Origin
Ludington, WI
Morning in Ludington on Tuesday
Local time
6:22 AM
CDT
Current temp
40°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ludington, WI to Eau Claire, 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
42m
Distance
33.3 mi
54 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Eau Claire, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Ludington, WI to Eau Claire, WI is 33.3 miles and takes about 42 minutes via WI 29 and US 53, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip connects two points within the Midwest, both in Wisconsin. The route is predominantly highway driving, making it a straightforward and quick connection. Given its brevity, it’s an ideal option for a quick hop between these locations without requiring extensive planning or an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| WI 29 | 15.2 mi | 16m |
| State Highway 27 | 8.3 mi | 11m |
| US 53 | 5.9 mi | 6m |
| Birch Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| River Prairie Drive | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Farwell Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East Madison Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Germania Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
WI 29
— 15.2 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ludington, WI and Eau Claire, WI.
1
Start on WI 27; CTH D
8.3 mi
·
11 min
·
State Highway 27
2
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward WI 29 East: Chippewa Falls
3
Merge onto WI 29
15 mi
·
16 min
·
WI 29
4
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
Toward US 53 South: Eau Claire
5
Merge onto US 53
5.9 mi
·
6 min
·
US 53
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward River Prairie Drive
7
Keep slight right at fork
207 ft
·
6 sec
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn straight onto River Prairie Drive
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
River Prairie Drive
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on Birch Street
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Birch Street
10
Continue on Germania Street
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Germania Street
11
Continue on East Madison Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
East Madison Street
12
Turn left onto North Farwell Street
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
North Farwell Street
13
Turn right onto East Grand Avenue
35 ft
·
1 sec
·
East Grand Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
East Grand Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 8.3 and 30.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
8.3 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Turn left toward WI 29 East: Chippewa Falls
Navigation decision point
Toward WI 29 East: Chippewa Falls
3
8.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
WI 29
Merge onto WI 29
Merge point - match speed before joining
4
23.9 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward US 53 South: Eau Claire
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 53 South: Eau Claire
4
30.2 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward River Prairie Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward River Prairie Drive
7
30.4 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.21 one way
$10.41 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.72 | $11.43 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.41 | $12.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.35 | $14.70 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.7 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 | 0 | $3.50 | $1.60 |
| Efficient EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.91 | $1.33 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.66 | $2.13 |
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.
Destination
Eau Claire, WI
Morning in Eau Claire on Tuesday
Local time
6:22 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°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
19 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
42m 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 is mostly highway, with 88% of the total 33.3 miles on high-speed roads. You'll experience a stretch of 15.2 miles on WI 29 without interruption. The latter part of the drive will transition from highway to surface roads as you approach Eau Claire. Expect to encounter a relatively low number of exits and merges, typical for a route of this nature.
88% 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: 15.2 mi on WI 29.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on WI 29 and State Highway 27. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 8.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 33.3 miles you will encounter 9 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 8.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 8.6 miles (WI 29): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 23.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 42m. Total distance: 33.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.2 miles on WI 29. 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 Eau Claire, 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 8.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 8.6 miles (WI 29): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 23.9 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 Eau Claire, 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
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Eau Claire, WI
More trips to Eau Claire, WI
Explore more options from Ludington, WI or browse trips ending in Eau Claire, WI.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse WI road trips.