Origin
Livonia, MI
Evening in Livonia on Friday
Local time
6:59 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Livonia, MI to Clarkston, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
32 mi
52 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 47m
★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Livonia, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Clarkston, MI
Clara Alave
Trip Overview
The drive from Livonia, MI to Clarkston, MI covers 32 miles and takes about 50m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on M 5, Disabled American Veterans Memorial Highway, South Williams Lake Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.7 miles on M 5. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.00 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 50m. Total distance: 32 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m 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
Expect a 50m drive with frequent turns across 32 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 32 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
M 5 is the longest continuous segment at about 5.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Merriman Road.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 23 decision points packed into just 32 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Merriman Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (Schoolcraft Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 23 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Merriman Road
Turn left onto Merriman Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Schoolcraft Road
Turn right onto Schoolcraft Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
4.9 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward I 96 West, I 275 North: Flint, Lansing
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 96 West, I 275 North: Flint, Lansing
8
10.8 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward I 696, M 5 East, M 5 North: 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 165
Toward I 696, M 5 East, M 5 North: Port Huron
7
11.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight left at fork toward M 5 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward M 5 North
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Livonia, MI and Clarkston, MI, road signs point toward Lansing, M 5 East, M 5 North: Port Huron and M 5 North.
Lansing
4.9 mi in
|
~7m
M 5 East
10.8 mi in
|
~14m
M 5 North: Port Huron
10.8 mi in
|
~14m
M 5 North
11.6 mi in
|
~16m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| M 5 | 5.7 mi | 7m |
| Disabled American Veterans Memorial Highway | 5 mi | 5m |
| South Williams Lake Road | 4.9 mi | 7m |
| Jeffries Freeway | 3.3 mi | 3m |
| Union Lake Road | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| White Lake Road | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Martin Parkway | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Maceday Lake Road | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
M 5
— 5.7 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Livonia, MI and Clarkston, MI.
1
Start on this road
74 ft
·
6 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
87 ft
·
8 sec
3
Turn right onto Plymouth Road
149 ft
·
10 sec
·
Plymouth Road
4
Turn left onto Merriman Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Merriman Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto Schoolcraft Road
333 ft
·
12 sec
·
Schoolcraft Road
Use the right lane.
6
Continue on Schoolcraft Road
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Schoolcraft Road
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
Toward I 96 West
8
Merge onto I 96
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Jeffries Freeway
9
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 96 West, I 275 North: Flint, Lansing
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto I 275; I 96
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Disabled American Veterans Memorial Highway
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
Exit 165
Toward I 696, M 5 East, M 5 North: Port Huron
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 696: Port Huron
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward M 5 North
Use the slight left lane.
14
Continue on M 5
5.7 mi
·
7 min
·
M 5
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Enter roundabout onto Martin Parkway
194 ft
·
11 sec
·
Martin Parkway
16
Continue on Martin Parkway
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Martin Parkway
17
Enter roundabout onto Martin Parkway
110 ft
·
2 sec
·
Martin Parkway
18
Continue on Martin Parkway
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Martin Parkway
19
Enter roundabout onto Martin Parkway
130 ft
·
2 sec
·
Martin Parkway
20
Continue on Martin Parkway
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
Martin Parkway
21
Enter roundabout onto Martin Road
169 ft
·
3 sec
·
Martin Road
22
Continue on Martin Road
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
Martin Road
23
At end of road, turn right onto Richardson Road
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Richardson Road
Use the right lane.
24
Turn left onto Union Lake Road
2.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Union Lake Road
25
Turn right onto Cooley Lake Road
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Cooley Lake Road
26
Turn left onto South Williams Lake Road
4.9 mi
·
7 min
·
South Williams Lake Road
Use the left lane.
27
Turn left onto Maceday Lake Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Maceday Lake Road
Use the left lane.
28
Turn right onto Nelsey Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Nelsey Road
29
Continue on White Lake Road
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
White Lake Road
30
Continue on South Holcomb Road
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Holcomb Road
31
Turn right onto West Washington Street
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
West Washington Street
32
Arrive at destination
East Washington Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 16 mi from Livonia, MI · 22m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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 32 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16 miles from Livonia, MI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Clarkston, MI
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Clarkston, 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
$5.00 one way
$10.01 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.49 | $10.99 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.16 | $12.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.07 | $14.13 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.36 | $1.54 |
| Efficient EV | 8 | 0 | $2.80 | $1.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.48 | $2.05 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Clarkston, MI
Evening in Clarkston on Friday
Local time
6:59 PM
EDT
Current temp
63°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
17 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
50m 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 Livonia, MI to Clarkston, MI covers 32 miles and takes about 50m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are M 5, Disabled American Veterans Memorial Highway, South Williams Lake Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 16 miles from Livonia, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.00 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 23 decision points packed into just 32 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Merriman Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (Schoolcraft Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Livonia, MI and Clarkston, MI, road signs point toward Lansing, M 5 East, M 5 North: Port Huron and M 5 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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