Origin
Dearborn, MI
Late night in Dearborn on Sunday
Local time
3:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Dearborn, MI to Elba, 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 29m
Distance
70.9 mi
114 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 23m
★
6 AM
1h 30m
8 AM
1h 43m
10 AM
1h 34m
12 PM
1h 33m
3 PM
1h 35m
5 PM
1h 43m
8 PM
1h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dearborn, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Elba, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 70.9-mile drive from Dearborn, MI, to Elba, MI, is a straightforward journey that can easily be completed in about 1 hour and 29 minutes. Given its relatively short length and manageable duration, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip. You'll be spending a good portion of your time on highways, making it a fairly efficient drive. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $11, which is quite economical. Both your origin and destination are within the Midwest region, so you'll be experiencing a consistent regional feel throughout your travels.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway | 37.5 mi | 40m |
| Ortonville Road | 9.7 mi | 14m |
| South State Road | 9.6 mi | 13m |
| Edsel Ford Freeway | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| Davison Road | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| South Oak Road | 2 mi | 2m |
| East Lippincott Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Michigan Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
— 37.5 mi, about 40m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Dearborn, MI and Elba, 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
38 mi
·
40 min
·
North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 91
Toward M 15: Clarkston, Davison
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto M 15
9.7 mi
·
14 min
·
Ortonville Road
Use the right lane.
10
Continue on M 15
9.6 mi
·
13 min
·
South State Road
Use the right lane.
11
Turn right onto East Lippincott Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East Lippincott Boulevard
12
Turn left onto South Oak Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South Oak Road
13
Enter roundabout onto South Oak Road
88 ft
·
1 sec
·
South Oak Road
14
Continue on South Oak Road
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
South Oak Road
15
Turn right onto Davison Road
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Davison Road
16
Turn right onto South Elba Road
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
South Elba Road
17
Arrive at destination
South Elba Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
35 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 35.4 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 6.8 and 45.2 — 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
5
7.3 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 75 / North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Merge onto I 75 / North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
44.8 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Take the exit toward M 15: Clarkston, Davison
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 91
Toward M 15: Clarkston, Davison
6
45.2 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
M 15 / Ortonville Road
Turn right onto M 15 / Ortonville Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.08 one way
$22.17 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
25 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $12.17 | $24.34 |
| premium | $4.89 | $13.64 | $27.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.65 | $31.31 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.3 | 0 | $7.44 | $3.40 |
| Efficient EV | 17.7 | 0 | $6.20 | $2.84 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.4 | 0 | $9.93 | $4.54 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (68% 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
Elba, MI
Late night in Elba on Sunday
Local time
3:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°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
15 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 29m 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 route is predominantly highway-focused, with 61% of the drive taking place on freeways. You'll encounter main roads like North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, Ortonville Road, and South State Road. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 37.5 miles on the North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway. Expect a driving experience that leans towards efficient travel rather than winding scenic byways, though transitions between these road types will occur.
61% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 37.5 mi on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway and Ortonville Road. 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
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 70.9 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 7.3 miles (I 75 / North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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.
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 Elba, MI, road signs point toward Toledo, M 15: Clarkston and Davison.
Toledo
6.8 mi in
|
~10m
M 15: Clarkston
44.8 mi in
|
~51m
Davison
44.8 mi in
|
~51m
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 29m. Total distance: 70.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 37.5 miles on North Walter P. Chrysler 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 Elba, 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 7.3 miles (I 75 / North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Elba, 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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