Detroit to Niagara Falls road trip: Best stops, drive time & distance
The best road trip stops on the Detroit to Niagara Falls drive are Cedar Point, Cleveland and Buffalo. The distance from Detroit to Niagara Falls by car is 381 miles, with a 5h51m driving time.
Planning a Detroit to Niagara Falls road trip itinerary
A Detroit to Niagara Falls road trip takes you through America’s Rust Belt from Michigan to the world’s most famous waterfall in New York State.
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.
There are two cities called Niagara Falls, one either side of the infamous waterfall. The city of Niagara Falls, Canada, offers much more for tourists, and is something of a mini-Vegas. You’re better off crossing the border and choosing from a vast array of experiences in Niagara Falls, Canada.
However, for the purposes of this guide, we’ll assume you’re staying in the United States. Things to do in Niagara Falls, New York include the Maid of the Mist boat ride to the base of the falls, a Cave of the Winds highlights package tour and a mobsters tour full of stories that takes in the illuminated falls after dark.
Detroit to Niagara Falls distance and driving time
The quickest route from Detroit to Niagara Falls goes through Canada. This guide assumes you’re staying within US borders, however, and travelling along the I-75 and I-90.
By car, the distance from Detroit to Niagara Falls is 381 miles. That makes for a driving time of around five hours and 51 minutes.
The road trip can be broken down into sections: The Detroit to Toledo drive, the Toledo to Cleveland drive, and the Cleveland to Niagara Falls drive.
For more detail and more ideas for road trip stops, go to these individual section guides. The best three stops on the Detroit to Niagara Falls drive, however, are picked out below.
Detroit to Niagara Falls road trip attractions: Cedar Point
Cedar Point near Sandusky, Ohio, is one of the world’s great theme parks – particularly if you’re a rollercoaster fan. Unlike other amusement parks, which maybe have one or two good rollercoasters and plenty of filler, Cedar Point has an extraordinary collection of top grade thrill rides.
Steel Vengeance is the fastest, longest and tallest hybrid coaster, but there are five coasters that top the 200ft height mark here.
Best stops between Detroit and Niagara Falls: Cleveland
There are many strong attractions in Cleveland, including the Cleveland History Center. But the big stand out is the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. It’s an extremely reverent trawl through rock ‘n roll history, looking at the origins and development of the genre. There’s a massive amount of memorabilia, with sections devoted to several Hall of Fame inductees.
The Rock N Roll Hall of Fame is dense, detailed and capable of sucking up the best part of a day.
Alternatively, Cleveland tour options focus on neighbourhood food scenes, the city’s best craft breweries and Downtown’s public art.
Detroit to Niagara Falls drive: Buffalo
Buffalo is often written off as the gateway to Niagara Falls, but there’s more to the city than that. Cultural highlights include Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House, the Buffalo Museum of Science and the Buffalo AKG Art Museum.
The waterside Buffalo Harbor State Park, meanwhile, offers paddleboard and kayak rentals plus a beach and playgrounds.
Good experiences in Buffalo include Best of Buffalo double decker bus tours, a history of chicken wings food tour and the Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration National Historic Site.
For excellent places to stay in Buffalo, try the historic landmark Richardson Hotel or the charming Hotel at the Lafayette.
More Detroit road trips
Detroit to Atlanta | Detroit to Baltimore | Detroit to Buffalo | Detroit to Chicago | Cincinnati to Detroit | Cleveland to Detroit | Columbus to Detroit | Dallas to Detroit | Dayton to Detroit | Fort Wayne to Detroit | Grand Rapids to Detroit | Houston to Detroit | Detroit to Indianapolis | Kalamazoo to Detroit | Detroit to Knoxville | Lansing to Detroit | Louisville to Detroit | Memphis to Detroit | Detroit to Milwaukee | Detroit to Nashville | Philadelphia to Detroit | Pittsburgh to Detroit | Detroit to St Louis | Toledo to Detroit.
More Niagara Falls road trips
Albany to Niagara Falls | Chicago to Niagara Falls | Cincinnati to Niagara Falls | Cleveland to Niagara Falls | Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls | Rochester to Niagara Falls | Syracuse to Niagara Falls.