Origin
Royal Oak, MI
Late night in Royal Oak on Sunday
Local time
12:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Royal Oak, MI to Auburn Hills, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
21.6 mi
35 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Royal Oak, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Auburn Hills, MI
fish socks
Trip Overview
Royal Oak, MI to Auburn Hills, MI is 21.6 miles and takes about 27 minutes via North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Michigan, making it a convenient hop between two Midwest locations. Expect a straightforward drive primarily on major roadways. Given the minimal distance and time commitment, this route is ideal for a quick, no-fuss transit between these two Oakland County cities. It’s more of a quick connection than a destination drive itself.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway | 18.3 mi | 19m |
| West 11 Mile Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| I 75 BL | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Shimmons Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Stephenson Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
— 18.3 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Royal Oak, MI and Auburn Hills, MI.
1
Start on this road
124 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto West 11 Mile Road
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
West 11 Mile Road
3
Turn left onto Stephenson Highway
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Stephenson Highway
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 75 North
5
Merge onto I 75
18 mi
·
19 min
·
North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 81
Toward M 24: Lapeer
Use the slight right lane.
7
Continue on I 75 BL
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
I 75 BL
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 75 BL
0.6 mi
·
57 sec
·
I 75 BL
Toward I 75 Business South: Pontiac
9
Turn left
88 ft
·
3 sec
Use the left lane.
10
Turn left
154 ft
·
7 sec
11
Continue on Shimmons Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Shimmons Road
12
Arrive at destination
Shimmons Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 1.5 and 21.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Stephenson Highway
Turn left onto Stephenson Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 75 / North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Merge onto I 75 / North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
20.2 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward M 24: Lapeer
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 81
Toward M 24: Lapeer
5
20.6 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
I 75 BL
Keep slight right at fork onto I 75 BL toward I 75 Business South: Pontiac
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 75 Business South: Pontiac
5
21.2 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.38 one way
$6.75 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.71 | $7.42 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.16 | $8.31 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.77 | $9.54 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.6 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 | 6.5 | 0 | $2.27 | $1.04 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.89 | $0.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.02 | $1.38 |
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
Auburn Hills, MI
Late night in Auburn Hills on Sunday
Local time
12:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
27m 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 is overwhelmingly highway-focused, with 89% of the journey on major roads. You'll spend most of your time navigating the North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, including an uninterrupted stretch of 18.3 miles. The drive will feel like a direct connection, with limited exposure to local streets. Expect a consistent pace, as the highway nature of the route means fewer traffic lights and slower zones. The majority of your travel will be on this primary freeway, offering a predictable driving experience.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.3 mi on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway and West 11 Mile Road. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in near Stephenson Highway.
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 21.6 miles you will encounter 9 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 1.5 miles (Stephenson Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles (I 75 / North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
On the drive from Royal Oak, MI to Auburn Hills, MI, road signs begin pointing toward M 24: Lapeer along the way.
M 24: Lapeer
20.2 mi in
|
~24m
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 27m. Total distance: 21.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.3 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 Auburn Hills, 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 1.5 miles (Stephenson Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles (I 75 / North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Auburn Hills, 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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