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Trip from Long Lake, MI to East Tawas, MI

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

Drive Time

42m

Distance

28.5 mi

46 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 39m ★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Long Lake, MI, MI

Long Lake, MI

Jacob Postuma

Downtown East Tawas, MI, MI

East Tawas, MI

fish socks

Trip Overview

This straightforward 28.5-mile drive from Long Lake to East Tawas in Michigan's Midwest region is easily manageable in about 42 minutes. With a minimal highway share of only 9%, it's best suited as a quick day trip, requiring no overnight stays. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $4, making it an economical option. The route is characterized by frequent turns, offering a more engaged driving experience than a typical interstate cruise. You'll find this drive to be a convenient way to connect two points within the same state.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
M 55 West 14.2 mi 21m
M 65 4.4 mi 5m
State Highway 65 2.5 mi 3m
Long Lake Road 2.2 mi 3m
Putnam Road 0.9 mi 1m
West Webb 0.9 mi 1m
West Esmond Road 0.6 mi 1m
West Bay Street 0.6 mi 1m
Longest stretch: M 55 West — 14.2 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Long Lake, MI and East Tawas, MI.

1

Start on Long Lake Road

1.7 mi · 2 min · Long Lake Road
2

Continue on North Wilson Creek Road

0.3 mi · 33 sec · North Wilson Creek Road
3

Continue on Wilson Creek

0.4 mi · 46 sec · Wilson Creek
4

Continue on Long Lake Road

0.5 mi · 50 sec · Long Lake Road
5

Continue on West Webb

0.8 mi · 1 min · West Webb
6

Keep slight right at fork onto West Webb

491 ft · 9 sec · West Webb
7

Continue on Putnam Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · Putnam Road
8

Turn left onto West Esmond Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · West Esmond Road
9

Continue on West Main Street

0.3 mi · 39 sec · West Main Street
10

Turn right onto M 65

0.5 mi · 49 sec · State Highway 65
11

Continue on M 65

4.4 mi · 5 min · M 65
12

Continue on M 65

2.0 mi · 2 min · State Highway 65
13

Turn left onto M 55

14 mi · 21 min · M 55 West
14

Continue on M 55

0.6 mi · 55 sec · Hemlock Street
15

At end of road, turn left onto US 23

0.4 mi · 55 sec · East Lake Street
16

Continue on US 23

0.6 mi · 1 min · West Bay Street
17

Arrive at destination

US 23

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 3.7 and 27.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
3.7 mi into trip | ~6m in | West Webb

Keep slight right at fork onto West Webb

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

3
4.7 mi into trip | ~8m in | West Esmond Road

Turn left onto West Esmond Road

Navigation decision point

4
5.7 mi into trip | ~10m in | M 65 / State Highway 65

Turn right onto M 65 / State Highway 65

Navigation decision point

4
12.7 mi into trip | ~18m in | M 55 / M 55 West

Turn left onto M 55 / M 55 West

Navigation decision point

4
27.5 mi into trip | ~40m in | US 23 / East Lake Street

At end of road, turn left onto US 23 / East Lake Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.46 one way

$8.91 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $4.89 $9.78
premium $4.89 $5.48 $10.97
diesel $5.61 $6.29 $12.58

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 10 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.5 0 $2.99 $1.37
Efficient EV 7.1 0 $2.49 $1.14
EV Truck/SUV 11.4 0 $3.99 $1.82

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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 16, 2026

Origin

Long Lake, MI

Afternoon in Long Lake on Sunday

Local time

1:32 PM

EDT

Current temp

65°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

N 5 mph 65% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 4:30PM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 16 at 3:47PM EDT until April 18 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Marquette MI

Destination

East Tawas, MI

Afternoon in East Tawas on Sunday

Local time

1:32 PM

EDT

Current temp

41°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

24 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

42m 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 a low highway share of just 9%. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 14.2 miles along M 55 West. The roads will likely feel more like navigating local byways rather than open highway, requiring your attention for frequent adjustments. As you progress, the character of the drive will shift between these more involved local sections and brief moments on state highways, providing a varied driving experience for its short duration.

Only 9% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.2 mi on M 55 West.

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 3.7 miles in near West Webb.

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 42m 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 3.7 miles (West Webb): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 4.7 miles (West Esmond Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.7 miles (M 65 / State Highway 65): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

919 ft 589 ft

Total Climb

0 ft

Total Descent

330 ft

Highest Point

919 ft

Elevation Range

330 ft

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 28.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (9%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 14.2 miles on M 55 West. 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 3.7 miles (West Webb): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 4.7 miles (West Esmond Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.7 miles (M 65 / State Highway 65): Navigation decision point.

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