Origin
Royal Oak, MI
Morning in Royal Oak on Saturday
Local time
11:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Royal Oak, MI to Waterford, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
21 mi
34 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 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Royal Oak, MI
Wikimedia Commons
Waterford, MI
Adrien Olichon
Trip Overview
Royal Oak, MI to Waterford, MI is 21 miles and takes about 38m via Woodward Avenue/Dixie Highway/Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region and the state of Michigan. Expect a route with frequent turns, characteristic of local driving. It's a straightforward journey perfect for a quick local excursion or as part of a larger Michigan road trip. You'll be navigating primarily local roads for the entire 21 miles, so keep an eye on your navigation.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 21 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m 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 drive is characterized by its 'turn-heavy local drive' profile, with 0% highway share. You won't encounter any interstate speeds here. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 12.9 miles along Woodward Avenue. As you progress, you'll transition from Woodward Avenue to Dixie Highway and then Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, indicating a series of directional changes rather than a continuous, high-speed journey. Be prepared for city-like traffic patterns and frequent intersections throughout the 38-minute trip.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 9 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Woodward Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 12.9 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 West 11 Mile Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 38m drive. You will face about 4 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 (West 11 Mile Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (M 1 / Woodward Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.4 miles (Williams Lake Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
4 of 4 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
|
West 11 Mile Road
Turn left onto West 11 Mile Road
Navigation decision point
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
M 1 / Woodward Avenue
Turn right onto M 1 / Woodward Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
19.4 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
Williams Lake Road
Turn left onto Williams Lake Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
20.7 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
David K Drive
Turn right onto David K Drive
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Woodward Avenue | 12.9 mi | 23m |
| Dixie Highway | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| Cesar E. Chavez Avenue | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Williams Lake Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| West 11 Mile Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| David K Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Woodward Avenue
— 12.9 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Royal Oak, MI and Waterford, MI.
1
Start on this road
124 ft
·
14 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto West 11 Mile Road
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
West 11 Mile Road
3
Continue on West 11 Mile Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West 11 Mile Road
4
Turn right onto M 1
13 mi
·
23 min
·
Woodward Avenue
Use the right lane.
5
Turn right onto US 24 BUS
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Cesar E. Chavez Avenue
6
Continue on US 24 BUS
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Dixie Highway
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left onto Williams Lake Road
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Williams Lake Road
Use the left lane.
8
Turn right onto David K Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
David K Drive
9
Arrive at destination
David K Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.28 one way
$6.57 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.60 | $7.21 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.04 | $8.08 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.64 | $9.27 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.3 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 | 6.3 | 0 | $2.20 | $1.01 |
| Efficient EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.84 | $0.84 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.94 | $1.34 |
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.
Destination
Waterford, MI
Morning in Waterford on Saturday
Local time
11:50 AM
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
3 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
38m 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 Waterford, MI covers 21 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Woodward Avenue, Dixie Highway, Cesar E. Chavez Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.5 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 $3.28 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 38m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 11 Mile Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (M 1 / Woodward Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.4 miles (Williams Lake Road): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Royal Oak, MI to Waterford, 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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