Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
6h 15m
Distance
335 mi
539 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$52
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Racine, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Hudson, WI
Tom Fisk
The drive from Racine, WI to Hudson, WI covers 335 miles and takes about 6h 15m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 94, East-West Freeway, I 90 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 175.4 miles on I 94. At current regular gas prices, budget about $51.94 one way before food or hotel costs.
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
167.5 miles from Racine, WI
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 14m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 94 | 175.4 mi | 3h 8m |
| East-West Freeway | 63.8 mi | 1h 9m |
| I 90 | 63.5 mi | 1h 8m |
| Douglas Avenue | 8.3 mi | 13m |
| I 41 | 5.9 mi | 8m |
| Airport Freeway | 4.6 mi | 6m |
| North-South Freeway | 4.5 mi | 5m |
| West Ryan Road | 4 mi | 6m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 280 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,448 veh/hr typical · worst 3,044
Quietest
2 AM
~161 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Racine, WI and Hudson, WI.
Start on WI 20; WI 32
Turn left onto WI 32
Turn left onto WI 32
Turn right onto WI 32
Continue on WI 32
Turn straight
Turn left onto WI 100
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 41; I 94; US 41
Keep slight right at fork onto I 41; I 94; US 41
Continue on I 41; US 41
Merge onto I 41; I 43; I 894; US 41
Keep slight right at fork onto I 41; I 894; US 41
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 94
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
Keep slight right at fork onto I 94
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90; I 94
Keep slight right at fork onto I 94
Take the exit
Continue on WI 35
Arrive at destination
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
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 74 miles or 1h 34m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 167.5 miles or 3h 14m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 10m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Hudson, WI than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Racine, 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 Racine, WI
This is one driving day of about 335 miles and 6h 15m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
168 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.
A short stop after about 74 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 167.5 miles from Racine, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 94 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 175.4 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 20 and 95.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight right at fork onto I 41; I 94; US 41 toward I 41 North, I 43 South, I 894 Bypass: Madison, Fond du Lac
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto I 41; I 894; US 41 toward I 41 North, I 894 North, US 41 North, US 45 North: Fond du Lac
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 94 West, I 94 East: Madison, Milwaukee
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 94 West: Madison
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
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
Regular Gas
$51.94 one way
$103.88 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $56.95 | $113.90 |
| premium | $4.93 | $65.00 | $129.99 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $73.85 | $147.69 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$52
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$77–$102
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 117.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $35 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 100.5 | 1 | $35.18 | $16.08 |
| Efficient EV | 83.8 | 0 | $29.31 | $13.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 134 | 1 | $46.90 | $21.44 |
Gas CO2
117 kg
EV CO2
39 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Racine on Wednesday
Local time
1:37 AM
CDT
Current temp
88°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Late night in Hudson on Wednesday
Local time
1:37 AM
CDT
Current temp
87°F
Partly Sunny
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
335 mi in 6h 15m, mostly highway — 175.4 mi of that is on I 94.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 94 and East-West Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 20 miles in near I 41; I 94; US 41.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 335 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 20 miles (I 41; I 94; US 41): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.3 miles (I 41; I 894; US 41): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 30.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
1,127 ft
Total Descent
1,038 ft
Highest Point
1,185 ft
~311.1 mi in
Elevation Range
561 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Racine, WI and Hudson, WI, road signs point toward Fond Du Lac, Milwaukee, Eau Claire and Saint Paul.
Fond Du Lac
Milwaukee
Eau Claire
Saint Paul
Founded 1699
Racine is a city of 77,000 people (2019) in Southeast Wisconsin along Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. It is the county seat of Racine County.
Top landmarks
Founded 1840
Hudson is a city in the St. Croix Valley of northwestern Wisconsin. It sits along the St. Croix River, which is also the Minnesota border, and is adjacent to and sometimes considered a part of that state's Twin Cities region.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 6h 15m. Total distance: 335 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 15m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
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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