Origin
River Rouge, MI
Morning in River Rouge on Tuesday
Local time
7:15 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from River Rouge, MI to Sterling Heights, 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
43m
Distance
30.4 mi
49 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
River Rouge, MI
Malena Talauer
Sterling Heights, MI
fish socks
Trip Overview
River Rouge, MI to Sterling Heights, MI is 30.4 miles and takes about 43m via North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway and Mound Road, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward trip within the Midwest, primarily connecting two Michigan communities. With a high highway percentage, you'll experience efficient travel. Given its short distance and duration, this route is ideal for a quick errand or a connection between cities without requiring an overnight stay. Plan for minimal time on the road and focus on your destination.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway | 7.8 mi | 8m |
| Mound Road | 5.9 mi | 9m |
| Fisher Freeway | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Walter P Reuther Freeway | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| Edsel Ford Freeway | 2 mi | 2m |
| Jeffries Freeway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| 17 Mile Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
— 7.8 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between River Rouge, MI and Sterling Heights, MI.
1
Start on Coolidge Highway
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Coolidge Highway
2
Continue on South Schaefer Highway
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Schaefer Highway
3
Turn right onto M 85
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Fort Street South
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 75 North
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 75
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Fisher Freeway
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 75
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Fisher Freeway
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 48
Toward I 96 West: Lansing, Michigan Avenue
Use the slight left lane.
8
Continue on I 96
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Jeffries Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 190A
Toward I 94 West, I 94 East: Chicago, Port Huron
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 94 East: Port Huron
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 94
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Edsel Ford Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
302 ft
·
5 sec
Exit 216A
Toward I 75: Flint, Toledo
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 75 North: Flint
Use the slight left lane.
14
Merge onto I 75
7.8 mi
·
8 min
·
North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 61
Toward I 696: Lansing, Port Huron
Use the slight right lane.
16
Keep slight right at fork onto I-75 North to I-696 East
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
I-75 North to I-696 East
Toward I 696 East: Port Huron
Use the slight right lane.
17
Continue on I 696
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Walter P Reuther Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit onto I-696 East
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
I-696 East
Exit 22
Toward Mound Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight left at fork onto I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road
Toward Mound Road North
Use the slight left lane.
20
Turn straight onto Mound Road
5.9 mi
·
9 min
·
Mound Road
21
Turn right onto 17 Mile Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
17 Mile Road
22
Arrive at destination
17 Mile Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 5.9 and 18.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
5.9 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward I 96 West: Lansing, Michigan Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 48
Toward I 96 West: Lansing, Michigan Avenue
8
8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward I 94 West, I 94 East: Chicago, Port Huron
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 190A
Toward I 94 West, I 94 East: Chicago, Port Huro...
8
8.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 94 East: Port Huron
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 94 East: Port Huron
8
10.4 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward I 75: Flint, Toledo
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 216A
Toward I 75: Flint, Toledo
8
18.8 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward I 696: Lansing, Port Huron
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 61
Toward I 696: Lansing, Port Huron
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.75 one way
$9.51 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.22 | $10.44 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.85 | $11.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.71 | $13.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.19 | $1.46 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.66 | $1.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.26 | $1.95 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Sterling Heights, MI
Morning in Sterling Heights on Tuesday
Local time
7:15 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°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
17 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
43m 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 mostly highway, with 67% of the 30.4 miles on freeways. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 7.8 miles on the North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway. Expect a significant amount of freeway driving before transitioning to surface streets like Mound Road for the remainder of your trip. The dense exit patterns common on urban freeways will be a noticeable feature for much of this drive.
67% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.8 mi on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway and Mound Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 30.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.2 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 River Rouge, MI and Sterling Heights, MI, road signs point toward Port Huron, Toledo and Mound Road North.
Port Huron
8 mi in
|
~12m
Toledo
10.4 mi in
|
~15m
Mound Road North
22.8 mi in
|
~30m
|
via I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road
About the Cities
Arriving in Sterling Heights, MI
Full guide →Sterling Heights is in 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 43m. Total distance: 30.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.8 miles on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway. 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 Sterling Heights, 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 5.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.2 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 Sterling Heights, 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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