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Trip from Frenchtown, MI to Cascade, MI

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

Drive Time

30m

Distance

14.7 mi

24 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 28m ★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m

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

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown Frenchtown, MI, MI

Frenchtown, MI

Harper Swan

Downtown Cascade, MI, MI

Cascade, MI

Lorenza Magnaghi

Trip Overview

This short 14.7-mile drive from Frenchtown to Cascade in Michigan can be completed in about 30 minutes, making it an easy addition to any Midwest adventure. With a minimal fuel cost of around $2, this route offers a straightforward local experience. Since it's so brief, it’s perfectly suited for a single-day trip, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your schedule. You'll primarily navigate County Road 480 and County Road NC, with a bit of West Division Street mixed in. This drive is best described as a turn-heavy local experience, so don't expect long stretches of highway cruising.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
County Road 480 7.2 mi 10m
County Road NC 1.8 mi 6m
West Division Street 1.7 mi 3m
South Pine Street 1.2 mi 2m
County Road 1.1 mi 1m
County Road NG 0.7 mi 2m
Rail Street 0.4 mi <1m
Silver Street 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: County Road 480 — 7.2 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Frenchtown, MI and Cascade, MI.

1

Start on Saginaw Street

148 ft · 4 sec · Saginaw Street
2

Continue on South Pine Street

1.2 mi · 2 min · South Pine Street
3

Turn right onto M 28 BUS

1.7 mi · 3 min · West Division Street
4

Continue on M 28 BUS

1.1 mi · 1 min · County Road
5

Turn slight left onto M 28 BUS

0.3 mi · 34 sec · Silver Street
6

At end of road, turn right onto M 28 BUS

0.1 mi · 14 sec · Jackson Street
7

Turn right onto South Pioneer Avenue

503 ft · 14 sec · South Pioneer Avenue
8

Turn left onto Rail Street

0.4 mi · 32 sec · Rail Street
9

Continue on CR 480

7.2 mi · 10 min · County Road 480
10

Turn right onto County Road NG

0.7 mi · 2 min · County Road NG
11

Continue on County Road NC

1.8 mi · 6 min · County Road NC
12

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 12.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
1.2 mi into trip | ~3m in | M 28 BUS / West Division Street

Turn right onto M 28 BUS / West Division Street

Navigation decision point

6
4.4 mi into trip | ~8m in | M 28 BUS / Jackson Street

At end of road, turn right onto M 28 BUS / Jackson Street

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

4
4.5 mi into trip | ~8m in | South Pioneer Avenue

Turn right onto South Pioneer Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
4.6 mi into trip | ~9m in | Rail Street

Turn left onto Rail Street

Navigation decision point

3
12.2 mi into trip | ~20m in | County Road NG

Turn right onto County Road NG

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.17 one way

$4.34 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $2.40 $4.79
premium $4.72 $2.73 $5.46
diesel $4.80 $2.78 $5.55

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, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.4 0 $1.54 $0.71
Efficient EV 3.7 0 $1.29 $0.59
EV Truck/SUV 5.9 0 $2.06 $0.94

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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Jul 13, 2026

Origin

Frenchtown, MI

Afternoon in Frenchtown on Sunday

Local time

2:55 PM

EDT

Current temp

100°F

Sunny

NW 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 13 at 3:38PM EDT until July 14 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 13 at 3:38PM EDT until July 14 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI

Destination

Cascade, MI

Afternoon in Cascade on Sunday

Local time

2:55 PM

EDT

Current temp

99°F

Sunny

W 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 13 at 3:38PM EDT until July 14 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 13 at 3:38PM EDT until July 14 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Gaylord 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

1 degrees cooler at arrival

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

Road read

30m 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 turn-heavy local drive on this route, with 0% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.2 miles on County Road 480, offering a brief period of consistent travel before more turns. This isn't a high-speed journey; instead, you'll be navigating a more intimate, local road network. The character of the drive will likely involve frequent changes in direction as you make your way through the Michigan landscape.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.2 mi on County Road 480.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in near M 28 BUS / West Division Street.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 30m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles (M 28 BUS / West Division Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.4 miles (M 28 BUS / Jackson Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 4.5 miles (South Pioneer Avenue): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,520 ft 1,226 ft

Total Climb

203 ft

Total Descent

425 ft

Highest Point

1,520 ft

~3.1 mi in

Elevation Range

295 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Frenchtown, MI

Full guide →

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 14.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

30m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 7.2 miles on County Road 480. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 1.2 miles (M 28 BUS / West Division Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.4 miles (M 28 BUS / Jackson Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 4.5 miles (South Pioneer Avenue): Navigation decision point.

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