How far is Auburn Hills, MI from Rapid City, SD?
The driving distance from Auburn Hills, MI to Rapid City, SD is about 1115.3 miles (1794.9 km), with a travel time of about 20h 30m by car.
- The straight-line flight distance is about 1006.2 miles (1619.4 km).
- For a round trip, plan for roughly 41h 00m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
- A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM EDT.
Reverse, save, or send this route
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.
Flight Distance
Driving Distance
Gas Cost Calculator
Leave and Arrive Planner
Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.
Drive time stays fixed at 20h 30m.
Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.
Halfway Point
A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.
Township in Olmsted County, Minnesota
Route Weather Snapshot
Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.
Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Light Rain
Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny
Driving Route Map
The map below follows the saved road route between Auburn Hills and Rapid City.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Auburn Hills and Rapid City.
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1
Start on Shimmons Road
1778 ft · 1 min · Shimmons Road
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2
Exit the roundabout
85 m · 17 sec
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3
Turn right onto South Lapeer Road
1598 ft · 30 sec · South Lapeer Road
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4
Take the ramp slight right toward I 75: Flint, Detroit
1.1 km · 2 min
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5
Keep slight right to continue on I 75 North: Flint
912 ft · 22 sec
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6
Merge slight left
29.4 mi · 32 min
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7
Keep slight left to continue on I 75: Saginaw
4.9 mi · 5 min
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8
Take the exit slight right toward I 69: Lansing, Port Huron
1372 ft · 33 sec
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9
Keep slight right to continue on I 69: Lansing, Flint, Port Huron
1182 ft · 25 sec
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10
Keep slight left to continue on I 69 West: Lansing
1 mi · 2 min
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11
Merge slight left onto Chevrolet-Buick Freeway
42.7 mi · 43 min · Chevrolet-Buick Freeway
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12
Take the exit slight right toward US 127: Clare, Lansing
2079 ft · 25 sec
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13
Keep slight left
3256 ft · 40 sec
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14
Keep slight left
1 km · 40 sec
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15
Merge slight left
7.2 mi · 8 min
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16
Take the exit slight right toward I 96 WEST: Grand Rapids
1428 ft · 29 sec
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17
Keep slight left to continue on I 96 WEST: Grand Rapids
1.3 mi · 1 min
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18
Merge slight left
52.1 mi · 56 min
-
19
Keep slight right to continue on I 96 West, M 37 North: Muskegon
42.3 mi · 47 min
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20
Take the exit slight left
571 ft · 16 sec
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21
Merge slight right onto Seaway Drive
537 ft · 16 sec · Seaway Drive
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22
Turn right onto West Laketon Avenue
1.1 mi · 3 min · West Laketon Avenue
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23
Continue on Lakeshore Drive
2091 ft · 1 min · Lakeshore Drive
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24
Turn right onto 1800-1918 Lakeshore Drive
77 m · 24 sec · 1800-1918 Lakeshore Drive
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25
Turn left onto Lake Express Ferry Access
773 ft · 57 sec · Lake Express Ferry Access
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26
Continue on Lake Express Ferry Access
123 m · 32 sec · Lake Express Ferry Access
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27
Turn left onto Staging Lane 5
57 m · 19 sec · Staging Lane 5
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28
At the end of the road, turn left onto Lake Express Ferry Access
6 m · 4 sec · Lake Express Ferry Access
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29
Continue on Lake Express Ferry Access
35 m · 8 sec · Lake Express Ferry Access
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30
Turn straight onto Milwaukee - Muskegon Ferry
83.2 mi · 2 hr 30 min · Milwaukee - Muskegon Ferry
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31
Continue straight
994 ft · 1 min
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32
At the end of the road, turn right
599 ft · 44 sec
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33
Turn left onto South Lincoln Memorial Drive
105 m · 18 sec · South Lincoln Memorial Drive
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34
Turn right onto South Carferry Drive
85 m · 6 sec · South Carferry Drive
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35
Take the ramp slight right toward I 794 West: Downtown
2201 ft · 53 sec
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36
Continue on Lake Freeway
2.3 mi · 3 min · Lake Freeway
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37
Continue on East-West Freeway
1982 ft · 34 sec · East-West Freeway
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38
Continue on East-West Freeway
17.1 mi · 22 min · East-West Freeway
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39
Keep slight left to continue on East-West Freeway
53.5 mi · 57 min · East-West Freeway
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40
Keep slight right to continue on I 39 North, I 90 West, I 94 West: Wisconsin Dells, Eau Claire
29.1 mi · 31 min
-
41
Keep slight left
63.5 mi · 1 hr 8 min
-
42
Keep slight left to continue on I 90 West: Tomah, La Crosse
50.7 mi · 54 min
-
43
Keep slight left
625.4 mi · 10 hr 27 min
-
44
Take the exit slight right toward I 190, US 16: Downtown, Black Hawk National Forest, Mount Rushmore
2265 ft · 1 min
-
45
Continue straight
1.4 mi · 2 min
-
46
Turn left onto Omaha Street
1148 ft · 39 sec · Omaha Street
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47
Turn right onto Mount Rushmore Road
1223 ft · 46 sec · Mount Rushmore Road
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48
Arrive at your destination
0 m · 1 sec · Mount Rushmore Road
Car Route Details
A richer read on the saved driving route between Auburn Hills and Rapid City.
Long-distance drive
This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.
I 90 West
Keep slight left
625 mi · 10h 27m
Route Summary
A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.
Better with a longer stop
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Light Rain leaving Auburn Hills and Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny near Rapid City.
Trip Questions
Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.
How long does it take to drive from Auburn Hills to Rapid City?
The road trip is about 1115.3 miles (1794.9 km) and usually takes 20h 30m in normal driving conditions.
Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
What is the halfway point on this route?
High Forest is a useful midpoint, sitting about 555.5 miles from Auburn Hills and 559.8 miles from Rapid City.
How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?
The direct path is about 1006.2 miles (1619.4 km), while the road route adds roughly 109.1 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.
When is the best time to leave for this route?
A good departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM EDT. Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
How much will gas cost for this route?
Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $187.16 one way or $374.31 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 349.8 kg one way.
Do you cross a time zone on this route?
Yes. There is about a 2 hour time difference between Auburn Hills and Rapid City, so arrival and return times should be read in local time.
What should you check before leaving?
Before you leave, expect Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Light Rain around Auburn Hills and Patchy Fog then Partly Sunny near Rapid City.
Stop Ideas Near High Forest
Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.
Transit and Meeting Points
Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to High Forest.
Winona station
Red Wing station
La Crosse
Flight Path Map
This map shows the direct air route between Auburn Hills and Rapid City. Straight-line distance: 1006.24 mi (1619.39 km).
#1 Auburn Hills
City in Oakland County, Michigan
| Population | 24,880 |
| Coordinates | 42.6875300, -83.2341000 |
| Altitude | 293 |
| Country | United States |
#2 Rapid City
The second most populous city in South Dakota.
| Population | 77,503 |
| Coordinates | 44.0805400, -103.2310100 |
| Altitude | 988 |
| Country | United States |
End: Rapid City (-103.23101, 44.08054)
Estimated Travel Time
Distance: 1795 km by road
| Speed | Time |
|---|---|
| 30 mph (48.3 km/h) | 37h 09m |
| 40 mph (64.37 km/h) | 27h 53m |
| 50 mph (80.47 km/h) | 22h 18m |
| 60 mph (96.56 km/h) | 18h 35m |
| 70 mph (112.65 km/h) | 15h 56m |
| 80 mph (129 km/h) | 13h 54m |
Fuel, Round Trip and CO2
Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.
| Fuel | $/gal | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gas | $4.76 | $187.16 | $374.31 |
| Mid-grade | $5.31 | $209.04 | $418.08 |
| Premium | $5.90 | $232.34 | $464.68 |
| Diesel | $6.54 | $257.45 | $514.91 |
Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.
Prices in Michigan · Sep 18, 2026