Origin
Waterford, MI
Late night in Waterford on Tuesday
Local time
5:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waterford, MI to Dearborn, 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
55m
Distance
34.4 mi
55 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waterford, MI
Adrien Olichon
Dearborn, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 34.4-mile drive from Waterford to Dearborn in Michigan's Midwest region is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 55 minutes. You'll navigate a mix of major roadways, including South Telegraph Road, Southfield Freeway, and John C Lodge Freeway. With a modest estimated fuel cost of $5, this route offers a straightforward journey. There are no recommended overnight stops, making it a convenient option for a quick excursion or commute within the state. Plan for a smooth and direct trip without extensive detours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Telegraph Road | 11.2 mi | 17m |
| Southfield Freeway | 8.2 mi | 11m |
| John C Lodge Freeway | 3.5 mi | 3m |
| Highland Road | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Ford Road | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Airport Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| Voorheis Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| West Huron Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
South Telegraph Road
— 11.2 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterford, MI and Dearborn, MI.
1
Start on David K Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
David K Drive
2
At end of road, turn left onto Williams Lake Road
245 ft
·
8 sec
·
Williams Lake Road
3
Turn right onto Airport Road
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Airport Road
Use the right lane.
4
Turn left onto M 59
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Highland Road
5
Continue on M 59
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Huron Street
6
Turn right onto Voorheis Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Voorheis Street
Use the right lane.
7
Turn right onto US 24
11 mi
·
17 min
·
South Telegraph Road
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on US 24
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Telegraph Road
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 696 East, M 10 South: Port Huron, Detroit
10
Merge onto M 10
3.5 mi
·
3 min
·
John C Lodge Freeway
11
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 14C
Toward M 39
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto M 39
8.2 mi
·
11 min
·
Southfield Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Exit 7
Toward M 153
Use the slight right lane.
14
Continue on South M 39 Service Drive
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
South M 39 Service Drive
15
Turn slight right
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
Toward Ford Road
16
Turn straight onto M 153
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Ford Road
17
Turn right onto Schaefer Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Schaefer Road
Use the right lane.
18
Turn right onto US 12
79 ft
·
1 sec
·
Michigan Avenue
19
Arrive at destination
US 12
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.2 miles from Waterford, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 33.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Williams Lake Road
At end of road, turn left onto Williams Lake Road
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Airport Road
Turn right onto Airport Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
22.4 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward M 39
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 14C
Toward M 39
7
31.2 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward M 153
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 7
Toward M 153
6
33.9 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
Schaefer Road
Turn right onto Schaefer Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.38 one way
$10.76 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.90 | $11.81 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.62 | $13.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.60 | $15.19 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.61 | $1.65 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.01 | $1.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.8 | 0 | $4.82 | $2.20 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
Dearborn, MI
Late night in Dearborn on Tuesday
Local time
5:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
15 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
55m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
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 driving experience on this route, with about 34% of the journey on highways. Your longest continuous stretch will be 11.2 miles along South Telegraph Road, offering a sustained period of travel before transitioning onto other main arteries. The drive progresses through various urban and suburban landscapes as you make your way from Waterford to Dearborn. This blend of road types means you'll experience both faster-paced freeway driving and more varied conditions on arterial roads, keeping the journey dynamic.
34% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.2 mi on South Telegraph Road.
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 0.3 miles in near Williams Lake 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 34.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Williams Lake Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.4 miles (Airport Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 22.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Waterford, MI and Dearborn, MI, road signs point toward M 10 South: Port Huron, Detroit, M 39 and M 153.
M 10 South: Port Huron
18.6 mi in
|
~31m
Detroit
18.6 mi in
|
~31m
M 39
22.4 mi in
|
~36m
M 153
31.2 mi in
|
~48m
About the Cities
Starting in Waterford, MI
Full guide →Oakland County is in Southeast Michigan.
Arriving in Dearborn, MI
Full guide →Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the state of Michigan. This article also covers the adjacent community of Dearborn Heights.
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 55m. Total distance: 34.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (34%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.2 miles on South Telegraph Road. 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 Dearborn, 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 0.3 miles (Williams Lake Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.4 miles (Airport Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 22.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Dearborn, 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 Dearborn, MI
More from Waterford, MI
More trips to Dearborn, MI
Explore more options from Waterford, MI or browse trips ending in Dearborn, MI.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MI road trips.