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Trip from Southfield, MI to Chesterfield, MI

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

42m

Distance

30.8 mi

50 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 39m ★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m

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

Southfield, MI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Chesterfield, MI, MI

Chesterfield, MI

Boys in Bristol Photography

Trip Overview

The drive from Southfield, MI to Chesterfield, MI covers 30.8 miles and takes about 42m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Ford Freeway, Walter P Reuther Freeway, West 10 Mile Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.7 miles on Ford Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.82 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 30.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (64%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 42m highway drive covering 30.8 miles, with most of the trip on Ford Freeway and Walter P Reuther Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 9.7 miles on Ford Freeway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Ford Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 9.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Ford Freeway and Walter P Reuther Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.7 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 30.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 5.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles (West 10 Mile Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 16.2 miles: 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.

6
5.7 mi into trip | ~11m in

Turn left

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
5.9 mi into trip | ~11m in | West 10 Mile Road

Keep slight right at fork onto West 10 Mile Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

7
16.2 mi into trip | ~24m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 94 East: Port Huron

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 94 East: Port Huron
7
28.3 mi into trip | ~38m in

Take the exit toward 21 Mile Road

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 241 Toward 21 Mile Road
6
29.5 mi into trip | ~40m in | M 3 / Gratiot Avenue

Turn right onto M 3 / Gratiot Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Ford Freeway 9.7 mi 10m
Walter P Reuther Freeway 8.2 mi 8m
West 10 Mile Road 5.7 mi 11m
Edsel Ford Freeway 1.7 mi 1m
East Heights Drive 1.4 mi 2m
Gratiot Avenue 1.4 mi 2m
21 Mile Road 0.8 mi 1m
Walter P Reuther Drive 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Ford Freeway — 9.7 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Southfield, MI and Chesterfield, MI.

1

Start on West 10 Mile Road

5.6 mi · 10 min · West 10 Mile Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
2

Continue on South Chrysler Drive

0.2 mi · 22 sec · South Chrysler Drive
3

Turn left

297 ft · 16 sec
Use the left lane.
4

Turn left onto North Chrysler Drive

0.1 mi · 13 sec · North Chrysler Drive
5

Keep slight right at fork onto West 10 Mile Road

499 ft · 10 sec · West 10 Mile Road
6

Continue on East Heights Drive

1.4 mi · 2 min · East Heights Drive
7

Continue on Walter P Reuther Drive

0.2 mi · 22 sec · Walter P Reuther Drive
Use the straight / left lanes.
8

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Toward I 696 East
9

Merge onto I 696

8.2 mi · 8 min · Walter P Reuther Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward I 94 East: Port Huron Use the slight left lane.
11

Merge onto I 94

1.7 mi · 1 min · Edsel Ford Freeway
12

Continue on I 94

9.7 mi · 10 min · Ford Freeway
13

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Exit 241 Toward 21 Mile Road Use the slight right lane.
14

Turn left onto 21 Mile Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · 21 Mile Road
15

Turn right onto M 3

1.4 mi · 2 min · Gratiot Avenue
Use the right lane.
16

Turn right onto Kuchenmeister Street

77 ft · 3 sec · Kuchenmeister Street
17

Arrive at destination

Kuchenmeister Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.82 one way

$9.63 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.29 $10.57
premium $4.89 $5.93 $11.85
diesel $5.61 $6.80 $13.60

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 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 9.2 0 $3.23 $1.48
Efficient EV 7.7 0 $2.70 $1.23
EV Truck/SUV 12.3 0 $4.31 $1.97

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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Southfield, MI

Night in Southfield on Thursday

Local time

9:54 PM

EDT

Current temp

68°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Chesterfield, MI

Night in Chesterfield on Thursday

Local time

9:54 PM

EDT

Current temp

48°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

42m 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 Southfield, MI to Chesterfield, MI covers 30.8 miles and takes about 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Ford Freeway, Walter P Reuther Freeway, West 10 Mile Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 15.4 miles from Southfield, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.82 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 30.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
The main spots that need attention: at 5.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles (West 10 Mile Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 16.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Southfield, MI to Chesterfield, MI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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