Origin
Romulus, MI
Morning in Romulus on Tuesday
Local time
6:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Romulus, MI to Ann Arbor, 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
30m
Distance
23 mi
37 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Romulus, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Ann Arbor, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 23-mile drive from Romulus, MI to Ann Arbor, MI takes about 30 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. With an 81% highway share and a budget-friendly fuel cost of around $4, it's an efficient journey. The route primarily utilizes the Detroit Industrial Expressway and South State Street. Given its brevity, an overnight split isn't necessary; you can easily complete this trip in a single day. This drive stays within the Midwest region, connecting two points within Michigan.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Industrial Expressway | 18.6 mi | 19m |
| South State Street | 2.7 mi | 6m |
| Goddard Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Wayne Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Shook Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Detroit Industrial Expressway
— 18.6 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Romulus, MI and Ann Arbor, MI.
1
Start on this road
133 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Shook Road
102 ft
·
8 sec
·
Shook Road
3
Turn left onto Goddard Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Goddard Road
4
Turn left onto Wayne Road
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Wayne Road
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 94 West: Chicago
6
Merge onto I 94
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Detroit Industrial Expressway
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 94
14 mi
·
15 min
·
Detroit Industrial Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 177
Toward State Street
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto South State Street
2.7 mi
·
6 min
·
South State Street
Use the right lane.
10
Arrive at destination
South State Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 20.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Shook Road
Turn right onto Shook Road
Navigation decision point
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Goddard Road
Turn left onto Goddard Road
Navigation decision point
6
5.5 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 94 / Detroit Industrial Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 94 / Detroit Industrial Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
19.9 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward State Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 177
Toward State Street
5
20.3 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
South State Street
Turn right onto South State Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.60 one way
$7.19 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.95 | $7.90 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.43 | $8.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.08 | $10.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.41 | $1.10 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.01 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.22 | $1.47 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Ann Arbor, MI
Morning in Ann Arbor on Tuesday
Local time
6:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°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
2 degrees cooler 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?
Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this trip, with 81% of the drive on high-speed roads. You'll encounter an uninterrupted stretch of 18.6 miles on the Detroit Industrial Expressway, offering a consistent pace. The route transitions to local roads like South State Street and Goddard Road closer to your destination, providing a slight change in scenery and speed. It’s a straightforward drive, primarily navigating through built-up areas and suburban landscapes.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.6 mi on Detroit Industrial Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Detroit Industrial Expressway and South State Street. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Shook Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 23 miles you will encounter 8 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: near the start (Shook Road): Navigation decision point; near the start (Goddard Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.5 miles (I 94 / Detroit Industrial Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Romulus, MI
Full guide →Romulus is a city in Wayne County in the state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit and the place where Detroit Metro Airport (DTW IATA) is located.
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 30m. Total distance: 23 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 (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.6 miles on Detroit Industrial Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas 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 Ann Arbor, 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: near the start (Shook Road): Navigation decision point; near the start (Goddard Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.5 miles (I 94 / Detroit Industrial Expressway): 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 Ann Arbor, 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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