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Trip from Grand Rapids, MI to Highland Park, 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 5m

Distance

50.3 mi

81 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 0m ★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 8m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
city in and seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States

Grand Rapids, MI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Highland Park, MI, MI

Highland Park, MI

Michał Robak

Trip Overview

This straightforward 50.3-mile drive from Grand Rapids to Highland Park, Michigan, can easily be completed in about 1 hour and 5 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. The route primarily utilizes US 131, Jackson Road, and East Richplain Drive, with about 71% of the journey on highways. With an estimated fuel cost of just $8, this is an economical option for getting between these two Midwest locations. You won't need to break this trip up overnight; it's designed for a single, efficient travel day. The overall feel is practical and direct, ideal for those who want to get to their destination without much fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 131 35.5 mi 38m
Jackson Road 4.5 mi 6m
East Richplain Drive 3.2 mi 3m
East C Avenue 3.1 mi 8m
M 89 1.1 mi 1m
Allegan Street 0.9 mi 1m
East Bridge Street 0.8 mi 2m
Ionia Avenue Southwest 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 131 — 35.5 mi, about 38m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Grand Rapids, MI and Highland Park, MI.

1

Start on Fulton Street West

0.1 mi · 29 sec · Fulton Street West
2

Turn left onto Ionia Avenue Southwest

0.2 mi · 50 sec · Ionia Avenue Southwest
Use the left lane.
3

Turn right onto Cherry Street Southwest

285 ft · 16 sec · Cherry Street Southwest
Use the left lane.
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 34 sec
Toward US 131 South: Kalamazoo Use the left lane.
5

Merge onto US 131

36 mi · 38 min · US 131
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Toward M 89 East, M 43 East: Plainwell
7

Continue on M 89

0.9 mi · 1 min · Allegan Street
8

Continue on M 89; M 43

0.8 mi · 2 min · East Bridge Street
9

Continue on M 89; M 43

4.5 mi · 6 min · Jackson Road
10

Continue on M 89; M 43

1.1 mi · 1 min · M 89; M 43
11

Continue on M 89; M 43

3.2 mi · 3 min · East Richplain Drive
12

Continue on M 89; M 43

2.8 mi · 7 min · East C Avenue
13

Turn left onto North 35th Street

0.2 mi · 52 sec · North 35th Street
14

Continue on East C Avenue

0.3 mi · 1 min · East C Avenue
15

Continue on Fraulin Drive

353 ft · 15 sec · Fraulin Drive
16

Arrive at destination

Fraulin Drive

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Otsego, MI, MI

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Otsego, MI

25 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

Wyoming, MI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Wayland, MI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 25.2 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.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 36.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Ionia Avenue Southwest

Turn left onto Ionia Avenue Southwest

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | Cherry Street Southwest

Turn right onto Cherry Street Southwest

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
8
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp toward US 131 South: Kalamazoo

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward US 131 South: Kalamazoo
5
0.7 mi into trip | ~2m in | US 131

Merge onto US 131

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
36.2 mi into trip | ~40m in

Take the exit toward M 89 East, M 43 East: Plainwell

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

Toward M 89 East, M 43 East: Plainwell

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.86 one way

$15.73 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $8.63 $17.27
premium $4.89 $9.68 $19.36
diesel $5.61 $11.11 $22.21

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.1 0 $5.28 $2.41
Efficient EV 12.6 0 $4.40 $2.01
EV Truck/SUV 20.1 0 $7.04 $3.22

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 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 14, 2026

Origin

Grand Rapids, MI

Morning in Grand Rapids on Sunday

Local time

9:44 AM

EDT

Current temp

60°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Showers And Thunderstorms

SSW 8 mph 95% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 14 at 7:33PM EDT until April 21 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 14 at 7:33PM EDT until April 18 at 5:00AM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI

Destination

Highland Park, MI

Morning in Highland Park on Sunday

Local time

9:44 AM

EDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

68°F

Otsego, MI

25 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

13 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

1h 5m 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 experience for most of this 50.3-mile trip, with 71% of the drive taking place on faster roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 35.5 miles on US 131, offering a good period of consistent driving. While largely highway, the route incorporates sections of Jackson Road and East Richplain Drive, suggesting a potential shift in road character as you approach your destination. This blend means you'll get a taste of both steady highway cruising and more localized road travel, providing a varied but generally efficient driving experience.

71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 35.5 mi on US 131.

How Hard Is This Drive?

2/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 131 and Jackson Road. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Ionia Avenue Southwest.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Grand Rapids, MI to Highland Park, MI is easy. At 1h 5m with 71% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Ionia Avenue Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (Cherry Street Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Grand Rapids, MI and Highland Park, MI, road signs point toward M 89 East and M 43 East: Plainwell.

M 89 East

36.2 mi in | ~40m

M 43 East: Plainwell

36.2 mi in | ~40m

About the Cities

Starting in Grand Rapids, MI

Full guide →

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).

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 1h 5m. Total distance: 50.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (71%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 35.5 miles on US 131. 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 0.1 miles (Ionia Avenue Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (Cherry Street Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Highland Park, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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