Origin
Orchard Lake, MI
Late night in Orchard Lake on Saturday
Local time
5:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Orchard Lake, MI to Dearborn, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
24.3 mi
39 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Orchard Lake, MI
Sean Ewing
Dearborn, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 24.3-mile drive from Orchard Lake to Dearborn, Michigan, is a quick 37-minute journey perfect for a single day trip. You'll primarily navigate via the Southfield Freeway, John C Lodge Freeway, and Northwestern Highway, experiencing a mixed drive that's largely highway. With a modest fuel cost of around $4, this route offers an economical and straightforward way to travel within the Midwest region. Given its short distance and duration, it doesn't require an overnight stay, allowing for maximum flexibility in your schedule.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 24.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (53%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a drive that's more than half highway, with 53% of the route utilizing major freeways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8.2 miles on the Southfield Freeway, offering a consistent pace for a significant portion of the trip. This is a mixed drive, meaning you'll transition between faster freeway speeds and potentially more varied road conditions as you approach your destination. The character of the road is generally practical and efficient, designed for straightforward transit rather than scenic exploration.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Southfield Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 8.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Orchard Lake Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 24.3 miles you will encounter 6 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 (Orchard Lake Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.9 miles (M 39 / Southfield Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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
|
Orchard Lake Road
Turn left onto Orchard Lake Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
12.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward M 39
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 14C
Toward M 39
5
12.9 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
M 39 / Southfield Freeway
Merge onto M 39 / Southfield Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
21 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward M 153
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 7
Toward M 153
6
23.8 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
Schaefer Road
Turn right onto Schaefer Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Orchard Lake, MI and Dearborn, MI, road signs point toward M 39 and M 153.
M 39
12.3 mi in
|
~18m
M 153
21 mi in
|
~31m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southfield Freeway | 8.2 mi | 11m |
| John C Lodge Freeway | 4.6 mi | 5m |
| Northwestern Highway | 4 mi | 6m |
| Orchard Lake Road | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| Ford Road | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Schaefer Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South M 39 Service Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Michigan Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Southfield Freeway
— 8.2 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Orchard Lake, MI and Dearborn, MI.
1
Start on West Long Lake Road
61 ft
·
5 sec
·
West Long Lake Road
2
Turn left onto Orchard Lake Road
3.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Orchard Lake Road
Use the left lane.
3
Turn slight left
267 ft
·
5 sec
4
Continue on M 10
4.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Northwestern Highway
Use the right lane.
5
Turn straight onto M 10
4.6 mi
·
5 min
·
John C Lodge Freeway
6
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 14C
Toward M 39
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto M 39
8.2 mi
·
11 min
·
Southfield Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Exit 7
Toward M 153
Use the slight right lane.
9
Continue on South M 39 Service Drive
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
South M 39 Service Drive
10
Turn slight right
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
Toward Ford Road
11
Turn straight onto M 153
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Ford Road
12
Turn right onto Schaefer Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Schaefer Road
Use the right lane.
13
Turn right onto US 12
79 ft
·
1 sec
·
Michigan Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
US 12
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.80 one way
$7.60 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.17 | $8.34 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.68 | $9.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.37 | $10.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.17 |
| Efficient EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.13 | $0.97 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.40 | $1.56 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Dearborn, MI
Late night in Dearborn on Saturday
Local time
5:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°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
14 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
37m 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 Orchard Lake, MI to Dearborn, MI covers 24.3 miles and takes about 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Southfield Freeway, John C Lodge Freeway, Northwestern Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12.1 miles from Orchard Lake, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.80 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 24.3 miles you will encounter 6 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 (Orchard Lake Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.9 miles (M 39 / Southfield Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Orchard Lake, MI and Dearborn, MI, road signs point toward M 39 and M 153.
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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