Origin
Saint Clair Shores, MI
Late night in Saint Clair Shores on Sunday
Local time
3:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Saint Clair Shores, MI to Macomb, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
16.8 mi
27 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 28m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
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.
Saint Clair Shores, MI
fish socks
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Saint Clair Shores to Macomb, Michigan, you are in for a quick 20.9-mile journey. This trip typically takes about 28 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will navigate primarily via Jefferson Avenue, East 11 Mile Road, and Harper Avenue, keeping your transit entirely on local roads. With a minimal fuel budget of just $3, this is a highly economical way to move through the Midwest. Since the entire route is within Michigan, you won't experience any major regional shifts, allowing for a straightforward and predictable drive.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garfield Road | 11.6 mi | 19m |
| East 12 Mile Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Utica Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Harper Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| East 11 Mile Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Jefferson Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garfield Road
— 11.6 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Clair Shores, MI and Macomb, 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
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East 11 Mile Road
4
Turn right onto Harper Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Harper Avenue
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto East 12 Mile Road
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
East 12 Mile Road
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto Utica Road
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Utica Road
7
Turn slight right onto Garfield Road
12 mi
·
19 min
·
Garfield Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Enter roundabout
181 ft
·
4 sec
9
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 16.8 — 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
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East 11 Mile Road
Turn right onto East 11 Mile Road
Navigation decision point
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Harper Avenue
Turn right onto Harper Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
East 12 Mile Road
Turn left onto East 12 Mile Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
16.8 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Enter roundabout
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.63 one way
$5.25 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.88 | $5.77 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.23 | $6.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.71 | $7.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5 | 0 | $1.76 | $0.81 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.47 | $0.67 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Macomb, MI
Late night in Macomb on Sunday
Local time
3:36 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
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 turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention rather than a monotonous highway cruise. Because this route features a 0% highway share, you will be navigating surface streets for the duration of the 28-minute trip. There is no long-distance, uninterrupted highway cruising here, with your longest stretch being a 0-mile segment on Jefferson Avenue. The road personality is defined by constant adjustments and local traffic patterns. You will find that the lack of high-speed interstate travel keeps the pace steady but requires you to stay alert through every turn.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.6 mi on Garfield Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 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 30m drive. You will face about 7 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): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Harper Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
628 ft
594 ft
Total Climb
56 ft
Total Descent
21 ft
Highest Point
628 ft
~16.8 mi in
Elevation Range
35 ft
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.
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: 16.8 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 (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.6 miles on Garfield Road. 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): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Harper Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Macomb, 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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