Origin
Dearborn Heights, MI
Afternoon in Dearborn Heights on Friday
Local time
1:57 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Dearborn Heights, MI to Southfield, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
13.3 mi
21 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 19m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dearborn Heights, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Southfield, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short, 13.3-mile journey between Dearborn Heights, MI, and Southfield, MI, is easily manageable in just 20 minutes. As a single-day trip, it's perfectly suited for a quick commute or an errand run, with no need for an overnight stay. The estimated fuel cost is a modest $2, making it an economical option. You'll primarily navigate via the Southfield Freeway and North Telegraph Road, with a brief section on the Jeffries Freeway (Local). This mixed-drive route offers a straightforward way to travel within the Midwest region.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 13.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a drive that's about 58% highway, offering a blend of quicker travel and local road navigation. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.1 miles on the Southfield Freeway, allowing for a consistent pace for a portion of your trip. The overall profile is a mixed drive, meaning you'll transition between faster freeway speeds and potentially more varied conditions on local roads like North Telegraph Road. This dynamic keeps the drive from becoming monotonous, providing a changing driving experience as you progress.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Southfield Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 5.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 3.4 miles in near Schoolcraft 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 11 decision points packed into just 13.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.4 miles (Schoolcraft Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles (I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Local)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
3.4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Schoolcraft Road
Turn right onto Schoolcraft Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
4.4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Local)
Keep slight right at fork onto I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Local) toward I 96 Local: To All Exits
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 96 Local: To All Exits
7
6.3 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward M 39: Southfield Freeway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 183
Toward M 39: Southfield Freeway
7
6.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Keep slight left at fork toward M 39 North: Southfield Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward M 39 North: Southfield Freeway
6
13.2 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
West 10 Mile Road
Turn left onto West 10 Mile Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southfield Freeway | 5.1 mi | 6m |
| North Telegraph Road | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| Jeffries Freeway (Local) | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Southfield Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Jeffries Freeway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Telegraph Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Schoolcraft Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 10 Mile Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Southfield Freeway
— 5.1 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Dearborn Heights, MI and Southfield, 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 right at fork onto Telegraph Drive
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Telegraph Drive
4
Turn right onto Schoolcraft Road
237 ft
·
5 sec
·
Schoolcraft Road
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 96 East
6
Merge onto I 96
0.6 mi
·
41 sec
·
Jeffries Freeway
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 96
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Jeffries Freeway (Local)
Toward I 96 Local: To All Exits
Use the slight right lane.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 183
Toward M 39: Southfield Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward M 39 North: Southfield Freeway
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto M 39
5.1 mi
·
6 min
·
Southfield Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
Toward Southfield Road
12
Turn straight onto Southfield Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Southfield Road
13
Turn left onto West 10 Mile Road
192 ft
·
4 sec
·
West 10 Mile Road
Use the left lane.
14
Arrive at destination
West 10 Mile Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.08 one way
$4.16 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.28 | $4.57 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.56 | $5.12 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.94 | $5.87 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4 | 0 | $1.40 | $0.64 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.16 | $0.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Afternoon in Southfield on Friday
Local time
1:57 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°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
19 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
20m 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 Dearborn Heights, MI to Southfield, MI covers 13.3 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Southfield Freeway, North Telegraph Road, Jeffries Freeway (Local). Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.6 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 $2.08 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 11 decision points packed into just 13.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
The main spots that need attention: at 3.4 miles (Schoolcraft Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles (I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Local)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Dearborn Heights, MI to Southfield, MI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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