Origin
Detroit, MI
Afternoon in Detroit on Friday
Local time
12:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Detroit, MI to Washington, 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
35.4 mi
57 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Washington, MI
Arian Fernandez
Trip Overview
The drive from Detroit, MI to Washington, MI covers 35.4 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 Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, M 53, Metropolitan Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16.4 miles on Walter P. Chrysler Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.53 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 47m. Total distance: 35.4 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Detroit, MI to Washington, MI covers 35.4 miles and takes about 47m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 22 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 16.4 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 0.7 miles in near Chrysler Drive.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 35.4 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 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; at 17.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 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.
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
7
17.3 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward Rochester Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 67
Toward Rochester Road
6
17.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
Rochester Road
Turn right onto Rochester Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
33.9 mi into trip
|
~44m in
Take the exit toward 26 Mile Road West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 23B
Toward 26 Mile Road West
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 Detroit, MI to Washington, MI, road signs begin pointing toward M 53 North: Imlay City along the way.
M 53 North: Imlay City
25.4 mi in
|
~34m
|
via M 53
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Walter P. Chrysler Freeway | 16.4 mi | 18m |
| M 53 | 8.5 mi | 9m |
| Metropolitan Parkway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Van Dyke Avenue | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| East Big Beaver Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| Van Dyke Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| 26 Mile Road | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Monroe Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
— 16.4 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Detroit, MI and Washington, 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
16 mi
·
18 min
·
Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Toward I 75 North: Flint
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Exit 67
Toward Rochester Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto Rochester Road
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
Rochester Road
Use the right lane.
10
Turn right onto East Big Beaver Road
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
East Big Beaver Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Continue on Metropolitan Parkway
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Metropolitan Parkway
12
Continue on Metropolitan Parkway
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Metropolitan Parkway
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto M 53
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Van Dyke Avenue
Use the right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto M 53
8.5 mi
·
9 min
·
M 53
Toward M 53 North: Imlay City
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 23B
Toward 26 Mile Road West
Use the right lane.
16
Enter roundabout onto 26 Mile Road
8 ft
·
0 sec
·
26 Mile Road
17
Continue on 26 Mile Road
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
26 Mile Road
18
Enter roundabout onto 26 Mile Road
121 ft
·
5 sec
·
26 Mile Road
19
Continue on 26 Mile Road
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
26 Mile Road
20
Turn right onto Van Dyke Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Van Dyke Road
21
Turn left onto West Road
36 ft
·
1 sec
·
West Road
22
Arrive at destination
West Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17.7 mi from Detroit, MI · 22m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.7 miles from Detroit, MI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Washington, MI
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Washington, MI if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.53 one way
$11.07 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.08 | $12.15 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.81 | $13.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.82 | $15.63 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.72 | $1.70 |
| Efficient EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.10 | $1.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.96 | $2.27 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% 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
Washington, MI
Afternoon in Washington on Friday
Local time
12:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
33°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 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
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 Washington, MI covers 35.4 miles and takes about 47m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, M 53, Metropolitan Parkway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.7 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 $5.53 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 35.4 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 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; at 17.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Detroit, MI to Washington, MI, road signs begin pointing toward M 53 North: Imlay City 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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