The best stops to add to a Pittsburgh to Detroit road trip itinerary are the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, Cedar Point and the National Museum of the Great Lakes. By car, the distance from Pittsburgh to Detroit is 285 miles, with a driving time of around 4h13m.
Planning a Pittsburgh to Detroit road trip itinerary
A road trip from Pittsburgh to Detroit connects western Pennsylvania to Michigan. But more importantly, it links two of the most outrageously underrated cities in the US.
5 great Pittsburgh experiences worth booking
- 🏙️ Take an incredibly well-reviewed private Pittsburgh highlights tour.
- 🍽️ Go on a downtown food tour, with 6 fantastic food and drink stops.
- 👻 Hear spooky tales in the evening on a Pittsburgh ghost tour.
- 🥃 Discover Pittsburgh’s whiskey-soaked history – with two cocktails thrown in.
- 🛴 Visit Pittsburgh’s top photo stops – on a fun-packed Segway tour.
Pittsburgh is surprisingly beautiful – take a ride up the Duquesne Incline for the best views out over the city, Point State Park and Fort Pitt. After that, check out the Warhol Museum, National Aviary or the Nationality Rooms in the gigantic Cathedral of Learning.
Pittsburgh experiences include 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.
Detroit has a rich motors and Motown history, plus massively underrated architecture – the Guardian building is one of the all-time great Art Deco buildings. The Michigan Science Center, Detroit Institute of Arts and Detroit Historical Museum cover science, art and heritage, while the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is the birthplace of the Model T Ford.
Top things to do in Detroit include the excellent architecture walking tours, the Sealife Michigan Aquarium and the Legoland Discovery Centre. For a quick escape, however, head to Belle Isle in the Detroit River, where you’ll find the Belle Isle Aquarium and Dossin Great Lakes Museum.
5 great Detroit experiences to book
- 🏛️ Discover why Detroit is America’s most architecturally underrated city on a specialist architecture walking tour.
- 🍔 On a downtown Detroit food tour, taste Motor City’s specialities.
- 🚁 See the Detroit skyline – and Canada – from above on a helicopter ride.
- 🍸 Take a Detroit bar tour – and learn the city’s history while hopping between bars.
- 👻 Encounter murder and mystery on a Detroit ghost tour.
Pittsburgh to Detroit distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Pittsburgh to Detroit is 285 miles. That makes for a driving time of around four hours and 13 minutes.
The quickest route heads along the I-76, I-80, I-90 and I-75.
The best road trip stops along the Pittsburgh to Detroit drive are the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, Cedar Point and the National Museum of the Great Lakes.
Pittsburgh to Detroit road trip stops: Cleveland
5 Great Cleveland Experiences to Book
- 👻 Cleveland Ghost Tour: Hear spooky stories from the city’s past and explore haunted landmarks on a guided evening walking tour.
- 🌲 Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Link together the best viewpoints and trails on a self-drive visit with a comprehensive smartphone audio guide.
- 🎸 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Explore the history of music legends through iconic artifacts and immersive exhibits at this world-famous lakeside museum.
- 🌮 Ohio City Neighborhood Food Tour: Experience one of the city’s trendiest districts through multiple food tastings and expert drink pairings.
- 🍎 West Side Market Food Tour: Get to know the best local stalls and the history of Cleveland’s oldest operating indoor/outdoor market.
Top attractions in Cleveland include the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, Great Lakes Science Center and Cleveland History Center. Alternatively, try the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Cleveland tour options focus on neighbourhood food scenes and ghostly tales after dark.
Pittsburgh 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.
Attractions between Pittsburgh and Detroit: National Museum of the Great Lakes
The National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio, really embraces the scale and scope of its subject. The aim is to show how the Great Lakes have shaped America’s cultural, economic and political history, covering everything from the Underground Railroad to Prohibition-era rum-runners.
The highlight of the visit is the Col. James M. Schoonmaker, once an iron ore freighter plying its trade on the lakes, now a museum ship.
Other Toledo experiences include Toledo Zoo.
More Pittsburgh and Detroit travel
- Getting to Pittsburgh from elsewhere in Pennsylvania: Where to stop on the Allentown to Pittsburgh drive or Harrisburg to Pittsburgh drive.
- Getting to Pittsburgh from interstate: The best stops on the Chicago to Pittsburgh drive, Columbus to Pittsburgh drive, Indianapolis to Pittsburgh drive and Washington DC to Pittsburgh drive.
- Road trips from Pittsburgh: The best stops on the Pittsburgh to Cleveland drive, Pittsburgh to Cincinnati drive, Pittsburgh to Louisville drive and Pittsburgh to Nashville drive.
- Getting to Detroit: What to see on the Cleveland to Detroit drive and the Philadelphia to Detroit drive.
- Seeing the Rosa Parks bus at the Henry Ford in Dearborn.
