Ann Arbor to Detroit Commute (work, home, construction)

[Anthera]

Is 45 minutes a reasonable commute time from Ann Arbor to Detroit in rush hour?

[jrmontag]

LOL! No way.

[Anthera]

What would be reasonable? I thought 45 minutes was absurd, but I've never done it.

[Coldjensens]

An hour and a quarter to an hour and a half might be reasonable under good conditions, however I do not know how congested it gets on the freeways approaching AA during rush hour. I have never arrived in AA during rush hour.

How fast do you drive?

How far are you from the freeway on each end?

Where do you park?

How far do you walk after you park; and how far do you walk to get to your car at each end?

For me worst case ever it took 4 hours to get to AA from Detroit, but it was black ice conditions.

[theboysmom]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

An hour and a quarter to an hour and a half might be reasonable under good conditions, however I do not know how congested it gets on the freeways approaching AA during rush hour. I have never arrived in AA during rush hour.

How fast do you drive?

How far are you from the freeway on each end?

Where do you park?

How far do you walk after you park; and how far do you walk to get to your car at each end?

For me worst case ever it took 4 hours to get to AA from Detroit, but it was black ice conditions.

This exactly.

When I lived in AA I had jury duty once and made it downtown in just under an hour during the morning when everyone else was going to work. I was running super crazy late and was driving like a maniac, switching lanes, etc... (not something I'd normally suggest).

Under any other situation I would say 45 minutes give or take is about how long it would take to get from AA to Detroit. Depending on the factors the pp mentioned.

For rush hour times I would go up to an hour and a half maybe, more if construction of course.

I have been told by more than one person that both Dh and I drive fast so YMMV.

Perhaps the best thing to do would be to time it yourself and take a drive.

[DeeTroyt]

During rush hour it takes more than 45 minutes to get from Detroit to just the burbs.

I-96 has the least amount of traffic if you can take that freeway.

[michiganirish]

45 minutes would be fabulous time. We lived in Hamburg, just north of Ann Arbor. My husband worked off near the old Lafayette Steel in Detroit. If he made it home in one hour he thought he was doing great. Most nights it was hour and a half. And during the winter it could go anywhere from 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 depending on the road conditions. And if their was an accident... forget it! My advice is that if you are taking 94 all the way in you'd better learn the back roads for the ride home on the bad traffic days. He did have a little better luck going 14 to 96. But at times it was just as bad.

[DeeTroyt]

Originally Posted by michiganirish

45 minutes would be fabulous time. We lived in Hamburg, just north of Ann Arbor. My husband worked off near the old Lafayette Steel in Detroit. If he made it home in one hour he thought he was doing great. Most nights it was hour and a half. And during the winter it could go anywhere from 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 depending on the road conditions. And if their was an accident... forget it! My advice is that if you are taking 94 all the way in you'd better learn the back roads for the ride home on the bad traffic days. He did have a little better luck going 14 to 96. But at times it was just as bad.

It will probably take more than an hour from that point.

The traffic on that section of I-96/I-696 is bumper to bumper at rush hour.

I-96 from I-275 and eastward is less crowded.

[benigndmd]

From where I live on 696 it is about 45 miles to AA, and it takes me 50 to get to AA from where I live during rush hour. Keep in mind I am going the opposite direction than the rush hour traffic.