Origin
Royal Oak, MI
Morning in Royal Oak on Sunday
Local time
10:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Royal Oak, MI to Allen Park, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
23.5 mi
38 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 30m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Royal Oak, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Allen Park, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Royal Oak to Allen Park is a straightforward 23.5-mile journey that typically takes about 32 minutes. Because this is a short trip, you can easily complete it in a single day without needing an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via the South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, the Edsel Ford Freeway, and the Detroit Industrial Expressway. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, this route is an incredibly economical way to traverse this part of the Midwest. It serves as a practical, high-efficiency connection between these two Michigan locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway | 8.6 mi | 9m |
| Edsel Ford Freeway | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| Detroit Industrial Expressway | 5.1 mi | 5m |
| West 11 Mile Road | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Southfield Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Roosevelt Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Garfield Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Stephenson Highway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
— 8.6 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Royal Oak, MI and Allen Park, MI.
1
Start on this road
124 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto West 11 Mile Road
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
West 11 Mile Road
3
Turn right onto South Stephenson Highway
396 ft
·
9 sec
·
South Stephenson Highway
Use the right lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 75 South
5
Merge onto I 75
8.6 mi
·
9 min
·
South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 53B
Toward I 94: Port Huron, Chicago
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward I 94 West: Chicago
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto I 94
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Edsel Ford Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 94
5.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Detroit Industrial Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 204
Toward M 39: Southfield Freeway, Pelham Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward M 39 South: Southfield Freeway, Pelham Road
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward M 39 South: Southfield Freeway
Use the slight left lane.
13
Continue on M 39
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
Southfield Road
14
Keep slight left at fork onto M 39
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Southfield Road
15
Turn right onto Roosevelt Avenue
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Roosevelt Avenue
16
Turn left onto Garfield Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Garfield Avenue
17
Turn left onto Allen Road
151 ft
·
4 sec
·
Allen Road
18
Arrive at destination
Allen Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 10.4 and 22.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
10.4 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward I 94: Port Huron, Chicago
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 53B
Toward I 94: Port Huron, Chicago
8
10.7 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 94 West: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 94 West: Chicago
8
21.7 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward M 39: Southfield Freeway, Pelham Road
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 204
Toward M 39: Southfield Freeway, Pelham Road
7
21.9 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight left at fork toward M 39 South: Southfield Freeway, Pelham Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward M 39 South: Southfield Freeway, Pelham R...
7
22.1 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight left at fork toward M 39 South: Southfield Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward M 39 South: Southfield Freeway
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.67 one way
$7.35 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.03 | $8.07 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.52 | $9.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.19 | $10.38 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 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 | 7.1 | 0 | $2.47 | $1.13 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.06 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.29 | $1.50 |
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
Allen Park, MI
Morning in Allen Park on Sunday
Local time
10:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
32m 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 highly efficient, highway-focused drive, as 82% of your journey takes place on major thoroughfares. The road maintains a consistent pace, allowing you to settle into the flow of traffic on the freeways. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs during an 8.6-mile segment on the South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway. While the path is utilitarian rather than scenic, the transition between these major expressways provides a steady, predictable driving experience. You won't encounter any mandatory stops, so you can maintain momentum from start to finish.
82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.6 mi on South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway and Edsel Ford Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 10.4 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 14 decision points packed into just 23.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 10.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
662 ft
571 ft
Total Climb
65 ft
Total Descent
131 ft
Highest Point
662 ft
Elevation Range
92 ft
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 Royal Oak, MI to Allen Park, MI, road signs begin pointing toward Chicago along the way.
Chicago
10.4 mi in
|
~13m
About the Cities
Starting in Royal Oak, MI
Full guide →Royal Oak is a suburb of Detroit in Oakland County, Michigan known for its trendy downtown shopping area and bars. 1 mile South of Royal Oak is Ferndale, a place very similar to Royal Oak, known for its large lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender population. North of Royal Oak is Birmingham, an opulent area known for its upscale boutiques.
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 32m. Total distance: 23.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.6 miles on South 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 Allen Park, 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 10.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.7 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 Allen Park, 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.
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