Detroit to Milwaukee drive: Time, distance & best stops
The distance from Detroit to Milwaukee by car is 373 miles, with a 6h19m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Detroit to Milwaukee drive are Ann Arbor, Indiana Dunes National Park and Chicago.
Planning a Detroit to Milwaukee road trip itinerary
The Detroit to Milwaukee drive connects the biggest cities in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Top things to do in Detroit include the excellent architecture walking tours, the Sealife Michigan Aquarium and the Legoland Discovery Centre. The Motown Museum and Ford Piquette Avenue Plant are great, too.
Milwaukee is famous for its beer, and doing a multi-brewery tasting tour is practically obligatory. Other good Milwaukee experiences include historical ghost tours and the Harley Davidson Museum.
You can also learn about Great Lakes history at the North Point Lighthouse and visit an art museum with a twist. The Grohmann Museum is devoted to art that shows the history of human work.
Detroit to Milwaukee distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Detroit to Milwaukee is 373 miles. You can expect a driving time of around six hours and 19 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-94.
The best stops to add to a Detroit to Milwaukee road trip itinerary are Ann Arbor, Indiana Dunes National Park and Chicago.
For more suggestions, check out the guides to the individual legs of the Detroit to Milwaukee road trip.
Best stops between Detroit and Milwaukee: Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan and most of the city’s key highlights have university links. The Museum of Art and Museum of Natural History are the two big museums – expect crowd-pleasing mammoth skeletons and a planetarium in the latter.
On a sunny day, you’ll probably be more content strolling through the Nichols Arboretum or Matthaei Botanic Gardens. Alternatively, try paddleboarding or kayaking on the Huron River.
Detroit to Milwaukee drive: Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes National Park stretches for 15 miles along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. While it is primarily adored for its beaches, the mixture of ecosystems is fascinating for those who want to do more than just lie on the sand.
The dunes take the attention, but the hiking trails take in woodland too, and are surrounded by wildflowers in spring. Come in winter, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are available.
Fishing for steelhead in the Little Calumet River is also immensely popular, while the birdwatching amongst the quiet dunes is highly productive.
Detroit to Milwaukee road trip attractions: Chicago
Chicago’s skyscrapers, music scene and massive collection of cultural attractions make it arguably the most exciting city in the US to visit.
Highly recommended Chicago experiences include an architecture river cruise, a gangsters and ghosts tour of famous Mob sites and a bike tour of the lakefront neighbourhoods. It’s also worth paying a visit to the Field Museum, the 360 Chicago observation deck at the Hancock Tower and the Chicago Architecture Center.
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