Origin
Waterford, MI
Late night in Waterford on Tuesday
Local time
4:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waterford, MI to Southfield, 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
37m
Distance
22.2 mi
36 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
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.
Waterford, MI
Adrien Olichon
Southfield, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Waterford to Southfield, you are looking at a manageable 21.8-mile journey through the Michigan Midwest. Expect to spend about 36 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal candidate for a quick one-day trip. With a fuel budget of just $3, it is a highly economical route that requires no overnight stops. Because the drive is entirely local, you will avoid the stress of highway congestion. This is a straightforward, functional transit that gets you from point A to point B without any unnecessary detours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Telegraph Road | 11.2 mi | 17m |
| Highland Road | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Airport Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| John C Lodge Freeway | 1.8 mi | 1m |
| West 10 Mile Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Voorheis Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| West Huron Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| David K Drive | 0.3 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 Southfield, 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
1.8 mi
·
1 min
·
John C Lodge Freeway
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 15
Toward 10 Mile Road, Evergreen Road
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn straight onto Northwestern Highway
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Northwestern Highway
13
Turn left onto West 10 Mile Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
West 10 Mile Road
14
Arrive at destination
West 10 Mile Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 20.8 — 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.
5
7.3 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
US 24 / South Telegraph Road
Turn right onto US 24 / South Telegraph Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
18.6 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the ramp toward I 696 East, M 10 South: Port Huron, Detroit
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 696 East, M 10 South: Port Huron, Detr...
8
20.8 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward 10 Mile Road, Evergreen Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 15
Toward 10 Mile Road, Evergreen Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.47 one way
$6.94 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.81 | $7.62 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.27 | $8.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.90 | $9.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.33 | $1.07 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.94 | $0.89 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.11 | $1.42 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Southfield, MI
Late night in Southfield on Tuesday
Local time
4:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°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
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
37m 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?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged throughout the entire 21.8-mile stretch. Unlike a monotonous interstate slog, this route relies on surface streets like Williams Lake Road, Airport Road, and Highland Road. With a 0% highway share, you will navigate through local traffic rather than cruising at high speeds on an expressway. There is no long-distance highway cruising here, as the longest uninterrupted stretch is 0 miles on Williams Lake Road. Expect a consistent, hands-on driving experience that demands your full attention at every turn.
Only 8% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 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?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Williams Lake Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 22.2 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.3 miles (Williams Lake Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.4 miles (Airport Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles (US 24 / South Telegraph Road): 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 Southfield, MI, road signs point toward M 10 South: Port Huron and Detroit.
M 10 South: Port Huron
18.6 mi in
|
~31m
Detroit
18.6 mi in
|
~31m
About the Cities
Starting in Waterford, MI
Full guide →Oakland County is in Southeast Michigan.
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 37m. Total distance: 22.2 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 (8%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads 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.
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 7.3 miles (US 24 / South Telegraph Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Southfield, 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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