Origin
Trenton, MI
Late night in Trenton on Tuesday
Local time
5:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Trenton, MI to Detroit, MI
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
18.7 mi
30 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Trenton, MI
fish socks
Detroit, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short, 18.7-mile drive from Trenton, MI, to Detroit, MI, will take you about 32 minutes to complete. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays. You'll navigate primarily via Fort Street and Fisher Freeway, with a portion also on West Road. With an estimated fuel cost of just $3, this route is very budget-friendly for your Midwest journey. The drive offers a mixed experience, blending highway and local road travel, making it a straightforward and efficient way to get from point A to point B within Michigan.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Street | 10 mi | 17m |
| Fisher Freeway | 6.5 mi | 8m |
| West Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Grand River Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Griswold Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Woodward Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Jefferson Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Fisher Drive West | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Fort Street
— 10 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Trenton, MI and Detroit, MI.
1
Start on West Jefferson Avenue
505 ft
·
24 sec
·
West Jefferson Avenue
2
Turn left onto West Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Road
Use the left lane.
3
Turn sharp right onto M 85
10 mi
·
17 min
·
Fort Street
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 75 North
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 75
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Fisher Freeway
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 75
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Fisher Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 50
Toward Grand River Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
8
Continue on Fisher Drive West
442 ft
·
16 sec
·
Fisher Drive West
Use the straight lane.
9
Turn right onto M 5
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand River Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Turn right onto Griswold Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Griswold Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn left onto Michigan Avenue
341 ft
·
15 sec
·
Michigan Avenue
12
Turn right onto Woodward Avenue
179 ft
·
6 sec
·
Woodward Avenue
Use the right lane.
13
Continue on Woodward Avenue
124 ft
·
8 sec
·
Woodward Avenue
14
Continue on Woodward Avenue
231 ft
·
14 sec
·
Woodward Avenue
15
Turn right onto Cadillac Square
126 ft
·
4 sec
·
Cadillac Square
16
Arrive at destination
Cadillac Square
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 18.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Road
Turn left onto West Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
M 85 / Fort Street
Turn sharp right onto M 85 / Fort Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
6
13.7 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
I 75 / Fisher Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 75 / Fisher Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
17.5 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward Grand River Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 50
Toward Grand River Avenue
7
18.5 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
Woodward Avenue
Turn right onto Woodward Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.92 one way
$5.85 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.21 | $6.42 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.60 | $7.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.13 | $8.26 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.96 | $0.90 |
| Efficient EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.64 | $0.75 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.62 | $1.20 |
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.
Destination
Detroit, MI
Late night in Detroit on Tuesday
Local time
5:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SSE 9 to 14 mph
70% chance
Live forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 18 at 1:58AM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 12:31AM EDT until April 18 at 6:30AM EDT 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
11 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?
Expect a mixed drive on this route, with about 35% of it being highway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10 miles along Fort Street. As you progress, you'll transition between city streets and freeway segments, offering a varied driving experience. This isn't a monotonous journey; rather, it's a practical blend that keeps things moving efficiently between Trenton and Detroit. The road's personality shifts as you move from more localized areas onto faster-paced thoroughfares.
35% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10 mi on Fort Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.1 miles in near West Road.
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 12 decision points packed into just 18.7 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 0.1 miles (West Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (M 85 / Fort Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 13.7 miles (I 75 / Fisher Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Trenton, MI
Full guide →Trenton is in Mercer County, and is the capital of New Jersey. The city's strategic location in between New York City and Philadelphia has historically contributed to its growth and significantly impacts local culture. Located on the Delaware River across from Pennsylvania, Trenton is the only accessible capital city in the United States to border another state.
Arriving in Detroit, MI
Full guide →Detroit is a major metropolis in the US state of Michigan that has had a profound impact on the world. From the advent of the automotive assembly line to the Motown sound, modern techno and rock music, Detroit continues to shape both American and global culture. The city has seen many of its historic buildings renovated, and is bustling with new developments and attractions that complement its world-class museums and theatres. After a long economic slump and decrease in population, Detroit has developed a reputation for crime and urban decline, but revitalization means that it is an exciting destination filled with technological advance and historic charm.
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: 18.7 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 (35%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10 miles on Fort Street. 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 Detroit, 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 0.1 miles (West Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (M 85 / Fort Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 13.7 miles (I 75 / Fisher Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Detroit, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Detroit, MI
More from Trenton, MI
More trips to Detroit, MI
Explore more options from Trenton, MI or browse trips ending in Detroit, MI.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MI road trips.