5 weekend road trips to take from Metro Detroit

Time to hit the road!

If you’re looking to get away for a weekend, there are a bunch of options from Metro Detroit.

Since we're talking about a weekend getaway, assuming you're leaving on a Friday, we'll keep the road-trip criteria to about four hours, since you don't want to be driving all weekend.

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Luckily, from the Detroit-area, there are plenty of great options for a weekend trip. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Pittsburgh

About a four hour drive from Detroit, Pittsburgh offers a quick trip to a major U.S. city. The city boasts amazing water-front sights, the Andy Warhol Museum with a fast-growing art scene.

Pittsburgh also has one of the best food scenes in the country. The city was named best American food city in 2019 by af&co.

“There’s no shortage of innovation in Pittsburgh. With a booming tech scene, restaurants are also getting in on the action by pushing the boundaries while keeping food approachable. With the city’s proximity to farms, it’s no surprise the local food scene is flourishing.”

Chicago

While we don't get along with their sports fans, Chicago is a great weekend trip to one of the busiest cities in the world.

The Windy City is about four hours from Detroit, with an endless list of attractions, including the historic home of the Cubs, Wrigley Field and the beautiful sights of the Navy Pier.

The skyscrapers are also just amazing to stare at, so that itself is worth the drive.

Inside Michigan

Lucky for us, we don't even have to leave our state to get away. Michigan is filled with awesome weekend destinations, especially in the summer months. Here are some of our favorites:

  • Traverse City - 4 hours
  • Mackinac Island - 4 hours
  • Grand Rapids - 2.5 hours
  • South Haven - 3 hours
  • Ludington - 4 hours
  • Marquette - 7 hours

Related: 5 Northern Michigan places to visit in 2019

Toronto

With Detroit near an international border, a trip to Canada is a realistic idea. Just about four hours from Detroit, Toronto offers one of the most beautiful cities in the country.

There's lots to do in Toronto, including seeing the famous CN Tower, the amazing Royal Ontario Museum and the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Also, stop by London, Ontario on your way back.

Cincinnati

We don't normally talk about Ohio, for obvious reasons, but this Ohio city is basically Kentucky, so we'll let it slide.

Cincinnati is just over four hours from Detroit, sitting on the Ohio River. The city is famous for its trademark chili style, but it has a huge art and museum scene.

The Cincinnati Zoo is the second oldest in the country and is regularly ranked one of the best around.


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About the Author

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.

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