Origin
Rochester Hills, MI
Afternoon in Rochester Hills on Sunday
Local time
4:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rochester Hills, MI to Southfield, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
20.5 mi
33 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rochester Hills, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Southfield, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Rochester Hills, MI to Southfield, MI is 20.5 miles and takes about 30m via Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short trip entirely within the Midwest region of Michigan. Expect a fairly direct drive that's easy to manage, making it a practical choice for a quick commute or a brief excursion. Given its brevity, it’s ideal for a same-day trip with no need for overnight accommodations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Walter P. Chrysler Freeway | 5.9 mi | 6m |
| South Rochester Road | 5.3 mi | 9m |
| Walter P Reuther Freeway | 3.9 mi | 4m |
| South Livernois Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| West Auburn Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| West 10 Mile Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| I-75 South to I-696 West | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Greenfield Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
— 5.9 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rochester Hills, MI and Southfield, MI.
1
Start on Dickson Lane
0.2 mi
·
53 sec
·
Dickson Lane
2
At end of road, turn right onto Downhill Lane
378 ft
·
18 sec
·
Downhill Lane
3
Turn right onto Dressler Lane
196 ft
·
14 sec
·
Dressler Lane
4
Turn left onto South Livernois Road
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
South Livernois Road
5
Enter roundabout onto South Livernois Road
115 ft
·
2 sec
·
South Livernois Road
6
Continue on South Livernois Road
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
South Livernois Road
7
Turn left onto West Auburn Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West Auburn Road
8
Turn right onto M 150
5.3 mi
·
9 min
·
South Rochester Road
Use the right lane.
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 75 South: Detroit
10
Merge onto I 75
5.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 61
Toward I 696: Port Huron, Lansing
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I-75 South to I-696 West
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
I-75 South to I-696 West
Toward I 696 West: Lansing
Use the slight right lane.
13
Merge onto I 696
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Walter P Reuther Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 13
Toward Greenfield Road
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn left onto Greenfield Road
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
Greenfield Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
16
Turn right onto West 10 Mile Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West 10 Mile Road
17
Arrive at destination
West 10 Mile Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 18.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Downhill Lane
At end of road, turn right onto Downhill Lane
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
South Livernois Road
Turn left onto South Livernois Road
Navigation decision point
8
14.3 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward I 696: Port Huron, Lansing
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: Port Huron, Lansing
7
14.5 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
I-75 South to I-696 West
Keep slight right at fork onto I-75 South to I-696 West toward I 696 West: Lansing
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 696 West: Lansing
7
18.8 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward Greenfield Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 13
Toward Greenfield Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.20 one way
$6.41 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.52 | $7.04 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.95 | $7.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.53 | $9.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.15 | $0.98 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.79 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.87 | $1.31 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Southfield, MI
Afternoon in Southfield on Sunday
Local time
4:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°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
21 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
30m 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?
About half of this 20.5-mile drive is on highways, with the longest continuous stretch on the Walter P. Chrysler Freeway covering 5.9 miles. You'll transition from freeway driving to surface roads as you approach Southfield. Expect to encounter a moderate number of exits and intersections as you navigate the transition from highway to local streets.
50% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.9 mi on Walter P. Chrysler Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 0.2 miles in near Downhill Lane.
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 14 decision points packed into just 20.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Downhill Lane): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (South Livernois Road): Navigation decision point; at 14.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
On the drive from Rochester Hills, MI to Southfield, MI, road signs begin pointing toward Lansing along the way.
Lansing
14.3 mi in
|
~21m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 20.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (50%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.9 miles on Walter P. Chrysler Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Southfield, 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 0.2 miles (Downhill Lane): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (South Livernois Road): Navigation decision point; at 14.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Southfield, 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 Southfield, MI
More trips to Southfield, MI
Explore more options from Rochester Hills, MI or browse trips ending in Southfield, MI.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MI road trips.