Origin
Jackson, MI
Late night in Jackson on Saturday
Local time
1:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Jackson, MI to Lansing, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
38.5 mi
62 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Jackson, MI
Roberto Gonzalez
Trip Overview
Jackson, MI to Lansing, MI is 38.5 miles and takes about 44m via North West Avenue and Ransom E Olds Freeway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest, connecting two points in Michigan. Expect a relatively quick drive that's more about navigating local roads than cruising on a highway. Given its short duration, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your schedule. It's a straightforward journey for those looking to travel between these two Michigan cities with minimal fuss.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 44m. Total distance: 38.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This drive is characterized as 'turn-heavy' and local, with only about 6% of the route on highways. You'll experience a mix of city streets and potentially some faster local roads, rather than a continuous interstate experience. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 33.2 miles on North West Avenue, suggesting a significant portion of the drive follows this main artery before transitioning. Prepare for frequent turns and adjustments as you navigate through various local thoroughfares.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North West Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 33.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Washington Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 38.5 miles you will encounter 12 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: near the start (East Washington Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (BUS US 127; M 50 / South Cooper Street): Navigation decision point; at 35.3 miles (I 496 / Ransom E Olds Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Washington Avenue
Turn left onto East Washington Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
BUS US 127; M 50 / South Cooper Street
Turn left onto BUS US 127; M 50 / South Cooper Street
Navigation decision point
5
35.3 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
I 496 / Ransom E Olds Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 496 / Ransom E Olds Freeway toward I 496 West: Downtown Lansing
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 496 West: Downtown Lansing
5
37.7 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Take the exit toward Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 6
Toward Downtown
5
38.5 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
Townsend Street
Turn right onto Townsend Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North West Avenue | 33.2 mi | 35m |
| Ransom E Olds Freeway | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| Lansing Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Louis Glick Highway | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Walnut Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Clinton Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Blackstone Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Cooper Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North West Avenue
— 33.2 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Jackson, MI and Lansing, MI.
1
Start on this road
75 ft
·
10 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto East Washington Avenue
272 ft
·
8 sec
·
East Washington Avenue
3
Turn left onto BUS US 127; M 50
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
South Cooper Street
4
Turn left onto BUS US 127; M 50
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Louis Glick Highway
5
Turn right onto North Blackstone Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
North Blackstone Street
6
Keep slight left at fork onto Lansing Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Lansing Avenue
7
Turn straight onto Clinton Road
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
Clinton Road
8
Turn left onto West Monroe Street
303 ft
·
14 sec
·
West Monroe Street
9
Turn right onto BUS US 127; M 50
33 mi
·
35 min
·
North West Avenue
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 496
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Ransom E Olds Freeway
Toward I 496 West: Downtown Lansing
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 6
Toward Downtown
12
Turn right onto South Walnut Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Walnut Street
13
Turn right onto West Allegan Street
412 ft
·
12 sec
·
West Allegan Street
14
Turn right onto Townsend Street
22 ft
·
1 sec
·
Townsend Street
15
Arrive at destination
Townsend Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.02 one way
$12.04 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.61 | $13.22 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.41 | $14.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.50 | $17.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 62% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.04 | $1.85 |
| Efficient EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.37 | $1.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.4 | 0 | $5.39 | $2.46 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (62% 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
Lansing, MI
Late night in Lansing on Saturday
Local time
1:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
44m 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 Jackson, MI to Lansing, MI covers 38.5 miles and takes about 44m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North West Avenue, Ransom E Olds Freeway, Lansing Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 19.2 miles from Jackson, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.02 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 38.5 miles you will encounter 12 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: near the start (East Washington Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (BUS US 127; M 50 / South Cooper Street): Navigation decision point; at 35.3 miles (I 496 / Ransom E Olds Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
The route from Jackson, MI to Lansing, MI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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