Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Detroit, MI to Sterling Heights, MI

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

Drive Time

32m

Distance

22.7 mi

37 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 30m ★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown Detroit, MI, MI

Detroit, MI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Sterling Heights, MI, MI

Sterling Heights, MI

fish socks

Trip Overview

Detroit, MI to Sterling Heights, MI is 22.7 miles and takes about 32m via Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, connecting two points in Michigan. It's a straightforward drive primarily on major roadways, making it a simple transit rather than a scenic excursion. You'll find this route to be a quick and efficient way to get from point A to point B, suitable for a quick errand or connecting to other travel plans.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Walter P. Chrysler Freeway 10.3 mi 11m
Mound Road 5.9 mi 9m
Walter P Reuther Freeway 3.1 mi 3m
17 Mile Road 1 mi 1m
I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road 0.7 mi 1m
I-75 North to I-696 East 0.4 mi <1m
Monroe Street 0.4 mi 1m
I-696 East 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Walter P. Chrysler Freeway — 10.3 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Detroit, MI and Sterling Heights, MI.

1

Start on Cadillac Square

0.1 mi · 28 sec · Cadillac Square
2

Continue on Cadillac Square

97 ft · 3 sec · Cadillac Square
Toward M 3 North Use the left lane.
3

Turn slight left onto M 3

0.2 mi · 38 sec · Randolph Street
4

Turn right onto Monroe Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Monroe Street
Use the right lane.
5

At end of road, turn left onto Chrysler Drive

34 ft · 1 sec · Chrysler Drive
Use the left lane.
6

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 20 sec
7

Merge onto I 375

10 mi · 11 min · Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Toward I 75 North: Flint Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Exit 61 Toward I 696: Lansing, Port Huron Use the slight right lane.
9

Keep slight right at fork onto I-75 North to I-696 East

0.4 mi · 52 sec · I-75 North to I-696 East
Toward I 696 East: Port Huron Use the slight right lane.
10

Continue on I 696

3.1 mi · 3 min · Walter P Reuther Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit onto I-696 East

0.3 mi · 38 sec · I-696 East
Exit 22 Toward Mound Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight left at fork onto I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road
Toward Mound Road North Use the slight left lane.
13

Turn straight onto Mound Road

5.9 mi · 9 min · Mound Road
14

Turn right onto 17 Mile Road

1.0 mi · 1 min · 17 Mile Road
15

Arrive at destination

17 Mile Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 15.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.7 mi into trip | ~2m in | Chrysler Drive

At end of road, turn left onto Chrysler Drive

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
8
11.1 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward I 696: Lansing, Port Huron

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 61 Toward I 696: Lansing, Port Huron
7
11.3 mi into trip | ~15m in | I-75 North to I-696 East

Keep slight right at fork onto I-75 North to I-696 East toward I 696 East: Port Huron

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 696 East: Port Huron
7
14.8 mi into trip | ~19m in | I-696 East

Take the exit onto I-696 East toward Mound Road

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 22 Toward Mound Road
7
15.1 mi into trip | ~19m in | I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road

Keep slight left at fork onto I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road toward Mound Road North

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward Mound Road North

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.55 one way

$7.10 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $3.90 $7.79
premium $4.89 $4.37 $8.74
diesel $5.61 $5.01 $10.02

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.8 0 $2.38 $1.09
Efficient EV 5.7 0 $1.99 $0.91
EV Truck/SUV 9.1 0 $3.18 $1.45

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Detroit, MI

Afternoon in Detroit on Sunday

Local time

12:08 PM

EDT

Current temp

67°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 10 to 16 mph 88% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 8:36AM EDT by NWS Marquette MI

Flash Flood Watch

Flash Flood Watch issued April 18 at 8:13AM EDT until April 19 at 12:00PM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI

Destination

Sterling Heights, MI

Afternoon in Sterling Heights on Sunday

Local time

12:08 PM

EDT

Current temp

67°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

WSW 12 to 16 mph 88% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 8:36AM EDT by NWS Marquette MI

Flash Flood Watch

Flash Flood Watch issued April 18 at 8:13AM EDT until April 19 at 12:00PM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI

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

32m 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?

This drive is heavily highway-focused, with 65% of the route utilizing major freeways. You'll spend a good portion of your time on the Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, including a continuous stretch of 10.3 miles. The primary roads include the Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, Mound Road, and the Walter P Reuther Freeway, indicating a reliance on well-maintained, high-speed corridors. Expect a consistent driving experience characterized by the efficiency of interstate travel, with minimal deviations into slower local roads.

65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.3 mi on Walter P. Chrysler Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Walter P. Chrysler Freeway and Mound Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near Chrysler Drive.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 22.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (Chrysler Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.3 miles (I-75 North to I-696 East): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Detroit, MI and Sterling Heights, MI, road signs point toward Port Huron and Mound Road North.

Port Huron

11.1 mi in | ~14m

Mound Road North

15.1 mi in | ~19m | via I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 22.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

32m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 10.3 miles on 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 Sterling Heights, 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 0.7 miles (Chrysler Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.3 miles (I-75 North to I-696 East): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Sterling Heights, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Sterling Heights, MI

Cheboygan, MI 268.1 mi · 4h 45m Boyne City, MI 244.3 mi · 4h 25m Elk Rapids, MI 239.4 mi · 4h 36m Bellaire, MI 234.7 mi · 4h 30m

More from Detroit, MI

Ontonagon, MI 575.4 mi · 10h 55m Allouez, MI 569.6 mi · 11h Boston, MI 559.6 mi · 10h 46m Ford River, MI 441.1 mi · 8h 5m Greilickville, MI 258.2 mi · 4h 57m Benzonia, MI 251.6 mi · 4h 50m

More trips to Sterling Heights, MI

Bessemer, MI 580.2 mi Elmwood, MI 526.5 mi L'Anse, MI 509.3 mi Quinnesec, MI 468.7 mi Maple Grove, MI 432.8 mi Homestead, MI 351.2 mi
Escape planner: Detroit, MI Scenic drives in MI

Explore more options from Detroit, MI or browse trips ending in Sterling Heights, MI.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MI road trips.