Origin
Grosse Pointe Woods, MI
Late night in Grosse Pointe Woods on Saturday
Local time
2:06 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Grosse Pointe Woods, MI to Detroit, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
13.5 mi
22 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Grosse Pointe Woods, MI
fish socks
Detroit, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Grosse Pointe Woods to Detroit is 13.5 miles and takes about 21 minutes via Edsel Ford Freeway and Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short journey stays within Michigan's Midwest region, offering a straightforward connection between two points. It's a brief, highway-focused drive primarily utilizing major freeways. Consider this route for its simplicity and speed, ideal for a quick transfer or an addition to a larger trip.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 13.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m 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 route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 81% of the journey on freeways. You'll experience stretches of consistent speed, including one uninterrupted segment of 9 miles on the Edsel Ford Freeway. The drive primarily follows the Edsel Ford Freeway and the Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, suggesting a fast-paced experience. While the core is highway, you'll also encounter parts of Vernier Road, which may offer a slight change in pace before rejoining the freeway system.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Edsel Ford Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Edsel Ford Freeway and Walter P. Chrysler Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Harper Avenue.
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 10 decision points packed into just 13.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (Harper Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.9 miles (I 375 / Walter P. Chrysler Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Harper Avenue
Turn left onto Harper Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
9.8 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward I 75: Toledo, Flint
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: Toledo, Flint
6
11.9 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
I 375 / Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 375 / Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
12.6 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward Jefferson Avenue East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Jefferson Avenue East
6
12.9 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
East Congress Street
Turn right onto East Congress Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Grosse Pointe Woods, MI and Detroit, MI, road signs point toward Flint and Jefferson Avenue East.
Flint
9.8 mi in
|
~14m
Jefferson Avenue East
12.6 mi in
|
~18m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Edsel Ford Freeway | 9 mi | 12m |
| Walter P. Chrysler Freeway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Vernier Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East Congress Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Woodward Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Harper Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Chrysler Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Cadillac Square | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Edsel Ford Freeway
— 9 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Grosse Pointe Woods, MI and Detroit, MI.
1
Start on Vernier Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Vernier Road
2
Turn left onto Harper Avenue
259 ft
·
8 sec
·
Harper Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward I 94 West
4
Merge onto I 94
9.0 mi
·
12 min
·
Edsel Ford Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 216A
Toward I 75: Toledo, Flint
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto I 75
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 375
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward Jefferson Avenue East
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn straight onto Chrysler Drive
133 ft
·
8 sec
·
Chrysler Drive
10
Turn right onto East Congress Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Congress Street
Use the left lane.
11
Turn right onto Woodward Avenue
449 ft
·
19 sec
·
Woodward Avenue
12
Turn right onto Cadillac Square
126 ft
·
4 sec
·
Cadillac Square
13
Arrive at destination
Cadillac Square
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.11 one way
$4.22 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.32 | $4.63 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.60 | $5.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.98 | $5.96 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.42 | $0.65 |
| Efficient EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.18 | $0.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.89 | $0.86 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Detroit, MI
Late night in Detroit on Saturday
Local time
2:06 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°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
21m 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 Grosse Pointe Woods, MI to Detroit, MI covers 13.5 miles and takes about 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Edsel Ford Freeway, Walter P. Chrysler Freeway, Vernier Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.8 miles from Grosse Pointe Woods, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.11 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 13.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (Harper Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.9 miles (I 375 / Walter P. Chrysler Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Grosse Pointe Woods, MI and Detroit, MI, road signs point toward Flint and Jefferson Avenue East.
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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