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Trip from Waterford, MI to Flint, MI

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

37m

Distance

30.2 mi

49 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 34m ★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Waterford, MI, MI

Waterford, MI

Adrien Olichon

Trip Overview

If you are looking to travel from Waterford to Flint, Michigan, you are in for a quick, 30.2-mile journey that typically takes about 32 minutes to complete. This trip is perfect for a simple day excursion, as it does not require an overnight stay. You will navigate through the heart of the Midwest, relying on local roads like Graper Drive, Airport Road, and Andersonville Road rather than high-speed interstates. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $4, this route is an incredibly economical choice for commuters or casual travelers. Since there are no mandatory stops, you have the flexibility to make this a direct run or take your time as you move between these two Michigan hubs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 75 17.9 mi 19m
UAW Freeway 6.5 mi 6m
Dixie Highway 3.7 mi 5m
Airport Road 0.6 mi 1m
East Court Street 0.3 mi <1m
Andersonville Road 0.3 mi <1m
David K Drive 0.1 mi <1m
Graper Drive 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 75 — 17.9 mi, about 19m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Waterford, MI and Flint, MI.

1

Start on David K Drive

0.1 mi · 40 sec · David K Drive
2

Turn left onto Graper Drive

0.1 mi · 34 sec · Graper Drive
3

Turn left onto Airport Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · Airport Road
4

At end of road, turn right onto Andersonville Road

0.3 mi · 45 sec · Andersonville Road
5

At end of road, turn left onto US 24

3.7 mi · 5 min · Dixie Highway
Use the left lane.
6

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 17 sec
7

Merge onto I 75

18 mi · 19 min · I 75
8

Keep slight right at fork onto I 475

6.5 mi · 6 min · UAW Freeway
Exit 111 Toward I 475: Downtown Flint Use the slight right lane.
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 52 sec
Toward M 21: Downtown
10

Continue on M 21

386 ft · 17 sec · Chavez Drive
11

Turn left onto M 21

0.3 mi · 39 sec · East Court Street
Use the left lane.
12

Turn left

68 ft · 6 sec
13

Turn right

93 ft · 6 sec
14

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 29.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Graper Drive

Turn left onto Graper Drive

Navigation decision point

4
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | Airport Road

Turn left onto Airport Road

Navigation decision point

7
1.2 mi into trip | ~3m in | US 24 / Dixie Highway

At end of road, turn left onto US 24 / Dixie Highway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
8
22.9 mi into trip | ~28m in | I 475 / UAW Freeway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 475 / UAW Freeway toward I 475: Downtown Flint

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 111 Toward I 475: Downtown Flint
6
29.8 mi into trip | ~36m in | M 21 / East Court Street

Turn left onto M 21 / East Court Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.72 one way

$9.44 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.18 $10.37
premium $4.89 $5.81 $11.62
diesel $5.61 $6.67 $13.34

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.1 0 $3.17 $1.45
Efficient EV 7.6 0 $2.64 $1.21
EV Truck/SUV 12.1 0 $4.23 $1.93

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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 Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Waterford, MI

Late night in Waterford on Sunday

Local time

2:00 AM

EDT

Current temp

64°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

WSW 14 mph 89% chance Live forecast

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 18 at 3:10AM EDT until April 19 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI

Flash Flood Watch

Flash Flood Watch issued April 18 at 3:10AM EDT until April 19 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI

Destination

Flint, MI

Late night in Flint on Sunday

Local time

2:00 AM

EDT

Current temp

64°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 14 mph 81% chance Live forecast

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 18 at 3:10AM EDT until April 19 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI

Flash Flood Watch

Flash Flood Watch issued April 18 at 3:10AM EDT until April 19 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Gaylord 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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

37m 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 turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. Because the highway share for this 30.2-mile trip is 0%, you will spend your entire time navigating surface streets and local connectors. You won’t find long, straight stretches here, as the longest segment on Graper Drive is minimal, requiring your full attention through various turns. The route's personality is defined by these constant changes, making it feel more like a navigation exercise than a highway slog. It is a practical, ground-level way to experience the landscape between Waterford and Flint.

81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.9 mi on I 75.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 75 and UAW Freeway. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Graper Drive.

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 30.2 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.1 miles (Graper Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Airport Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (US 24 / Dixie Highway): Lane positioning matters here.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 30.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

37m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 17.9 miles on I 75. 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 Flint, 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 (Graper Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Airport Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (US 24 / Dixie Highway): Lane positioning matters here.

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

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