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Trip from Sterling Heights, MI to Casco, MI

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

43m

Distance

28.2 mi

45 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 40m ★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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Downtown Sterling Heights, MI, MI

Sterling Heights, MI

fish socks

Downtown Casco, MI, MI

Casco, MI

Youngcucafilms

Trip Overview

Sterling Heights, MI to Casco, MI is 28.2 miles and takes about 43 minutes via Ford Freeway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically Michigan. It's a straightforward drive, mostly on highways, making it a convenient option if you're looking for a quick transit between two points in the area. You won't need to worry about an overnight stay, and the minimal distance means you can depart and arrive with plenty of time to spare.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Ford Freeway 12 mi 12m
Metropolitan Parkway 5.8 mi 8m
Marine City Highway 3 mi 4m
Meldrum Road 2 mi 7m
Utica Road 1.8 mi 3m
17 Mile Road 1.8 mi 3m
26 Mile Road 1.1 mi 1m
Meisner Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Ford Freeway — 12 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Sterling Heights, MI and Casco, MI.

1

Start on 17 Mile Road

1.8 mi · 3 min · 17 Mile Road
2

Turn right onto Utica Road

1.8 mi · 3 min · Utica Road
Use the right lane.
3

Turn right onto Metropolitan Parkway

0.1 mi · 12 sec · Metropolitan Parkway
4

Continue on Metropolitan Parkway

5.7 mi · 8 min · Metropolitan Parkway
Use the left lane.
5

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 31 sec
Toward I 94 East: Port Huron Use the right lane.
6

Merge onto I 94

12 mi · 12 min · Ford Freeway
7

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 52 sec
Exit 248 Toward 26 Mile Road, Marine City Use the slight right lane.
8

Turn right onto 26 Mile Road

1.1 mi · 1 min · 26 Mile Road
Use the right lane.
9

Continue on Marine City Highway

3.0 mi · 4 min · Marine City Highway
Use the right lane.
10

Turn left onto Meldrum Road

2.0 mi · 7 min · Meldrum Road
11

Turn right onto Meisner Road

77 ft · 3 sec · Meisner Road
12

Arrive at destination

Meisner Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 22.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
1.8 mi into trip | ~3m in | Utica Road

Turn right onto Utica Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
4
3.6 mi into trip | ~7m in | Metropolitan Parkway

Turn right onto Metropolitan Parkway

Navigation decision point

5
9.4 mi into trip | ~15m in

Take the ramp toward I 94 East: Port Huron

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward I 94 East: Port Huron
8
21.7 mi into trip | ~29m in

Take the exit toward 26 Mile Road, Marine City

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 248 Toward 26 Mile Road, Marine City
5
22.1 mi into trip | ~30m in | 26 Mile Road

Turn right onto 26 Mile Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.37 one way

$8.74 round trip

$3.94/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.32 $4.79 $9.59
premium $4.93 $5.47 $10.94
diesel $5.60 $6.22 $12.43

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.5 0 $2.96 $1.35
Efficient EV 7.1 0 $2.47 $1.13
EV Truck/SUV 11.3 0 $3.95 $1.80

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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 1, 2026

Origin

Sterling Heights, MI

Late night in Sterling Heights on Saturday

Local time

4:03 AM

EDT

Current temp

93°F

Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny

WSW 3 to 7 mph 30% chance Live forecast

Dense Fog Advisory

Dense Fog Advisory issued September 1 at 3:38AM CDT until September 1 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS Marquette MI

Dense Fog Advisory

Dense Fog Advisory issued September 1 at 3:38AM CDT until September 1 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS Marquette MI

Destination

Casco, MI

Late night in Casco on Saturday

Local time

4:03 AM

EDT

Current temp

90°F

Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny

WSW 6 mph 28% chance Live forecast

Dense Fog Advisory

Dense Fog Advisory issued September 1 at 3:38AM CDT until September 1 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS Marquette MI

Dense Fog Advisory

Dense Fog Advisory issued September 1 at 3:38AM CDT until September 1 at 8:00AM CDT by NWS Marquette MI

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

43m 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?

This route is 63% highway, so expect a good amount of time on the Ford Freeway. You'll encounter a stretch of 12 miles on the Ford Freeway before transitioning to surface roads. The highway portion means you'll likely experience consistent speeds and a steady flow of traffic typical of metropolitan freeways. Be prepared for a change in pace and more frequent intersections once you leave the main highway.

63% 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: 12 mi on Ford Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Ford Freeway and Metropolitan Parkway. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in near Utica Road.

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 28.2 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 1.8 miles (Utica Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (Metropolitan Parkway): Navigation decision point; at 9.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

641 ft 586 ft

Total Climb

80 ft

Total Descent

52 ft

Highest Point

641 ft

~28.2 mi in

Elevation Range

55 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 Sterling Heights, MI to Casco, MI, road signs begin pointing toward Marine City along the way.

Marine City

21.7 mi in | ~29m

About the Cities

Starting in Sterling Heights, MI

Full guide →

Founded 1968

Sterling Heights is in Michigan.

Arriving in Casco, MI

Full guide →

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 43m. Total distance: 28.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

43m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 12 miles on Ford 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 Casco, 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 1.8 miles (Utica Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (Metropolitan Parkway): Navigation decision point; at 9.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Casco, 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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