Origin
Royal Oak, MI
Late night in Royal Oak on Sunday
Local time
12:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Royal Oak, MI to Pontiac, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
24m
Distance
13.3 mi
21 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Royal Oak, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Pontiac, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 13.3-mile drive from Royal Oak to Pontiac, Michigan, will take you about 24 minutes, making it a perfect single-day trip. You'll primarily navigate using Woodward Avenue, West 11 Mile Road, and South Perry Street, with no highway driving involved. The estimated fuel cost for this short journey is a modest $2, reflecting its manageable distance. This route offers a straightforward local drive through the Midwest region, ideal for a quick excursion or to connect two nearby Michigan communities. Given its brevity, no overnight stay is necessary, allowing for maximum flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Woodward Avenue | 12.2 mi | 21m |
| West 11 Mile Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| South Perry Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Water Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Perry Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Woodward Avenue
— 12.2 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Royal Oak, MI and Pontiac, MI.
1
Start on this road
124 ft
·
14 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto West 11 Mile Road
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
West 11 Mile Road
3
Continue on West 11 Mile Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West 11 Mile Road
4
Turn right onto M 1
12 mi
·
21 min
·
Woodward Avenue
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto Water Street
514 ft
·
19 sec
·
Water Street
6
Turn right onto South Perry Street
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Perry Street
7
Arrive at destination
North Perry Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 11 Mile Road
Turn left onto West 11 Mile Road
Navigation decision point
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
M 1 / Woodward Avenue
Turn right onto M 1 / Woodward Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
13 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
Water Street
Turn left onto Water Street
Navigation decision point
4
13.1 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
South Perry Street
Turn right onto South Perry Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.08 one way
$4.16 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.28 | $4.57 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.56 | $5.12 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.94 | $5.87 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4 | 0 | $1.40 | $0.64 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.16 | $0.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Pontiac, MI
Late night in Pontiac on Sunday
Local time
12:26 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
24m 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 turn-heavy local drive on this route, with no highway segments contributing to its 0% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 12.2 miles along Woodward Avenue, offering a consistent driving experience for a significant portion of the trip. As you progress, you'll transition between named local roads like Woodward Avenue, West 11 Mile Road, and South Perry Street, each potentially offering a different character. This profile suggests a more engaged driving experience, requiring attention to turns and local traffic patterns rather than high-speed cruising.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.2 mi on Woodward Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 11 Mile Road.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 24m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 11 Mile Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (M 1 / Woodward Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 13 miles (Water Street): Navigation decision point.
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 24m. Total distance: 13.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.2 miles on Woodward Avenue. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (West 11 Mile Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (M 1 / Woodward Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 13 miles (Water Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Pontiac, 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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