 2m
Longest stretch: M 53 — 24.2 mi, about 30m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Dearborn, MI and Dryden, MI.

1

Start on US 12

0.6 mi · 1 min · Michigan Avenue
2

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 43 sec
Toward I 94 East: Detroit
3

Merge onto I 94

0.3 mi · 23 sec · Detroit Industrial Expressway
4

Continue on I 94

5.6 mi · 7 min · Edsel Ford Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the exit

302 ft · 5 sec
Exit 216A Toward I 75: Flint, Toledo Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 75 North: Flint Use the slight left lane.
7

Merge onto I 75

14 mi · 15 min · North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Exit 67 Toward Rochester Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Turn right onto Rochester Road

0.2 mi · 18 sec · Rochester Road
Use the right lane.
10

Turn right onto East Big Beaver Road

2.0 mi · 3 min · East Big Beaver Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
11

Continue on Metropolitan Parkway

3.1 mi · 4 min · Metropolitan Parkway
12

Continue on Metropolitan Parkway

0.1 mi · 22 sec · Metropolitan Parkway
Use the left lane.
13

Turn right onto M 53

2.2 mi · 3 min · Van Dyke Avenue
Use the right lane.
14

Keep slight right at fork onto M 53

24 mi · 30 min · M 53
Toward M 53 North: Imlay City Use the right lane.
15

Turn left onto M 53

1.8 mi · 2 min · North Van Dyke Road
Use the straight lane.
16

Turn left onto Dryden Road

3.3 mi · 8 min · Dryden Road
Use the left lane.
17

Continue on East Main Street

526 ft · 14 sec · East Main Street
18

Arrive at destination

East Main Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Sterling Heights, MI, MI

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Sterling Heights, MI

29 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.

Popular next leg

Sterling Heights, MI to Dryden, MI

31.1 mi · 44m

Pacing Suggestions

Royal Oak, MI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Sterling Heights, MI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 29.4 miles from Dearborn, 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 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 6.8 and 29.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
6.8 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the exit toward I 75: Flint, Toledo

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 216A Toward I 75: Flint, Toledo
7
6.8 mi into trip | ~10m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 75 North: Flint

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 75 North: Flint
7
21.3 mi into trip | ~26m in

Take the exit toward Rochester Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 67 Toward Rochester Road
6
21.7 mi into trip | ~27m in | Rochester Road

Turn right onto Rochester Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
7
29.4 mi into trip | ~40m in | M 53

Keep slight right at fork onto M 53 toward M 53 North: Imlay City

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward M 53 North: Imlay City

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.19 one way

$18.39 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 21 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $10.09 $20.19
premium $4.89 $11.32 $22.63
diesel $5.61 $12.98 $25.96

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 20.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.6 0 $6.17 $2.82
Efficient EV 14.7 0 $5.15 $2.35
EV Truck/SUV 23.5 0 $8.23 $3.76

Gas CO2

21 kg

EV CO2

7 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 Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Dearborn, MI

Late night in Dearborn on Sunday

Local time

3:42 AM

EDT

Current temp

70°F

Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny

SE 3 to 9 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 10:53AM CDT by NWS Green Bay WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 10:46AM CDT by NWS Green Bay WI

Destination

Dryden, MI

Late night in Dryden on Sunday

Local time

3:42 AM

EDT

Current temp

42°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

28 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

1h 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?

The drive offers a mixed profile, with 39% of the journey on highways. You'll experience stretches on M 53, which can feel like a more direct, faster-paced road, interspersed with freeway sections. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 24.2 miles on M 53, providing a consistent pace for a significant portion of the trip. As you progress, expect a transition from urban freeway environments to potentially more open, rural settings as you head north. It's not an entirely monotonous drive, but rather a blend of efficient travel and the changing character of Michigan roadways.

39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.2 mi on M 53.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 6.8 miles in.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 58.8 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 6.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Dearborn, MI and Dryden, MI, road signs point toward Toledo and M 53 North: Imlay City.

Toledo

6.8 mi in | ~10m

M 53 North: Imlay City

29.4 mi in | ~40m | via M 53

About the Cities

Starting in Dearborn, MI

Full guide →

Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the state of Michigan. This article also covers the adjacent community of Dearborn Heights.

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 21m. Total distance: 58.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (39%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 24.2 miles on M 53. 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 Dryden, 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 6.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.3 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 Dryden, 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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