Origin
Beechwood, MI
Late night in Beechwood on Saturday
Local time
1:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Beechwood, MI to Grand Rapids, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
28.8 mi
46 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Beechwood, MI
fish socks
Grand Rapids, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Beechwood, MI to Grand Rapids, MI covers 28.8 miles and takes about 39m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Gerald R Ford Freeway, I 196 BL, East Lakewood Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17.7 miles on Gerald R Ford Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.50 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 28.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 39m highway drive covering 28.8 miles, with most of the trip on Gerald R Ford Freeway and I 196 BL. The longest continuous stretch is about 17.7 miles on Gerald R Ford Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Gerald R Ford Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 17.7 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
734 ft
602 ft
Total Climb
216 ft
Total Descent
182 ft
Highest Point
734 ft
~18.5 mi in
Elevation Range
132 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Gerald R Ford Freeway and I 196 BL. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Douglas Avenue.
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 28.8 miles you will encounter 8 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: near the start (Douglas Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8.2 miles (I 196 / Gerald R Ford Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Douglas Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Douglas Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
8.2 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
I 196 / Gerald R Ford Freeway
Merge onto I 196 / Gerald R Ford Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
25.9 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward Market Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 73
Toward Market Avenue
5
26.2 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
Market Avenue Southwest
Turn right onto Market Avenue Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
28.5 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
Fulton Street West
Turn right onto Fulton Street West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Gerald R Ford Freeway | 17.7 mi | 18m |
| I 196 BL | 4.4 mi | 6m |
| East Lakewood Boulevard | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| Market Avenue Southwest | 2.3 mi | 5m |
| Douglas Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Fulton Street West | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Howard Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| 112th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Gerald R Ford Freeway
— 17.7 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Beechwood, MI and Grand Rapids, MI.
1
Start on this road
214 ft
·
17 sec
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn right onto Douglas Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Douglas Avenue
3
Continue on Howard Avenue
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Howard Avenue
4
Continue on East Lakewood Boulevard
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
East Lakewood Boulevard
5
Turn right onto 112th Avenue
505 ft
·
14 sec
·
112th Avenue
6
Turn left onto I 196 BL
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
I 196 BL
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Take the ramp onto I 196 BL
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
I 196 BL
Toward I 196 EAST: Grand Rapids
8
Merge onto I 196
18 mi
·
18 min
·
Gerald R Ford Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 73
Toward Market Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto Market Avenue Southwest
2.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Market Avenue Southwest
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto Fulton Street West
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
Fulton Street West
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Arrive at destination
Fulton Street West
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.50 one way
$9.01 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.94 | $9.89 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.54 | $11.08 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.36 | $12.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.02 | $1.38 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.52 | $1.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.03 | $1.84 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Grand Rapids, MI
Late night in Grand Rapids on Saturday
Local time
1:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
11 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
39m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Beechwood, MI to Grand Rapids, MI covers 28.8 miles and takes about 39m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Gerald R Ford Freeway, I 196 BL, East Lakewood Boulevard. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.4 miles from Beechwood, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.50 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 28.8 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Douglas Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8.2 miles (I 196 / Gerald R Ford Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Beechwood, MI to Grand Rapids, MI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 602 ft to 734 ft elevation with about 216 ft of total climbing.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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