Origin
Plainfield, MI
Afternoon in Plainfield on Sunday
Local time
2:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Plainfield, MI to Detroit, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 29m
Distance
68 mi
109 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 23m
★
6 AM
1h 30m
8 AM
1h 43m
10 AM
1h 34m
12 PM
1h 33m
3 PM
1h 35m
5 PM
1h 43m
8 PM
1h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Plainfield, MI
fish socks
Detroit, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Plainfield to Detroit is 68 miles and takes about 1 hour 29 minutes via M 14 and Jeffries Freeway (Express), with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip keeps you within Michigan, moving from one part of the Midwest to another. Expect a mixed drive that blends highway speeds with some local road navigation. It's a straightforward, relatively short journey, making it ideal for a single-day trip without feeling rushed. You'll find this route practical for getting from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| M 14 | 15.1 mi | 16m |
| North Territorial Road | 13.5 mi | 20m |
| Jeffries Freeway (Express) | 10.6 mi | 11m |
| I 96 | 9.2 mi | 9m |
| US 23 | 6.3 mi | 6m |
| Hadley Road | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| Unadilla Road | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| Plainfield Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
M 14
— 15.1 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Plainfield, MI and Detroit, MI.
1
Start on Plainfield Avenue
39 ft
·
3 sec
·
Plainfield Avenue
2
Turn right onto Bradley Road
445 ft
·
13 sec
·
Bradley Road
3
Turn left onto M 36
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Plainfield Road
4
Continue on M 36
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
Spears Road
5
Turn straight onto M 36
299 ft
·
5 sec
·
Spears/Gregory Cutoff
6
Continue on M 36
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Gregory Road
7
Continue on M 36
0.6 mi
·
54 sec
·
Main Street
8
Continue on D-32
174 ft
·
4 sec
·
Main Street
9
Turn straight onto D-32
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Church Street
10
Turn slight right onto D-32
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Unadilla Road
11
Turn slight left onto D-32
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Doyle Road
12
Turn right onto Unadilla Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Unadilla Road
13
Turn left onto Kaiser Road
325 ft
·
11 sec
·
Kaiser Road
14
Turn right onto Hadley Road
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Hadley Road
15
Turn left onto North Territorial Road
14 mi
·
20 min
·
North Territorial Road
Use the straight lane.
16
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward US 23 South: Ann Arbor
17
Merge onto US 23
6.3 mi
·
6 min
·
US 23
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight left at fork onto M 14
15 mi
·
16 min
·
M 14
Exit 42
Toward M 14 East: Plymouth, Livonia
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Continue on I 96
9.2 mi
·
9 min
·
I 96
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Keep slight left at fork onto I 96
11 mi
·
11 min
·
Jeffries Freeway (Express)
Toward I 96 Express: Downtown
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward I 75 North, M 10: Flint, Downtown
22
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 75 North: Flint
Use the slight left lane.
23
Merge onto I 75
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Fisher Freeway
24
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 50
Toward Grand River Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
25
Continue on Fisher Drive West
442 ft
·
16 sec
·
Fisher Drive West
Use the straight lane.
26
Turn right onto M 5
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand River Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
27
Turn right onto Griswold Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Griswold Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
28
Turn left onto Michigan Avenue
341 ft
·
15 sec
·
Michigan Avenue
29
Turn right onto Woodward Avenue
179 ft
·
6 sec
·
Woodward Avenue
Use the right lane.
30
Continue on Woodward Avenue
124 ft
·
8 sec
·
Woodward Avenue
31
Continue on Woodward Avenue
231 ft
·
14 sec
·
Woodward Avenue
32
Turn right onto Cadillac Square
126 ft
·
4 sec
·
Cadillac Square
33
Arrive at destination
Cadillac Square
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
34 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 34 miles from Plainfield, MI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 205 decision points cluster between mile 30.5 and 67.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
30.5 mi into trip
|
~45m in
|
M 14
Keep slight left at fork onto M 14 toward M 14 East: Plymouth, Livonia
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 42
Toward M 14 East: Plymouth, Livonia
7
54.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 11m in
|
I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Express)
Keep slight left at fork onto I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Express) toward I 96 Express: Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 96 Express: Downtown
7
65.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 24m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 75 North: Flint
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 75 North: Flint
7
66.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 25m in
Take the exit toward Grand River Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 50
Toward Grand River Avenue
7
67.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 29m in
|
Woodward Avenue
Turn right onto Woodward Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.63 one way
$21.26 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $11.67 | $23.34 |
| premium | $4.89 | $13.09 | $26.17 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.01 | $30.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.4 | 0 | $7.14 | $3.26 |
| Efficient EV | 17 | 0 | $5.95 | $2.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27.2 | 0 | $9.52 | $4.35 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 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.
Destination
Detroit, MI
Afternoon in Detroit on Sunday
Local time
2:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 29m 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 route offers a mixed drive experience, with about 40% of it on highway sections. You'll spend a good portion of your time on M 14, which provides a consistent stretch of driving for up to 15.1 miles at a time. The drive transitions between faster-paced highway segments like the Jeffries Freeway (Express) and more local road sections, such as North Territorial Road. This means you'll need to be ready to adjust your speed and attention as the character of the road changes throughout your journey.
40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
33 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.1 mi on M 14.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 30.5 miles in near M 14.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 68 miles you will encounter 20 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 30.5 miles (M 14): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 54.8 miles (I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 65.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Plainfield, MI and Detroit, MI, road signs point toward M 14 East: Plymouth and Livonia.
M 14 East: Plymouth
30.5 mi in
|
~45m
|
via M 14
Livonia
30.5 mi in
|
~45m
|
via M 14
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 29m. Total distance: 68 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 29m 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 15.1 miles on M 14. 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 Detroit, 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 30.5 miles (M 14): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 54.8 miles (I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 65.7 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 Detroit, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Detroit, MI
More trips to Detroit, MI
Explore more options from Plainfield, MI or browse trips ending in Detroit, MI.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MI road trips.