This straightforward 28.5-mile drive from Long Lake to East Tawas in Michigan's Midwest region is easily manageable in about 42 minutes. With a minimal highway share of only 9%, it's best suited as a quick day trip, requiring no overnight stays. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $4, making it an economical option. The route is characterized by frequent turns, offering a more engaged driving experience than a typical interstate cruise. You'll find this drive to be a convenient way to connect two points within the same state.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 28.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with a low highway share of just 9%. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 14.2 miles along M 55 West. The roads will likely feel more like navigating local byways rather than open highway, requiring your attention for frequent adjustments. As you progress, the character of the drive will shift between these more involved local sections and brief moments on state highways, providing a varied driving experience for its short duration.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
M 55 West is the longest continuous segment at about 14.2 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
919 ft589 ft
Total Climb
0 ft
Total Descent
330 ft
Highest Point
919 ft
Elevation Range
330 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 3.7 miles in near West Webb.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 42m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.7 miles (West Webb): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 4.7 miles (West Esmond Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.7 miles (M 65 / State Highway 65): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
3.7 mi into trip|~6m in|West Webb
Keep slight right at fork onto West Webb
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
3
4.7 mi into trip|~8m in|West Esmond Road
Turn left onto West Esmond Road
Navigation decision point
4
5.7 mi into trip|~10m in|M 65 / State Highway 65
Turn right onto M 65 / State Highway 65
Navigation decision point
4
12.7 mi into trip|~18m in|M 55 / M 55 West
Turn left onto M 55 / M 55 West
Navigation decision point
4
27.5 mi into trip|~40m in|US 23 / East Lake Street
At end of road, turn left onto US 23 / East Lake Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
M 55 West
14.2 mi
21m
M 65
4.4 mi
5m
State Highway 65
2.5 mi
3m
Long Lake Road
2.2 mi
3m
Putnam Road
0.9 mi
1m
West Webb
0.9 mi
1m
West Esmond Road
0.6 mi
1m
West Bay Street
0.6 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
M 55 West
— 14.2 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Long Lake, MI and East Tawas, MI.
1
Start on Long Lake Road
1.7 mi·2 min·Long Lake Road
2
Continue on North Wilson Creek Road
0.3 mi·33 sec·North Wilson Creek Road
3
Continue on Wilson Creek
0.4 mi·46 sec·Wilson Creek
4
Continue on Long Lake Road
0.5 mi·50 sec·Long Lake Road
5
Continue on West Webb
0.8 mi·1 min·West Webb
6
Keep slight right at fork onto West Webb
491 ft·9 sec·West Webb
7
Continue on Putnam Road
0.9 mi·1 min·Putnam Road
8
Turn left onto West Esmond Road
0.6 mi·1 min·West Esmond Road
9
Continue on West Main Street
0.3 mi·39 sec·West Main Street
10
Turn right onto M 65
0.5 mi·49 sec·State Highway 65
11
Continue on M 65
4.4 mi·5 min·M 65
12
Continue on M 65
2.0 mi·2 min·State Highway 65
13
Turn left onto M 55
14 mi·21 min·M 55 West
14
Continue on M 55
0.6 mi·55 sec·Hemlock Street
15
At end of road, turn left onto US 23
0.4 mi·55 sec·East Lake Street
16
Continue on US 23
0.6 mi·1 min·West Bay Street
17
Arrive at destination
US 23
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.46 one way
$8.91 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg10 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$4.89
$9.78
premium
$4.89
$5.48
$10.97
diesel
$5.61
$6.29
$12.58
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 10 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging
· 0 stops
· 70% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
8.5
0
$2.99
$1.37
Efficient EV
7.1
0
$2.49
$1.14
EV Truck/SUV
11.4
0
$3.99
$1.82
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026
Origin
Long Lake, MI
Late night
in Long Lake on Saturday
Local time
3:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
N 5 mph65% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 4:30PM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 16 at 3:47PM EDT until April 18 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Marquette MI
Destination
East Tawas, MI
Late night
in East Tawas on Saturday
Local time
3:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°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
24 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
42m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Long Lake, MI to East Tawas, MI covers 28.5 miles and takes about 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are M 55 West, M 65, State Highway 65. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.2 miles from Long Lake, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.46 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 straightforward 42m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 3.7 miles (West Webb): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 4.7 miles (West Esmond Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.7 miles (M 65 / State Highway 65): Navigation decision point.
The route from Long Lake, MI to East Tawas, MI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 589 ft to 919 ft elevation with about 0 ft of total climbing.
