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Trip from Dearborn, MI to Auburn Hills, MI

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

Drive Time

44m

Distance

36.6 mi

59 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 41m ★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 42m

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, MI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Auburn Hills, MI, MI

Auburn Hills, MI

fish socks

Trip Overview

The drive from Dearborn, MI to Auburn Hills, MI covers 36.6 miles and takes about 44m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, Edsel Ford Freeway, I 75 BL for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 27.9 miles on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.72 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 44m. Total distance: 36.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

44m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 44m highway drive covering 36.6 miles, with most of the trip on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway and Edsel Ford Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 27.9 miles on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 27.9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway and Edsel Ford Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 6.8 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

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 10 decision points packed into just 36.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 6.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles (I 75 / North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 key points

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

8
6.8 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the exit toward I 75: Flint, Toledo

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 216A Toward I 75: Flint, Toledo
7
6.8 mi into trip | ~10m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 75 North: Flint

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 75 North: Flint
5
7.3 mi into trip | ~11m in | I 75 / North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway

Merge onto I 75 / North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
35.2 mi into trip | ~41m in

Take the exit toward M 24: Lapeer

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 81 Toward M 24: Lapeer
5
35.6 mi into trip | ~42m in | I 75 BL

Keep slight right at fork onto I 75 BL toward I 75 Business South: Pontiac

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward I 75 Business South: Pontiac

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, MI to Auburn Hills, MI, road signs begin pointing toward Toledo along the way.

Toledo

6.8 mi in | ~10m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway 27.9 mi 30m
Edsel Ford Freeway 5.6 mi 7m
I 75 BL 0.8 mi 1m
Michigan Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
Shimmons Road 0.4 mi 1m
Detroit Industrial Expressway 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway — 27.9 mi, about 30m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on US 12

0.6 mi · 1 min · Michigan Avenue
2

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 43 sec
Toward I 94 East: Detroit
3

Merge onto I 94

0.3 mi · 23 sec · Detroit Industrial Expressway
4

Continue on I 94

5.6 mi · 7 min · Edsel Ford Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the exit

302 ft · 5 sec
Exit 216A Toward I 75: Flint, Toledo Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 75 North: Flint Use the slight left lane.
7

Merge onto I 75

28 mi · 30 min · North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 24 sec
Exit 81 Toward M 24: Lapeer Use the slight right lane.
9

Continue on I 75 BL

0.2 mi · 27 sec · I 75 BL
10

Keep slight right at fork onto I 75 BL

0.6 mi · 57 sec · I 75 BL
Toward I 75 Business South: Pontiac
11

Turn left

88 ft · 3 sec
Use the left lane.
12

Turn left

154 ft · 7 sec
13

Continue on Shimmons Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Shimmons Road
14

Arrive at destination

Shimmons Road

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.72 one way

$11.44 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $6.28 $12.57
premium $4.89 $7.04 $14.09
diesel $5.61 $8.08 $16.16

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11 0 $3.84 $1.76
Efficient EV 9.2 0 $3.20 $1.46
EV Truck/SUV 14.6 0 $5.12 $2.34

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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, MI

Evening in Dearborn on Friday

Local time

5:12 PM

EDT

Current temp

70°F

Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny

SE 3 to 9 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Dense Fog Advisory

Dense Fog Advisory issued April 17 at 11:05AM EDT until April 17 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Marquette MI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 10:27AM EDT until April 19 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI

Destination

Auburn Hills, MI

Evening in Auburn Hills on Friday

Local time

5:12 PM

EDT

Current temp

67°F

Areas Of Fog then Mostly Cloudy

SE 3 to 9 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Dense Fog Advisory

Dense Fog Advisory issued April 17 at 11:05AM EDT until April 17 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Marquette MI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 10:27AM EDT until April 19 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI

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

3 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

44m 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, MI to Auburn Hills, MI covers 36.6 miles and takes about 44m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, Edsel Ford Freeway, I 75 BL. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 18.3 miles from Dearborn, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.72 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 10 decision points packed into just 36.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.

The main spots that need attention: at 6.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles (I 75 / North Walter P. Chrysler Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

On the drive from Dearborn, MI to Auburn Hills, MI, road signs begin pointing toward Toledo 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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