Origin
Milwaukee, WI
Late night in Milwaukee on Tuesday
Local time
5:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Milwaukee, WI to Rochester, 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
46m
Distance
30.1 mi
48 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 43m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Milwaukee, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Rochester, WI
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Milwaukee to Rochester is 30.1 miles and takes about 46m via West Loomis Road and State Highway 36, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Wisconsin. The route offers a mix of highway driving and surface roads, making it a straightforward option for a quick local excursion. With no planned stops and a brief duration, this drive is ideal for a same-day trip, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Loomis Road | 12.3 mi | 19m |
| State Highway 36 | 7.3 mi | 10m |
| North-South Freeway | 4.7 mi | 6m |
| I 43 | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Milwaukee Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East-West Freeway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Jackson Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
West Loomis Road
— 12.3 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Milwaukee, WI and Rochester, WI.
1
Start on US 18; WI 32
45 ft
·
8 sec
·
North Milwaukee Street
2
Turn left onto East Wisconsin Avenue
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
East Wisconsin Avenue
3
Turn right onto North Jackson Street
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
North Jackson Street
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
Toward I 794 West
Use the straight / slight right / right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 794
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
East-West Freeway
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 1B-C
Toward I 43, I 94 East: Chicago, Green Bay
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 1B
Toward I 43 South, I 94: Chicago
Use the slight left lane.
8
Merge onto I 43; I 94
4.7 mi
·
6 min
·
North-South Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 43
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
I 43
Toward I 41, I 43, I 894, US 41: Beloit
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 8A
Toward WI 36 South: Loomis Road
Use the right lane.
11
Turn straight onto WI 36
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
West Loomis Road
Use the left lane.
12
Continue on WI 36
10 mi
·
14 min
·
West Loomis Road
13
Continue on WI 36
7.3 mi
·
10 min
·
State Highway 36
14
Continue on WI 36
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Milwaukee Avenue
15
Turn right onto CTH D
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Washington Avenue
16
Continue on CTH D
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
East Main Street
17
Arrive at destination
CTH D
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
15 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 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.1 miles from Milwaukee, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 8.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 794 West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right / right lanes.
Toward I 794 West
7
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward I 43, I 94 East: Chicago, Green Bay
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 1B-C
Toward I 43, I 94 East: Chicago, Green Bay
9
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 43 South, I 94: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 1B
Toward I 43 South, I 94: Chicago
8
6.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 43
Keep slight right at fork onto I 43 toward I 41, I 43, I 894, US 41: Beloit
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 41, I 43, I 894, US 41: Beloit
7
8.9 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward WI 36 South: Loomis Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 8A
Toward WI 36 South: Loomis Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.71 one way
$9.41 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.17 | $10.33 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.79 | $11.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.65 | $13.29 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 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 | 0 | $3.16 | $1.44 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12 | 0 | $4.21 | $1.93 |
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
Rochester, WI
Late night in Rochester on Tuesday
Local time
5:27 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
2 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
46m 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 surface roads with 48% on the highway. You'll experience a longest stretch of 12.3 miles on West Loomis Road before transitioning to State Highway 36 and the North-South Freeway. Expect a mixed driving experience, starting with surface streets and moving onto more open highway stretches. The transition from local roads to faster-paced freeway driving is a noticeable shift.
48% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.3 mi on West Loomis Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 30.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Milwaukee, WI
Full guide →Milwaukee is the largest city in the state of Wisconsin, United States. The city celebrates its heritage as a major center for beer-brewing, and of it German and Polish communities. It is now known for its many festivals. The city's population is about 600,000 with about 1.6 million in the metropolitan area (2019). It is in the southeastern portion of the state on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
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 46m. Total distance: 30.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (48%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.3 miles on West Loomis Road. 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 Rochester, 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 0.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Rochester, 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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