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Trip from Manistee, MI to Chief Lake, MI

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

Drive Time

29m

Distance

18 mi

29 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 27m ★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m

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

Best Time
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Download GPX
city in Michigan, United States

Manistee, MI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Chief Lake, MI, MI

Chief Lake, MI

Enric Cruz López

Trip Overview

Manistee to Chief Lake is 18 miles and takes about 29 minutes via Chippewa Highway, Nine Mile Road, and West Parkdale Avenue, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short journey stays within Michigan, offering a straightforward drive that's perfect for a quick trip. You'll be navigating local roads for the entire duration, so don't expect any highway driving on this particular route. Given its brief length, it's an ideal option if you're looking for a simple, uncomplicated drive between two points in the Midwest.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Chippewa Highway 8.8 mi 11m
Nine Mile Road 3 mi 5m
West Parkdale Avenue 2.4 mi 3m
Chief Road 1.6 mi 3m
Arthur Street 0.6 mi 1m
West Parkdale Road 0.6 mi 1m
Cleveland Street 0.3 mi <1m
Maple Street 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Chippewa Highway — 8.8 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Manistee, MI and Chief Lake, MI.

1

Start on this road

90 ft · 12 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto Maple Street

0.3 mi · 47 sec · Maple Street
3

Continue on Washington Street

405 ft · 15 sec · Washington Street
4

Turn right onto Memorial Drive

0.2 mi · 41 sec · Memorial Drive
5

Turn left onto US 31

0.3 mi · 34 sec · Cleveland Street
6

Continue on US 31

0.6 mi · 1 min · Arthur Street
7

Continue on US 31

0.6 mi · 1 min · West Parkdale Road
8

Continue on US 31

2.4 mi · 3 min · West Parkdale Avenue
9

Continue on US 31

1.0 mi · 1 min · Chippewa Highway
10

Enter roundabout onto US 31

91 ft · 1 sec · Chippewa Highway
11

Continue on US 31

7.8 mi · 10 min · Chippewa Highway
12

Turn right onto CR 598

3.0 mi · 5 min · Nine Mile Road
13

Turn right onto Chief Road

1.6 mi · 3 min · Chief Road
14

Arrive at destination

Chief Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.3 — 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 | Maple Street

Turn left onto Maple Street

Navigation decision point

5
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | Memorial Drive

Turn right onto Memorial Drive

Navigation decision point

4
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in | US 31 / Cleveland Street

Turn left onto US 31 / Cleveland Street

Navigation decision point

4
5.5 mi into trip | ~9m in | US 31 / Chippewa Highway

Enter roundabout onto US 31 / Chippewa Highway

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

3
13.3 mi into trip | ~20m in | CR 598 / Nine Mile Road

Turn right onto CR 598 / Nine Mile Road

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.66 one way

$5.32 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $2.93 $5.87
premium $4.72 $3.34 $6.68
diesel $4.80 $3.40 $6.80

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.4 0 $1.89 $0.86
Efficient EV 4.5 0 $1.58 $0.72
EV Truck/SUV 7.2 0 $2.52 $1.15

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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 Jul 18, 2026

Origin

Manistee, MI

Afternoon in Manistee on Sunday

Local time

1:41 PM

EDT

Current temp

77°F

Areas Of Smoke

N 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued July 18 at 4:47PM EDT until July 19 at 5:00AM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued July 18 at 4:36PM EDT until July 18 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Detroit/Pontiac MI

Destination

Chief Lake, MI

Afternoon in Chief Lake on Sunday

Local time

1:41 PM

EDT

Current temp

78°F

Areas Of Smoke

N 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued July 18 at 4:47PM EDT until July 19 at 5:00AM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued July 18 at 4:36PM EDT until July 18 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Detroit/Pontiac 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

1 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

29m 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?

This route is characterized by its frequent turns, making it a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed highway experience. With a highway share of 0%, you'll be on local roads for the entire 18 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8.8 miles along Chippewa Highway. Expect a driving experience that requires your attention due to the numerous turns, typical of navigating through local communities and backroads.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.8 mi on Chippewa Highway.

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 early in the drive near Maple Street.

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 29m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Maple Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Memorial Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (US 31 / Cleveland Street): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

806 ft 599 ft

Total Climb

274 ft

Total Descent

162 ft

Highest Point

806 ft

~7.7 mi in

Elevation Range

207 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Manistee, MI

Full guide →

Founded 1841

Manistee is located on the shores of Lake Michigan in the northwestern lower peninsula of Michigan, about 65 miles south of Traverse City. Manistee offers small town charm with beautiful beaches, great fishing, and the Manistee National Forest. For vacationers Manistee has a lot to offer but it may be more notable for what it doesn't: large crowds, high prices, heavy traffic and tacky tourist traps.

Top landmarks

  • • SS City of Milwaukee — Great Lakes railroad car ferry
  • • Ramsdell Theatre — theater in Manistee, Michigan, United States
  • • Manistee Pierhead lights — lighthouse in Michigan, United States

Arriving in Chief Lake, MI

Full guide →

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 29m. Total distance: 18 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

29m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8.8 miles on Chippewa Highway. 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: near the start (Maple Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Memorial Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (US 31 / Cleveland Street): Navigation decision point.

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