Kalamazoo to Detroit drive: Best stops, distance & time
The best road trip stops on the Kalamazoo to Detroit drive are the American Museum of Magic, Ann Arbor and the Henry Ford. The distance from Kalamazoo to Detroit by car is 140 miles, with a 2h13m driving time.
Planning a Kalamazoo to Detroit road trip itinerary
The drive from Kalamazoo to Detroit takes you across southern Michigan to the home of motors and Motown. For many, this is likely to be the second leg of a Chicago to Detroit road trip.
Kalamazoo in southern Michigan was the original home of Gibson Guitars, and it has a few attractions to keep passing visitors happy. Petrolheads can enjoy the Gilmore Car Museum and the more aviation-inclined will love the Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Museum.
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.
Kalamazoo to Detroit distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Kalamazoo to Detroit is 140 miles. That makes for a driving time of around two hours and 13 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-94.
The best stops to add to a Kalamazoo to Detroit road trip itinerary are the American Museum of Magic, Ann Arbor and the Henry Ford.
Kalamazoo to Detroit drive: American Museum of Magic
The American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan, is the biggest magic museum in the US that is open to the public. Inside a 19th century building, the American Museum of Magic has an enormous collection of paraphernalia and memorabilia. But it’s at its best when it explores the lives and innovations of individual magicians.
Guided tours, which add a little flair and showmanship, are also available.
Best stops between Kalamazoo and Detroit: 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.
Kalamazoo to Detroit road trip attractions: The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford is arguably the most astonishing museum in the United States.
The Henry Ford is home to an incredible haul of modern history. The bus on which Rosa Parks made her world-changing civil rights protest is there, as is the car JFK was assassinated in.
The Greenfield Village outside has remarkably transported buildings such as the courthouse in which Abraham Lincoln practiced law and the bike shop where the Wright Brothers made the first plane brick by brick.
You can very easily spend a full day here.
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