Origin
Detroit, MI
Late night in Detroit on Saturday
Local time
2:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Detroit, MI to Ortonville, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h
Distance
49.1 mi
79 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 55m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Detroit, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Ortonville, MI
fish socks
Trip Overview
The drive from Detroit, MI to Ortonville, MI covers 49.1 miles and takes about 1h behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, Ortonville Road, South Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 39.9 miles on Walter P. Chrysler Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.68 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h. Total distance: 49.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h highway drive covering 49.1 miles, with most of the trip on Walter P. Chrysler Freeway and Ortonville Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 39.9 miles on 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 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Walter P. Chrysler Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 39.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Walter P. Chrysler Freeway and Ortonville Road. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Cadillac Square.
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 49.1 miles you will encounter 10 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: at 0.1 miles (Cadillac Square): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (Chrysler Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles (I 375 / Walter P. Chrysler Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Cadillac Square
Continue onto Cadillac Square toward M 3 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward M 3 North
6
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Chrysler Drive
At end of road, turn left onto Chrysler Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 375 / Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Merge onto I 375 / Walter P. Chrysler Freeway toward I 75 North: Flint
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 75 North: Flint
8
40.8 mi into trip
|
~46m in
Take the exit toward M 15: Clarkston, Davison
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 91
Toward M 15: Clarkston, Davison
6
41.2 mi into trip
|
~47m in
|
M 15 / Ortonville Road
Turn right onto M 15 / Ortonville Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Detroit, MI and Ortonville, MI, road signs point toward M 15: Clarkston and Davison.
M 15: Clarkston
40.8 mi in
|
~46m
Davison
40.8 mi in
|
~46m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Walter P. Chrysler Freeway | 39.9 mi | 43m |
| Ortonville Road | 7.2 mi | 10m |
| South Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Monroe Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Randolph Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Cadillac Square | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Mill Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Chrysler Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
— 39.9 mi, about 43m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Detroit, MI and Ortonville, MI.
1
Start on Cadillac Square
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Cadillac Square
2
Continue on Cadillac Square
97 ft
·
3 sec
·
Cadillac Square
Toward M 3 North
Use the left lane.
3
Turn slight left onto M 3
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Randolph Street
4
Turn right onto Monroe Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Monroe Street
Use the right lane.
5
At end of road, turn left onto Chrysler Drive
34 ft
·
1 sec
·
Chrysler Drive
Use the left lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
7
Merge onto I 375
40 mi
·
43 min
·
Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Toward I 75 North: Flint
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 91
Toward M 15: Clarkston, Davison
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto M 15
7.2 mi
·
10 min
·
Ortonville Road
Use the right lane.
10
Turn slight right onto South Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Street
Use the right lane.
11
Turn right onto Mill Street
463 ft
·
15 sec
·
Mill Street
12
Arrive at destination
Mill Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 24.5 mi from Detroit, MI · 28m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.5 miles from Detroit, MI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Ortonville, MI
The final approach into Ortonville, MI usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.68 one way
$15.35 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.43 | $16.86 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.45 | $18.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.84 | $21.68 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.16 | $2.36 |
| Efficient EV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.30 | $1.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.6 | 0 | $6.87 | $3.14 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Ortonville, MI
Late night in Ortonville on Saturday
Local time
2:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°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
16 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
1h 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 Detroit, MI to Ortonville, MI covers 49.1 miles and takes about 1h without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, Ortonville Road, South Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 24.5 miles from Detroit, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.68 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 49.1 miles you will encounter 10 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: at 0.1 miles (Cadillac Square): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (Chrysler Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles (I 375 / Walter P. Chrysler Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Detroit, MI and Ortonville, MI, road signs point toward M 15: Clarkston and Davison.
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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