Origin
Pearl Beach, MI
Afternoon in Pearl Beach on Saturday
Local time
3:45 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pearl Beach, MI to Sterling Heights, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
47m
Distance
31.6 mi
51 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pearl Beach, MI
VANNGO Ng
Sterling Heights, MI
fish socks
Trip Overview
Pearl Beach to Sterling Heights is 31.6 miles and takes about 47 minutes via Ford Freeway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, short drive primarily within Michigan's Midwest region. Expect a mixed drive that balances freeway speeds with some local road transitions. It's an easy trip, perfect for a quick move or a day trip without needing an overnight stay. The route is manageable and won't eat up a significant portion of your day.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Freeway | 7.3 mi | 7m |
| Metropolitan Parkway | 5.5 mi | 7m |
| Dixie Highway | 4.7 mi | 7m |
| 23 Mile Road | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| Dyke Road | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Utica Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| 17 Mile Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Green Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
Ford Freeway
— 7.3 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pearl Beach, MI and Sterling Heights, MI.
1
Start on M 29
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Pointe Tremble Road
2
Continue on M 29
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Dyke Road
3
Continue on M 29
4.7 mi
·
7 min
·
Dixie Highway
4
Continue on M 29
0.6 mi
·
58 sec
·
Main Street
5
Continue on M 29
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Green Street
6
Continue on M 29
3.9 mi
·
6 min
·
23 Mile Road
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 94 West: Detroit
8
Merge onto I 94
7.3 mi
·
7 min
·
Ford Freeway
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 236
Toward Metropolitan Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto Metropolitan Parkway
5.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Metropolitan Parkway
Use the right lane.
11
Turn right onto Utica Road
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Utica Road
Use the right lane.
12
Turn left onto 17 Mile Road
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
17 Mile Road
Use the left lane.
13
Arrive at destination
17 Mile Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
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 31.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.8 miles from Pearl Beach, MI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 14.6 and 29.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
14.6 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the ramp toward I 94 West: Detroit
Navigation decision point
Toward I 94 West: Detroit
7
22.2 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward Metropolitan Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 236
Toward Metropolitan Parkway
6
22.5 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
Metropolitan Parkway
Turn right onto Metropolitan Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
28 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
Utica Road
Turn right onto Utica Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
29.8 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
17 Mile Road
Turn left onto 17 Mile Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.94 one way
$9.88 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.42 | $10.85 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.08 | $12.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.98 | $13.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.1 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 | 9.5 | 0 | $3.32 | $1.52 |
| Efficient EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.42 | $2.02 |
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
Sterling Heights, MI
Afternoon in Sterling Heights on Saturday
Local time
3:45 PM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
WSW 12 to 16 mph
88% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 8:36AM EDT by NWS Marquette MI
Flash Flood Watch
Flash Flood Watch issued April 18 at 8:13AM EDT until April 19 at 12:00PM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI
47°F
Milton, MI
16 mi in
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
20 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
47m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
This trip offers a mixed drive experience, with about 40% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on Ford Freeway, Metropolitan Parkway, and Dixie Highway, providing a varied driving feel. The longest uninterrupted segment is 7.3 miles on Ford Freeway, allowing for a good pace. As you progress, the drive transitions from more open freeway to potentially busier local road sections as you approach Sterling Heights.
40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.3 mi on Ford Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 14.6 miles in.
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 47m 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: at 14.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 22.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.5 miles (Metropolitan Parkway): Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 47m. Total distance: 31.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (40%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.3 miles on Ford Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 14.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 22.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.5 miles (Metropolitan Parkway): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Sterling Heights, MI before heading back.
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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