Origin
Southfield, MI
Morning in Southfield on Sunday
Local time
10:39 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Southfield, MI to Farmington 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
14m
Distance
9.5 mi
15 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 13m
★
6 AM
0h 14m
8 AM
0h 17m
10 AM
0h 15m
12 PM
0h 15m
3 PM
0h 15m
5 PM
0h 17m
8 PM
0h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Southfield, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Farmington Hills, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 9.5-mile drive from Southfield to Farmington Hills in Michigan should take you about 14 minutes to complete. It's a straightforward trip through the Midwest region, making it a perfect candidate for a quick day trip with no need for an overnight stay. You can expect a fuel cost of around $1 for this journey. The route offers a mixed driving experience, so it's not entirely highway or entirely local roads, providing a bit of variety for such a brief excursion. This makes it an easy addition to any local travel plans without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Walter P Reuther Freeway | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| John C Lodge Freeway | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| West 10 Mile Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| West 11 Mile Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| Orchard Lake Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Northwestern Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Farmington Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Walter P Reuther Freeway
— 2.9 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Southfield, MI and Farmington Hills, MI.
1
Start on West 10 Mile Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West 10 Mile Road
2
Turn right onto Northwestern Highway
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Northwestern Highway
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward M 10 North
4
Merge onto M 10
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
John C Lodge Freeway
Use the straight lane.
5
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Exit 18C
Toward I 696 West: Lansing
Use the slight left lane.
6
Merge onto I 696
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Walter P Reuther Freeway
7
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 5
Toward Farmington Hills, Park&Ride
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn left onto Orchard Lake Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Orchard Lake Road
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto West 11 Mile Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West 11 Mile Road
Use the right lane.
10
Turn right onto Farmington Road
443 ft
·
9 sec
·
Farmington Road
11
Arrive at destination
Farmington Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 8.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.4 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
M 10 / John C Lodge Freeway
Merge onto M 10 / John C Lodge Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
3.8 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the exit toward I 696 West: Lansing
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 18C
Toward I 696 West: Lansing
8
7.1 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward Farmington Hills, Park&Ride
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 5
Toward Farmington Hills, Park&Ride
6
7.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
Orchard Lake Road
Turn left onto Orchard Lake Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
8.5 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
West 11 Mile Road
Turn right onto West 11 Mile Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.49 one way
$2.97 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.63 | $3.26 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.83 | $3.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.10 | $4.19 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.00 | $0.46 |
| Efficient EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.83 | $0.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.33 | $0.61 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Farmington Hills, MI
Morning in Farmington Hills on Sunday
Local time
10:39 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°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
14m 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?
The drive largely utilizes major freeways, with 55% of the journey on highways like the Walter P Reuther Freeway and John C Lodge Freeway. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 2.9 miles on the Walter P Reuther Freeway, offering a continuous period of higher-speed driving. Following this, the route transitions to West 10 Mile Road, introducing a more mixed driving profile with local traffic and intersections. This change in road character means you'll experience both the efficiency of freeway travel and the more varied pace of a well-trafficked surface street.
55% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.9 mi on Walter P Reuther Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near M 10 / John C Lodge Freeway.
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 9.5 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 1.4 miles (M 10 / John C Lodge Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Between Southfield, MI and Farmington Hills, MI, road signs point toward M 10 North and Park&Ride.
M 10 North
1.2 mi in
|
~2m
Park&Ride
7.1 mi in
|
~9m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 14m. Total distance: 9.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.9 miles on Walter P Reuther 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 Farmington 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 1.4 miles (M 10 / John C Lodge Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.1 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 Farmington 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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