Drive Time
9h 5m
Distance
564.4 mi
908 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$86
one way
Photo: fish socks
The drive from Dollar Bay, MI to Dearborn, MI covers 564.4 miles and takes about 9h 5m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Houghton-Hancock Lift Bridge, US 41 South, West Montezuma Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $85.73 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
282.2 miles from Dollar Bay, MI
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 32m into the drive .
At 564.4 miles and 9h 5m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Houghton-Hancock Lift Bridge and US 41 South.
At 9h 5m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 5m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Dollar Bay, MI to Dearborn, MI is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Houghton-Hancock Lift Bridge | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| US 41 South | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| West Montezuma Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| College Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Townsend Drive | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| the route | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Palms Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| US-41 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Dollar Bay, MI and Dearborn, MI.
Start on Royce Road
Continue on Houghton-Hancock Lift Bridge
Turn left onto US 41 South
Continue on West Montezuma Avenue
Merge slight left onto College Avenue
Continue on Townsend Drive
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route
Exit the rotary
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Palms Avenue
Exit the roundabout onto Palms Avenue
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward US-41/M-28
Exit the roundabout onto US-41/M-28
Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward US-41/M-28
Exit the roundabout onto US-41/M-28
Continue on Marquette Bypass
Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward Marquette Bypass
Exit the roundabout onto Marquette Bypass
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Marquette Bypass
Exit the roundabout onto Marquette Bypass
Take the exit slight right
Merge slight left onto South Front Street
Continue on US-41/M-28
Turn left onto M-28
Continue on West Munising Avenue
Exit the roundabout onto Cedar Street
Continue on M-28
Turn sharp right
At the end of the road, turn left
Take the exit slight right toward I 75 South: Mackinac Bridge
Merge slight left
Keep slight left to continue on I 75: Saginaw, Detroit
Keep slight left
Keep slight left
Take the exit slight right toward I 94: Port Huron, Chicago
Keep slight right to continue on I 94 West: Chicago
Merge slight left onto Edsel Ford Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward US 12: Michigan Avenue, Dearborn
At the end of the road, turn right onto Michigan Avenue
Arrive at your destination
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 124 miles or 1h 59m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 282.2 miles or 4h 32m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 282.2 miles or 4h 32m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 8h 7m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Dearborn, MI than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Dollar Bay, MI so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Dollar Bay, MI
Aim for roughly 282 miles and 4.5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Dearborn, MI
Aim for roughly 282 miles and 4.5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 282.2 mi from Dollar Bay, MI · 4h 32m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
186 mi into the route
Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch
This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.
Second major stop
Overnight candidate
373 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Skidway Lake, MINight 1
282 mi · about 4.5h in
A practical overnight split lands near Dafter, MI after about 282 miles or 4.5 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 124 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 282.2 miles from Dollar Bay, MI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 282 miles or 4.5 hours on the road.
The final approach into Dearborn, MI usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Dearborn, MI.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Dearborn, MI with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$85.73 one way
$171.45 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $94.50 | $189.01 |
| premium | $4.80 | $106.55 | $213.09 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $125.39 | $250.78 |
Estimated Tolls: $4.00
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$86
Tolls
$4
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$220–$330
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 197.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $59 in charging · 2 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 169.3 | 2 | $59.26 | $27.09 |
| Efficient EV | 141.1 | 1 | $49.39 | $22.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 225.8 | 2 | $79.02 | $36.12 |
Gas CO2
197 kg
EV CO2
66 kg (66% less)
Plan for 2 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Morning in Dollar Bay on Sunday
Local time
6:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
30°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Morning in Dearborn on Sunday
Local time
6:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
46°F
Flat Rock, MI
186 mi in
43°F
Skidway Lake, MI
373 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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