Poynette Rest Area 12
0 mi from route
Trip from Menomonee Falls, WI to Galesville, WI
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 8m
Distance
218.6 mi
352 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$32
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
3h 55m
★
6 AM
4h 8m
8 AM
4h 34m
10 AM
4h 17m
12 PM
4h 15m
3 PM
4h 19m
5 PM
4h 33m
8 PM
4h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Menomonee Falls, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Galesville, WI
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Menomonee Falls to Galesville is 218.6 miles and takes about 4h 8m via I-94 and I-90, with a fuel budget near $34 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Wisconsin, connecting two points in the Midwest region. With 94% of the drive on highways, expect a relatively straightforward and efficient transit between these two locations. This route is well-suited for a single-day excursion, allowing you to reach your destination without needing an overnight stay, provided you start with a full tank.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
109.3 miles from Menomonee Falls, WI
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 6m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 90 | 104 mi | 1h 51m |
| East-West Freeway | 54.8 mi | 58m |
| I 94 | 29.1 mi | 31m |
| US 53 | 17.4 mi | 21m |
| Redford Boulevard | 4.4 mi | 6m |
| Main Street | 3.4 mi | 7m |
| West Main Street | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Waukesha Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
I 90
— 104 mi, about 1h 51m
Traffic on I-94
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 44 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,563 veh/hr typical · worst 3,040
Quietest
1 AM
~123 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
20.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Menomonee Falls, WI and Galesville, WI.
1
Start on WI 175
21 ft
·
7 sec
·
Appleton Avenue
2
Turn right onto Main Street
2.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Main Street
3
Continue on CTH F
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
West Main Street
4
Enter roundabout onto CTH F; CTH V
127 ft
·
7 sec
·
Town Line Road
5
Continue on CTH F; CTH V
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
Town Line Road
6
Turn right onto CTH F
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
7
Turn left onto CTH F
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Waukesha Avenue
8
Continue on CTH F
4.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Redford Boulevard
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
10
Merge onto I 94; WI 164
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
East-West Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
54 mi
·
57 min
·
East-West Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 94
29 mi
·
31 min
·
I 94
Exit 240
Toward I 39 North, I 90 West, I 94 West: Wisconsin Dells, Eau Claire
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; I 94
63 mi
·
1 hr 8 min
·
I 90; I 94
Use the straight lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90
40 mi
·
43 min
·
I 90
Exit 45
Toward I 90 West: Tomah, La Crosse
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward US 53 North, WI 157: La Crosse, Onalaska
16
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
17
Merge onto US 53; WI 157
12 mi
·
13 min
·
US 53; WI 157
18
Continue on US 53; WI 93
5.7 mi
·
7 min
·
US 53; WI 93
19
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
20
Turn straight onto US 53
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
South Main Street
21
Arrive at destination
US 53
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 8m estimated drive time, departing in the morning is your best bet to maximize daylight and avoid late-night driving. The route has only one recommended stop, so consider making that a point to refuel and stretch your legs, especially since the longest stretch is 104 miles. The $34 fuel cost is an estimate, so check current prices before you leave. Since this is a one-day trip, you have flexibility; aim to leave Menomonee Falls by 9 AM to arrive in Galesville with plenty of afternoon time.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 109.3 miles from Menomonee Falls, WI, or about 2h 6m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 104 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 48 miles or 1h 1m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 109.3 miles or 2h 6m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 21m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Galesville, WI than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Menomonee Falls, WI so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Menomonee Falls, WI
This is one driving day of about 218.6 miles and 4h 8m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 48 miles from Menomonee Falls, WI.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 90 for about 104 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
109 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 48 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 109.3 miles from Menomonee Falls, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 90 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 104 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Stops Along Your Drive
Picked by where they fit in your drive — first break, midpoint reset, final stretch.
Love's Travel Stop
0.1 mi from route
Road Ranger
0.1 mi from route
Portage Rest Area 11
0.1 mi from route
Lyndon Station Rest Area 9
0.1 mi from route
Bangor Rest Area 15
0.1 mi from route
Johnson Creek Rest Area 14
0.1 mi from route
Sparta Rest Area 16
0.1 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.1 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.1 mi from route
Mauston Rest Area 10
0.2 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.2 mi from route
Love's Travel Stop
0.2 mi from route
Petro Stopping Centers
0.3 mi from route
TA
0.3 mi from route
Pilot Travel Center
0.3 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.3 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.4 mi from route
Rest Area
0.9 mi from route
Rest Area
1 mi from route
Rest Area
1.9 mi from route
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 12.5 and 159.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
12.5 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
I 94; WI 164 / East-West Freeway
Merge onto I 94; WI 164 / East-West Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
13.8 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
I 94 / East-West Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94 / East-West Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
67.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 21m in
|
I 94
Keep slight right at fork onto I 94 toward I 39 North, I 90 West, I 94 West: Wisconsin Dells, Eau Claire
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 240
Toward I 39 North, I 90 West, I 94 West: Wiscon...
6
96.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 53m in
|
I 90; I 94
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; I 94
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
159.9 mi into trip
|
~3h 1m in
|
I 90
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90 toward I 90 West: Tomah, La Crosse
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 45
Toward I 90 West: Tomah, La Crosse
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$32.28 one way
$64.56 round trip
$3.75/gal
25.4 MPG avg
77 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.14 | $35.64 | $71.28 |
| premium | $4.72 | $40.59 | $81.17 |
| diesel | $4.80 | $41.28 | $82.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 76.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 65.6 | 0 | $22.95 | $10.49 |
| Efficient EV | 54.7 | 0 | $19.13 | $8.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 87.4 | 1 | $30.60 | $13.99 |
Gas CO2
76 kg
EV CO2
26 kg (66% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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.
Origin
Menomonee Falls, WI
Late night in Menomonee Falls on Sunday
Local time
5:52 AM
CDT
Current temp
88°F
Mostly Sunny
N 10 mph
1% chance
Live forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 18 at 12:48PM CDT until July 19 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
Destination
Galesville, WI
Late night in Galesville on Sunday
Local time
5:52 AM
CDT
Current temp
88°F
Sunny
N 10 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Beach Hazards Statement
Beach Hazards Statement issued July 18 at 12:48PM CDT until July 19 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
4h 8m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Ice Age National Scenic Trail
National Scenic Trail
The Ice Age National Scenic Trail spans 1,200 miles, traverses some of Wisconsin's finest geologic and glacial features, and passes through the ancestral lands of 15 Tribes. The Trail is built, manage...
25 mi from route
~63 min detour
Free
near mile 128.2
Park Closure: Janesville Segment — Partial Trail Closure
Caution: General Advisory — Flooding Possible
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
For most of this trip, you'll be on the interstate, with 94% of the 218.6 miles covered by highways like I-94 and I-90. The longest continuous stretch on a single highway is 104 miles on I-90. You'll encounter a high density of exits for much of the route as you navigate through built-up areas before transitioning to more open highway cruising. The final leg will involve leaving the main interstate system for surface roads.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 104 mi on I 90.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 90 and East-West Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 12.5 miles in near I 94; WI 164 / East-West Freeway.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 12 significant decision points across 218.6 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 12.5 miles (I 94; WI 164 / East-West Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.8 miles (I 94 / East-West Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 67.3 miles (I 94): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
953 ft
729 ft
Total Climb
331 ft
Total Descent
461 ft
Highest Point
953 ft
~78.1 mi in
Elevation Range
224 ft
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.
Between Menomonee Falls, WI and Galesville, WI, road signs point toward Eau Claire, La Crosse and Onalaska.
Eau Claire
67.3 mi in
|
~1h 21m
|
via I 94
La Crosse
159.9 mi in
|
~3h 1m
|
via I 90
Onalaska
200.4 mi in
|
~3h 44m
About the Cities
Starting in Menomonee Falls, WI
Full guide →Arriving in Galesville, WI
Full guide →Top landmarks
- • Gale College — defunct college in Wisconsin, US
- • Ridge Avenue Historic District — historic district in Galesville, Wisconsin, United States
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 4h 8m. Total distance: 218.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 104 miles on I 90. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 21 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Galesville, WI before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 21 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 12.5 miles (I 94; WI 164 / East-West Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.8 miles (I 94 / East-West Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 67.3 miles (I 94): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Ice Age National Scenic Trail. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.1 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.3 hours — manageable with a long break at Galesville, WI, but most travelers stay overnight.
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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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