Origin
Grosse Pointe Park, MI
Afternoon in Grosse Pointe Park on Sunday
Local time
4:23 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Grosse Pointe Park, MI to Sterling Heights, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
19.6 mi
32 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Grosse Pointe Park, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Sterling Heights, MI
fish socks
Trip Overview
This quick 19.6-mile drive from Grosse Pointe Park, MI to Sterling Heights, MI will take you about 35 minutes and is easily manageable as a day trip. You'll primarily be on the Edsel Ford Freeway and Utica Road, with a portion on Alter Road. With a fuel cost estimated at $3, this is a very budget-friendly option for getting between these two Midwest locations. The drive offers a mixed terrain, so you won't be stuck on one type of road for too long. Since there are no recommended stops and the duration is short, you can be quite flexible with your departure time.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Edsel Ford Freeway | 7.9 mi | 10m |
| Utica Road | 6.1 mi | 11m |
| Alter Road | 2.1 mi | 5m |
| 17 Mile Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| East 12 Mile Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East Outer Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Jefferson Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Hern Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Edsel Ford Freeway
— 7.9 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Grosse Pointe Park, MI and Sterling Heights, MI.
1
Start on East Jefferson Avenue
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
East Jefferson Avenue
2
Turn right onto Alter Road
2.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Alter Road
3
Continue on East Outer Drive
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
East Outer Drive
4
Turn right onto Hern Avenue
95 ft
·
3 sec
·
Hern Avenue
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Toward I 94 East
6
Merge onto I 94
7.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Edsel Ford Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 230
Toward 12 Mile Road
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn left onto East 12 Mile Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East 12 Mile Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
9
Turn right onto Utica Road
6.1 mi
·
11 min
·
Utica Road
Use the straight lane.
10
Turn left onto 17 Mile Road
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
17 Mile Road
Use the left lane.
11
Arrive at destination
17 Mile Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 2.4 and 11.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2.4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Hern Avenue
Turn right onto Hern Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
2.6 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 94 / Edsel Ford Freeway
Merge onto I 94 / Edsel Ford Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
10.6 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward 12 Mile Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 230
Toward 12 Mile Road
6
10.8 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
East 12 Mile Road
Turn left onto East 12 Mile Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
11.8 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
Utica Road
Turn right onto Utica Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.06 one way
$6.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.36 | $6.73 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.77 | $7.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.33 | $8.65 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.06 | $0.94 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.74 | $1.25 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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.
Destination
Sterling Heights, MI
Afternoon in Sterling Heights on Sunday
Local time
4:23 PM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Mostly Sunny
WSW 14 mph
11% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 14 at 4:07PM EDT until April 19 at 6:30PM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 14 at 4:00PM EDT until April 17 at 2:00AM 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
35 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
35m 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 mixed drive on this route, with about 40% of it on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.9 miles on the Edsel Ford Freeway, offering a chance for steady progress. As you transition from the freeway, you'll navigate local roads like Utica Road, which will likely involve more varied traffic and potentially lower speeds. This combination means you'll experience both efficient travel and more localized driving as you approach your destination.
40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.9 mi on Edsel Ford Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.4 miles in near Hern Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 19.6 miles you will encounter 8 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: at 2.4 miles (Hern Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles (I 94 / Edsel Ford Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 35m. Total distance: 19.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (40%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.9 miles on Edsel Ford Freeway. 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 2.4 miles (Hern Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles (I 94 / Edsel Ford Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Sterling Heights, 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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