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Trip from Southfield, MI to Green Oak, MI

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 7, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

32m

Distance

26.4 mi

43 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 30m ★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
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.

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States

Southfield, MI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Green Oak, MI, MI

Green Oak, MI

klaas wauben

Trip Overview

The drive from Southfield, MI to Green Oak, MI covers 26.4 miles and takes about 32m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 96, Walter P Reuther Freeway, John C Lodge Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.3 miles on I 96. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.09 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 96 10.3 mi 11m
Walter P Reuther Freeway 8.2 mi 8m
John C Lodge Freeway 2.4 mi 2m
Silver Lake Road 2.2 mi 3m
Kent Lake Road 1.1 mi 1m
West 10 Mile Road 1 mi 1m
Northwestern Highway 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 96 — 10.3 mi, about 11m

Traffic on I-696

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~4,746 veh/hr typical · worst 5,778

Quietest

2 AM

~267 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

17.8×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Southfield, MI and Green Oak, 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

8.2 mi · 8 min · Walter P Reuther Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Merge onto I 96

10 mi · 11 min · I 96
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Exit 153 Toward Kent Lake Road Use the slight right lane.
9

Keep slight left at fork

491 ft · 12 sec
Toward Kent Lake Road, South Lyon
10

Turn left onto Kent Lake Road

1.1 mi · 1 min · Kent Lake Road
11

Turn right onto Silver Lake Road

2.2 mi · 3 min · Silver Lake Road
12

Arrive at destination

Silver Lake Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 23.1 — 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
5
4.2 mi into trip | ~6m in | I 696 / Walter P Reuther Freeway

Merge onto I 696 / Walter P Reuther Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
22.8 mi into trip | ~26m in

Take the exit toward Kent Lake Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 153 Toward Kent Lake Road
7
23.1 mi into trip | ~26m in

Keep slight left at fork toward Kent Lake Road, South Lyon

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward Kent Lake Road, South Lyon

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.09 one way

$8.19 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $4.49 $8.98
premium $4.93 $5.12 $10.24
diesel $5.60 $5.82 $11.64

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.9 0 $2.77 $1.27
Efficient EV 6.6 0 $2.31 $1.06
EV Truck/SUV 10.6 0 $3.70 $1.69

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 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.

Forecast as of Sep 2, 2026

Origin

Southfield, MI

Night in Southfield on Sunday

Local time

10:10 PM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

WSW 5 mph 33% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued September 1 at 3:26PM EDT until September 2 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

Destination

Green Oak, MI

Night in Green Oak on Sunday

Local time

10:10 PM

EDT

Current temp

71°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

WSW 5 mph 33% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued September 1 at 3:26PM EDT until September 2 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

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

32m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

26.4 mi in 32m, mostly highway — 10.3 mi of that is on I 96.

79% 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: 10.3 mi on I 96.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 96 and Walter P Reuther Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near M 10 / John C Lodge Freeway.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 26.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.

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 4.2 miles (I 696 / Walter P Reuther Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

976 ft 668 ft

Total Climb

317 ft

Total Descent

78 ft

Highest Point

976 ft

~15.1 mi in

Elevation Range

308 ft

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 Southfield, MI to Green Oak, MI, road signs begin pointing toward Lyon along the way.

Lyon

23.1 mi in | ~26m

About the Cities

Starting in Southfield, MI

Full guide →

Founded 1823

Southfield is a suburban city in Oakland County, in the Metro Detroit region of Michigan. It is one of Metro Detroit's major suburban commercial and business centers. Inside of Southfield is the enclave city of Lathrup Village.

Arriving in Green Oak, MI

Full guide →

Founded 2005

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: 26.4 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 (79%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 10.3 miles on I 96. 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 Green Oak, 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 4.2 miles (I 696 / Walter P Reuther Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Green Oak, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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