Origin
Manistee, MI
Afternoon in Manistee on Friday
Local time
3:22 PM
EDT
Current temp
40°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Manistee, MI to Chief Lake, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
18 mi
29 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Manistee, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Chief Lake, MI
Enric Cruz López
Trip Overview
Manistee to Chief Lake is 18 miles and takes about 29 minutes via Chippewa Highway, Nine Mile Road, and West Parkdale Avenue, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short journey stays within Michigan, offering a straightforward drive that's perfect for a quick trip. You'll be navigating local roads for the entire duration, so don't expect any highway driving on this particular route. Given its brief length, it's an ideal option if you're looking for a simple, uncomplicated drive between two points in the Midwest.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 18 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This route is characterized by its frequent turns, making it a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed highway experience. With a highway share of 0%, you'll be on local roads for the entire 18 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8.8 miles along Chippewa Highway. Expect a driving experience that requires your attention due to the numerous turns, typical of navigating through local communities and backroads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Chippewa Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 8.8 miles.
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 early in the drive near Maple Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 29m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Maple Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Memorial Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (US 31 / Cleveland Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 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
|
Maple Street
Turn left onto Maple Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Memorial Drive
Turn right onto Memorial Drive
Navigation decision point
4
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 31 / Cleveland Street
Turn left onto US 31 / Cleveland Street
Navigation decision point
4
5.5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
US 31 / Chippewa Highway
Enter roundabout onto US 31 / Chippewa Highway
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
3
13.3 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
CR 598 / Nine Mile Road
Turn right onto CR 598 / Nine Mile Road
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Chippewa Highway | 8.8 mi | 11m |
| Nine Mile Road | 3 mi | 5m |
| West Parkdale Avenue | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Chief Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Arthur Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Parkdale Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Cleveland Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Maple Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Chippewa Highway
— 8.8 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Manistee, MI and Chief Lake, MI.
1
Start on this road
90 ft
·
12 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Maple Street
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
·
Maple Street
3
Continue on Washington Street
405 ft
·
15 sec
·
Washington Street
4
Turn right onto Memorial Drive
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
Memorial Drive
5
Turn left onto US 31
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
Cleveland Street
6
Continue on US 31
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Arthur Street
7
Continue on US 31
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Parkdale Road
8
Continue on US 31
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
West Parkdale Avenue
9
Continue on US 31
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Chippewa Highway
10
Enter roundabout onto US 31
91 ft
·
1 sec
·
Chippewa Highway
11
Continue on US 31
7.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Chippewa Highway
12
Turn right onto CR 598
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Nine Mile Road
13
Turn right onto Chief Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Chief Road
14
Arrive at destination
Chief Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.81 one way
$5.63 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.09 | $6.18 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.46 | $6.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.97 | $7.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.89 | $0.86 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.58 | $0.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.52 | $1.15 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Chief Lake, MI
Afternoon in Chief Lake on Friday
Local time
3:22 PM
EDT
Current temp
56°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
29m 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 Manistee, MI to Chief Lake, MI covers 18 miles and takes about 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Chippewa Highway, Nine Mile Road, West Parkdale Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9 miles from Manistee, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.81 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 29m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Maple Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Memorial Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (US 31 / Cleveland Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Manistee, MI to Chief Lake, 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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