Origin
Westland, MI
Late night in Westland on Sunday
Local time
4:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Westland, MI to Highland Park, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
20.2 mi
32 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 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Westland, MI
fish socks
Highland Park, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 20.2-mile drive from Westland, MI to Highland Park, MI takes about 30 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. The route primarily utilizes the Jeffries Freeway, with a 57% highway share, and is expected to cost around $3 in fuel. Given its brevity and the Midwest region's familiar driving landscape, an overnight stay is not necessary. This journey offers a straightforward commute between two Michigan cities, ideal for a quick visit or an easy transfer. You'll experience a mixed drive profile, keeping you engaged without being overly demanding.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffries Freeway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| Jeffries Freeway (Express) | 5.3 mi | 5m |
| North Wayne Road | 3 mi | 5m |
| M 8 | 2.2 mi | 5m |
| Stark Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Davison Freeway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Ford Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Schoolcraft Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Jeffries Freeway
— 5.6 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Westland, MI and Highland Park, MI.
1
Start on M 153
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Ford Road
2
Turn left onto North Wayne Road
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
North Wayne Road
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto Plymouth Road
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Plymouth Road
4
Turn left onto Stark Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Stark Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto Schoolcraft Road
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
Schoolcraft Road
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 96 East
7
Merge onto I 96
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Jeffries Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 96
5.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Jeffries Freeway (Express)
Toward I 96 Express: Downtown
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 186B
Toward Davison Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on M 8
2.2 mi
·
5 min
·
M 8
11
Continue on M 8
0.6 mi
·
55 sec
·
Davison Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward M 1: Woodward Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn left onto M 1
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Woodward Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Turn right onto Gerald Street
210 ft
·
14 sec
·
Gerald Street
15
Continue on Gerald Street
206 ft
·
15 sec
·
Gerald Street
16
Arrive at destination
Gerald Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 19.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North Wayne Road
Turn left onto North Wayne Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
3.9 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
Stark Road
Turn left onto Stark Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
11 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Express)
Keep slight left at fork onto I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Express) toward I 96 Express: Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 96 Express: Downtown
7
16.4 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward Davison Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 186B
Toward Davison Avenue
6
19.5 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward M 1: Woodward Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward M 1: Woodward Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.16 one way
$6.32 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.47 | $6.93 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.89 | $7.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.46 | $8.92 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 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 | 6.1 | 0 | $2.12 | $0.97 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.77 | $0.81 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.83 | $1.29 |
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
Highland Park, MI
Late night in Highland Park on Sunday
Local time
4:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°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
18 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
30m 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 drive experience on this route, with a significant 57% of your journey on highways like the Jeffries Freeway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.6 miles on this freeway, offering a chance to settle into a steady pace. While the majority of the drive is on the freeway, it's not an endless monotonous stretch. The route incorporates some non-highway segments, providing a slight change of scenery and driving feel as you approach your destination. This blend ensures a dynamic, yet efficient, trip.
57% 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: 5.6 mi on Jeffries Freeway.
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 0.6 miles in near North Wayne 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 20.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (North Wayne Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles (Stark Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles (I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 20.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.6 miles on Jeffries Freeway. 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 Highland Park, 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 0.6 miles (North Wayne Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles (Stark Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles (I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Express)): 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 Highland Park, 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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