Origin
Livonia, MI
Late night in Livonia on Saturday
Local time
1:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
9h 49m
Distance
517.9 mi
833 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$81
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Livonia, MI
Wikimedia Commons
L'Anse, MI
HONG SON
The drive from Livonia, MI to L'Anse, MI covers 517.9 miles and takes about 9h 49m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Plymouth Road, Merriman Road, Schoolcraft Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $80.97 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
258.9 miles from Livonia, MI
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 54m into the drive .
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
9h 49m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Long-distance drive route profile.
At 517.9 miles and 9h 49m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Plymouth Road and Merriman Road.
At 9h 49m, 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
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 49m, 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 Livonia, MI to L'Anse, MI is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Plymouth Road | — | — |
| Merriman Road | — | — |
| Schoolcraft Road | — | — |
| I 96 West | — | — |
| Jeffries Freeway | — | — |
| Disabled American Veterans Memorial Highway | — | — |
| US 23 South | — | — |
| US 23 North | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Step-by-step road directions between Livonia, MI and L'Anse, MI.
Start on the route
Turn right
Turn right onto Plymouth Road
Turn left onto Merriman Road
Turn right onto Schoolcraft Road
Continue on Schoolcraft Road
Take the ramp straight toward I 96 West
Merge slight left onto Jeffries Freeway
Take the exit slight right toward I 96 West, I 275 North: Flint, Lansing
Merge slight left onto Disabled American Veterans Memorial Highway
Take the exit slight right toward US 23 South, US 23 North: Ann Arbor, Spencer Road, Flint
Keep slight right to continue on US 23 North: Flint
Merge slight left
Keep slight left
Keep slight left
Take the exit slight right toward US 2: Manistique, Escanaba
Merge slight left onto US-2 West
Continue on US 2
Continue on US-2 West
Turn right
Turn sharp left onto M-28
Continue on Cedar Street
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward East Munising
Exit the roundabout onto East Munising
Continue on M-28
Continue on Cherry Creek Road
Turn right onto County Road 480
Continue on Rail Street
Turn right onto Division Street
Turn right onto West Main Street
Turn left onto North Teal Lake Avenue
Turn left onto US Highway 41
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route
Exit the roundabout
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route
Exit the roundabout
Turn right onto Broad Street
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 114 miles or 2h 9m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 258.9 miles or 4h 54m 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 258.9 miles or 4h 54m
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 41m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near L'Anse, MI than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Livonia, 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 Livonia, MI
Aim for roughly 259 miles and 4.9 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into L'Anse, MI
Aim for roughly 259 miles and 4.9 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 258.9 mi from Livonia, MI · 4h 54m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
171 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
342 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 Laketon, MINight 1
259 mi · about 4.9h in
A practical overnight split lands near Dafter, MI after about 259 miles or 4.9 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 114 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 258.9 miles from Livonia, 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 259 miles or 4.9 hours on the road.
The final approach into L'Anse, 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 L'Anse, MI.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach L'Anse, 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
$80.97 one way
$161.94 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $88.90 | $177.80 |
| premium | $4.89 | $99.67 | $199.33 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $114.35 | $228.69 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$81
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$211–$321
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 181.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $54 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 155.4 | 1 | $54.38 | $24.86 |
| Efficient EV | 129.5 | 1 | $45.32 | $20.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 207.2 | 2 | $72.51 | $33.15 |
Gas CO2
181 kg
EV CO2
61 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Livonia on Saturday
Local time
1:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Destination
Late night in L'Anse on Saturday
Local time
1:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
33°F
Laketon, MI
342 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.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore more options from Livonia, MI or browse trips ending in L'Anse, MI.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MI road trips.