Origin
Madison, WI
Late night in Madison on Tuesday
Local time
4:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Madison, WI to Monona, 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
16m
Distance
7.4 mi
12 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 15m
★
6 AM
0h 16m
8 AM
0h 19m
10 AM
0h 17m
12 PM
0h 17m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 19m
8 PM
0h 16m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Madison, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Monona, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Madison, WI to Monona, WI is 7.4 miles and takes about 16m via West Beltline Highway and Monona Drive, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Midwest region, specifically Wisconsin. It's a straightforward drive that mainly uses surface roads, making it ideal for a quick transition between two nearby points. You won't need much fuel for this brief trip, and you can easily complete it without an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Beltline Highway | 2 mi | 2m |
| John Nolen Drive | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Monona Drive | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| Nichols Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Proudfit Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Park Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Regent Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Shore Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
West Beltline Highway
— 2 mi, about 2m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Madison, WI and Monona, WI.
1
Start on CTH MS
317 ft
·
18 sec
·
University Avenue
2
Turn left onto North Brooks Street
432 ft
·
26 sec
·
North Brooks Street
3
Turn left onto West Johnson Street
430 ft
·
19 sec
·
West Johnson Street
4
Turn right onto North Park Street
0.3 mi
·
55 sec
·
North Park Street
5
Turn left onto Regent Street
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
Regent Street
6
Continue on US 151
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Proudfit Street
7
Continue on US 151
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
North Shore Drive
8
Turn right onto John Nolen Drive
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
John Nolen Drive
Use the straight lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward US 12 East, US 18 East
10
Merge onto US 12; US 18
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West Beltline Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 265
Toward CTH BB: Monona Drive
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn left onto Monona Drive
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Monona Drive
13
Turn left onto Nichols Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Nichols Road
Use the left lane.
14
Arrive at destination
Nichols Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Brooks Street
Turn left onto North Brooks Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Johnson Street
Turn left onto West Johnson Street
Navigation decision point
6
3.2 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 12 East, US 18 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 12 East, US 18 East
7
5.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward CTH BB: Monona Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 265
Toward CTH BB: Monona Drive
6
7 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
Nichols Road
Turn left onto Nichols Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.16 one way
$2.31 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.27 | $2.54 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.42 | $2.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.63 | $3.27 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.78 | $0.36 |
| Efficient EV | 1.9 | 0 | $0.65 | $0.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.47 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Monona, WI
Late night in Monona on Tuesday
Local time
4:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
16m 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 almost entirely on surface roads, with 0% highway share. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 2 miles, which occurs on the West Beltline Highway. After this brief highway segment, you'll transition to surface streets like John Nolen Drive and Monona Drive. Expect a steady pace with frequent intersections as you navigate through urban and suburban areas.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2 mi on West Beltline Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near North Brooks Street.
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 7.4 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.1 miles (North Brooks Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (West Johnson Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Madison, WI
Full guide →Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, is situated on an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. As the anchor of the Greater Madison Area, it is home to the University of Wisconsin — Madison, one of the premier universities in the United States. It is a vibrant city known for its natural beauty, vibrant cultural scene, and academic excellence. Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities such as hiking, biking, and exploring the city's many museums and art galleries. The city is also known for its diverse and delicious food options.
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 16m. Total distance: 7.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2 miles on West Beltline Highway. 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 Monona, 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 0.1 miles (North Brooks Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (West Johnson Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Monona, 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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