Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
14.4 mi
23 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
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
Trenton, MI
fish socks
Dearborn to Trenton is 14.4 miles and takes about 27 minutes via Fort Street, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Michigan. It's a straightforward drive primarily on surface roads, making it ideal for a quick errand or a brief scenic change of pace. You won't need to worry about extensive planning for this one, as it's easily manageable within a single day.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Street | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Fisher Freeway | 2.6 mi | 2m |
| Trenton Road | 2 mi | 4m |
| Schaefer Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Schaefer Highway | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Dix Highway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Dix-Toledo Highway | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~4,079 veh/hr typical · worst 5,088
Quietest
2 AM
~452 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Dearborn, MI and Trenton, MI.
Start on US 12
Turn right onto Schaefer Road
Turn straight onto Schaefer Highway
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 75
Take the exit
Turn straight onto Dix Highway
Continue on Dix-Toledo Highway
Turn slight left
Continue on Trenton Road
Turn slight right onto M 85
Turn slight left
Continue on Veterans Parkway
Turn left onto West Road
Turn right onto West Jefferson Avenue
Continue on West Jefferson Avenue
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 14.1 — 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
Take the ramp toward I 75 South: Toledo
Navigation decision point
Take the exit toward Dix Highway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto West Road
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto West Jefferson Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$2.23 one way
$4.47 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $2.45 | $4.90 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.79 | $5.59 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $3.17 | $6.35 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.26 | $0.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.02 | $0.92 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Evening in Dearborn on Saturday
Local time
5:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Evening in Trenton on Saturday
Local time
5:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Partly Cloudy
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.
This route is predominantly surface roads, with only 19% on highways. You'll encounter your longest continuous stretch on Fort Street for 2.8 miles. Expect a transition from any highway driving onto surface streets relatively early in your trip. The feel will be more about navigating local traffic and intersections rather than sustained high-speed cruising.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Schaefer Road.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 14.4 miles you will encounter 9 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 3.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
62 ft
Total Descent
56 ft
Highest Point
597 ft
~14.4 mi in
Elevation Range
31 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Dearborn, MI to Trenton, MI, road signs begin pointing toward Dix Highway along the way.
Dix Highway
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
Founded 1855
Trenton is in Mercer County, and is the capital of New Jersey. The city's strategic location in between New York City and Philadelphia has historically contributed to its growth and significantly impacts local culture. Located on the Delaware River across from Pennsylvania, Trenton is the only accessible capital city in the United States to border another state.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 27m. Total distance: 14.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (19%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
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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