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Trip from Dearborn Heights, MI to Rochester Hills, MI

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

47m

Distance

29.4 mi

47 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 12 min
4 AM
0h 43m ★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m

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

city in Wayne County, Michigan, USA

Dearborn Heights, MI

Wikimedia Commons

city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States

Rochester Hills, MI

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Dearborn Heights, MI to Rochester Hills, MI covers 29.4 miles and takes about 47m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Telegraph Road, North Telegraph Road, M 59 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 15.4 miles on Telegraph Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.60 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 47m. Total distance: 29.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

47m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 47m drive with frequent turns across 29.4 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Telegraph Road is the longest continuous segment at about 15.4 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.5 miles in near US 24 / Telegraph Road.

Driving Effort 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 29.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 5.5 miles (US 24 / Telegraph Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.7 miles (US 24 BUS / Franklin Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.5 miles (BL I 75): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 16 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
5.5 mi into trip | ~9m in | US 24 / Telegraph Road

Keep slight right at fork onto US 24 / Telegraph Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
18.7 mi into trip | ~30m in | US 24 BUS / Franklin Road

Keep slight right at fork onto US 24 BUS / Franklin Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
7
21.5 mi into trip | ~34m in | BL I 75

Keep slight left at fork onto BL I 75 toward I 75 North: Flint

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 75 North: Flint
7
23.4 mi into trip | ~36m in

Take the exit toward M 59 East: Utica

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 77A Toward M 59 East: Utica
7
26.8 mi into trip | ~41m in

Take the exit toward Crooks Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 44 Toward Crooks Road

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Dearborn Heights, MI to Rochester Hills, MI, road signs begin pointing toward M 59 East: Utica along the way.

M 59 East: Utica

23.4 mi in | ~36m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Telegraph Road 15.4 mi 25m
North Telegraph Road 3.1 mi 5m
M 59 2.8 mi 2m
East Square Lake Road 1.6 mi 2m
West Square Lake Road 1.2 mi 1m
Walter P. Chrysler Freeway 1.1 mi 1m
West Hamlin Road 1 mi 2m
BL I 75 0.8 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Telegraph Road — 15.4 mi, about 25m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Dearborn Heights, MI and Rochester Hills, MI.

1

Start on this road

404 ft · 15 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto US 24

3.1 mi · 5 min · North Telegraph Road
3

Keep slight left at fork onto US 24

2.3 mi · 4 min · Telegraph Road
4

Keep slight right at fork onto US 24

13 mi · 21 min · Telegraph Road
Use the right lane.
5

Keep slight right at fork onto US 24 BUS

450 ft · 11 sec · Franklin Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
6

Turn right onto US 24 BUS

1.2 mi · 1 min · West Square Lake Road
Use the right lane.
7

Continue on I 75 BL; US 24 BUS

1.6 mi · 2 min · East Square Lake Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork onto BL I 75

0.8 mi · 1 min · BL I 75
Toward I 75 North: Flint Use the slight left lane.
9

Merge onto I 75

1.1 mi · 1 min · Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
10

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 77A Toward M 59 East: Utica Use the slight right lane.
11

Merge onto M 59

2.8 mi · 2 min · M 59
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 55 sec
Exit 44 Toward Crooks Road Use the slight right lane.
13

Turn left onto Crooks Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · Crooks Road
Use the left / right lanes.
14

Turn right onto West Hamlin Road

1.0 mi · 2 min · West Hamlin Road
15

Enter roundabout onto South Livernois Road

214 ft · 4 sec · South Livernois Road
16

Continue on South Livernois Road

0.3 mi · 29 sec · South Livernois Road
17

Turn right onto Dressler Lane

196 ft · 13 sec · Dressler Lane
18

Turn left onto Downhill Lane

378 ft · 21 sec · Downhill Lane
19

Turn left onto Dickson Lane

0.2 mi · 51 sec · Dickson Lane
20

Arrive at destination

Dickson Lane

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.60 one way

$9.19 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.05 $10.09
premium $4.89 $5.66 $11.32
diesel $5.61 $6.49 $12.98

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 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 8.8 0 $3.09 $1.41
Efficient EV 7.4 0 $2.57 $1.18
EV Truck/SUV 11.8 0 $4.12 $1.88

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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Dearborn Heights, MI

Evening in Dearborn Heights on Friday

Local time

7:52 PM

EDT

Current temp

53°F

Widespread Fog

NNE 2 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Dense Fog Advisory

Dense Fog Advisory issued April 17 at 2:51AM EDT until April 17 at 10:00AM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI

Dense Fog Advisory

Dense Fog Advisory issued April 17 at 2:46AM EDT until April 17 at 10:00AM EDT by NWS Detroit/Pontiac MI

Destination

Rochester Hills, MI

Evening in Rochester Hills on Friday

Local time

7:52 PM

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

6 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

47m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Dearborn Heights, MI to Rochester Hills, MI covers 29.4 miles and takes about 47m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Telegraph Road, North Telegraph Road, M 59. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 14.7 miles from Dearborn Heights, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.60 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 is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 29.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.

The main spots that need attention: at 5.5 miles (US 24 / Telegraph Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.7 miles (US 24 BUS / Franklin Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.5 miles (BL I 75): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

On the drive from Dearborn Heights, MI to Rochester Hills, MI, road signs begin pointing toward M 59 East: Utica along the way.

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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