Origin
Stronach, MI
Afternoon in Stronach on Friday
Local time
4:29 PM
EDT
Current temp
37°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Stronach, MI to Chief Lake, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
20.6 mi
33 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 29m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Stronach, MI
HONG SON
Chief Lake, MI
Enric Cruz López
Trip Overview
Stronach to Chief Lake is 20.6 miles and takes about 31 minutes via Chippewa Highway, 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 local drive that's more about navigating smaller roads than covering long distances. You'll want to be prepared for frequent turns rather than a straightforward cruise. This route is best suited for a quick local excursion, perfect for a single day of travel without needing overnight accommodations.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 20.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m 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 'turn-heavy local drive' for this 20.6-mile journey, with no highway miles to speak of. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 8.8 miles along Chippewa Highway. This suggests a route that is more about navigating through local communities and intersections than cruising on a high-speed road. You'll likely be adjusting your speed and direction frequently, making it feel like a series of connected local roads rather than a single unified highway experience.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Chippewa Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 8.8 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 Water Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 31m 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: near the start (Water Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (M 55 / Caberfae Highway): Navigation decision point; at 5.1 miles (US 31 / East Parkdale Avenue): Navigation decision point.
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 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Water Street
Turn right onto Water Street
Navigation decision point
4
2.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
M 55 / Caberfae Highway
At end of road, turn left onto M 55 / Caberfae Highway
Navigation decision point
4
5.1 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
US 31 / East Parkdale Avenue
Turn right onto US 31 / East Parkdale Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
8.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
US 31 / Chippewa Highway
Enter roundabout onto US 31 / Chippewa Highway
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
3
15.9 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
CR 598 / Nine Mile Road
Turn right onto CR 598 / Nine Mile Road
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Chippewa Highway | 8.8 mi | 11m |
| Nine Mile Road | 3 mi | 5m |
| Eastlake Road | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| Caberfae Highway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| East Parkdale Avenue | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Chief Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Water Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| 3rd Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Chippewa Highway
— 8.8 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Stronach, MI and Chief Lake, MI.
1
Start on 3rd Avenue
39 ft
·
3 sec
·
3rd Avenue
2
Turn right onto Water Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Water Street
3
Turn straight onto Eastlake Road
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Eastlake Road
4
At end of road, turn left onto M 55
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Caberfae Highway
5
Turn right onto US 31
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
East Parkdale Avenue
6
Continue on US 31
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Chippewa Highway
7
Enter roundabout onto US 31
91 ft
·
1 sec
·
Chippewa Highway
8
Continue on US 31
7.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Chippewa Highway
9
Turn right onto CR 598
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Nine Mile Road
10
Turn right onto Chief Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Chief Road
11
Arrive at destination
Chief Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.22 one way
$6.44 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.54 | $7.07 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.96 | $7.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.55 | $9.10 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 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 | 6.2 | 0 | $2.16 | $0.99 |
| Efficient EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.80 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.88 | $1.32 |
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
Chief Lake, MI
Afternoon in Chief Lake on Friday
Local time
4:29 PM
EDT
Current temp
56°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
19 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
31m 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 Stronach, MI to Chief Lake, MI covers 20.6 miles and takes about 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Chippewa Highway, Nine Mile Road, Eastlake Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.3 miles from Stronach, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.22 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 31m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Water Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (M 55 / Caberfae Highway): Navigation decision point; at 5.1 miles (US 31 / East Parkdale Avenue): Navigation decision point.
The route from Stronach, MI to Chief Lake, 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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