Grosse Pointe Farms to Dearborn -- Daily Workweek Commute (house, versus)

[maclock]

Let's say that I'd be starting work at 8:00 a.m., at 8:30 a.m., or at 9:00 a.m., at Ford headquarters, what time should I head out the door from Grosse Pointe Farms? I'd be going west on I-94 as far as the Michigan Avenue exit, just before Dearborn itself (Exit 210A).

Please do forgive this "how long is a piece of string" kind of inquiry; I've driven that stretch of I-94 just a handful of times over the years and I haven't done it in a very long time. I do remember that it can be a bit congested and I gather the state plans to undertake significant roadworks along that route over the next several years. Thank you very much in advance for any insight you're in a position to offer.

[craig11152]

It is nearly impossible to give a definitive answer.
For instance Google maps would say 28-55 minutes "typically" in all those time frames.
I would say you need to find a nice little breakfast place near Ford HQ and leave with breakfast near work in mind. Maybe there is a breakfast place in the building. That way your at work on time by giving yourself a significant buffer.

[DTWflyer]

Pure door-to-door uncongested drive time is going to be right about 30 minutes.

Add in 10-15 minutes for traffic as the closer to 8am you get the more it will slow down going through the downtown area from a bit east of I-75 until west of I-96.

Add in 10-15 minutes to get from your parking lot to your desk/office. Depending on which building you are in and which area you are able to park, it can easily be several minutes.

Safe bet would be 60 minutes all-in total time from when you walk out your door until you arrive at your desk. Some days this could be 45 minutes and once you do it you will learn the timing. Bad weather days could be 60-90 minutes.

You will learn the timing once you get it down and know the quirks of when if you leave 10 minutes earlier it can shave 15 minutes off your trip.

Also, the timing will depend if your job has a hard and fast rule on "butt-in-seat" time (e.g, 8am on the nose) versus a bit of flexibility if say you stroll anytime between 8am-8:30am. Or, if your group is one that likes to schedule early meetings.

People tend to underestimate their commute times and only consider the time from when they are driving away from their house to the time they pull into their parking space at work. They forget all the little things that add several minutes to the total trip time.

Honestly, that is not a bad commute. It will always be a bit slow through the downtown area but its a much better commute that a lot of the people who work in Dearborn who drive from west of I-275 or parts of Oakland County.