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Trip from Royal Oak, MI to Clinton Township, MI

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

29m

Distance

18.7 mi

30 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
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.

city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States

Royal Oak, MI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Clinton Township, MI, MI

Clinton Township, MI

fish socks

Trip Overview

Royal Oak, MI to Clinton Township, MI is 18.7 miles and takes about 29 minutes via Groesbeck Highway and Walter P Reuther Freeway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Michigan, connecting two points in the Midwest region. It's a straightforward drive, primarily on main roads, making it ideal for a quick errand or a brief transition between locations. You can expect a mixed driving experience, so plan for a relatively easy journey with minimal planning required.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 18.7 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 (40%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This route offers a mixed drive, with about 40% of it being on highways. You'll encounter stretches like the 7.4-mile segment on Groesbeck Highway, which provides a good sense of the road's character. The journey involves a blend of freeway travel and potentially some surface street navigation as you approach your destination. The driving experience is not a monotonous interstate grind, nor is it a purely scenic byway; rather, it's a practical commute connecting two points efficiently.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Groesbeck Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 7.4 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in near South Stephenson Highway.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 18.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (South Stephenson Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.3 miles (I-75 South to I-696 East): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
1.5 mi into trip | ~3m in | South Stephenson Highway

Turn right onto South Stephenson Highway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
9
2.1 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the exit toward I 696: Port Huron, Lansing

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 61 Toward I 696: Port Huron, Lansing
7
2.3 mi into trip | ~5m in | I-75 South to I-696 East

Keep slight left at fork onto I-75 South to I-696 East toward I 696 East: Port Huron

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 696 East: Port Huron
7
9.6 mi into trip | ~13m in

Take the exit toward M 97: Groesbeck Highway

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 26 Toward M 97: Groesbeck Highway
6
18.3 mi into trip | ~28m in | Moravian Drive

At end of road, turn left onto Moravian Drive

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Royal Oak, MI and Clinton Township, MI, road signs point toward Lansing and M 97: Groesbeck Highway.

Lansing

2.1 mi in | ~4m

M 97: Groesbeck Highway

9.6 mi in | ~13m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Groesbeck Highway 7.4 mi 12m
Walter P Reuther Freeway 6.8 mi 7m
West 11 Mile Road 1.4 mi 3m
I-75 South to I-696 East 0.6 mi 1m
Harrington Street 0.6 mi 1m
East 11 Mile Road 0.5 mi <1m
South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway 0.2 mi <1m
White Oaks Drive 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Groesbeck Highway — 7.4 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Royal Oak, MI and Clinton Township, MI.

1

Start on this road

124 ft · 11 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto West 11 Mile Road

1.4 mi · 3 min · West 11 Mile Road
3

Turn right onto South Stephenson Highway

396 ft · 9 sec · South Stephenson Highway
Use the right lane.
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Toward I 75 South
5

Merge onto I 75

0.2 mi · 16 sec · South Walter P. Chrysler Freeway
6

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 30 sec
Exit 61 Toward I 696: Port Huron, Lansing Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto I-75 South to I-696 East

0.6 mi · 1 min · I-75 South to I-696 East
Toward I 696 East: Port Huron Use the slight left lane.
8

Continue on I 696

6.8 mi · 7 min · Walter P Reuther Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 30 sec
Exit 26 Toward M 97: Groesbeck Highway Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn straight onto East 11 Mile Road

0.5 mi · 59 sec · East 11 Mile Road
11

Turn left onto M 97

7.4 mi · 12 min · Groesbeck Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
12

Turn left onto Harrington Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · Harrington Street
Use the left lane.
13

At end of road, turn left onto Moravian Drive

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Moravian Drive
Use the left lane.
14

Turn right onto White Oaks Drive

0.2 mi · 52 sec · White Oaks Drive
15

Turn right onto Red Oaks Drive

289 ft · 12 sec · Red Oaks Drive
16

Arrive at destination

Red Oaks Drive

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.92 one way

$5.85 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $3.21 $6.42
premium $4.89 $3.60 $7.20
diesel $5.61 $4.13 $8.26

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.6 0 $1.96 $0.90
Efficient EV 4.7 0 $1.64 $0.75
EV Truck/SUV 7.5 0 $2.62 $1.20

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Royal Oak, MI

Late night in Royal Oak on Saturday

Local time

1:52 AM

EDT

Current temp

49°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Clinton Township, MI

Late night in Clinton Township on Saturday

Local time

1:52 AM

EDT

Current temp

49°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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

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 Royal Oak, MI to Clinton Township, MI covers 18.7 miles and takes about 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Groesbeck Highway, Walter P Reuther Freeway, West 11 Mile Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 9.4 miles from Royal Oak, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.92 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 12 decision points packed into just 18.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (South Stephenson Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.3 miles (I-75 South to I-696 East): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Between Royal Oak, MI and Clinton Township, MI, road signs point toward Lansing and M 97: Groesbeck Highway.

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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