Trip from Ann Arbor, MI to Ironwood, MI

Drive Time

11h 8m

Distance

584.3 mi

940 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$89

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 30 min
4 AM
10h 58m ★
6 AM
11h 8m
8 AM
11h 28m
10 AM
11h 15m
12 PM
11h 13m
3 PM
11h 16m
5 PM
11h 27m
8 PM
11h 2m

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

Downtown Ann Arbor, MI, MI

Ann Arbor, MI

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Ann Arbor, MI to Ironwood, MI covers 584.3 miles and takes about 11h 8m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on East Huron Street, North Main Street, US 23 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $88.75 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Best split across 2 days

Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.

Break Rhythm

3 planned breaks

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

292.2 miles from Ann Arbor, MI

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 34m into the drive .

Drive Character

At 584.3 miles and 11h 8m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are East Huron Street and North Main Street.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 38 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East Huron Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

At 11h 8m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

Route Complexity 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

The route itself is not hard, but at 11h 8m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Ann Arbor, MI to Ironwood, MI is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East Huron Street Unavailable Refreshing
North Main Street Unavailable Refreshing
US 23 Unavailable Refreshing
US 23 North Unavailable Refreshing
US 2 Unavailable Refreshing
US-2 West Unavailable Refreshing
M-28 Unavailable Refreshing
Cedar Street Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: East Huron Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Ann Arbor, MI and Ironwood, MI.

1

Start on South State Street

0.3 mi · 43 sec · South State Street
2

Turn left onto East Huron Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · East Huron Street
3

Turn right onto North Main Street

1.2 mi · 2 min · North Main Street
4

Take the ramp straight toward M 14 East, US 23: Flint, Detroit

0.2 mi · 20 sec · M 14 East, US 23: Flint, Detroit
5

Merge slight left

1.1 mi · 1 min
6

Keep left to continue on US 23 North: Flint

95 mi · 1 hr 41 min · US 23 North: Flint
7

Keep slight left

63 mi · 1 hr 3 min
8

Keep slight left

118 mi · 2 hr 1 min
9

Take the exit slight right toward US 2: Manistique, Escanaba

0.4 mi · 1 min · US 2: Manistique, Escanaba
10

Merge slight left onto US-2 West

0.7 mi · 1 min · US-2 West
11

Continue on US 2

3.2 mi · 3 min · US 2
12

Continue on US-2 West

61 mi · 1 hr 11 min · US-2 West
13

Turn right

17 mi · 20 min
14

Turn sharp left onto M-28

35 mi · 41 min · M-28
15

Continue on Cedar Street

0.2 mi · 29 sec · Cedar Street
16

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward East Munising

194 ft · 11 sec · East Munising
17

Exit the roundabout onto East Munising

2.2 mi · 4 min · East Munising
18

Continue on M-28

36 mi · 42 min · M-28
19

Continue on Cherry Creek Road

1.8 mi · 2 min · Cherry Creek Road
20

Turn right onto County Road 480

13 mi · 18 min · County Road 480
21

Continue on Rail Street

0.4 mi · 36 sec · Rail Street
22

Turn right onto Division Street

502 ft · 11 sec · Division Street
23

Turn right onto West Main Street

440 ft · 13 sec · West Main Street
24

Turn left onto North Teal Lake Avenue

0.5 mi · 53 sec · North Teal Lake Avenue
25

Turn left onto US Highway 41

2.7 mi · 4 min · US Highway 41
26

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route

82 ft · 5 sec · the route
27

Exit the roundabout

0.9 mi · 1 min
28

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route

89 ft · 5 sec · the route
29

Exit the roundabout

40 mi · 51 min
30

Turn left

59 mi · 1 hr 8 min
31

Continue straight

19 mi · 23 min
32

Turn right onto US 2 West

11 mi · 14 min · US 2 West
33

Turn left onto Douglas Boulevard

0.4 mi · 38 sec · Douglas Boulevard
34

Continue on East Frederick Street

456 ft · 13 sec · East Frederick Street
35

Turn left onto North Suffolk Street

476 ft · 10 sec · North Suffolk Street
36

Turn right onto East Ayer Street

463 ft · 22 sec · East Ayer Street
37

Turn right onto North Lowell Street

98 ft · 4 sec · North Lowell Street
38

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Evening Departure

This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

This drive is better paced as a 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 292.2 miles from Ann Arbor, MI, or about 5h 34m into the drive.

Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 129 miles or 2h 27m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 292.2 miles or 5h 34m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Overnight split

Day 1 wrap after about 292.2 miles or 5h 34m

Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 9h 59m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ironwood, MI than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Ann Arbor, MI so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

+

Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.

+

Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Ann Arbor, MI

Aim for roughly 292 miles and 5.6 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Ironwood, MI

Aim for roughly 292 miles and 5.6 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 129 miles from Ann Arbor, MI.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 3 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 292.2 mi from Ann Arbor, MI · 5h 34m into the drive

First major stop

Coffee and fuel

Skidway Lake, MI

193 mi into the route

Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch

This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.

Downtown Flat Rock, MI, MI

Second major stop

Overnight candidate

Flat Rock, MI

386 mi into the route

Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start

This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.

Find hotels in Flat Rock, MI

Overnight Options

Night 1

Dafter, MI

292 mi · about 5.6h in

A practical overnight split lands near Dafter, MI after about 292 miles or 5.6 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Skidway Lake, MI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 129 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Dafter, MI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 292.2 miles from Ann Arbor, MI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Overnight split

Hotel stop

For a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 292 miles or 5.6 hours on the road.

Final-third reset

Rest stop

Plan one more short stretch-and-water break in the final third of the drive so the last arrival window feels easier.

Arriving in Ironwood, MI

The final approach into Ironwood, MI usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Ironwood, MI.

On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Ironwood, MI with some flexibility left in the schedule.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$88.75 one way

$177.50 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 204 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $97.84 $195.67
premium $4.80 $110.30 $220.61
diesel $5.64 $129.81 $259.62

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$89

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$219–$329

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 204.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $61 in charging · 2 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 175.3 2 $61.35 $28.05
Efficient EV 146.1 1 $51.13 $23.37
EV Truck/SUV 233.7 2 $81.80 $37.40

Gas CO2

204 kg

EV CO2

68 kg (67% less)

Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

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 data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Ann Arbor, MI

Afternoon in Ann Arbor on Monday

Local time

1:25 PM

EDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Ironwood, MI

Afternoon in Ironwood on Monday

Local time

12:25 PM

CDT

Current temp

61°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Along the Route

46°F

Flat Rock, MI

386 mi in

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.

Time zone

1 hour earlier

The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.

Temperature spread

14 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

11h 8m on the road

This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Ann Arbor, MI to Ironwood, MI covers 584.3 miles and takes about 11h 8m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are East Huron Street, North Main Street, US 23. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 292 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 292.2 miles from Ann Arbor, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $88.75 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
The route itself is not hard, but at 11h 8m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Ann Arbor, MI to Ironwood, MI is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Ann Arbor, MI to Ironwood, MI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Ironwood, MI to Ann Arbor, MI

Plan the drive back the other way.

584.2 mi 9h 26m

Explore more options from Ann Arbor, MI or browse trips ending in Ironwood, MI.

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