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Trip from North La Crosse, WI to Sparta, WI

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

31m

Distance

25.5 mi

41 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 29m ★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 30m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in and county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States

North La Crosse, WI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Sparta, WI, WI

Sparta, WI

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

North La Crosse, WI to Sparta, WI is 25.5 miles and takes about 31 minutes via US 53, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short Midwest drive connects two points within Wisconsin. With most of the trip on highways, you'll find it a straightforward and quick connection between these two communities. It’s a good option if you’re looking for a simple transit rather than an extended scenic journey. The total distance is manageable for a single-day trip.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 53 14 mi 15m
I 90 7.8 mi 8m
South Black River Street 1.7 mi 2m
Rose Street 1.2 mi 2m
West Oak Street 0.4 mi 1m
South Court Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 53 — 14 mi, about 15m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between North La Crosse, WI and Sparta, WI.

1

Start on US 53; CTH B

1.2 mi · 2 min · Rose Street
2

Take the exit onto US 53

14 mi · 15 min · US 53
3

Continue on I 90

7.8 mi · 8 min · I 90
4

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 32 sec
Exit 25 Toward WI 27: Sparta, Melvina
5

Keep slight left at fork

169 ft · 4 sec
6

Turn left onto WI 27

0.9 mi · 1 min · South Black River Street
7

Enter roundabout onto WI 27

87 ft · 1 sec · South Black River Street
8

Continue on WI 27

0.7 mi · 1 min · South Black River Street
9

Turn right onto West Oak Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · West Oak Street
10

Turn left onto South Court Street

390 ft · 22 sec · South Court Street
11

Turn left

139 ft · 10 sec
12

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 23 and 25.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
23 mi into trip | ~26m in

Take the exit toward WI 27: Sparta, Melvina

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 25 Toward WI 27: Sparta, Melvina
5
23.3 mi into trip | ~26m in

Keep slight left at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

4
24.2 mi into trip | ~28m in | WI 27 / South Black River Street

Enter roundabout onto WI 27 / South Black River Street

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

4
25 mi into trip | ~29m in | West Oak Street

Turn right onto West Oak Street

Navigation decision point

5
25.5 mi into trip | ~31m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.99 one way

$7.97 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $4.38 $8.75
premium $4.89 $4.91 $9.81
diesel $5.61 $5.63 $11.26

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.6 0 $2.68 $1.22
Efficient EV 6.4 0 $2.23 $1.02
EV Truck/SUV 10.2 0 $3.57 $1.63

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 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.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

North La Crosse, WI

Late night in North La Crosse on Sunday

Local time

3:12 AM

CDT

Current temp

33°F

Mostly Cloudy

NW 14 mph 6% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Watch

Flash Flood Watch issued April 18 at 12:10AM CDT until April 19 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 11:47PM CDT until April 18 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

Sparta, WI

Late night in Sparta on Sunday

Local time

3:12 AM

CDT

Current temp

69°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

36 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

31m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This route is primarily a highway-focused drive, with 85% of the journey on major roads. You'll experience about 14 miles on US 53 as the longest continuous stretch on a single highway. The drive involves sections of US 53 and I-90 before transitioning to South Black River Street for the final approach. Expect a steady pace for most of the trip, with minimal slowdowns until you reach the Sparta area.

85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14 mi on US 53.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 53 and I 90. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 23 miles in.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 31m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 23 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 24.2 miles (WI 27 / South Black River Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from North La Crosse, WI to Sparta, WI, road signs begin pointing toward Melvina along the way.

Melvina

23 mi in | ~26m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 25.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

31m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (85%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 14 miles on US 53. 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 23 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 24.2 miles (WI 27 / South Black River Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Sparta, 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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