Origin
Detroit, MI
Morning in Detroit on Saturday
Local time
10:28 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Detroit, MI to Sterling Heights, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
22.7 mi
37 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Detroit, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Sterling Heights, MI
fish socks
Trip Overview
Detroit, MI to Sterling Heights, MI is 22.7 miles and takes about 32m via Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, connecting two points in Michigan. It's a straightforward drive primarily on major roadways, making it a simple transit rather than a scenic excursion. You'll find this route to be a quick and efficient way to get from point A to point B, suitable for a quick errand or connecting to other travel plans.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 22.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This drive is heavily highway-focused, with 65% of the route utilizing major freeways. You'll spend a good portion of your time on the Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, including a continuous stretch of 10.3 miles. The primary roads include the Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, Mound Road, and the Walter P Reuther Freeway, indicating a reliance on well-maintained, high-speed corridors. Expect a consistent driving experience characterized by the efficiency of interstate travel, with minimal deviations into slower local roads.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 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 10.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Walter P. Chrysler Freeway and Mound Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near Chrysler Drive.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 22.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (Chrysler Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.3 miles (I-75 North to I-696 East): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
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.
8
11.1 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward I 696: Lansing, Port Huron
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 61
Toward I 696: Lansing, Port Huron
7
11.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
I-75 North to I-696 East
Keep slight right at fork onto I-75 North to I-696 East toward I 696 East: Port Huron
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 696 East: Port Huron
7
14.8 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
I-696 East
Take the exit onto I-696 East toward Mound Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 22
Toward Mound Road
7
15.1 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road
Keep slight left at fork onto I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road toward Mound Road North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward Mound Road North
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 Sterling Heights, MI, road signs point toward Port Huron and Mound Road North.
Port Huron
11.1 mi in
|
~14m
Mound Road North
15.1 mi in
|
~19m
|
via I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Walter P. Chrysler Freeway | 10.3 mi | 11m |
| Mound Road | 5.9 mi | 9m |
| Walter P Reuther Freeway | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| 17 Mile Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| I-75 North to I-696 East | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Monroe Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| I-696 East | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
— 10.3 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Detroit, MI and Sterling Heights, 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
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Toward I 75 North: Flint
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 61
Toward I 696: Lansing, Port Huron
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I-75 North to I-696 East
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
I-75 North to I-696 East
Toward I 696 East: Port Huron
Use the slight right lane.
10
Continue on I 696
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Walter P Reuther Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit onto I-696 East
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
I-696 East
Exit 22
Toward Mound Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
I-696 East to Northbound Mound Road
Toward Mound Road North
Use the slight left lane.
13
Turn straight onto Mound Road
5.9 mi
·
9 min
·
Mound Road
14
Turn right onto 17 Mile Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
17 Mile Road
15
Arrive at destination
17 Mile Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.55 one way
$7.10 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.90 | $7.79 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.37 | $8.74 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.01 | $10.02 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.38 | $1.09 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.99 | $0.91 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.18 | $1.45 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Sterling Heights, MI
Morning in Sterling Heights on Saturday
Local time
10:28 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SSE 8 to 12 mph
73% chance
Live forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 18 at 1:41AM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 18 at 1:37AM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids 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
4 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
32m 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 Detroit, MI to Sterling Heights, MI covers 22.7 miles and takes about 32m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, Mound Road, Walter P Reuther Freeway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.4 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 $3.55 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 22.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (Chrysler Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.3 miles (I-75 North to I-696 East): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Detroit, MI and Sterling Heights, MI, road signs point toward Port Huron and Mound Road North.
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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