Origin
Oak Creek, WI
Late night in Oak Creek on Saturday
Local time
5:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Oak Creek, WI to Grafton, WI
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
34.6 mi
56 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Oak Creek, WI
Tom Fisk
Grafton, WI
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Oak Creek to Grafton is 34.6 miles and takes about 53 minutes via North-South Freeway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically Wisconsin. Expect a straightforward drive that's mostly highway, making it a quick connection between these two points. It's ideal for a same-day trip with no need for overnight stays, offering a simple transit experience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North-South Freeway | 19.5 mi | 24m |
| John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway | 4.1 mi | 6m |
| Nicholson Avenue | 2.5 mi | 6m |
| Lake Freeway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Washington Street | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| South Pennsylvania Avenue | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| East Forest Hill Avenue | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| South Chicago Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
North-South Freeway
— 19.5 mi, about 24m
Traffic on I-43
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 71 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~4,411 veh/hr typical · worst 5,115
Quietest
2 AM
~320 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
13.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 103 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 Oak Creek, WI and Grafton, WI.
1
Start on East Puetz Road
109 ft
·
9 sec
·
East Puetz Road
2
Turn left onto WI 32
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Chicago Road
3
Turn left onto East Forest Hill Avenue
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
East Forest Hill Avenue
4
Turn right onto Nicholson Avenue
2.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Nicholson Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on WI 794
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
South Pennsylvania Avenue
6
Turn left onto WI 794
4.1 mi
·
6 min
·
John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on I 794
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Lake Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 794
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
East-West Freeway
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 1B-C
Toward I 43, I 94 East: Chicago, Green Bay
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 1C
Toward I 43 North: Green Bay
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto I 43
20 mi
·
24 min
·
North-South Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 92
Toward WI 60, CTH Q: Grafton
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn left onto WI 60
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Washington Street
Use the straight lane.
14
Turn left
78 ft
·
5 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.3 miles from Oak Creek, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 1.5 and 32.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Nicholson Avenue
Turn right onto Nicholson Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
6
5.5 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
WI 794 / John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway
Turn left onto WI 794 / John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
12.3 mi into trip
|
~22m 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
8
12.6 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 43 North: Green Bay
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 1C
Toward I 43 North: Green Bay
8
32.5 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward WI 60, CTH Q: Grafton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 92
Toward WI 60, CTH Q: Grafton
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.36 one way
$10.73 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $5.88 | $11.76 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.71 | $13.43 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $7.63 | $15.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.63 | $1.66 |
| Efficient EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.03 | $1.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.8 | 0 | $4.84 | $2.21 |
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
Grafton, WI
Late night in Grafton on Saturday
Local time
5:46 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
53m 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 route is primarily highway, with 76% of the drive on freeways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 19.5 miles on the North-South Freeway. After the highway portion, you'll transition to surface roads for the remaining distance. Expect numerous exits and interchanges along the freeway sections.
76% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.5 mi on North-South Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North-South Freeway and John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in near Nicholson Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 34.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (Nicholson Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles (WI 794 / John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
757 ft
587 ft
Total Climb
193 ft
Total Descent
137 ft
Highest Point
757 ft
~34.6 mi in
Elevation Range
170 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 Oak Creek, WI and Grafton, WI, road signs point toward Green Bay and Cth Q: Grafton.
Green Bay
12.3 mi in
|
~22m
Cth Q: Grafton
32.5 mi in
|
~48m
About the Cities
Starting in Oak Creek, WI
Full guide →Arriving in Grafton, WI
Full guide →Grafton is a village in Southeast Wisconsin.
Top landmarks
- • Grafton Flour Mill — mill in Grafton, Wisconsin, United States
- • Paramount Plaza Walk of Fame
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 53m. Total distance: 34.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.5 miles on North-South Freeway. 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 Grafton, 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 1.5 miles (Nicholson Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles (WI 794 / John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Grafton, 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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