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Trip from Portland, WI to La Crosse, WI

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

Drive Time

35m

Distance

23.2 mi

37 km

Drive Score

5/10

Practical drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 33m ★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m

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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Downtown Portland, WI, WI

Portland, WI

Brett Sayles

city in and county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States

La Crosse, WI

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This straightforward 23.2-mile drive from Portland to La Crosse, Wisconsin, is easily accomplished in about 35 minutes, making it an ideal short trip or an easy add-on to a longer journey. With 96% of the route on highways, you'll experience a focused driving experience with a minimal fuel cost estimated at $4. This route is perfect for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. You'll be traveling within the Midwest region of Wisconsin for the entirety of this trip.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
State Highway 33 22.3 mi 32m
Adams Street 0.7 mi 2m
West Avenue South 0.1 mi <1m
County Highway X <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: State Highway 33 — 22.3 mi, about 32m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on CTH X

151 ft · 11 sec · County Highway X
2

Turn left onto WI 33; CTH X

22 mi · 32 min · State Highway 33
3

Turn slight left onto Adams Street

0.7 mi · 2 min · Adams Street
4

Turn right onto WI 35

0.1 mi · 23 sec · West Avenue South
5

Arrive at destination

WI 35

Heads-up: tricky spots

2 of 2

2 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 23.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | WI 33; CTH X / State Highway 33

Turn left onto WI 33; CTH X / State Highway 33

Navigation decision point

4
23.1 mi into trip | ~35m in | WI 35 / West Avenue South

Turn right onto WI 35 / West Avenue South

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.63 one way

$7.25 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $3.98 $7.96
premium $4.89 $4.46 $8.93
diesel $5.61 $5.12 $10.24

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7 0 $2.44 $1.11
Efficient EV 5.8 0 $2.03 $0.93
EV Truck/SUV 9.3 0 $3.25 $1.48

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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

Portland, WI

Late night in Portland on Sunday

Local time

5:12 AM

CDT

Current temp

32°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy

NW 16 mph 19% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 11:18PM CDT until April 20 at 2:30AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 11:18PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

La Crosse, WI

Late night in La Crosse on Sunday

Local time

5:12 AM

CDT

Current temp

33°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy

NW 10 mph 38% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 11:18PM CDT until April 20 at 2:30AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 17 at 11:18PM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

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

1 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

35m 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?

Expect a highway-focused drive for the vast majority of this trip, with 96% of the journey utilizing main roads like State Highway 33, Adams Street, and West Avenue South. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 22.3 miles, primarily on State Highway 33, suggesting a consistent pace for a significant portion of your travel. This profile indicates a drive that prioritizes efficiency over varied scenery, likely offering a smooth and direct path.

96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
5 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.3 mi on State Highway 33.

How Hard Is This Drive?

1/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on State Highway 33 and Adams Street. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near WI 33; CTH X / State Highway 33.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Portland, WI to La Crosse, WI is easy. At 35m with 96% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (WI 33; CTH X / State Highway 33): Navigation decision point; at 23.1 miles (WI 35 / West Avenue South): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,373 ft 658 ft

Total Climb

106 ft

Total Descent

747 ft

Highest Point

1,373 ft

~3.3 mi in

Elevation Range

715 ft

About the Cities

Arriving in La Crosse, WI

Full guide →

La Crosse is a city in the Coulee Region of Southwest Wisconsin on the Mississippi River. It is the county seat of La Crosse County. It's nestled between the river and picturesque bluffs that rise behind it. With a city population of around 50,000 and the metropolitan area just under 100,000, La Crosse offers visitors plenty of activities to do and sights to see, without the overwhelming hustle and bustle of bigger cities.

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 35m. Total distance: 23.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

35m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (96%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 22.3 miles on State Highway 33. 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: near the start (WI 33; CTH X / State Highway 33): Navigation decision point; at 23.1 miles (WI 35 / West Avenue South): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at La Crosse, 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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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