Origin
La Crosse, WI
Late night in La Crosse on Tuesday
Local time
3:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from La Crosse, WI to Ettrick, 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
49m
Distance
32.7 mi
53 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
La Crosse, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Ettrick, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick jaunt through the Wisconsin Midwest, the 32.7-mile connection between La Crosse and Ettrick is an efficient choice. You can easily complete this drive in about 49 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. With a fuel budget of just $5, it is an economical route that requires no overnight stops. Expect a straightforward journey that moves you between these two regional hubs without any necessary detours. Because the trip is so short, you have plenty of flexibility to adjust your departure time to fit your specific schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| WI 157 | 12.7 mi | 15m |
| South Main Street | 8.1 mi | 12m |
| US 53 | 5.7 mi | 7m |
| WI 16 | 3.3 mi | 6m |
| Main Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| West Avenue South | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Losey Boulevard North | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Bridge Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
WI 157
— 12.7 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between La Crosse, WI and Ettrick, WI.
1
Start on WI 35
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
West Avenue South
2
Turn right
350 ft
·
12 sec
3
Turn straight onto CTH F
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
4
Turn left onto Losey Boulevard North
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Losey Boulevard North
5
Continue on WI 16
3.3 mi
·
6 min
·
WI 16
6
Turn slight left
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
7
Turn left onto WI 157
13 mi
·
15 min
·
WI 157
8
Continue on US 53; WI 93
5.7 mi
·
7 min
·
US 53; WI 93
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
10
Turn straight onto US 53
8.1 mi
·
12 min
·
South Main Street
11
Turn right onto Caroline Street
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Caroline Street
12
Continue on Bridge Street
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
Bridge Street
13
Turn right onto CTH D
15 ft
·
0 sec
·
South Main Street
14
Arrive at destination
CTH D
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 32.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.3 miles from La Crosse, 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 55 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 32.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
4
1.7 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
Losey Boulevard North
Turn left onto Losey Boulevard North
Navigation decision point
3
24.1 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
3
32.4 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
Caroline Street
Turn right onto Caroline Street
Navigation decision point
4
32.7 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
CTH D / South Main Street
Turn right onto CTH D / South Main Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.11 one way
$10.22 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.61 | $11.23 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.29 | $12.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.22 | $14.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.43 | $1.57 |
| Efficient EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.58 | $2.09 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Ettrick, WI
Late night in Ettrick on Tuesday
Local time
3:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°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
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
49m 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 highway-focused drive relies on a combination of WI 157, South Main Street, and US 53 to get you to your destination. With 67% of your travel occurring on highways, you will experience a relatively fast-paced trip. You will encounter your longest uninterrupted stretch of 12.7 miles while navigating WI 157, which sets the tone for the majority of the journey. The experience transitions from city-adjacent roads to more direct highway driving, ensuring a consistent rhythm behind the wheel. It is a practical, no-nonsense path that prioritizes efficiency over technical, winding local roads.
67% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.7 mi on WI 157.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on WI 157 and South Main Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 49m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (Losey Boulevard North): Navigation decision point; at 24.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
About the Cities
Starting in La Crosse, WI
Full guide →Founded 1842
La Crosse is a city in the Coulee Region of Southwest Wisconsin on the Mississippi River. It is the county seat of La Crosse County. It's nestled between the river and picturesque bluffs that rise behind it. With a city population of around 50,000 and the metropolitan area just under 100,000, La Crosse offers visitors plenty of activities to do and sights to see, without the overwhelming hustle and bustle of bigger cities.
Top landmarks
- • St. Rose of Viterbo Convent — historic church in Wisconsin, United States
- • La Crosse station — train station in La Crosse, Wisconsin, US
- • Christ Episcopal Church — church building in Wisconsin, United States of America
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 49m. Total distance: 32.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (67%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.7 miles on WI 157. 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 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (Losey Boulevard North): Navigation decision point; at 24.1 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 Ettrick, 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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