Origin
River Rouge, MI
Evening in River Rouge on Friday
Local time
8:46 PM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from River Rouge, MI to Livonia, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
23.9 mi
38 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
River Rouge, MI
Malena Talauer
Livonia, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 23.9-mile drive from River Rouge to Livonia, Michigan, is designed for a single day, taking about 31 minutes to complete. You'll spend most of your time on the Jeffries Freeway, with a significant 85% of the journey on highways. Expect a straightforward commute with a modest fuel cost of around $4. Given its short distance and duration, this route is ideal for a quick trip without the need for an overnight stay. It's a practical way to navigate between two points within the Midwest region of Michigan.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 23.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Primarily a highway-focused experience, this route features a substantial 85% share of freeway driving. You'll navigate using major arteries like the Jeffries Freeway (Express) and the Fisher Freeway. The longest uninterrupted stretch covers 10.4 miles on the Jeffries Freeway (Express), offering a period of consistent travel. While largely a direct and efficient path, be prepared for the typical characteristics of urban freeway driving.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Jeffries Freeway (Express) is the longest continuous segment at about 10.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Jeffries Freeway (Express) and Jeffries Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 23.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12 miles (I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 75 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 75 North
8
5.9 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward I 96 West: Lansing, Michigan Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 48
Toward I 96 West: Lansing, Michigan Avenue
6
12 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Express)
Keep slight left at fork onto I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Express)
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
22.4 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward Merriman Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 175
Toward Merriman Road
6
22.8 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
Merriman Road
Turn left onto Merriman Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffries Freeway (Express) | 10.4 mi | 11m |
| Jeffries Freeway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| Fisher Freeway | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Merriman Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| South Schaefer Highway | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Coolidge Highway | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Fort Street South | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Schoolcraft Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Jeffries Freeway (Express)
— 10.4 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between River Rouge, MI and Livonia, MI.
1
Start on Coolidge Highway
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Coolidge Highway
2
Continue on South Schaefer Highway
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Schaefer Highway
3
Turn right onto M 85
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Fort Street South
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 75 North
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 75
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Fisher Freeway
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 75
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Fisher Freeway
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 48
Toward I 96 West: Lansing, Michigan Avenue
Use the slight left lane.
8
Continue on I 96
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Jeffries Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 96
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Jeffries Freeway (Express)
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 175
Toward Merriman Road
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn straight onto Schoolcraft Road
502 ft
·
18 sec
·
Schoolcraft Road
12
Turn left onto Merriman Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Merriman Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
13
Turn right
98 ft
·
9 sec
14
Turn right
31 ft
·
2 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.74 one way
$7.47 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.10 | $8.21 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.60 | $9.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.28 | $10.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
| Efficient EV | 6 | 0 | $2.09 | $0.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Livonia, MI
Evening in Livonia on Friday
Local time
8:46 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°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
20 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
31m 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 River Rouge, MI to Livonia, MI covers 23.9 miles and takes about 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Jeffries Freeway (Express), Jeffries Freeway, Fisher Freeway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.9 miles from River Rouge, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.74 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 short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 23.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12 miles (I 96 / Jeffries Freeway (Express)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from River Rouge, MI to Livonia, 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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