Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 58m
Distance
98.4 mi
158 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$15
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Flint, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Hastings, MI
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Flint, MI to Hastings, MI covers 98.4 miles and takes about 1h 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Chevrolet-Buick Freeway, East Grand Ledge Highway, East M-43 Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 46 miles on Chevrolet-Buick Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $15.26 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
49.2 miles from Flint, MI
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 51m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet-Buick Freeway | 46 mi | 47m |
| East Grand Ledge Highway | 13 mi | 18m |
| East M-43 Highway | 8.8 mi | 12m |
| I 69 | 7.2 mi | 7m |
| East Carlton Center Road | 4 mi | 5m |
| State Road | 4 mi | 5m |
| I 96 | 2.8 mi | 3m |
| North Broadway Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,625 veh/hr typical · worst 2,123
Quietest
2 AM
~99 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
16.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Flint, MI and Hastings, MI.
Start on this road
Turn uturn onto M 21
Turn left onto South Grand Traverse Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 69
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 69
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 96
Take the exit
Turn left onto M 100
Turn right onto State Road
Turn left onto Jones Road
Continue on Benton Road
Turn right onto M 43
Turn left onto M 43; M 66
Continue on M 43; M 66
Turn right onto M 43
Continue on M 43
Continue on M 43
Continue on M 43
Continue on M 43
Turn right onto West Green 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 22 miles or 23m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 49.2 miles or 51m 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 32m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Hastings, MI than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Flint, MI so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Flint, MI
This is one driving day of about 98.4 miles and 1h 58m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
49 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 22 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 49.2 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 60.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn uturn onto M 21 / East Court Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward US 127: Clare, Lansing
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 96 WEST: Grand Rapids
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Keep slight left at fork toward I 96 WEST: Grand Rapids
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Turn left onto M 100 / South Wright Road
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$15.26 one way
$30.51 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $16.73 | $33.46 |
| premium | $4.93 | $19.09 | $38.18 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $21.69 | $43.38 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$15
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$40–$65
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 34.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 29.5 | 0 | $10.33 | $4.72 |
| Efficient EV | 24.6 | 0 | $8.61 | $3.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 39.4 | 0 | $13.78 | $6.30 |
Gas CO2
34 kg
EV CO2
12 kg (65% 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
Late night in Flint on Sunday
Local time
3:15 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Late night in Hastings on Sunday
Local time
3:15 AM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Mostly Sunny
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.
98.4 mi in 1h 58m — 57% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Chevrolet-Buick Freeway.
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 M 21 / East Court Street.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 98.4 miles you will encounter 19 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 46.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 55.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
225 ft
Total Descent
165 ft
Highest Point
879 ft
~63.3 mi in
Elevation Range
125 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Flint, MI and Hastings, MI, road signs point toward Lansing and M 100: Grand Ledge.
Lansing
M 100: Grand Ledge
Founded 1818
Flint is an industrial city an hour northwest of Detroit in Michigan. It was the home of many General Motors factories, including the Buick World Headquarters, Flint has fallen on hard times over the past 30 years due to the decline of the American automotive industry. Despite these misfortunes, the city has an outsized history, including decisive roles in the growth of the American labor movement and community schooling and evident in a host of extensive and well-endowed cultural institutions. Flint has seen a dramatic reduction in crime while simultaneously enjoying a revitalizing Downtown and growing colleges and universities are found within the city's limits.
Top landmarks
Founded 1836
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 58m. Total distance: 98.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). 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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