Origin
Sterling Heights, MI
Night in Sterling Heights on Friday
Local time
10:08 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sterling Heights, MI to North Branch, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 12m
Distance
53.5 mi
86 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 7m
★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 9m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sterling Heights, MI
fish socks
North Branch, MI
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
The drive from Sterling Heights, MI to North Branch, MI covers 53.5 miles and takes about 1h 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on M 53, North Van Dyke Road, North Branch Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 24.2 miles on M 53. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.36 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 12m. Total distance: 53.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 12m 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
Expect a 1h 12m drive with frequent turns across 53.5 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
M 53 is the longest continuous segment at about 24.2 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 around 0.2 miles in near Fanning 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 1h 12m 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 0.2 miles (Fanning Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (New Bradford Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (M 53 / Van Dyke Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Fanning Road
Turn right onto Fanning Road
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
New Bradford Boulevard
Turn right onto New Bradford Boulevard
Navigation decision point
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
M 53 / Van Dyke Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto M 53 / Van Dyke Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
M 53
Keep slight right at fork onto M 53 toward M 53 North: Imlay City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward M 53 North: Imlay City
4
25.9 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
M 53 / North Van Dyke Road
Turn left onto M 53 / North Van Dyke Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| M 53 | 24.2 mi | 30m |
| North Van Dyke Road | 19.4 mi | 26m |
| North Branch Road | 5.3 mi | 7m |
| South Cedar Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Van Dyke Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Huron Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North Cedar Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| 17 Mile Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
M 53
— 24.2 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sterling Heights, MI and North Branch, MI.
1
Start on 17 Mile Road
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
17 Mile Road
2
Turn right onto Fanning Road
225 ft
·
13 sec
·
Fanning Road
3
Turn right onto New Bradford Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
New Bradford Boulevard
4
At end of road, turn right onto M 53
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Van Dyke Avenue
Use the right lane.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto M 53
24 mi
·
30 min
·
M 53
Toward M 53 North: Imlay City
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left onto M 53
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
North Van Dyke Road
Use the straight lane.
7
Continue on M 53
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
South Cedar Street
8
Continue on M 53
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Cedar Street
9
Continue on M 53
14 mi
·
18 min
·
North Van Dyke Road
10
Turn left onto M 90
5.3 mi
·
7 min
·
North Branch Road
11
Continue on M 90
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Huron Street
12
Arrive at destination
M 90
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 26.7 mi from Sterling Heights, MI · 34m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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
Arriving in North Branch, MI
The final approach into North Branch, MI usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.36 one way
$16.73 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.18 | $18.37 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.30 | $20.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.81 | $23.62 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.62 | $2.57 |
| Efficient EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.68 | $2.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.4 | 0 | $7.49 | $3.42 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
North Branch, MI
Night in North Branch on Friday
Local time
10:08 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°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
7 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
1h 12m 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 Sterling Heights, MI to North Branch, MI covers 53.5 miles and takes about 1h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are M 53, North Van Dyke Road, North Branch Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 26.7 miles from Sterling Heights, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.36 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 1h 12m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Fanning Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (New Bradford Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (M 53 / Van Dyke Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Sterling Heights, MI to North Branch, 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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Return Trip
North Branch, MI to Sterling Heights, MIPlan the drive back the other way.
53.4 mi
1h 12m
Continue From North Branch, MI
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