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Trip from Sterling Heights, MI to Ortonville, MI

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

Drive Time

46m

Distance

35.6 mi

57 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 43m ★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Sterling Heights, MI, MI

Sterling Heights, MI

fish socks

Downtown Ortonville, MI, MI

Ortonville, MI

fish socks

Trip Overview

The drive from Sterling Heights, MI to Ortonville, MI covers 35.6 miles and takes about 46m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 75, M 59, Ortonville Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.8 miles on I 75. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.57 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 35.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

46m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (36%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile.

Drive Character

The drive from Sterling Heights, MI to Ortonville, MI covers 35.6 miles and takes about 46m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 75 is the longest continuous segment at about 12.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.4 miles in near M-59 Service Drive.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 35.6 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 4.4 miles (M-59 Service Drive): Navigation decision point; at 14.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 key points

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

5
4.4 mi into trip | ~7m in | M-59 Service Drive

Turn right onto M-59 Service Drive

Navigation decision point

7
14.1 mi into trip | ~18m in

Take the exit toward I 75 North: Flint

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 40B Toward I 75 North: Flint
8
27.4 mi into trip | ~33m in

Take the exit toward M 15: Clarkston, Davison

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 91 Toward M 15: Clarkston, Davison
6
27.7 mi into trip | ~33m in | M 15 / Ortonville Road

Turn right onto M 15 / Ortonville Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
4
35.5 mi into trip | ~46m in | Mill Street

Turn right onto Mill Street

Navigation decision point

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Sterling Heights, MI and Ortonville, MI, road signs point toward M 59 West, M 15: Clarkston and Davison.

M 59 West

4.6 mi in | ~7m

M 15: Clarkston

27.4 mi in | ~33m

Davison

27.4 mi in | ~33m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 75 12.8 mi 13m
M 59 9.1 mi 9m
Ortonville Road 7.2 mi 10m
Mound Road 3.4 mi 5m
17 Mile Road 1 mi 1m
South Street 0.7 mi 1m
M-59 Service Drive 0.2 mi <1m
Mill Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 75 — 12.8 mi, about 13m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Sterling Heights, MI and Ortonville, MI.

1

Start on 17 Mile Road

1.0 mi · 1 min · 17 Mile Road
2

Turn right onto Mound Road

3.2 mi · 5 min · Mound Road
3

Continue on Mound Road

0.1 mi · 24 sec · Mound Road
4

Turn right onto M-59 Service Drive

0.2 mi · 24 sec · M-59 Service Drive
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Toward M 59 West
6

Merge onto M 59

9.1 mi · 9 min · M 59
7

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 40B Toward I 75 North: Flint Use the slight right lane.
8

Merge onto I 75

13 mi · 13 min · I 75
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 50 sec
Exit 91 Toward M 15: Clarkston, Davison Use the slight right lane.
10

Turn right onto M 15

7.2 mi · 10 min · Ortonville Road
Use the right lane.
11

Turn slight right onto South Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · South Street
Use the right lane.
12

Turn right onto Mill Street

463 ft · 15 sec · Mill Street
13

Arrive at destination

Mill Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 17.8 mi from Sterling Heights, MI · 22m into the drive

city and county seat of Oakland County, Michigan, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Pontiac, MI

18 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

Springfield, MI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 35.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Pontiac, MI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 17.8 miles from Sterling Heights, MI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Ortonville, MI

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Ortonville, MI if you are unfamiliar with the area.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.57 one way

$11.13 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $6.11 $12.22
premium $4.89 $6.85 $13.70
diesel $5.61 $7.86 $15.72

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.7 0 $3.74 $1.71
Efficient EV 8.9 0 $3.11 $1.42
EV Truck/SUV 14.2 0 $4.98 $2.28

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (67% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Sterling Heights, MI

Morning in Sterling Heights on Saturday

Local time

11:33 AM

EDT

Current temp

53°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SSE 8 to 12 mph 73% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 18 at 1:58AM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 18 at 1:37AM EDT by NWS Grand Rapids MI

Destination

Ortonville, MI

Morning in Ortonville on Saturday

Local time

11:33 AM

EDT

Current temp

65°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

12 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

46m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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 Ortonville, MI covers 35.6 miles and takes about 46m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 75, M 59, Ortonville Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 17.8 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 $5.57 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 35.6 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

The main spots that need attention: at 4.4 miles (M-59 Service Drive): Navigation decision point; at 14.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Between Sterling Heights, MI and Ortonville, MI, road signs point toward M 59 West, M 15: Clarkston and Davison.

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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Explore More

Return Trip

Ortonville, MI to Sterling Heights, MI

Plan the drive back the other way.

36.6 mi 47m

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