Origin
Burlington, WI
Late night in Burlington on Tuesday
Local time
5:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
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
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Burlington, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Milwaukee, WI
Wikimedia Commons
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.
| 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 |
Step-by-step road directions between Burlington, WI and Milwaukee, WI.
Start on East Jefferson Street
Turn left onto North Pine Street
Turn right onto Milwaukee Avenue
Continue on WI 36
Continue on WI 36
Continue on WI 36
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 41; I 43; I 894; US 41
Keep slight right at fork onto I 43
Merge onto I 94
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Continue on North Plankinton Avenue
Turn right onto West Michigan Street
Turn left onto US 18; WI 32
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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.
A short stop after about 34.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
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.
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.
Take the ramp toward I 43 North, I 894 East, I 41 South
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
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
Take the exit toward I 794 East: Lakefront
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward Plankington Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto West Michigan Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$5.42 one way
$10.85 round trip
| 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Burlington on Tuesday
Local time
5:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Destination
Late night in Milwaukee on Tuesday
Local time
5:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
58°F
Franklin, WI
17 mi in
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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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