How far is Detroit, MI from Garden City, MI?

The driving distance from Detroit, MI to Garden City, MI is about 17 miles (27.3 km), with a travel time of about 00h 29m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 14.6 miles (23.5 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 58m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This is an easy same-day return drive. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
16.98 mi
00h 29m
Flight
14.58 mi
23.46 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Detroit.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
14.58 mi
Kilometers
23.46 km
Flight Time
00h 01m

Driving Distance

Road route
16.98 mi
Kilometers
27.32 km
Drive Time
00h 29m

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 00h 29m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Garden City
Sun, Apr 19, 12:59 AM EDT
Return by in Detroit
Sun, Apr 19, 1:29 AM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Detroit
2026-04-19T00:30
Arrive Garden City
Sun, Apr 19, 12:59 AM EDT
Route Timing
00h 29m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:29 AM to 7:29 PM EDT

This is a short drive, so your comfort window is wide. Traffic and current weather matter more than the clock.

Leave by
7:32 PM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Detroit
10:00 PM EDT
Flexible departure

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.

Mid-route stop
Dearborn
MI

The most populous city in Wayne County, Michigan.

From Detroit
8.5 mi
00h 14m
To Garden City
8.5 mi
00h 14m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
50°F
Sunday

Chance Rain Showers

Starts
Sun, Apr 19 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
13 to 17 mph W
Destination
49°F
Sunday

Chance Rain Showers

Starts
Sun, Apr 19 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
13 to 18 mph W

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Detroit and Garden City.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Detroit and Garden City.

  1. 1

    Start on Cadillac Square

    95 m · 15 sec · Cadillac Square

  2. 2

    Turn right onto Bates Street

    75 m · 7 sec · Bates Street

  3. 3

    Turn right onto East Congress Street

    649 ft · 38 sec · East Congress Street

  4. 4

    Turn left onto Griswold Street

    635 ft · 26 sec · Griswold Street

  5. 5

    Turn right onto West Jefferson Avenue

    1638 ft · 31 sec · West Jefferson Avenue

  6. 6

    Continue on John C Lodge Freeway

    2.5 mi · 4 min · John C Lodge Freeway

  7. 7

    Take the exit slight left toward I 94 West: Chicago

    1845 ft · 39 sec

  8. 8

    Merge slight right onto Edsel Ford Freeway

    4 mi · 5 min · Edsel Ford Freeway

  9. 9

    Take the exit slight right toward M 153

    961 ft · 26 sec

  10. 10

    Turn right onto Addison Street

    78 m · 19 sec · Addison Street

  11. 11

    Turn left onto McGraw Street

    1460 ft · 37 sec · McGraw Street

  12. 12

    Continue on Ford Road

    8.9 mi · 16 min · Ford Road

  13. 13

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Ford Road

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Detroit and Garden City.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
13 steps
6 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
3
1 merges, 2 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
76.5 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Ford Road
8.95 mi · 53%
Edsel Ford Freeway
3.98 mi · 23%
John C Lodge Freeway
2.53 mi · 15%
I 94 West
0.35 mi · 2%
West Jefferson Avenue
0.31 mi · 2%
McGraw Street
0.28 mi · 2%
Longest Stretch

Ford Road

Continue on Ford Road

8.95 mi · 00h 16m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A short regional drive

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

Drive Time
00h 29m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
00h 58m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+2.4 mi
14.6 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Dearborn
00h 14m from Detroit
Leave By
7:32 PM EDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Chance Rain Showers leaving Detroit and Chance Rain Showers near Garden City.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Detroit to Garden City?

The road trip is about 17 miles (27.3 km) and usually takes 00h 29m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Dearborn is a useful midpoint, sitting about 8.5 miles from Detroit and 8.5 miles from Garden City.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 14.6 miles (23.5 km), while the road route adds roughly 2.4 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 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 7:32 PM EDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $2.26 one way or $4.53 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 5.3 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Chance Rain Showers around Detroit and Chance Rain Showers near Garden City.

Stop Ideas Near Dearborn

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Dearborn, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Dearborn.

RAIL

John D. Dingell Transit Center

2 mi away
16121 Michigan Ave.
RAIL

Greenfield Village, Michigan

6 mi away
20900 Oakwood Blvd.
RAIL

Detroit

10 mi away
11 West Baltimore Ave.
RAIL

Royal Oak station

19 mi away
202 South Sherman Ave.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Detroit and Garden City. Straight-line distance: 14.58 mi (23.46 km).

Detroit

#1 Detroit

The twenty-fourth most populous city in the United States and the center of the Detroit metropolitan area.

Population665,369
Coordinates42.3314300, -83.0457500
Altitude183
CountryUnited States
Garden City

#2 Garden City

City in Wayne County of the U.

Population26,408
Coordinates42.3255900, -83.3310400
Altitude193
CountryUnited States
Start: Detroit (-83.04575, 42.33143)
End: Garden City (-83.33104, 42.32559)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 27 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 33m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 25m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 20m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 16m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 14m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 12m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.6 gal
2.27 L · about $2.26
Round trip
$4.53
1.2 gal · 4.54 L
Estimated CO2
5.3 kg one way
Round trip: 10.7 kg / 24 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.77 $2.26 $4.53
Mid-grade $4.25 $2.55 $5.10
Premium $4.65 $2.79 $5.58
Diesel $5.30 $3.18 $6.36

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 · Apr 19, 2026

There is no time difference between Detroit and Garden City. The current time is 00:30:28.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.