Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 53m
Distance
83.5 mi
134 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dearborn, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Hudson, MI
Garrison Gao
The drive from Dearborn, MI to Hudson, MI covers 83.5 miles and takes about 1h 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on West Michigan Avenue, Detroit Industrial Expressway, US 127 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 34.4 miles on West Michigan Avenue. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.95 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
41.8 miles from Dearborn, MI
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 52m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Michigan Avenue | 34.4 mi | 50m |
| Detroit Industrial Expressway | 26.5 mi | 28m |
| US 127 | 13.8 mi | 20m |
| US-12 | 5.9 mi | 8m |
| Schaefer Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| West Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Michigan Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Market Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,782 veh/hr typical · worst 4,655
Quietest
2 AM
~277 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
13.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 102 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Dearborn, MI and Hudson, MI.
Start on US 12
Turn right onto Schaefer Road
Take the ramp
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 94
Keep slight right at fork onto I 94
Take the exit
Merge onto US 12
Continue on US 12
Turn left onto US 127
Enter roundabout onto US 127
Continue on US 127
Turn left onto M 34
Turn left onto North Market Street
Arrive at destination
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 18 miles or 21m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 41.8 miles or 52m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 34m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Hudson, MI than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Dearborn, MI so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Dearborn, MI
This is one driving day of about 83.5 miles and 1h 53m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
42 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.
A short stop after about 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 41.8 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 28.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Schaefer Road
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward I 94 West: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Merge onto I 94 / Detroit Industrial Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 94 / Detroit Industrial Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward US 12 West: Saline
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$12.95 one way
$25.89 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $14.20 | $28.39 |
| premium | $4.93 | $16.20 | $32.40 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $18.41 | $36.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 29.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 25.1 | 0 | $8.77 | $4.01 |
| Efficient EV | 20.9 | 0 | $7.31 | $3.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 33.4 | 0 | $11.69 | $5.34 |
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (66% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Night in Dearborn on Friday
Local time
10:27 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Night in Hudson on Friday
Local time
10:27 PM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Mostly Clear
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
83.5 mi in 1h 53m — 55% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: West Michigan Avenue.
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 early in the drive near Schaefer Road.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 83.5 miles you will encounter 11 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: near the start (Schaefer Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 2 miles (I 94 / Detroit Industrial Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
517 ft
Total Descent
191 ft
Highest Point
1,106 ft
~71.6 mi in
Elevation Range
515 ft
Founded 1786
Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the state of Michigan. This article also covers the adjacent community of Dearborn Heights.
Top landmarks
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 53m. Total distance: 83.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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