Sterling Heights to Grosse Ile is 43.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 7 minutes via South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Michigan, moving from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. It's a short drive that primarily uses freeways before transitioning to surface streets. Plan for a straightforward commute, ideal for a single-day excursion with minimal travel time.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
9.7 mi
11m
Mound Road
6.2 mi
10m
Fisher Freeway
6.1 mi
7m
I 75
4.2 mi
6m
Fort Street
4.1 mi
7m
Walter P Reuther Freeway
3.2 mi
3m
Meridian Road
2.9 mi
6m
17 Mile Road
1 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
— 9.7 mi, about 11m
Traffic on I-75
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 28 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~3,988 veh/hr typical
· worst 4,968
Quietest
3 AM
~440 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
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 Sterling Heights, MI and Grosse Ile, MI.
1
Start on 17 Mile Road
1.0 mi·1 min·17 Mile Road
2
Turn right onto Mound Road
302 ft·5 sec·Mound Road
3
Continue on Mound Road
6.0 mi·9 min·Mound Road
Use the right lane.
4
Keep slight left at fork onto Mound Road
0.2 mi·16 sec·Mound Road
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·35 sec
Toward I 696: Lansing, Port Huron
6
Keep slight right at fork onto Southbound Mound Road to I-696 West
0.4 mi·50 sec·Southbound Mound Road to I-696 West
Toward I 696 West: LansingUse the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 696
3.2 mi·3 min·Walter P Reuther Freeway
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi·24 sec
Exit 18Toward I 75 South, I 75 North: Detroit, FlintUse the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I-696 West to I-75 South
0.5 mi·1 min·I-696 West to I-75 South
Toward I 75 South: Detroit, ToledoUse the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto I 75
9.7 mi·11 min·South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 75
4.2 mi·6 min·I 75
Toward I 75: ToledoUse the straight / right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 75
6.1 mi·7 min·Fisher Freeway
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi·36 sec
Exit 41Toward M 39: Southfield RoadUse the slight right lane.
14
Merge onto M 39
194 ft·4 sec·Southfield Road
15
Take the exit
515 ft·16 sec
16
Merge onto M 39
0.6 mi·1 min·Southfield Road
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto M 85
4.1 mi·7 min·Fort Street
Use the right lane.
18
Turn left
162 ft·7 sec
Use the left lane.
19
Continue on Quarry Road
0.4 mi·1 min·Quarry Road
Use the straight lane.
20
Turn left onto Pennsylvania Road
1.0 mi·2 min·Pennsylvania Road
21
Turn sharp right onto West Jefferson Avenue
0.7 mi·1 min·West Jefferson Avenue
22
Turn left onto Bridge Road
0.7 mi·1 min·Bridge Road
23
Turn right onto Meridian Road
2.9 mi·6 min·Meridian Road
24
Turn left onto Macomb Street
0.7 mi·1 min·Macomb Street
25
Turn right onto Mathias Drive
380 ft·22 sec·Mathias Drive
26
Continue on Mathias Drive
206 ft·9 sec·Mathias Drive
27
Arrive at destination
Mathias Drive
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 21.7 miles from Sterling Heights, MI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 22
5 decision points cluster between mile 7.5 and 31.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
7.5 mi into trip|~12m in|Southbound Mound Road to I-696 West
Keep slight right at fork onto Southbound Mound Road to I-696 West toward I 696 West: Lansing
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 696 West: Lansing
8
11 mi into trip|~16m in
Take the exit toward I 75 South, I 75 North: Detroit, Flint
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 18
Toward I 75 South, I 75 North: Detroit, Flint
8
11.2 mi into trip|~17m in|I-696 West to I-75 South
Keep slight left at fork onto I-696 West to I-75 South toward I 75 South: Detroit, Toledo
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 75 South: Detroit, Toledo
7
21.4 mi into trip|~29m in|I 75
Keep slight right at fork onto I 75 toward I 75: Toledo
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 75: Toledo
7
31.7 mi into trip|~42m in
Take the exit toward M 39: Southfield Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 41
Toward M 39: Southfield Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.73 one way
$13.46 round trip
$3.94/gal25.4 MPG avg15 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.32
$7.38
$14.76
premium
$4.93
$8.42
$16.84
diesel
$5.60
$9.57
$19.13
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
13
0
$4.56
$2.08
Efficient EV
10.9
0
$3.80
$1.74
EV Truck/SUV
17.4
0
$6.08
$2.78
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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 Aug 30, 2026
Origin
Sterling Heights, MI
Late night
in Sterling Heights on Saturday
Local time
4:03 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
S 8 mph55% chanceLive forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued August 30 at 3:00PM EDT until August 30 at 11:00PM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI
Destination
Grosse Ile, MI
Late night
in Grosse Ile on Saturday
Local time
4:03 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
S 10 mph36% chanceLive forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued August 30 at 3:00PM EDT until August 30 at 11:00PM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids 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
1 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
1h 7m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This 43.4-mile route offers a mixed highway and surface road experience, with 55% of it on freeways. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 9.7 miles on the South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway. Expect to navigate urban merging and a dense exit environment for a significant portion of your drive before transitioning to surface roads for the remainder of the trip.
55% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.7 mi on South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7.5 miles in near Southbound Mound Road to I-696 West.
Driving Effort10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 43.4 miles you will encounter 22 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 7.5 miles (Southbound Mound Road to I-696 West): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.2 miles (I-696 West to I-75 South): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
624 ft578 ft
Total Climb
61 ft
Total Descent
78 ft
Highest Point
624 ft
~15.5 mi in
Elevation Range
46 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Sterling Heights, MI and Grosse Ile, MI, road signs point toward Port Huron, Flint and Toledo.
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 7m. Total distance: 43.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 7m 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 9.7 miles on South Walter P. Chrysler 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 Grosse Ile, 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 7.5 miles (Southbound Mound Road to I-696 West): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.2 miles (I-696 West to I-75 South): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Grosse Ile, MI before heading back.
