Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 17m
Distance
56.7 mi
91 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Grand Rapids, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Bedford, MI
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Grand Rapids, MI to Bedford, MI covers 56.7 miles and takes about 1h 17m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South State Highway 37, I 96, Alden Nash Avenue Southeast for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17.3 miles on South State Highway 37. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.79 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South State Highway 37 | 17.3 mi | 24m |
| I 96 | 14.4 mi | 15m |
| Alden Nash Avenue Southeast | 6.5 mi | 8m |
| Woodschool Road | 5.9 mi | 8m |
| West State Road | 4.3 mi | 7m |
| Gerald R Ford Freeway | 3.9 mi | 4m |
| South Hanover Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| Baker Avenue Southeast | 0.7 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,812 veh/hr typical · worst 4,564
Quietest
2 AM
~137 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
27.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Grand Rapids, MI and Bedford, MI.
Start on Fulton Street West
Turn left onto Division Avenue North
Continue on Division Avenue Northeast
Turn left onto Michigan Street Northeast
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 196
Merge onto I 96
Take the exit
Turn right onto M 50
At end of road, turn left onto 100th Street Southeast
Turn right onto Baker Avenue Southeast
Continue on Baker Road
Continue on Woodschool Road
Turn left onto West State Road
Turn right onto M 43
Turn left onto M 37
Turn right onto M 37
Continue on M 37
Turn left onto Hutchinson Road
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 28.4 miles from Grand Rapids, 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 19 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Division Avenue North
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Michigan Street Northeast
Navigation decision point
Take the ramp toward I 196 East: Lansing
Navigation decision point
Merge onto I 96
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward M 50: Lowell, Charlotte
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$8.79 one way
$17.58 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $9.64 | $19.28 |
| premium | $4.93 | $11.00 | $22.00 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $12.50 | $25.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17 | 0 | $5.95 | $2.72 |
| Efficient EV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.96 | $2.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.7 | 0 | $7.94 | $3.63 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 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 Grand Rapids on Friday
Local time
1:04 AM
EDT
Current temp
54°F
Partly Cloudy then Patchy Fog
Destination
Late night in Bedford on Friday
Local time
1:04 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Mostly Clear then Patchy Fog
82°F
Hastings, MI
28 mi in
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.
56.7 mi in 1h 17m, mostly highway — 17.3 mi of that is on South State Highway 37.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on South State Highway 37 and I 96. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Division Avenue North.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 56.7 miles you will encounter 14 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 (Division Avenue North): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (Michigan Street Northeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles: Navigation decision point.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
453 ft
Total Descent
207 ft
Highest Point
989 ft
~48.6 mi in
Elevation Range
350 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Grand Rapids, MI and Bedford, MI, road signs point toward M 50: Lowell and Charlotte.
M 50: Lowell
Charlotte
Founded 1826
Not to be confused with Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Grand Rapids is in West Michigan, in the United States. Grand Rapids is the second largest city in Michigan with a population of just under 200,000 in the city limits (2018), and nearly 570,000 in the surrounding county (2010). The federal West Michigan metropolitan area, which includes Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Holland (and some intervening farmland), has 1.4 million people (2010).
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 17m. Total distance: 56.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). 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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