Lansing to Detroit drive guide: Distance, time & best road trip stops

The distance from Lansing to Detroit by car is 90 miles, with a 1h21m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Lansing to Detroit drive are the Oaken Transformations Sculpture and Poetry Walk, the Huron Meadows Metropark and the Zekelman Holocaust Center.

Planning a Lansing to Detroit road trip itinerary

The drive from Lansing to Detroit takes you from Michigan’s capital to its largest city.

Lansing isn’t a huge city, but it does have a handful of worthwhile attractions. The obvious one is the Michigan State Capitol Building, but if you want to learn more about the state, head to the Michigan History Center.

The R.E. Olds Transportation Museum celebrates Michigan’s car-making heritage and the Impression 5 Science Center has plenty of buttons to push for children.

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.

Lansing to Detroit distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Lansing to Detroit is 90 miles. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and 21 minutes. The quickest route heads mostly along I-96.

The best stops to add to a Lansing to Detroit road trip itinerary are the Oaken Transformations Sculpture and Poetry Walk, the Huron Meadows Metropark and the Zekelman Holocaust Center.

Lansing to Detroit drive: Oaken Transformations Sculpture and Poetry Walk

The Oaken Transformations Sculpture and Poetry Walk in Brighton, Michigan, is a walking trail with a difference. It’s only half a mile long, but it also acts as a showcase for artists and poets with ties to the state.

Along the woodland trail are a series of sculptures and poems on signs. It’s a peaceful, meditative experience, and entry is free.

Best stops between Lansing and Detroit: Huron Meadows Metropark

The Huron Meadows Metropark is a hotspot for cross-country skiing in the winter. In the summer, however, the focus turns to fishing in the Huron River or Maltby Lake and walking along the 11 miles of well-maintained trails. There are also a par 72 golf course, a children’s playground and plenty of picnic tables.

Lansing to Detroit road trip attractions: Zekelman Holocaust Center

The Zekelman Holocaust Centre in Farmington Hills has been educating visitors about the horrors of the holocaust since 1984. The main exhibition was undergoing an extensive revamp in late 2023, but there are several core exhibits worth looking at.

These include sections on the descent into Naziism, the camp system and the post-war period.

The Zekelman Holocaust Center is not an easy place to visit, but it is an important one.

Detroit, Michigan.
Detroit, Michigan. Photo by David Whitley/ Best3Stops.

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