Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Melvindale, MI to Livonia, MI

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

24m

Distance

16.4 mi

26 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 23m ★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m

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

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown Melvindale, MI, MI

Melvindale, MI

Gera Cejas

city in Wayne County, Michigan, United States

Livonia, MI

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Melvindale, MI to Livonia, MI is 16.4 miles and takes about 24 minutes via Jeffries Freeway (Local) and Southfield Freeway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Midwest region, specifically Michigan, making it a straightforward local trip. You'll be spending a good portion of your time on highways, so expect a relatively quick transit between these two points. It's a practical option if you're looking to cover ground efficiently without a long commitment.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Jeffries Freeway (Local) 6.5 mi 7m
Southfield Freeway 5.8 mi 7m
Oakwood Boulevard 1.8 mi 4m
Merriman Road 1 mi 2m
Schoolcraft Road <0.1 mi <1m
Southfield Service Drive <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Jeffries Freeway (Local) — 6.5 mi, about 7m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Melvindale, MI and Livonia, MI.

1

Start on Oakwood Boulevard

1.8 mi · 4 min · Oakwood Boulevard
Use the left lane.
2

Turn right onto Southfield Service Drive

394 ft · 8 sec · Southfield Service Drive
3

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 21 sec
Toward M 39 North
4

Merge onto M 39

5.8 mi · 7 min · Southfield Freeway
Toward Michigan AVe Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 24 sec
Exit 11A Toward I 96: Downtown Detroit, Lansing Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Toward I 96 West: Lansing Use the slight left lane.
7

Merge onto I 96

6.5 mi · 7 min · Jeffries Freeway (Local)
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 34 sec
Exit 175 Toward Merriman Road Use the slight right lane.
9

Turn straight onto Schoolcraft Road

502 ft · 18 sec · Schoolcraft Road
10

Turn left onto Merriman Road

1.0 mi · 2 min · Merriman Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
11

Turn right

98 ft · 9 sec
12

Turn right

31 ft · 2 sec
13

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 2 and 15.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
2 mi into trip | ~4m in | M 39 / Southfield Freeway

Merge onto M 39 / Southfield Freeway toward Michigan AVe

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward Michigan AVe
8
7.8 mi into trip | ~12m in

Take the exit toward I 96: Downtown Detroit, Lansing

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 11A Toward I 96: Downtown Detroit, Lansing
7
8 mi into trip | ~13m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 96 West: Lansing

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 96 West: Lansing
7
15 mi into trip | ~21m in

Take the exit toward Merriman Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 175 Toward Merriman Road
6
15.3 mi into trip | ~22m in | Merriman Road

Turn left onto Merriman Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.54 one way

$5.09 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $2.79 $5.58
premium $4.93 $3.18 $6.36
diesel $5.60 $3.62 $7.23

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

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

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.9 0 $1.72 $0.79
Efficient EV 4.1 0 $1.44 $0.66
EV Truck/SUV 6.6 0 $2.30 $1.05

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 Sep 1, 2026

Origin

Melvindale, MI

Late night in Melvindale on Saturday

Local time

3:48 AM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 6 to 9 mph 49% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued August 31 at 12:05PM EDT until August 31 at 11:00PM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI

Destination

Livonia, MI

Late night in Livonia on Saturday

Local time

3:48 AM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 6 to 10 mph 46% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued August 31 at 12:05PM EDT until August 31 at 11:00PM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids 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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

24m 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 predominantly highway, with 75% of the drive on freeways. You'll encounter your longest continuous stretch of 6.5 miles on the Jeffries Freeway (Local). The transition from highway to surface roads will likely occur as you approach your destination in Livonia. Expect to see a fair number of exits given the highway profile.

75% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.5 mi on Jeffries Freeway (Local).

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Jeffries Freeway (Local) and Southfield Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2 miles in near M 39 / Southfield Freeway.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 16.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 24m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2 miles (M 39 / Southfield Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

639 ft 581 ft

Total Climb

89 ft

Total Descent

40 ft

Highest Point

639 ft

~15.2 mi in

Elevation Range

58 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Melvindale, MI and Livonia, MI, road signs point toward M 39 North and Lansing.

M 39 North

1.9 mi in | ~4m

Lansing

7.8 mi in | ~12m

About the Cities

Starting in Melvindale, MI

Full guide →

Melvindale is a city in Wayne County in the state of Michigan.

Arriving in Livonia, MI

Full guide →

Founded 1950

Livonia is a city in Wayne County in the state of Michigan.

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 24m. Total distance: 16.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

24m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 6.5 miles on Jeffries Freeway (Local). The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 Livonia, 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: at 2 miles (M 39 / Southfield Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

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

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Livonia, MI

Seneca, MI 568.5 mi · 11h 1m Laurium, MI 561.6 mi · 10h 49m Boston, MI 555.3 mi · 10h 42m Watersmeet, MI 547 mi · 10h 26m

More from Melvindale, MI

Sterling Heights, MI 29.7 mi · 42m

More trips to Livonia, MI

Green, MI 576.9 mi Ontonagon, MI 570.8 mi Allouez, MI 565.5 mi Gwinn, MI 454.8 mi Spalding, MI 451.3 mi Harvey, MI 445.8 mi
Escape planner: Melvindale, MI Scenic drives in MI

Explore more options from Melvindale, MI or browse trips ending in Livonia, MI.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MI road trips.