Origin
Eau Claire, WI
Morning in Eau Claire on Tuesday
Local time
9:26 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Eau Claire, WI to Lake Wissota, WI
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
15.2 mi
24 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Eau Claire, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Lake Wissota, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Eau Claire, WI to Lake Wissota, WI is 15.2 miles and takes about 22m via US 53, WI 29, and Birch Street, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Wisconsin's Midwest region, making it a straightforward local excursion. Given the quick drive time and minimal mileage, this route is ideal for a spontaneous trip or as a brief leg of a larger Midwest adventure. You'll find it's a practical way to get from one point to another without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 53 | 5.1 mi | 5m |
| WI 29 | 4 mi | 4m |
| Birch Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| County Highway X | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| River Prairie Drive | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| South Farwell Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| County Road X | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East Madison Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 53
— 5.1 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Eau Claire, WI and Lake Wissota, WI.
1
Start on East Grand Avenue
35 ft
·
8 sec
·
East Grand Avenue
2
Turn left onto South Farwell Street
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
South Farwell Street
3
Turn right onto East Madison Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
East Madison Street
4
Continue on Germania Street
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Germania Street
5
Continue on Birch Street
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Birch Street
6
Continue on River Prairie Drive
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
River Prairie Drive
Use the left lane.
7
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto US 53
5.1 mi
·
5 min
·
US 53
9
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 95A
Toward WI 29 East: Green Bay
10
Merge onto WI 29
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
WI 29
11
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 80
Toward CTH X: Lake Wissota State Park
12
Continue on CTH X
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
County Road X
13
Enter roundabout onto CTH X
111 ft
·
6 sec
·
County Highway X
14
Continue on CTH X
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
County Highway X
15
Arrive at destination
CTH X
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 14.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Farwell Street
Turn left onto South Farwell Street
Navigation decision point
6
3 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
8.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward WI 29 East: Green Bay
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 95A
Toward WI 29 East: Green Bay
5
12.8 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward CTH X: Lake Wissota State Park
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 80
Toward CTH X: Lake Wissota State Park
4
14.1 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
CTH X / County Highway X
Enter roundabout onto CTH X / County Highway X
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.38 one way
$4.75 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.61 | $5.22 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.93 | $5.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.36 | $6.71 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.60 | $0.73 |
| Efficient EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.33 | $0.61 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.13 | $0.97 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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.
Destination
Lake Wissota, WI
Morning in Lake Wissota on Tuesday
Local time
9:26 AM
CDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
18 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
22m 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?
About 60% of this 15.2-mile drive is on highways like US 53 and WI 29. Your longest stretch on a highway will be about 5.1 miles on US 53 before you transition to surface streets. Expect a mix of highway cruising and navigating local roads as you approach your destination. The change from highway speeds to surface street conditions will be noticeable.
60% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.1 mi on US 53.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near South Farwell Street.
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 15.2 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: near the start (South Farwell Street): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Eau Claire, WI to Lake Wissota, WI, road signs begin pointing toward Cth X: Lake Wissota State Park along the way.
Cth X: Lake Wissota State Park
12.8 mi in
|
~18m
About the Cities
Starting in Eau Claire, WI
Full guide →Eau Claire (pronounced: O'Clare, French for clear water) is a city of about 62,000 in Northwest Wisconsin.
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 22m. Total distance: 15.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (60%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.1 miles on US 53. 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: near the start (South Farwell Street): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lake Wissota, 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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