Origin
Saint Clair Shores, MI
Morning in Saint Clair Shores on Sunday
Local time
7:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Saint Clair Shores, MI to Dearborn, 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
22 mi
35 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 35m
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.
Saint Clair Shores, MI
fish socks
Dearborn, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 22-mile drive from Saint Clair Shores to Dearborn, Michigan, is easily manageable within a single day, taking approximately 32 minutes. The route is predominantly highway-focused, with 87% of the journey on major roads, including stretches of the Edsel Ford Freeway and Michigan Avenue. With a low estimated fuel cost of just $3, this trip is budget-friendly. Given its short distance and duration, no overnight stays are necessary. You'll be traveling within the Midwest region throughout your journey, experiencing a consistent feel as you make your way from one Michigan city to another.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Edsel Ford Freeway | 19 mi | 25m |
| East 11 Mile Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Michigan Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Jefferson Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Edsel Ford Freeway
— 19 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Clair Shores, MI and Dearborn, MI.
1
Start on this road
144 ft
·
12 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Jefferson Avenue
129 ft
·
5 sec
·
Jefferson Avenue
3
Turn right onto East 11 Mile Road
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
East 11 Mile Road
Use the right lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
Toward I 94 West: Detroit
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 94
19 mi
·
25 min
·
Edsel Ford Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Exit 210A
Toward US 12: Michigan Avenue, Dearborn
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
At end of road, turn right onto US 12
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Michigan Avenue
Use the right lane.
8
Arrive at destination
US 12
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 21.2 — 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
|
Jefferson Avenue
Turn right onto Jefferson Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East 11 Mile Road
Turn right onto East 11 Mile Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 94 West: Detroit
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 94 West: Detroit
8
20.8 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward US 12: Michigan Avenue, Dearborn
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 210A
Toward US 12: Michigan Avenue, Dearborn
6
21.2 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
US 12 / Michigan Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto US 12 / Michigan Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.44 one way
$6.88 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.78 | $7.55 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.23 | $8.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.86 | $9.71 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.7 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 | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
| Efficient EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.92 | $0.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.08 | $1.41 |
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
Dearborn, MI
Morning in Dearborn on Sunday
Local time
7:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°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
12 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
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 largely highway-focused experience on this route, with 87% of the drive utilizing major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch spans 19 miles on the Edsel Ford Freeway, offering a consistent pace for a significant portion of your travel. While primarily a highway drive, you will encounter sections of East 11 Mile Road and Michigan Avenue, which may offer a change in scenery and pace as you navigate through urban and suburban landscapes. The transition between these road types is generally smooth, keeping the drive efficient.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19 mi on Edsel Ford Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Edsel Ford Freeway and East 11 Mile Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Jefferson Avenue.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 32m drive. You will face about 6 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 (Jefferson Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East 11 Mile Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Saint Clair Shores, MI
Full guide →St. Clair Shores is in Macomb County, Michigan and is an inner ring suburb of Detroit.
Arriving in Dearborn, MI
Full guide →Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the state of Michigan. This article also covers the adjacent community of Dearborn Heights.
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: 22 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 (87%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19 miles on Edsel Ford Freeway. 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 (Jefferson Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East 11 Mile Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Dearborn, 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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