Origin
Vassar, MI
Late night in Vassar on Saturday
Local time
3:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Vassar, MI to Ellington, MI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
25.6 mi
41 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Vassar, MI
fish socks
Ellington, MI
fish socks
Trip Overview
The drive from Vassar, MI to Ellington, MI covers 25.6 miles and takes about 34m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on West Sanilac Road, Mertz Road, East Caro Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.9 miles on West Sanilac Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.00 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 25.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m 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 34m drive with frequent turns across 25.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
West Sanilac Road is the longest continuous segment at about 9.9 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 1.2 miles in near Cottrell Drive.
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 34m 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 1.2 miles (Cottrell Drive): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (Waterman Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.4 miles (South Vassar Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
1.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Cottrell Drive
Turn right onto Cottrell Drive
Navigation decision point
4
2.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Waterman Road
At end of road, turn right onto Waterman Road
Navigation decision point
4
3.4 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
South Vassar Road
Keep slight left at fork onto South Vassar Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
4.4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
M 46 / West Sanilac Road
Turn right onto M 46 / West Sanilac Road
Navigation decision point
4
14.3 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
M 24 / Mertz Road
Turn left onto M 24 / Mertz Road
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Sanilac Road | 9.9 mi | 11m |
| Mertz Road | 5.5 mi | 8m |
| East Caro Road | 5.3 mi | 7m |
| Waterman Road | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Cottrell Drive | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| South Vassar Road | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| East Huron Avenue | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| West Saginaw Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
West Sanilac Road
— 9.9 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Vassar, MI and Ellington, MI.
1
Start on M 15
0.7 mi
·
59 sec
·
East Huron Avenue
2
Continue on M 15
0.5 mi
·
46 sec
·
West Saginaw Road
3
Turn right onto Cottrell Drive
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Cottrell Drive
4
At end of road, turn right onto Waterman Road
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Waterman Road
5
Keep slight left at fork onto South Vassar Road
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
South Vassar Road
6
Turn right onto M 46
9.9 mi
·
11 min
·
West Sanilac Road
7
Turn left onto M 24
5.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Mertz Road
8
Continue on M 24
0.5 mi
·
43 sec
·
Ellington Street
9
Turn right onto M 81
5.3 mi
·
7 min
·
East Caro Road
10
Arrive at destination
M 81
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.00 one way
$8.00 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.39 | $8.79 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.93 | $9.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.65 | $11.30 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.69 | $1.23 |
| Efficient EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.58 | $1.64 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Ellington, MI
Late night in Ellington on Saturday
Local time
3:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
34m 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 Vassar, MI to Ellington, MI covers 25.6 miles and takes about 34m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are West Sanilac Road, Mertz Road, East Caro Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12.8 miles from Vassar, MI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.00 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 34m 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 1.2 miles (Cottrell Drive): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (Waterman Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.4 miles (South Vassar Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
The route from Vassar, MI to Ellington, 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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