Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
14.6 mi
23 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great 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.
Farmington Hills, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Royal Oak, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Farmington Hills to Royal Oak is 14.6 miles and takes about 25m via West 10 Mile Road/Walter P Reuther Freeway/John C Lodge Freeway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Michigan, moving you from one part of the Midwest to another. It's a straightforward drive, perfect for a quick hop between suburban areas without much fuss. Expect a mixed driving experience as you navigate a combination of surface streets and freeway segments. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your schedule.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West 10 Mile Road | 5.1 mi | 10m |
| Walter P Reuther Freeway | 3.2 mi | 4m |
| John C Lodge Freeway | 2.5 mi | 2m |
| West 11 Mile Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| South Main Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Orchard Lake Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Northwestern Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Farmington Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Farmington Hills, MI and Royal Oak, MI.
Start on Farmington Road
Turn left onto West 11 Mile Road
Turn right onto Orchard Lake Road
Continue on Orchard Lake Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 696
Merge onto M 10
Take the exit
Turn straight onto Northwestern Highway
Turn left onto West 10 Mile Road
Turn left onto South Main Street
Turn left onto West 2nd Street
Turn right
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.9 and 13.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward I 696 East: Detroit
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 696 / Walter P Reuther Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward 10 Mile Road, Evergreen Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn left onto West 10 Mile Road
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto South Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$2.28 one way
$4.57 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.51 | $5.01 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.81 | $5.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.22 | $6.45 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.53 | $0.70 |
| Efficient EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.28 | $0.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.04 | $0.93 |
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
Afternoon in Farmington Hills on Sunday
Local time
12:23 PM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Afternoon in Royal Oak on Sunday
Local time
12:23 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
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 drive offers a mixed experience, with 39% of it on highways. You'll begin on West 10 Mile Road for a stretch of 5.1 miles, likely navigating local traffic and intersections. The journey then transitions to the Walter P Reuther Freeway and the John C Lodge Freeway, providing a faster-paced highway segment. This shift means you'll encounter varying speed limits and road conditions, from suburban cruising to more direct freeway travel. The road's personality changes as you move between these distinct driving environments.
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 1.9 miles in.
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 14.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (I 696 / Walter P Reuther Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Royal Oak is a suburb of Detroit in Oakland County, Michigan known for its trendy downtown shopping area and bars. 1 mile South of Royal Oak is Ferndale, a place very similar to Royal Oak, known for its large lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender population. North of Royal Oak is Birmingham, an opulent area known for its upscale boutiques.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 25m. Total distance: 14.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m 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.
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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