Origin
Jackson, MI
Morning in Jackson on Tuesday
Local time
6:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Jackson, MI to Lansing, MI
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
38.5 mi
62 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Jackson, MI
Roberto Gonzalez
Trip Overview
Jackson, MI to Lansing, MI is 38.5 miles and takes about 44m via North West Avenue and Ransom E Olds Freeway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest, connecting two points in Michigan. Expect a relatively quick drive that's more about navigating local roads than cruising on a highway. Given its short duration, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your schedule. It's a straightforward journey for those looking to travel between these two Michigan cities with minimal fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North West Avenue | 33.2 mi | 35m |
| Ransom E Olds Freeway | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| Lansing Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Louis Glick Highway | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Walnut Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Clinton Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Blackstone Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Cooper Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North West Avenue
— 33.2 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Jackson, MI and Lansing, MI.
1
Start on this road
75 ft
·
10 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto East Washington Avenue
272 ft
·
8 sec
·
East Washington Avenue
3
Turn left onto BUS US 127; M 50
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
South Cooper Street
4
Turn left onto BUS US 127; M 50
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Louis Glick Highway
5
Turn right onto North Blackstone Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
North Blackstone Street
6
Keep slight left at fork onto Lansing Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Lansing Avenue
7
Turn straight onto Clinton Road
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
Clinton Road
8
Turn left onto West Monroe Street
303 ft
·
14 sec
·
West Monroe Street
9
Turn right onto BUS US 127; M 50
33 mi
·
35 min
·
North West Avenue
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 496
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Ransom E Olds Freeway
Toward I 496 West: Downtown Lansing
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 6
Toward Downtown
12
Turn right onto South Walnut Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Walnut Street
13
Turn right onto West Allegan Street
412 ft
·
12 sec
·
West Allegan Street
14
Turn right onto Townsend Street
22 ft
·
1 sec
·
Townsend Street
15
Arrive at destination
Townsend Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 38.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Washington Avenue
Turn left onto East Washington Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
BUS US 127; M 50 / South Cooper Street
Turn left onto BUS US 127; M 50 / South Cooper Street
Navigation decision point
5
35.3 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
I 496 / Ransom E Olds Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 496 / Ransom E Olds Freeway toward I 496 West: Downtown Lansing
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 496 West: Downtown Lansing
5
37.7 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Take the exit toward Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 6
Toward Downtown
5
38.5 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
Townsend Street
Turn right onto Townsend Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.02 one way
$12.04 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.61 | $13.22 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.41 | $14.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.50 | $17.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 62% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.04 | $1.85 |
| Efficient EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.37 | $1.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.4 | 0 | $5.39 | $2.46 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (62% 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
Lansing, MI
Morning in Lansing on Tuesday
Local time
6:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
3 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
44m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is characterized as 'turn-heavy' and local, with only about 6% of the route on highways. You'll experience a mix of city streets and potentially some faster local roads, rather than a continuous interstate experience. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 33.2 miles on North West Avenue, suggesting a significant portion of the drive follows this main artery before transitioning. Prepare for frequent turns and adjustments as you navigate through various local thoroughfares.
Only 6% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 33.2 mi on North West Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Washington Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 38.5 miles you will encounter 12 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 (East Washington Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (BUS US 127; M 50 / South Cooper Street): Navigation decision point; at 35.3 miles (I 496 / Ransom E Olds Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
About the Cities
Starting in Jackson, MI
Full guide →Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County in the south-central part of the state of Michigan, halfway between Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor, forty minutes south of Lansing and about an hour west of Detroit. Its population is 31,347 (2021) and combined with the county has a metro population of 160,050. Its tall buildings show a Jackson more populated than today, for the population had been declining since 1950 or so, but efforts have begun to flatten the curve and make the city diversified and vibrant.
Arriving in Lansing, MI
Full guide →Lansing is a pleasant city, and as Michigan's state capital, it is home to many government offices. Downtown Lansing has a historic shopping district amidst the campus of Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
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 44m. Total distance: 38.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 33.2 miles on North West Avenue. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Lansing, MI before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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: near the start (East Washington Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (BUS US 127; M 50 / South Cooper Street): Navigation decision point; at 35.3 miles (I 496 / Ransom E Olds Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lansing, 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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