Trip from Suttons Bay, MI to Dearborn, MI

Drive Time

4h 38m

Distance

279.7 mi

450 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$42

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
4h 25m ★
6 AM
4h 38m
8 AM
5h 5m
10 AM
4h 48m
12 PM
4h 45m
3 PM
4h 49m
5 PM
5h 4m
8 PM
4h 30m

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

Downtown Dearborn, MI, MI

Dearborn, MI

fish socks

Trip Overview

The drive from Suttons Bay, MI to Dearborn, MI covers 279.7 miles and takes about 4h 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on East Madison Street, North Saint Josephs Avenue, South West Bay Shore Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $42.48 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

139.8 miles from Suttons Bay, MI

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 19m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 4h 38m drive with frequent turns across 279.7 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 31 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East Madison Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

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.

Route Complexity 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

This is a straightforward 4h 38m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Suttons Bay, MI to Dearborn, MI is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East Madison Street Unavailable Refreshing
North Saint Josephs Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
South West Bay Shore Drive Unavailable Refreshing
West Grandview Parkway Unavailable Refreshing
North Union Street Unavailable Refreshing
East Eighth Street Unavailable Refreshing
Munson Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
US 31 North Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: East Madison Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Suttons Bay, MI and Dearborn, MI.

1

Start on North Front Street

338 ft · 16 sec · North Front Street
2

Turn right onto East Madison Street

167 ft · 12 sec · East Madison Street
3

Turn left onto North Saint Josephs Avenue

443 ft · 15 sec · North Saint Josephs Avenue
4

Continue on South West Bay Shore Drive

15 mi · 21 min · South West Bay Shore Drive
5

Turn slight left onto South West Bay Shore Drive

95 ft · 6 sec · South West Bay Shore Drive
6

Turn left onto West Grandview Parkway

1.2 mi · 2 min · West Grandview Parkway
7

Turn right onto North Union Street

0.4 mi · 58 sec · North Union Street
8

Turn left onto East Eighth Street

2.2 mi · 4 min · East Eighth Street
9

Turn right onto Munson Avenue

1.2 mi · 2 min · Munson Avenue
10

Continue on US 31 North

3.8 mi · 6 min · US 31 North
11

Turn right onto East M 72

0.8 mi · 1 min · East M 72
12

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward East M 72

115 ft · 5 sec · East M 72
13

Exit the roundabout onto East M 72

0.4 mi · 36 sec · East M 72
14

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward East M 72

115 ft · 1 sec · East M 72
15

Exit the roundabout onto East M 72

7.2 mi · 9 min · East M 72
16

Continue on M-72 West

7.7 mi · 10 min · M-72 West
17

Continue on West Mile Road Northwest

1.0 mi · 1 min · West Mile Road Northwest
18

Turn right onto North Cedar Street

2.0 mi · 3 min · North Cedar Street
19

Turn left onto M-72 West

23 mi · 31 min · M-72 West
20

Continue straight

1.1 mi · 2 min
21

Turn right onto North James Street

1.4 mi · 3 min · North James Street
22

Take the exit straight toward I 75 South

4.2 mi · 4 min · I 75 South
23

Keep slight left to continue on I 75: Saginaw, Detroit

124 mi · 2 hr 7 min · I 75: Saginaw, Detroit
24

Keep slight left

11 mi · 11 min
25

Keep slight left

61 mi · 1 hr 5 min
26

Take the exit slight right toward I 94: Port Huron, Chicago

0.3 mi · 37 sec · I 94: Port Huron, Chicago
27

Keep slight right to continue on I 94 West: Chicago

0.3 mi · 43 sec · I 94 West: Chicago
28

Merge slight left onto Edsel Ford Freeway

5.6 mi · 7 min · Edsel Ford Freeway
29

Take the exit slight right toward US 12: Michigan Avenue, Dearborn

0.4 mi · 56 sec · US 12: Michigan Avenue, Dearborn
30

At the end of the road, turn right onto Michigan Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · Michigan Avenue
31

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 139.8 miles from Suttons Bay, MI, or about 2h 19m into the drive.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 80 miles or 1h 19m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 139.8 miles or 2h 19m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 48m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Dearborn, MI than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Suttons Bay, MI so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Suttons Bay, MI

This is one driving day of about 279.7 miles and 4h 38m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Suttons Bay, MI.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 139.8 mi from Suttons Bay, MI · 2h 19m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Skidway Lake, MI

140 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

Waukegan, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Skidway Lake, MI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 139.8 miles from Suttons Bay, MI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Dearborn, MI

The final approach into Dearborn, MI usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Dearborn, MI.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$42.48 one way

$84.97 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 98 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $46.83 $93.67
premium $4.80 $52.80 $105.60
diesel $5.64 $62.14 $124.28

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$42

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$67–$92

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 97.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $29 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 83.9 1 $29.37 $13.43
Efficient EV 69.9 0 $24.47 $11.19
EV Truck/SUV 111.9 1 $39.16 $17.90

Gas CO2

98 kg

EV CO2

33 kg (66% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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 data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Suttons Bay, MI

Morning in Suttons Bay on Monday

Local time

11:51 AM

EDT

Current temp

56°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Dearborn, MI

Morning in Dearborn on Monday

Local time

11:51 AM

EDT

Current temp

68°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

4h 38m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Suttons Bay, MI to Dearborn, MI covers 279.7 miles and takes about 4h 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are East Madison Street, North Saint Josephs Avenue, South West Bay Shore Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 139.8 miles from Suttons Bay, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $42.48 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 4h 38m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Suttons Bay, MI to Dearborn, MI is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Suttons Bay, MI to Dearborn, MI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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