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Trip from Flint, MI to Garden City, 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 23m

Distance

69.8 mi

112 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min
4 AM
1h 17m ★
6 AM
1h 23m
8 AM
1h 36m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 26m
3 PM
1h 28m
5 PM
1h 35m
8 PM
1h 19m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Garden City, MI, MI

Garden City, MI

Thomas Renaud

Trip Overview

This straightforward 69.8-mile drive from Flint to Garden City, Michigan, is easily manageable in about 1 hour and 23 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll be spending most of your time on major highways, with an estimated fuel cost of $11. The route is predominantly focused on highway driving, offering a practical and efficient way to travel between these two Midwest locations. With no planned stops, you can be in control of your schedule and arrive with plenty of time for your activities. Consider this a quick connection rather than an extensive road trip experience.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 23 30.9 mi 33m
I 96 14.9 mi 15m
I 275 6.1 mi 6m
Jeffries Freeway 4.4 mi 4m
Middlebelt Road 4 mi 8m
I 75 2.1 mi 2m
Chevrolet-Buick Freeway 2.1 mi 2m
South Grand Traverse Street 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 23 — 30.9 mi, about 33m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Flint, MI and Garden City, MI.

1

Start on this road

93 ft · 11 sec · this road
2

Turn uturn onto M 21

0.3 mi · 47 sec · East Court Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
3

Turn left onto South Grand Traverse Street

0.3 mi · 41 sec · South Grand Traverse Street
4

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 26 sec
5

Merge onto I 69

2.1 mi · 2 min · Chevrolet-Buick Freeway
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Exit 133 Toward I 75, US 23: Detroit, Saginaw
7

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward I 75 South, US 23 South: Detroit
8

Merge onto I 75; US 23

2.1 mi · 2 min · I 75; US 23
9

Keep slight right at fork onto US 23

31 mi · 33 min · US 23
Toward US 23: Ann Arbor
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Toward I 96 East: Detroit
11

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 37 sec
Toward I 96 East: Detroit
12

Merge onto I 96

15 mi · 15 min · I 96
Use the straight lane.
13

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 34 sec
Exit 163 Toward I 96, I 275, M 5 North: Detroit, Toledo Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 29 sec
15

Continue on I 275; I 96

6.1 mi · 6 min · I 275; I 96
16

Take the exit

1.3 mi · 2 min
Toward I 96 East: Detroit Use the slight left lane.
17

Merge onto I 96

4.4 mi · 4 min · Jeffries Freeway
Toward I 96 East: Livonia, Detroit Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Exit 176 Toward Middle Belt Road Use the slight right lane.
19

Turn straight onto Schoolcraft Road

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Schoolcraft Road
20

Turn right onto Middlebelt Road

4.0 mi · 8 min · Middlebelt Road
21

Turn right onto M 153

29 ft · 0 sec · Ford Road
Use the right lane.
22

Arrive at destination

M 153

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

suburb of Detroit, Michigan, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Brighton, MI

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

Lake Fenton, MI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Brighton, MI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 34.9 miles from Flint, 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 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 65.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

9
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | M 21 / East Court Street

Turn uturn onto M 21 / East Court Street

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
6
2.9 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the exit toward I 75, US 23: Detroit, Saginaw

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 133 Toward I 75, US 23: Detroit, Saginaw
8
52.7 mi into trip | ~59m in

Take the exit toward I 96, I 275, M 5 North: Detroit, 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 163 Toward I 96, I 275, M 5 North: Detroit, Toledo
7
61 mi into trip | ~1h 9m in | I 96 / Jeffries Freeway

Merge onto I 96 / Jeffries Freeway toward I 96 East: Livonia, Detroit

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 96 East: Livonia, Detroit
7
65.4 mi into trip | ~1h 14m in

Take the exit toward Middle Belt Road

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 176 Toward Middle Belt Road

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.91 one way

$21.82 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 24 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $11.98 $23.96
premium $4.89 $13.43 $26.86
diesel $5.61 $15.41 $30.82

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 24.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 20.9 0 $7.33 $3.35
Efficient EV 17.5 0 $6.11 $2.79
EV Truck/SUV 27.9 0 $9.77 $4.47

Gas CO2

24 kg

EV CO2

8 kg (67% 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

Flint, MI

Afternoon in Flint on Sunday

Local time

1:48 PM

EDT

Current temp

64°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 14 mph 81% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Watch

Flash Flood Watch issued April 18 at 3:10AM EDT until April 19 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 18 at 3:10AM EDT until April 19 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI

Destination

Garden City, MI

Afternoon in Garden City on Sunday

Local time

1:48 PM

EDT

Current temp

68°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

43°F

Brighton, MI

35 mi in

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

4 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 23m 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?

Expect a highway-focused drive for 87% of this journey, primarily utilizing US 23, I-96, and I-275. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 30.9 miles on US 23, offering a consistent pace. This route is designed for efficiency, meaning you'll experience mostly smooth, high-speed travel without significant detours onto slower local roads. The character remains largely consistent, emphasizing swift transit across the Midwest landscape.

87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 30.9 mi on US 23.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 23 and I 96. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near M 21 / East Court Street.

Driving Effort 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 69.8 miles you will encounter 18 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 (M 21 / East Court Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 52.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

982 ft 619 ft

Total Climb

316 ft

Total Descent

433 ft

Highest Point

982 ft

~24.9 mi in

Elevation Range

363 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Flint, MI and Garden City, MI, road signs point toward M 5 North: Detroit, Toledo and Detroit.

M 5 North: Detroit

52.7 mi in | ~59m

Toledo

52.7 mi in | ~59m

Detroit

61 mi in | ~1h 9m | via I 96

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 23m. Total distance: 69.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 30.9 miles on US 23. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Garden City, 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: near the start (M 21 / East Court Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 52.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Garden City, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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