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Trip from Burlington, WI to Milwaukee, WI

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

53m

Distance

34.7 mi

56 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 49m ★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

fourth-class city in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States

Burlington, WI

Wikimedia Commons

city in and county seat of Milwaukee County, and largest city in State of Wisconsin, United States

Milwaukee, WI

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Burlington to Milwaukee is 34.7 miles and takes about 53 minutes via Loomis Road and State Highway 36, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Wisconsin, connecting two Midwest locations. The route offers a mix of driving experiences, making it a straightforward option for a short hop between towns. You'll spend a decent portion of the drive on surface roads, so expect a more varied pace compared to a pure interstate trip. Plan for around an hour in the car, plus any time you might want to spend in either Burlington or Milwaukee.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Loomis Road 10.1 mi 14m
State Highway 36 7.3 mi 10m
Milwaukee Avenue 6.3 mi 10m
North-South Freeway 5 mi 7m
West Loomis Road 2.2 mi 3m
I 43 1.1 mi 1m
Airport Freeway 0.8 mi 1m
West Michigan Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Loomis Road — 10.1 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Burlington, WI and Milwaukee, WI.

1

Start on East Jefferson Street

256 ft · 18 sec · East Jefferson Street
2

Turn left onto North Pine Street

0.2 mi · 24 sec · North Pine Street
3

Turn right onto Milwaukee Avenue

6.3 mi · 10 min · Milwaukee Avenue
4

Continue on WI 36

7.3 mi · 10 min · State Highway 36
5

Continue on WI 36

10 mi · 14 min · Loomis Road
6

Continue on WI 36

2.2 mi · 3 min · West Loomis Road
Use the right lane.
7

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 34 sec
Toward I 43 North, I 894 East, I 41 South Use the right lane.
8

Merge onto I 41; I 43; I 894; US 41

0.8 mi · 1 min · Airport Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight right at fork onto I 43

1.1 mi · 1 min · I 43
Exit 10A Toward I 43, I 94: Milwaukee Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Merge onto I 94

5.0 mi · 7 min · North-South Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Exit 310C Toward I 794 East: Lakefront Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 51 sec
Exit 1D Toward Plankington Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 38 sec
Exit 1D Toward Plankinton Avenue
14

Continue on North Plankinton Avenue

0.2 mi · 29 sec · North Plankinton Avenue
Use the straight lane.
15

Turn right onto West Michigan Street

0.2 mi · 48 sec · West Michigan Street
Use the right lane.
16

Turn left onto US 18; WI 32

500 ft · 19 sec · North Milwaukee Street
17

Arrive at destination

US 18; WI 32

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Franklin, WI, WI

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Franklin, WI

17 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Cudahy, WI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 34.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Franklin, WI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 17.3 miles from Burlington, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 26.1 and 34.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
26.1 mi into trip | ~40m in

Take the ramp toward I 43 North, I 894 East, I 41 South

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward I 43 North, I 894 East, I 41 South
9
27.1 mi into trip | ~41m in | I 43

Keep slight right at fork onto I 43 toward I 43, I 94: Milwaukee

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 10A Toward I 43, I 94: Milwaukee
7
33.2 mi into trip | ~50m in

Take the exit toward I 794 East: Lakefront

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 310C Toward I 794 East: Lakefront
8
33.5 mi into trip | ~50m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Plankington Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 1D Toward Plankington Avenue
7
34.4 mi into trip | ~52m in | West Michigan Street

Turn right onto West Michigan Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.42 one way

$10.85 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.96 $11.91
premium $4.89 $6.68 $13.36
diesel $5.61 $7.66 $15.32

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.4 0 $3.64 $1.67
Efficient EV 8.7 0 $3.04 $1.39
EV Truck/SUV 13.9 0 $4.86 $2.22

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (67% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Burlington, WI

Late night in Burlington on Tuesday

Local time

5:50 AM

CDT

Current temp

61°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Milwaukee, WI

Late night in Milwaukee on Tuesday

Local time

5:50 AM

CDT

Current temp

58°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

58°F

Franklin, WI

17 mi in

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

3 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

53m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive features a 41% highway share, meaning you'll transition between faster road sections and slower surface streets. The longest stretch on a single road is 10.1 miles on Loomis Road. You'll likely notice the change from more open highway cruising to navigating through more built-up areas as you approach Milwaukee. Expect to encounter more traffic signals and intersections once you move off the higher-speed portions of the route.

41% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.1 mi on Loomis Road.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 26.1 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 34.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 26.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27.1 miles (I 43): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 33.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Arriving in Milwaukee, WI

Full guide →

Milwaukee is the largest city in the state of Wisconsin, United States. The city celebrates its heritage as a major center for beer-brewing, and of it German and Polish communities. It is now known for its many festivals. The city's population is about 600,000 with about 1.6 million in the metropolitan area (2019). It is in the southeastern portion of the state on the western shore of Lake Michigan.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 53m. Total distance: 34.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

53m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 10.1 miles on Loomis Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Milwaukee, WI before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 26.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27.1 miles (I 43): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 33.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Milwaukee, WI before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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