Philadelphia to Detroit road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The best road trip stops on the Philadelphia to Detroit drive are Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Cedar Point. The distance from Philadelphia to Detroit by car is 584 miles, with an 8h54m driving time.
Planning a Philadelphia to Detroit road trip itinerary
A Philadelphia to Detroit road trip takes you from a history and culture-packed city in Pennsylvania to Michigan’s home of motors and Motown.
Key attractions in Philadelphia include the Museum of the American Revolution, the Independence Seaport Museum and the Penn Museum. For great Philadelphia tour options, try the Old City historic walking tour, a night tour exploring the city’s dark side or an It’s Always Sunny-themed tour of South Philadelphia.
If looking for Philadelphia accommodation, the Club Quarters Rittenhouse Square is often great value, while the Kimpton Hotel Monaco has style and personality.
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.
Philadelphia to Detroit distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Philadelphia to Detroit is 584 miles. That makes for a driving time of around eight hours and 50 minutes. The quickest route takes the I-76, I-80, I-90 and I-75.
The best stops to add to a Philadelphia to Detroit road trip itinerary are Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Cedar Point.
- Get more ideas for the Philadelphia to Pittsburgh leg of the journey.
Best stops between Philadelphia and Detroit: Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania is a monstrously underrated city, with a series of stellar attractions. Get great views from the top of the Duquesne Incline, enjoy the globally-themed rooms at the unmissable Cathedral of Learning and become immersed in pop art at the Warhol Museum.
You can explore Pittsburgh with a hop-on, hop-off bus pass. Pittsburgh experiences include bike tours full of stories, guided whiskey-themed walks and craft beer sampling on a multi-brewery tour.
For Pittsburgh hotels with great reviews, try the Italian villa-style Priory Hotel or the often good value Drury Plaza Hotel Pittsburgh Downtown.
- Get more suggestions for the Pittsburgh to Cleveland leg of the journey.
Philadelphia to Detroit road trip attractions: 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.
Philadelphia to Detroit drive: 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.
- Find out what else to do on the Cleveland to Detroit section of the drive.
More Philadelphia road trips
Philadelphia to Baltimore | Boston to Philadelphia | Philadelphia to Charlotte | Chicago to Philadelphia | Philadelphia to Cincinnati | Cleveland to Philadelphia | Columbus to Philadelphia | Dallas to Philadelphia | Philadelphia to Denver | Philadelphia to Fort Lauderdale | Harrisburg to Philadelphia | Hartford to Philadelphia | Houston to Philadelphia | Indianapolis to Philadelphia | Philadelphia to Myrtle Beach | New Haven to Philadelphia | New York City to Philadelphia | Pittsburgh to Philadelphia | Raleigh NC to Philadelphia | Philadelphia to Richmond VA | St Louis to Philadelphia | Philadelphia to Tampa | Philadelphia to Washington DC | Philadelphia to Wilmington NC.
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 | Detroit to Niagara Falls | Pittsburgh to Detroit | Detroit to St Louis | Toledo to Detroit.