Stronach to Chief Lake is 20.6 miles and takes about 31 minutes via Chippewa Highway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Michigan, connecting two points in the Midwest region. It's a local drive that's more about navigating smaller roads than covering long distances. You'll want to be prepared for frequent turns rather than a straightforward cruise. This route is best suited for a quick local excursion, perfect for a single day of travel without needing overnight accommodations.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Chippewa Highway
8.8 mi
11m
Nine Mile Road
3 mi
5m
Eastlake Road
2.7 mi
4m
Caberfae Highway
2.2 mi
2m
East Parkdale Avenue
2.1 mi
2m
Chief Road
1.6 mi
3m
Water Street
0.1 mi
<1m
3rd Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Chippewa Highway
— 8.8 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Stronach, MI and Chief Lake, MI.
1
Start on 3rd Avenue
39 ft·3 sec·3rd Avenue
2
Turn right onto Water Street
0.1 mi·26 sec·Water Street
3
Turn straight onto Eastlake Road
2.7 mi·4 min·Eastlake Road
4
At end of road, turn left onto M 55
2.2 mi·2 min·Caberfae Highway
5
Turn right onto US 31
2.1 mi·2 min·East Parkdale Avenue
6
Continue on US 31
1.0 mi·1 min·Chippewa Highway
7
Enter roundabout onto US 31
91 ft·1 sec·Chippewa Highway
8
Continue on US 31
7.8 mi·10 min·Chippewa Highway
9
Turn right onto CR 598
3.0 mi·5 min·Nine Mile Road
10
Turn right onto Chief Road
1.6 mi·3 min·Chief Road
11
Arrive at destination
Chief Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 6
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15.9 — 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|Water Street
Turn right onto Water Street
Navigation decision point
4
2.9 mi into trip|~4m in|M 55 / Caberfae Highway
At end of road, turn left onto M 55 / Caberfae Highway
Navigation decision point
4
5.1 mi into trip|~7m in|US 31 / East Parkdale Avenue
Turn right onto US 31 / East Parkdale Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
8.1 mi into trip|~11m in|US 31 / Chippewa Highway
Enter roundabout onto US 31 / Chippewa Highway
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
3
15.9 mi into trip|~22m in|CR 598 / Nine Mile Road
Turn right onto CR 598 / Nine Mile Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.04 one way
$6.08 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg7 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$3.36
$6.72
premium
$4.72
$3.82
$7.65
diesel
$4.80
$3.89
$7.78
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging
· 0 stops
· 71% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
6.2
0
$2.16
$0.99
Efficient EV
5.2
0
$1.80
$0.82
EV Truck/SUV
8.2
0
$2.88
$1.32
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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 Jul 19, 2026
Origin
Stronach, MI
Morning
in Stronach on Monday
Local time
7:12 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Patchy Smoke
N 0 to 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 18 at 9:59PM EDT until July 19 at 5:00AM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 18 at 9:37PM EDT until July 19 at 4:00AM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI
Destination
Chief Lake, MI
Morning
in Chief Lake on Monday
Local time
7:12 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Areas Of Smoke
N 0 to 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 18 at 9:59PM EDT until July 19 at 5:00AM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 18 at 9:37PM EDT until July 19 at 4:00AM 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
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
31m 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?
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' for this 20.6-mile journey, with no highway miles to speak of. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 8.8 miles along Chippewa Highway. This suggests a route that is more about navigating through local communities and intersections than cruising on a high-speed road. You'll likely be adjusting your speed and direction frequently, making it feel like a series of connected local roads rather than a single unified highway experience.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.8 mi on Chippewa Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 Water Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 31m drive. You will face about 6 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 (Water Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (M 55 / Caberfae Highway): Navigation decision point; at 5.1 miles (US 31 / East Parkdale Avenue): Navigation decision point.
The longest stretch is about 8.8 miles on Chippewa Highway. 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 (Water Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (M 55 / Caberfae Highway): Navigation decision point; at 5.1 miles (US 31 / East Parkdale Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Chief Lake, MI before heading back.
