Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Cross Plains, WI to City of Janesville, WI

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 14m

Distance

55.6 mi

89 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 8m ★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 11m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States

Cross Plains, WI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown City of Janesville, WI, WI

City of Janesville, WI

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

Cross Plains, WI to Janesville, WI is 55.6 miles and takes about 1h 14m via I 39 and US 14, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Wisconsin, moving you from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. It's a straightforward trip, mostly on highways, making it a convenient option if you're looking for a quick journey between these two points. Given its short duration, it's well-suited for a single-day excursion without feeling rushed.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 39 28.1 mi 30m
US 14 15.6 mi 21m
Main Street 7.5 mi 12m
Milton Avenue 2.3 mi 5m
North Garfield Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
East Court Street <0.1 mi <1m
East Memorial Drive <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 39 — 28.1 mi, about 30m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cross Plains, WI and City of Janesville, WI.

1

Start on US 14

7.5 mi · 12 min · Main Street
2

Turn left onto US 14

16 mi · 21 min · US 14
Toward US 12 East, US 14 East: Madison Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3

Take the exit

0.8 mi · 1 min
Exit 267A Toward I 39 South, I 90 East: Janesville, Chicago
4

Merge onto I 39; I 90

28 mi · 30 min · I 39; I 90
Toward I 39:I 90: Chicago
5

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 30 sec
6

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 31 sec
Exit 171A Toward WI 26: State Highway 26
7

Keep slight right at fork

414 ft · 10 sec
Toward WI 26 South: Janesville
8

Turn slight right onto WI 26

2.3 mi · 5 min · Milton Avenue
9

Turn left onto East Memorial Drive

261 ft · 11 sec · East Memorial Drive
10

Continue on North Garfield Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · North Garfield Avenue
11

Turn right onto East Court Street

467 ft · 15 sec · East Court Street
12

Arrive at destination

East Court Street

Where to Stop

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

Downtown McFarland, WI, WI

Mid-route town

Meal stop

McFarland, WI

28 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

Shorewood Hills, WI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

McFarland, WI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 27.8 miles from Cross Plains, 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 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 7.5 and 52.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
7.5 mi into trip | ~12m in | US 14

Turn left onto US 14 toward US 12 East, US 14 East: Madison

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward US 12 East, US 14 East: Madison
6
23.1 mi into trip | ~33m in

Take the exit toward I 39 South, I 90 East: Janesville, Chicago

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 267A Toward I 39 South, I 90 East: Janesville, Chica...
4
24 mi into trip | ~35m in | I 39; I 90

Merge onto I 39; I 90 toward I 39:I 90: Chicago

Merge point - match speed before joining

Toward I 39:I 90: Chicago
7
52.4 mi into trip | ~1h 6m in

Keep slight right at fork toward WI 26: State Highway 26

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Exit 171A Toward WI 26: State Highway 26
6
52.6 mi into trip | ~1h 6m in

Keep slight right at fork toward WI 26 South: Janesville

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward WI 26 South: Janesville

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.69 one way

$17.38 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $9.54 $19.09
premium $4.89 $10.70 $21.40
diesel $5.61 $12.28 $24.55

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 19.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16.7 0 $5.84 $2.67
Efficient EV 13.9 0 $4.87 $2.22
EV Truck/SUV 22.2 0 $7.78 $3.56

Gas CO2

19 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (63% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Cross Plains, WI

Late night in Cross Plains on Sunday

Local time

5:59 AM

CDT

Current temp

48°F

Mostly Sunny

W 15 to 20 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Watch

Flash Flood Watch issued April 18 at 5:41AM CDT until April 19 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 5:27AM CDT until April 19 at 11:31PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

City of Janesville, WI

Late night in City of Janesville on Sunday

Local time

5:59 AM

CDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

66°F

McFarland, WI

28 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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

1h 14m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is heavily focused on highway travel, with 79% of the route utilizing major roadways like I 39 and US 14. You'll experience a significant stretch of 28.1 miles on I 39 without needing to exit, offering a consistent pace. The profile suggests a highway-focused experience, meaning you can expect efficient travel for the majority of the journey. Expect a consistent driving environment as you primarily navigate these main arteries.

79% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 28.1 mi on I 39.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 39 and US 14. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 7.5 miles in near US 14.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 55.6 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 7.5 miles (US 14): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24 miles (I 39; I 90): Merge point - match speed before joining.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Cross Plains, WI to City of Janesville, WI, road signs begin pointing toward Chicago along the way.

Chicago

23.1 mi in | ~33m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 14m. Total distance: 55.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (79%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 28.1 miles on I 39. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 7.5 miles (US 14): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24 miles (I 39; I 90): Merge point - match speed before joining.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at City of Janesville, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From City of Janesville, WI

Phillips, WI 260.9 mi · 5h 6m Spring Valley, WI 255.5 mi · 4h 44m Saint Germain, WI 253.5 mi · 4h 57m Boyceville, WI 247.1 mi · 4h 38m

More from Cross Plains, WI

Kenosha, WI 125.3 mi · 2h 46m Menomonee Falls, WI 95.5 mi · 2h 1m Wauwatosa, WI 95.1 mi · 1h 56m

More trips to City of Janesville, WI

Sanborn, WI 327 mi Hayward, WI 314 mi Somerset, WI 283 mi Menomonie, WI 233 mi Rhinelander, WI 231.9 mi Whitefish Bay, WI 214.5 mi
Escape planner: Cross Plains, WI Scenic drives in WI

Explore more options from Cross Plains, WI or browse trips ending in City of Janesville, WI.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse WI road trips.